Presenting the renovated hotel in Ljubljana's centre on Tuesday, the executive director of Union Hoteli Matej Rigelnik said that the idea behind the hotel's makeover was to transcend traditional hotel concepts.

According to him, the opening of the transformed hotel marks the greatest novelty in Slovenia's hospitality sector since Grand Hotel Union opened at the beginning of the 20th century.

Instead of receptionists, porters or restaurant staff the refurbished hotel will employ a person responsible for the guests' comfort and well-being, a so-called experience officer, who will be assisted by a number of employees available to guests all the time.

The aim of the experience officer is to make guests feel at home, using casual communication skills. Instead of a standard reception area at ground level, there is a large communal space at the top of the hotel for checking in, having breakfast or a drink, or just mingling.

Those wishing to avoid interaction with the personnel can book and check in through a mobile app, thus getting a digital room key.

A minimalistic style contributes to more spatial rooms, but still honours the identity of the building, which was constructed in the time of the former Yugoslavia.

Based on the Japanese trend, there are also 10 bed capsules available to guests, which are already booked up in the coming weeks.

The hotel will strive to cater to younger, more introverted or independent guests who have a penchant for technological advancements.

The project is part of the Union Hoteli 2018 strategic plan, which also brought about the renovation of the group's Lev Hotel. Union Hoteli intends to renovate Grand Hotel Union and Hotel Union Business as well, endeavouring to remain Ljubljana's leading hotelier.