Page 112 - ATHENS RIVIERA 2024

ATHENS RIVIERA JOURNAL
influence

"ART IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF

THE EXPERIENCE WE OFFER EACH
OF OUR GUESTS AT MITSIS

N’U PIRAEUS PORT."

Are there new destinations in or outside Greece that you include in your
future investment plans?
We have just added two new hotel units in Corfu to our portfolio. Specifically, the
group acquired the Messonghi Beach Hotel, which boasts 979 rooms and spreads
over a coastal plot of 130 acres, surrounded by lush greenery and a natural river, with
views of the Ionian Sea’s blue waters. We signed a 10-year management contract for
the all-inclusive Belvedere Hotel in the beautiful region of Agios Ioannis Peristeron.
In 2025, two new hotels will open in Halkidiki, to which we have management
contracts with the owners.
We’re currently the largest hotel group in Greece, and we’re thinking of expanding
abroad as well in the future.
You’re already pioneers in tourism with 48 years of experience and 20+ hotels
in Greece. In fact, last April, together with Stavros Mitsis, your brother
and the group’s Managing Director, you opened Mitsis N'U Piraeus Port, a
boutique hotel in the harbour of Piraeus, a shipping centre and one of the
most important gateways for tourists. The hotel’s building once housed the
historic METAXA distillery, a restored structure of significant cultural
heritage. How did you approach this legacy?
The legacy of the historic building that houses Mitsis N'U Piraeus Port has been a
source of inspiration and respect for us. The restoration was carried out to preserve
the authenticity and historical importance of the space. Our goal was to create an
urban hotel that combines luxury with cultural heritage, offering our guests a unique
hospitality experience. The fact that this building was the distillery of METAXA
spirits adds an extra dimension of historical and cultural value, which we honour
and display with pride.
For example, the cellars of the distillery used to be in the area where the hotel’s
restaurant Amber Cellar is located today, so, in partnership with D. Travassaros and
the architectural office Divercity Architects, we designed the current wooden arches
in the shape of the cellars. We did the same with the headboards and mirrors in the
bedrooms. In the lobby, we created a library featuring various symbols of the building’s
history, the METAXA brand, and our beloved Piraeus.
You made sure to combine the special identity of Mitsis N'U Piraeus Port with
works of art by leading Greek artists, such as Costas Varotsos, Konstantin
Kakanias, and the graffiti artist Yassonas Megoulas (Cacao Rocks). How does
art contribute to the visitor’s experience?
Art is an integral part of the experience we offer each of our guests. By choosing to
collaborate with leading artists such as Costas Varotsos and Konstantin Kakanias,
well-known in Greece and abroad, but also with new talent like Yassonas Megoulas
(Cacao Rocks), we have created a space that combines luxury with contemporary
Greek art. These works add uniqueness and depth to the environment. In addition
to our comfort and facilities, each visitor enjoys an artistic experience that inspires
and connects them with Greek culture.
In the Amber Cellar bar and restaurant, the mural by K. Kakanias is a continuation
of the space’s culinary journey, its characters dining alongside you. In certain rooms,
guests have an exclusive view of the unique hanging installation ‘Diamonds in the
Sky’ by C. Varotsos or the contemporary graffiti of Cacao Rocks influenced by Nikos
Hadjikyriakos-Ghikas and the colours of the Mediterranean. >
Christina Mitsis
admires the unique
hanging installation
‘Diamonds in the
Sky’ by leading artist,
Costas Varotsos.