Grecotel is planning a series of activities for the trade as it seeks to cement the brand in the mind of the trade during its golden jubilee year.
The portfolio of 40 luxury hotels and resorts is spread across 15 destinations throughout Greece, with many of the properties undergoing enhancements and renovations in time for the season ahead.
Founding brothers Nikos and Takis Daskalantonakis opened their first hotel in Rethymno, Crete, in 1975, and the brand will come full circle this year, as coming to the island for the first time this year will be Casa Adele, close to Rethymno old town. Resembling a Cretan settlement, the hotel will have reimagined public spaces, spacious self-contained studios, apartments and maisonettes.
Odyssia Sifounaki Daskalantonaki, executive director and the third generation of the family to be running Grecotel, said: “2025 is a milestone year for Grecotel, as we celebrate 50 years of excellence as the leading brand in Greek tourism. We will be celebrating our presence in the lives and memories of millions of guests, we celebrate our true Greek roots and authentic hospitality, and we celebrate our family and our generous spirit at the heart of everything we do. We’re excited to present our thread of novelties, signature concepts and pioneering vision, as we aim towards a fun and inspiring future.”
Konstantinos Sinis, director of sales UK and Luxury added that the brand will 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”.
“Our most important partners are our trade partners, those who have helped sow our essence for 50 years now,” he added.
Among the activities planned for the year is a trio of bespoke events with TTG Luxury, including one already held in London at Bacchanalia, with further dates and locations to be announced. Grecotel has also partnered with the TTG Luxury Travel Awards to host the first-of-its-kind Winners’ Lunch for the agents lucky enough to take home a trophy at this year’s event in February.
The Winners’ Lunch will be held this month at Mauro’s Table, a private dining space at Raffles London at The OWO, where agents will be treated to a five-course tasting menu and take part in a roundtable discussion on the landscape for luxury travel agencies and how they excel in a competitive space.
Trade talks
Grecotel was the recipient of two trophies itself at this year’s TTG Luxury Travel Awards, picking up wins for Luxury Trade Support Team of the Year and Luxury Hotel Company of the Year (large).
The company also kicked off the year with a TTG peaks incentive, with agents logging hundreds of room nights across the portfolio.
The two agents who booked the highest number of room nights in total will now be rewarded with a five-night holiday for two people including flights at either the Grecotel LUXME Costa Botanica in Corfu or Grecotel LUXME Oasis.
“We were proud to have a launched a fantastic incentive with TTG during peaks and have received an overwhelming amount of room nights in bookings via loyal agents who have logged their commitment to Grecotel. 2025 looks extremely promising and will perform even higher than a very successful 2024,” Sinis added.
He said he was also “beyond excited” the UK trade team has now been expanded to three, with the addition of Briony Worrall to look after the Midlands.
“We are proud that Liz, Yiannis and now Briony all complement our ethos of providing unwavering dedication to quality and being the most accessible team in the UK for agents,” Sinis said.
The brand’s ‘Acts of kindness’ shared this year already include stepping in to pay for a new window at Trowbridge agency Howard Travel after reading in TTG about how the shop was vandalised earlier this year.
“We will continue supporting our trade partners with incentives, agent rates fam trips and roadshows across the UK as the commitment we received from the UK trade over the past years has been tremendous and is the reason of our success in the market,” Sinis said.
Meanwhile, Grecotel is also continuing with a series of renovations and product enhancements across the year, including in the Athenian Riviera where Grecotel Cape Sounio, opposite the Temple of Poseidon, has undergone a full renovation across its rooms and restaurants.
“We love to craft enchanting Greek summers for every whim and taste, sharing the Greece we love and know like no one else,” added Grecotel’s Odyssia Sifounaki Daskalantonaki. “We are thrilled to unveil our new motto, reflecting our essence for 50 years now: Hotels & Resorts to Live, highlighting that Grecotel goes beyond just luxury accommodations. Our years of authentic presence in the Greek milieu has afforded us the expertise to curate meaningful escapes for every whim and taste.”
Resort refreshers
In Kalamata, seen as “one of the most trending and popular areas in mainland Greece”, Grecotel’s Filoxenia Kalamata is undergoing a core renovation across all its room and food and beverage outlets.
“The UK trade team is confident this hotel will come to be one of the most popular options in Greece due to its gorgeous location,” Sinis said.
Grecotel has also introduced the new 32-room and suite Roc Club, a Club-Maison in the Athenian Riviera, with sea views from the yachts at the Astir Marina to the Vouliagmeni peninsula.
Meanwhile, the company’s LUXME brand also continues to gather pace, now considered as one of the “ultimate all-inclusive propositions in Greece” and the most popular product within Grecotel.
Set on a 1km-long beach, LUXME Costa Botanica will be focused on promoting its strong wellness offering this year, with a new gym and tailor-made fitness activities. “This hotel has become a point of reference for its wellness offering and is a much-loved hotel for the UK market due its second-to-none natural setting,” said Sinis.
LUXME Kos has also introduced a renovated collection of accommodation options to chose from, along with new food and beverage facilities.
LUXME Dama Dama in Rhodes meanwhile is rolling out a new Beach Club and pools this season, and LUXME White – the most successful LUXME in the portfolio – has seen a number of enhancements to its Luxury Collection of rooms, such as the Yali Seafront Villa and the swim-up rooms.
