WTM 2016: Santikos Collection Launches Revamped Marpunta Village to the UK Market

Katerina Santikou, Business Development Director, Santikos Collection.

The family owned Santikos Collection, best known for their hotels on the island of Skiathos (Skiathos Princess and Aegean Suites), launched another of their properties to the UK market during the recent World Travel Market (WTM) London 2016.

Following a huge renovation of three million euros, completed in Spring 2016, which saw all rooms refurbished and upgraded, Marpunta Village on the island of Alonnisos will be available to guests from the UK from Summer 2017.

“Marpunta Village is a very exclusive concept aimed at an upscale market”, Katerina Santikou, Business Development Director, Santikos Collection, told the Greek Travel Pages (GTP).

The property, which has been in the Santikos family since 1984, features 110 rooms, 15 family suites, farm-to-table cuisine and three private beaches.

“This is a hotel which follows the trend that has been created in recent years. Travellers want to find something that will be different and they seek it on destinations that are a bit more remote”, Santikou said.

Marpunta Village, once an old fisherman’s village, offers guests a tranquil and authentic Greek island escape. It evokes a traditional Greek chic atmosphere and a wealth of activities for family and friends to enjoy such as tennis, soccer, basketball and hikes.

Located on the island of Alonnisos of the Sporades islands, the property is surrounded by Greece’s first national marine park.

“We really want to help the local economy of Alonissos and have launched several cooperations with restaurants on the island. We have been on Alonissos for the last 30 years and it is a very unique destination”, Santikou added.

New ‘Book Your Wedding’ Platform

Also at WTM London 2016, Santikos Collection launched their new, innovative “Book Your Wedding” service providing couples with an easy to navigate platform to research, design, customise, plan and book their wedding.

“Just like someone books a room, they can now book their wedding”, Santikou told GTP, adding that the platform lets brides know exactly what they have to pay, what their booking contains and what exactly the selected hotel will offer.

“The bridal market is a huge market and the platform allows travel agents and tour operators to book weddings in hotels, just as they contract rooms, and receive their commission.”

Moreover, Santikou informed that seven of the popular Family Club Rooms at Skiathos Princess are set to be refurbished over the winter months and re-open for the 2017 season. New bathrooms will be installed along with new flooring throughout each of the rooms.

In regards to WTM London 2016, Santikou found the exhibition “very productive” for the company. “Our main market is still the UK and this is how it’s been for a number of years… We are receiving only positive feedback about Greece”, she said.