The former Tito's villa had had the real potential to turn into a topmost tourist attraction, but the ravages of time left consequences, and it seemed it would turn into another Slovenian story of sad and pointless decay.

The worry became even more justifiable in the autumn of 2012 when Sportina definitively abandoned the Villa. The building was (temporarily) closed, the head of the Villa Bled Restaurant, chef Igor Jagodic, found a new job in Ljubljana. The government entrusted the building to the commercial public institute Protocol Services of the Republic Of Slovenia (JGZ Brdo), in charge of numerous protocol buildings in the country, but not much was said about the plans for the Villa which is presently in a rather sad state (heating being the greatest problem).
Last June Villa Bled was reopened, as JGZ Brdo considered it had a great impact on recognition of Bled, and Tourism Bled agrees – they believe the Bled tourism would be really impoverished without it. But the question remains if good will is enough. JGZ has limited funds, while restauration of such a building would require a strong strategic partner which presently has not been found.
Perhaps the placing of the Villa Bled on the recent CNN list of the seven most beautiful lakeshore complexes might convince somebody. The work of architect Vinka Glanza (he followed the instructions of Josip Broz – Tito, and partially the plans of architect Danilo Fürst), completed by German war prisoners in 1947, stands alongside such cosmopolitan hotels as Lake Timara Lodge in New Zealand, Moraine Lake Lodge in the Canadian Banff National Park, and Hotel Royal Victoria at the Italian lake Como.
Other lakeshore complexes:
Casa Palopo (Lake Atitlan, Guatemala)
Lake Timara Lodge (Marlborough, New Zealand)
Moraine Lake Lodge (Banff National Parc, Canada)
Mirror Lake Inn (Lake Placid, New York)
Hotel Royal Victoria (Lake Como, Italy)
Explora Patagonia (Chile)

K. S., translated by G. K.