An oasis of peace in Ukraine

Immersed in the dense conifer woods around the Ukrainian city of Poltava, the Relax Park Verholy is a corner of peace just a short drive from the hectic life of the city. Ukraine is one of the greenest countries in Europe, and the resort is located just a few kilometres from the city on the Vorskla famous for the eponymous 1709 battle in which the Russians defeated the Swedes, in a bucolic location which offers both leisure areas and spaces for meetings and work.
The Relax Park is spread out between the pines, meadows and lakes in a private park, in which the separate parts combine organically and are complemented by swimming pools, restaurants and spas, all boasting top of the range facilities and comfort. The project, which has been completed gradually over almost ten years, was designed by the local YOD design lab, which since 2004 has built up a portfolio of hospitality projects including hotels, restaurants and cafeterias, spas and wellness centres, mostly located in Ukraine.
Laid out around a central lake, the structure offers its guests a wide range of accommodation options, all immersed in the tranquil green, in direct contact with nature – an important component of the overarching design. Its distinct, differentiated functional areas include 44 conventional hotel rooms (housed in twin buildings on the northern edge of the property) next to independent solutions distributed around the park and camouflaged in the green: seven small cottages, functional guest houses grouped and raised off the ground on poles, and three large alpine-style chalets, with large sloping roofs, each with its own swimming pool.
The reception area, with the administrative offices and an entire further floor of rooms, is located next to the entrance and acts as the gateway to and from the outside, while the common areas and services are all grouped around the lake, and can be reached by shady internal pathways: the Food & Forest restaurant, the bar, horse riding centre (the Relax Park Verholy also has a stud farm which breeds race horses for national competitions), a conference block with two large rooms and services, a 700 square metre spa, added in 2016 and, next to the twin hotel buildings, a large heated outdoor swimming pool.
The modern and minimalistic styling characterises a carefully detailed linear complex which eliminates all superfluity and makes extensive use of warm colours and natural as well as contemporary materials. A variety of natural woods, stone, Corten steel elements and finishings, large glass surfaces, leather (especially in the more deluxe interiors) and floors in elegant, highly resistant slate coloured porcelain which recalls natural rock (Hyper by Del Conca, inspired by North American slate) allow the new buildings to blend into their unspoiled setting and make them an active part of the whole.