Organising events with people for people was Ivi’s greatest passion. While working at Slovenia's oldest high school in Idrija, her greatest joy was working with young people and helping them to develop their creative skills. While leading the project to establish the first Relais & Chateuax hotel in Slovenia, and later managing the hotel and its fine restaurant, she enjoyed giving the guests something unique. Something unforgettable. An experience. Working with a small and dedicated local team and making and seeing guests happy and satisfied was truly fulfilling for Ivi.
Ivi spent the early years of her career as the head librarian at Slovenia's first Gymnasium in Idrija. In 1988, she took on the challenging project of transforming a local ruin into the first Relais & Chateaux, a 5* hotel in Slovenia. With its emphasis on tradition and heritage, the hotel reflects great historical importance of the town of Idrija, which dates back to 1490. The restaurant at Hotel Kendov Dvorec (Kenda Manor) was recently awarded a Michelin plate and continues to offer menus dedicated to local ingredients and traditional cuisine. Ivi retired from running the hotel in 2020. Together with her husband Edvard, she now runs the Svetlik Wine Estate in the village of Kamnje, just above the Vipava Valley in the western part of Slovenia. The winery was founded by them in 2000 and today produces one of the finest amber Rebula wines in the region, which has won many international awards and is served in some of the world’s finest restaurants.
