Agents said Grecotel was a leading choice for their clients with young families, admitting it can be “difficult” to find other luxury hotels in Greece of its calibre. 

The exclusive group of advisors shared their thoughts on the current travel landscape during an intimate lunch in central London on Tuesday, hosted by the family-owned hotel group and TTG Luxury. 

Held at Mediterranean restaurant Bacchanalia, the event gave agents an opportunity to learn more about Grecotel following its recent announcement for trade plans in its 50th anniversary year. 

Kostas Sinis, Grecotel sales director for the UK and luxury told TTG Luxury that the brand would be “rolling out a thrilling array of activities to celebrate our golden jubilee, giving back and celebrating with all those who have supported the Grecotel family all these years”. 

After the plates of smoked tamara and heritage chicken had been cleared, TTG Luxury editor April Hutchinson kicked off a roundtable discussion to find out what’s on agents’ minds right now.  

Many agreed that Grecotel, which now has 40 properties in 15 destinations across Greece, was one of the few luxury brands in Europe that was meeting the criteria of demanding family travellers.  

“For our clients, there’s not many hotels that are suitable for what they’re looking for, especially for families. You can almost count the good family resorts on one hand,” said Katy McCann, owner of Suite DNA. 

Family planning

Ben Eddon-Carruthers, co-founder of Huben Travel in Surrey, echoed this sentiment: “Six of our 12 family clients with young children asked us for an alternative to what they were used to, and we’re giving them Grecotel.”  

Agents also said it was important clients were getting their money’s worth if they’re paying high prices to travel within Europe, saying airfares had topped out and were having an impact on clients’ mindset, with one commenting: “Some of our customers will say, ‘If we’re paying over a thousand pound for flights to go to Greece, we might as well go to Asia’.”  

Agents also shared their thoughts on current booking trends, with several noting an increase in last-minute requests. 

Ups and downs

“We’re seeing enquiries for ski trips just three days in advance,” said Millie Stardust of Calder & Co. “People have booked incredible ski trips in one location, cancelled, and rebooked – because of lack of snow. There was availability because a lot of people were chopping and changing.”  

Stardust added that high demand for multigenerational trips continues, especially those with a historical or cultural focus where children could be educated about the places the family holidayed in. 

As for the current economic situation, some agents reported cancellations or withdrawals on quoted itineraries were happening due to clients’ job changes.

The climate crisis has also impacted bookings, with advisors saying their clients were concerned that certain destinations have become too hot during the summer months. 
 

WhatsApp chat

Agents were divided on their clients’ preference of communication, with some saying that email was the primary medium of contact. For others, it was a resounding report that WhatsApp was fast becoming more popular, due to its speed and convenience.

However, some agents observed that the instant message platform may be causing clients to be more demanding. Frustrations over clients using WhatsApp voice notes, often sending several at a time, which can muddy conversations, were also shared.  

As for building strong relationships with suppliers, “quick responses” and “product knowledge” were two of the top priorities agents were looking for in partners. Helping them gain an understanding of brand positioning was another important quality. 

For more on the event, head online for all the pictures from the day.