After completing the tour Ispočetka promoting his 10th studio album of the same name which sold over 700.000 tickets during the course of 4 years, Dino Merlin took a break from music and performing.

[6] Critics as well as the audience remarked that the song was unlike any other he had produced during his career as it featured a very modern arrangement, with electronic, alternative rock and dubstep elements.

Their collaboration continued and resulted in producing the first major single from Hotel Nacional and probably the biggest hit on the record Školjka.

[9][10] During early 2011, Dervišhalidović took a trip to London to meet his friend and music producer Srdjan Kurpjel with whom he collaborated on both Burek and Ispočetka.

[11] Kurpjel introduced him to fellow London based producer Yoad Nevo who at the time worked with some of the most iconic British acts to date - Pet Shop Boys, Sugababes, Sophie Ellis-Bextor etc.

In order to raise awareness and aid money, Dino Merlin partnered with the Red Cross of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Serbia to publish the song Ruža [bs].

On 15 June 2014, the single Školjka was published worldwide during the halftime of Bosnia's first ever football world cup performance.

[19] The song rose quickly to popularity and was featured in almost every halftime commercial break on national television during the world cup.

[9] Just days later, on 19 June 2014, Dervišhalidović released a photo on his Facebook profile of him holding the cover of the album Hotel Nacional.