Hospitality News

The tourism ministry has inaugurated a public discussion for the formation of the functional specifications and quality criteria arrangement plan for Greek tourist resorts, which will lead to a new categorization system for “stars” for hotels and “keys” for rooms to let.

Astir Beach, Vouliagmeni, reopened last month after an extensive refurbishment process that began in October 2007 and cost some seven million euros.

Galaxy Hotel Iraklio on Crete, a member of the Oikonomou group of companies, recently opened its doors after a full refurbishment and upgrade to a five-star category that, according to the group, “aims to meet the needs of any visitor to the city for either business or pleasure.”

Daskalantonakis Group recently announced the application of Green initiatives—within the framework of its GreenPolicy—at its Classical Hotels chain. The group aims to co-produce electricity with the aid of natural gases and with a special procedure of frost absorption.

The first phase of Costa Navarino, one of the largest investments in Greek tourism, is expected to welcome its first visitors in 2009. The 550-million-euro project by Greek Development Company TEMES S.A. (Tourism Enterprises of Messinia) in Messinia, southwest Peloponissos, covers a total area of over 1,000 hectares (10 million square meters).

Grand Hotel Palace in Thessaloniki inaugurated its new conference center with a total capacity for 1,500 delegates following the five million euro investment by the Serafeim Dedeoglou group of companies.

“Villa Princess Theophano” is the new name for the recently refurbished five-star “Theophano Imperial Palace” in Halkidiki that opens its doors on June 15. “Villa Princess Theophano,” one of the five hotels in the of G-Hotels resort chain, is the outcome of a 10 million euro investment by the group.

G.R.louis S.A, the company that manages the five-star G.R.Louis Athens Hotel, recently took over Doma Hotel in the center of Larissa. The new addition to the G.R.Louis family will be renamed “G.R.Louis Larissa Hotel” and after full refurbishment through an investment of some 500,000 euros would become a B category hotel from its current C category status. The refurbishment process is anticipated to begin in June 2008 and end by November so the hotel can begin its operation by the end of this year.

Erytha Hotel & Resort on the island of Chios recently announced an innovation in its facilities as it is the first hotel in Greece to offer its guests the option of an acoustic tour of the island’s key sites. When the resort opens this month guests may obtain the card-voucher with which they can use the “Chios echo” acoustic guide and receive digital information on key sites and points of interest.

Atlantica Hotels & Resorts—50 percent of which belong to TUI Travel PLC—and Natalie Tours, a leading Russian tour operator, have agreed to jointly build some 20 four-and five-star hotels in Greece in the next five to seven years. Both sides met during the Russian-Greek Business Council meeting held as a part of the sixth joint Russian-Greek governmental commission on economic, industrial, scientific and technological cooperation.