Hospitality News

Distinguished historical hotel group Yades Heritage & Hospitality announced its aim to enhance its presence in Greece and abroad through a series strategic moves that would promote the unique characteristics of its members.

Online accommodation supplier Youtravel.com is ambitious in 2008 as in its first year of operation — launched October 2006 — the Athens-based company received some 70 million euros revenue from hotel bookings only. According to Youtravel.com founder and chief executive, John Kent, “our ambition for 2008 is to double this and exceed 150 million euros revenue.” Youtravel.com opened a version of its site in Greece in June 2007 with deals for the local market, priced in euros, and with specific marketing plans for the region.

Club Hotel Casino Loutraki recently took an initiative, in cooperation with New York College, to partially finance Bachelor and MBA degrees for some twenty employees. This initiative is part of the company’s aim to further educate its staff and thus enhance its work force. The courses will take place in the work place.

Novotel Athenes, a member of the Accor group, completed its full refurbishment in May 2007. The refurbishment process, which began in November 2006, cost some 5.3 million euros, and included 196 rooms, the reception and lobby, two restaurants and roof garden.

A new hotel chain, Grace Hotels, marked its presence in the Greek market with the launch of Mykonos Grace Hotel recently. Mykonos Grace, a boutique hotel, won worldwide recognition in 2007 and was awarded the first prize at the European Hotel Design Awards held in London for Hotel Design of the Year.

Aristi Mountain Resort, a traditional structure made of stone in the middle of Aristi Village, Epirus, with breathtaking views to the gorge of Voidomatis River and the imposing mountain range of Astraka, has just completed its first year of successful operation. The resort sports 14 rooms-suites, triple rooms and double rooms-and up-market facilities. located in the heart of Aristi Village, it is connected with the central village square through a scenic trail. It also provides car accessibility up to the entrance of the main lobby and plenty of parking next to the hotel.

The Banyan Tree Hotels and Resorts selected Greece as its first location in Europe. The company anticipates the creation of two luxury resorts, on the island of Santorini and Pylos of Messinia, under its management by 2009.

The tourism development ministry recently announced the completion of the process of selection of a committee that will be responsible for the classification of hotels and rooms to rent. It also announced developments on basic issues of the tourism industry such as the promotion of thematic tourism.

With refurbishment at Amalia hotel now completed and refurbishment of Amalia hotels around Greece well under way, the group looks to the future. It considers its role and strategy in the tourism sector through the eyes of an organization that has been in the industry since the dawn of tourism in Greece, hailed by many in the sector as a “pioneer” long before its first hotel opened in Amalia Avenue in 1958.

The chain of Starwoord hotels, of which the Grande Bretagne and Astir Palace Vouliagmenis are members, recently announced the redesign of its website spg.com. The website is dedicated to the members of the program Starwood Preferred Guests (SPG).