Canaves Collection has confirmed its plans to expand beyond Santorini, following the success of its five luxury properties on the Cycladic island. 

The Greek resort company has been a staple of hospitality in Oia since 1985, when its founders, Ioannis and Anna Chaidemenos, began a labourious journey to transform two 17th century caves into boutique hotel rooms. 

It has since grown into a portfolio of five properties; Canaves Oia Suites, Canaves Epitome, Canaves Elefas Villas, the Canaves Sunday, and the recently renovated Canaves Ena. It has also won multiple industry awards, one of which saw Markos Chaidemenos, managing director and son of Ioannis and Anna, named as Virtuoso’s Hotelier of the Year 2023. 

Confident in its reputation on Santorini as a leading luxury supplier, Canaves has now announced Paros as the destination for its first property away from its homeland.

“We already have an amazing plot of land there and all the permits,” Chaidemenos tells TTG Luxury. “It will be a game changer for Paros. Construction has already begun, but I don’t want to confirm any opening dates yet.” 

As for the inspiration behind the move, Chaidemenos believes that Paros is currently lacking the calibre of luxury accommodation found on other popular Greek islands. 

“There’s no hotel in Paros that’s on the level of the best Santorini and Mykonos ones,” he says. “We want to be that hotel for Paros. We’ve always offered our guests the experience of Santorini through what we know about the destination, and it will be the same thing for our Paros hotel.” 

Chaidemenos also says that Canaves is attracted to Paros’ relaxed vibe, which is largely owed to its lower rates of tourism. The island welcomes just 200,000 guests a year, a mere 10% of the 2 million people who visit the significantly smaller Santorini annually. 

This affords it an ‘off-the-beaten-track’ postcode that offers all the charm of the more well-known Greek islands, without the bustling crowds and high prices.

“It’s small, authentic, and has a beautiful town called Naousa, which is like a miniature of Mykonos,” Chaidemenos explains. Its central location is also a plus; Paros is located in the heart of the Cycladic islands, making it a convenient base from which to explore the rest of the archipelago. 

Despite his enthusiasm to bring Canaves to Paros, Chaidemenos remains loyal to his origins. “I don’t think there is a second Santorini - it will always be the crown jewel of the collection,” he says. 

Chaidemenos also addresses the issue of overtourism in Santorini, in light of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ recent proposal to introduce a cap to the number of cruise ship passengers visiting the island every year. 

“Of course, there are areas on the island that can be very busy at specific times of the day,” he says. “But a number of individuals here, myself included, are very involved to help the island manage tourism.”

Chaidemenos adds that Canaves encourages guests to explore lesser-known parts of Santorini, and that its team are always on hand to curate itineraries to facilitate this. 

He also makes reference to his father, who, when serving as mayor of the village in the 1990s, implemented multiple measures to preserve the integrity of the island.

As well as repositioning cable lines to create unobstructed views of the caldera, he also passed a law where no additional bars or restaurants could open without replacing a new one. Chaidemenos is confident that, if Santorini commits to managing its tourism responsibly, it will continue to be one of Greece’s most popular destinations. 

“There are a million ways to explore the island, off the beaten pathway,” he says. “I think we’ve been doing a great job over the past two years to manage it.”