Lots of news of all kinds lately about hotels in Greece, so here’s some of it, to keep you in the picture.
Bye-Bye Hilton, Hello Ilisian
Ever since we’ve been going to Athens - which is a long time - the Athens Hilton has been a landmark. Situated close to the National Gallery and several museums, it was famous for its three swimming pools and its rooftop Galaxy Bar, which was a wonderful place to hang out and enjoy a cocktail or a glass of wine while watching the lights come on across the city. and enjoying a view of the Acropolis.
When the hotel was opened in 1963 Conrad Hilton himself said he thought it was the most beautiful Hilton in the world. But all things must pass and the Hilton is changing. It closed in 2022 and is being transformed into the Ilisian, still owned by Hilton but under a different name. It’s being made into the kind of hotel that also incorporates luxury residences, 55 of them in total, as well as 278 rooms and suites.
The new Ilisian, due to open in 2025 at a cost of €340 million, promises the absolute best in entertainment, gastronomy, wellness, shopping and, of course, hotel facilities. We’ll be sorry to say goodbye to the old Hilton, like losing an old friend, but hopefully the new one will be even better.
World’s Best Hotels
Each year the USA’s Travel+Leisure magazine does its survey of their readers for their World’s Best Awards. As it’s the opinions of their well-traveled readers, with over 700,000 votes being cast, we can take these awards a bit more seriously than some.
The best hotels were chosen in several different categories, including Best Hotels in Europe. Of the thirty selected for Europe, four of them were in Greece - and all four were in the top fifteen, not just the top thirty. At number four was the Kalesma Mykonos on Mykonos, which also made it onto the list of the 100 World’s Best Hotels.
Others rated among the best in Europe were the Andronis Boutique Hotel on Santorini, the Santa Marina on Mykonos, and the Mandarin Oriental, Costa Navarino in Pylos. It’s a testimony to the current standards of Greek hotels that they can compete with the best in France, Spain, Italy, Germany, and the rest of Europe.
Oh, and in the list of the 25 Best Islands in the World, four of them were Greek: Milos, Crete, Corfu, and Paros.
New Hotel Rating System
It’s been announced that Greece is introducing a new ratings system for its hotels, which for the first time will take into account a property’s sustainability and environmental policies, and not just the hotel’s facilities. At the moment it’s only at the study stage, but perhaps by 2025 it may be in operation.
No New Hotels
Last week we were talking to a relative at a family birthday BBQ, and he was telling us about their recent visit to Santorini… which he said was their first and will be their last. The family went to watch the sunset at Oia, which is one of the things you do on Santorini. He said that the sunset itself was nothing to write home about. Watching the sun set into the sea is nothing like watching a sun set in the mountains. He said the colours weren’t impressive and the sun simply disappeared below the horizon.
But worse than the disappointment was how long it took them to get away again. He said it took them an hour to get to the restaurant they were going to, as the streets were simply solidly full of people. He said it was much worse than leaving a sports fixture at a big stadium, like London’s Wembley (where he’s been many times). He described long periods when he and his family stood absolutely still, shoulder to shoulder with the crowds, but no-one was moving.
That’s just one story that illustrates the problems of overtourism. Santorini is now so bad that even the Mayor of Santorini recently suggested that no further hotels or Airbnb-style accommodation should be built on the island. It’s beyond his powers to make that happen, but he’s been appealing to the Greek government to bring in legislation to deal with the issue.
Even laws don’t always work, though. Greeks have always been notorious for ignoring planning regulations, for instance. For the last few years a law on Santorini has restricted the number of cruise passengers disembarking to 8,000 per day. However, the Mayor says that on some days as many as 19,000 cruise ship passengers have descended on the island. The problem is that they only spend a few hours ashore, spend very little, and the logistics of getting them on and off cruise ships and around the island causes huge traffic and parking problems.
The solution? Well, if you love Greece the solution is not to go to Santorini for the next few years. Why not choose one of the world’s 25 best islands: Milos, Crete, Corfu, or Paros?
Till next time
Mike and Donna
Indeed, and even better, find a less famous island... The sunsets are just as beautiful from anywhere in Greece... :-)