The roof above the restaurant section of the "Desaret" hotel in Ohrid is falling apart. Underneath it - guests. Among the guests - often children. Every official body knows about it: residents from Peshtani and activists from the citizens' initiative "Ohrid SOS" have been raising the alarm for more than a year. The municipality knows. The building inspector knows - a repair order was issued, and the deadline was 30 April 2026. That deadline has passed.

The hotel still ran at full capacity over the May Day holidays. The "Desaret" hotel is still running today. The roof - is the same one. The order - ignored.

When the complainants asked why, they got two answers. The first: "no contractor could be found for the repair." The second - when the media started asking questions: "the damage was not that serious." From serious enough for a repair order, to not serious enough for a reaction - all within a few weeks and one May Day season.

The hotel is owned by the joint-stock company "Ohridturist," and leased by former SDSM MP Laze Tanevski. That is the name of the person answerable to the state for the safety of the guests, and the name the municipality and the building inspector have on file with the repair order.

The activists have now filed a complaint with the State Construction Inspectorate for negligent behaviour and failure to act on the order. One more body, before which the procedure can drag on for months. The season is meanwhile starting. Tourists are arriving. Children are arriving. And the roof - is falling apart in real time.

The hotel, designed by architect Pantelej Mitkov in 1973, is considered part of the modernist architectural heritage of the Ohrid region. It is the story of a hotel built with pride. Now it is the story of a hotel maintained on the principle of "we will see when something happens." The only question is what happens first - the roof repair, or the damage that no inspector will be able to close again with an order.