SETKE Introduces Lodging Brands ‘Elite’ and ‘Smotel’

Greek Confederation of Tourist Accommodation Enterprises (SETKE) President Panagiotis Tokouzis (second from left) during the confederation’s second congress at the Xenia 2017 hospitality show.

The Greek Confederation of Tourist Accommodation Enterprises (SETKE) recently announced the launch of brands for lodgings (apartments/rooms to let) in Greece, aiming to offer an upgraded product to visitors. SETKE represents some 30,000 lodgings throughout Greece.

Speaking during the confederation’s second congress held on the sidelines of the Xenia 2017 hospitality show in Athens, SETKE President Panagiotis Tokouzis announced the creation of a category of high class lodgings, dubbed “elite” and a second new category of “experiential tourism” lodgings that will be known under the brand name “smotel” and provide specific, specialized services to its customers.

While presenting the new brands for lodgings, Tokouzis underlined that apartments and rooms for let should not be considered a “lower-ranking choice of accommodation” by travelers.

“In recent years there have been remarkable investments by businessmen in the industry who invest in quality and diversity, in tourist accommodation facilities that offer upgraded services and benefits,” he said.

‘Elite’ lodgings

According to Tokouzis, SETKE’s new “elite” category will be the “flagship” of the lodgings sector. “This category will include accommodation that meets specific criteria and specifications higher than those of the lodgings of the highest category. This new category will be certified by our confederation.”

‘Smotel’ lodgings

SETKE’s second category will be known under the brand name “Smotel” that will certify lodgings, regardless of category and size. “Smotels” will provide specialized services to its customers.

“This is a new category of accommodation, which will meet specific standards, such as the serving of breakfast or offering a tourism experience, but will not necessarily be of high cost. This means that the name “smotel” will be able to certify accommodation belonging to all categories of the sector.”

“Smotels” will obtain a certification based on the different kind of experiential tourism they provide, such as walking tourism, climbing tourism, gastronomy tourism and fishing tourism, this way providing a brand new way of choosing a destination.

According to SETKE, the lodgings will address visitors looking for new customized experiences to match personal preferences and needs.

Moreover, during his speech, Tokouzis also mentioned that SETKE has tabled a proposal to the Tourism Ministry regarding a new categorization for lodgings, ranking from 1 to 5 suns instead of 1-4 keys that it is today.

He also mentioned that the confederation has upgraded its greekapartments platform and is looking to establish it as an online booking system.