The five-star Maslina Resort, Croatia’s very first Mindful Luxury property located on Europe’s sunniest island, Hvar, has announced the
appointment of two senior positions following its seasonal reopening for 2023. Carmen Hackmann will be leading the team as Hotel Manager, whilst Miro Marić takes over as Maslina Resort’s Executive Chef.
Carmen Hackmann, Hotel Manager
Carmen joins Maslina Resort from Almanac Hotels in Vienna, where she was the Executive Assistant Manager during the pre-opening and opening of Almanac Palais Vienna. In addition to that, she also held the role of Corporate Director of Sales & Marketing across the Almanac Group. An enthusiastic and highly motivated hotel professional with extensive knowledge of the luxury hotel market, Carmen began her career in London, where she worked her way up from the Groups Coordinator at Kempinski Hotels & Resort to Meeting & Accounts Executive, Accounts Manager of Business Sales, and National Account Director M & E at Thistle & Guoman Hotels. She then became the Director of MICE Key Accounts in the UK at Steigenberger Hotels.
Carmen moved to Frankfurt in her native Germany, where her career moved into on-property Sales & Marketing at Steigenberger Frankfurter
Hof and the Regent Berlin, where she was the department director from 2011-2019. In 2017, she joined the Regent Porto Montenegro on a task force project as the interim General Manager, which was her first step into taking on more responsibilities besides Sales & Marketing, before moving to Venice to take over as the Director of Sales & Marketing at San Clemente Palace Kempinski.
Speaking of her new role, Carmen said: “Taking on this position at Maslina Resort is a personal and professional dream come true. I love hotels that have a story to tell, hotels with a sense of place, and hotels that are unique in their way. Maslina has something special with its innovative design, sustainable approach, and personal service to deliver an authentically local experience. Everyone I was in touch with, from the inspiring founder of the hotel to everyone I met during my interview process and in these first weeks, was warm, hospitable, and caring. That made me want to be a part of this team.”
Miro Marić, Executive Chef
Miro Marić joins Maslina Resort as Executive Chef, with a goal to enrich its culinary offering with creativity, seasonality, and regionality. His cuisine fuses classic French techniques with Mediterranean elements, bringing local herbs and ingredients to the forefront of Maslina’s menus. No stranger to the region, Marić has worked in Croatia for the last four years, including being instrumental in getting the first Michelin star for Alfred Keller restaurant at the 5-star Boutique Hotel Alhambra on Lošinj Island. He was also the Chef de Cuisine at Small Luxury Hotel Palazzo Rainis in Novigrad and the Executive Sous Chef at the 5-star luxury boutique Hotel Lemongarden in Sutivan on the island of Brač, where he helped them win 14 Gault Millau points, too.
Prior to that, Marić also worked at the legendary Relais & Chateaux Taubenkobel in Austria, Interalpen in Tyrol, whilst also Sous Chef at the 1-star Michelin fine dining restaurant 180 Degrees by Matthias Diether in Tallin. Marić speaks seven languages and has worked alongside many Michelin star chefs, including Jan Jacob Boerma***, Christian Kuchler**, Sebastian Zier**, Stefan Heilemann**, and Christian Huembs***, to name a few.
Speaking of his appointment, Marić said: “I’m delighted to be joining Maslina Resort. For me, the quality of the product is most important, and so we will use as much as we can source from the island, including our Organic Garden. Our kitchen and menus will use 80-90% seasonal and homegrown products, whilst we will also be implementing set fish, meat, and vegetable menus with 4 and 7 courses for guests to enjoy. I can’t wait for our guests to experience our signature dishes with new ingredients and new creativity in the kitchen”
