LifeClass Terme Sveti Martin is the first-ever Croatian spa-resort to receive Halal Certification. In 2016, the hotel catered to more than 1,750 guests of Islamic faith, most of them arriving from the United Arab Emirates. The hotel began preparation to meet Halal Certification standards in July 2016 to address the demands of its guests. Under the certification, the hotel will adapt rooms and menus to satisfy Muslim guests.
Halal rooms will feature an arrow that indicates the direction of Mecca, a prayer rug, and a Koran. As far as menus are concerned, the halal concept is largely in line with the dining philosophy of the resort, which is “World of healthy pleasures.” The restaurant follows a dietary philosophy coined by Rudolf Steiner, the father of “biodynamic production.”
The first health food restaurant in Sveti Martin na Muri in Međimurje County is the resort’s own Le Batat, where diners will enjoy premium, healthy and innovative dishes, made exclusively with local produce. The restaurant serves freshly pressed fruit and vegetable juices, smoothies, healthy desserts like gibanica, sweet potato pie, protein cakes, home-made energy bars, cheesecake, homemade pasta dishes, and much more. Under halal regulations, the following foods are haram (forbidden) in the Muslim diet: pork or pork by-products, animals that were dead prior to slaughtering, animals not slaughtered properly or not slaughtered in the name of Allah, blood and blood by-products, carnivorous animals, birds of prey, and land animals without external ears.
The Halal Certification was awarded by the Croatian Center for Halal Quality Certification on Monday, February 13, 2017.
Halal certification in Croatia today is still a rarity, but Opatija Astoria Hotels Group received its own earlier in February, and the trend is likely to continue, following a demand of halal certified facilities triggered by the need to develop halal travel destinations.