Hotels & Accommodations

Eria Resort, the first hotel designed for people with disabilities, is located near Chania in Crete. The hotel owner, Grigoris Archontakis, is a pharmacist with a successful business in orthopedic and medical equipment.

Grecotel Olympia Riviera Resort has brought sand sculpting to Greece for the first time this summer. The resort located in Killini, on the west coast of Peloponnisos has invited artists from the World Sand Sculpture Academy (WSSA) in Holland to create sculptures and provide workshops for hotel guests.

Bankcards for members and an internet portal are among the priority plans presented by Andreas Andreadis, president of the newly elected board of the Panhellenic Federation of Hoteliers (POX).

Astir Palace’s board of directors finally chose Starwood after an intense selection process that began with 20 proposals in September 2005. Starwood was among four companies short-listed, including Marriott, InterContinental and Accor.

AKS hotel group celebrated its new conference center in Porto Heli with an opening ceremony last month. Menelaos Siakolas, president and managing director of AKS Hotels, said that the company recognized the importance of conference tourism and believed that their center will help to develop tourism in Greece. He also pointed out that the company hopes the center will bring social and economic opportunities to the local community. “Our company’s goal is not only to operate in an organized and effective manner, but to share the values and benefits with the local community,” he said.

Last month, Domotel celebrated the opening of its newest acquisition, the five-star Xenia Volou on the coast of Volos. This is the only hotel in the city that can host large conferences thanks to its facilities and modern technology, services, rooms and suites that meet the highest VIP requirements. This luxury resort is a great escape for the summer and holidays, and a bridge to the Sporades islands and Pelion. The hotel has a spa for those seeking relaxation and peace.

Plans by the owners of the Mont Parnes casino-hotel to demolish the structure and rebuild another in its place may have to be re-evaluated following a forthcoming decision by the Archaeological Ephorate for Modern Monuments, which is to recommend that the Culture Ministry designate the building as a listed monument, according to press reports.

It would seem that professionally managed Greek tourism offices are in demand within the international marketplace. The latest evidence is the Meridian buyout bid by Hotelbeds, a part of the First Choice Holidays PLC Group (UK).

Hoteliers last month called for a more discriminating application of the investment incentives law for the construction of four- and five-star hotels, and went as far as to demand restrictions in the approval of subsidized projects.

With a revenue increase of some 42% in 2004 over the previous year, and with a major increase in guests from North America and Western Europe during 2005, the Ledra Marriott in Athens expects final results for 2005 to be more than acceptable.