Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Grace Hotels introduces two new Greek island properties for the 2009 summer season
Grace Hotels Group has added two more hotels to its luxury boutique collection following the signing of a management agreement with the privately owned Tsimaras Hotels Group. Both hotels are in the Ionian Islands off the west coast of Greece. The 63 room Emelisse Hotel lies on the northern coast of Kefalonia in the famous fishing village of Fiskardo and is now known as the Kefalonia Grace - Emelisse. The 19 room Perantzada Hotel is a newly opened hotel in the picturesque port of Vathy on the island of Ithaki. It is now known as the Ithaki Grace - Perantzada. The new members of the Grace family already enjoy excellent reputations in their own right and will join the acclaimed Mykonos Grace and Santorini Grace located in the Cyclades island cluster.
Commenting on the agreement, Philippe Requin Chief Executive Officer of Grace Hotels Group stated: “Both hotels are beautifully conceived and located, thus fulfilling the Grace criteria of providing understated contemporary elegance and supreme comfort at some of the world’s most stylish destinations and resorts. We are delighted to welcome them into the Grace fold and believe each will add a new dimension to the Grace collection. Meanwhile Grace branding will provide a fitting tribute to the reputation already held by these fine properties.”
Commenting on the agreement, Philippe Requin Chief Executive Officer of Grace Hotels Group stated: “Both hotels are beautifully conceived and located, thus fulfilling the Grace criteria of providing understated contemporary elegance and supreme comfort at some of the world’s most stylish destinations and resorts. We are delighted to welcome them into the Grace fold and believe each will add a new dimension to the Grace collection. Meanwhile Grace branding will provide a fitting tribute to the reputation already held by these fine properties.”
Friday, April 3, 2009
Film boosts Greek holiday bookings
The massive popularity of the film Mamma Mia! has given an unexpected boost to the number of UK holidaymakers visiting Greece.
Mamma Mia!, which features film stars Meryl Streep and Pierce Brosnan, has become the UK’s highest-grossing film ever. It is set on the island of Skopelos in Greece.
Airlines and travel operators have reported a shift from euro-zone holidays over the past several months, due largely to the pound’s weakness against the euro, but Greece has actually increased in popularity as a destination.
EasyJet has said that traffic on its flights to Athens has increased by 13 per cent since last July when the film was released. The budget carrier attributes much of the rise in passenger numbers to the film’s appealing depiction of life on the Greek island.
Mamma Mia!, which features film stars Meryl Streep and Pierce Brosnan, has become the UK’s highest-grossing film ever. It is set on the island of Skopelos in Greece.
Airlines and travel operators have reported a shift from euro-zone holidays over the past several months, due largely to the pound’s weakness against the euro, but Greece has actually increased in popularity as a destination.
EasyJet has said that traffic on its flights to Athens has increased by 13 per cent since last July when the film was released. The budget carrier attributes much of the rise in passenger numbers to the film’s appealing depiction of life on the Greek island.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Cyprus: Implausibly sunny island
As the legendary birthplace of Aphrodite, Cyprus has equally impeccable classical credentials. According to Homer's Odyssey, the goddess of love emerged from the waves in a surge of white foam on the island's south coast, next to a craggy limestone rock formation known as Petra Tou Romiou. It was always likely to be my sort of place.
In the end, though, it was the need to travel early in the year that finally took me to Cyprus. It's the third-largest island in the Mediterranean, and also the easternmost and the sunniest. A reputed 300 days of sunshine a year make it a very appealing prospect for visiting outside of the regular summer season.
In early spring, when Greece has yet to warm up, Cyprus is usually blue-skied, balmy and ablaze with fields of flowers. (The wild orchids appear in the lowlands from February. By this time of year, you can expect vivid swathes of scarlet gladioli, alongside silky drifts of almond blossom.)
In the end, though, it was the need to travel early in the year that finally took me to Cyprus. It's the third-largest island in the Mediterranean, and also the easternmost and the sunniest. A reputed 300 days of sunshine a year make it a very appealing prospect for visiting outside of the regular summer season.
In early spring, when Greece has yet to warm up, Cyprus is usually blue-skied, balmy and ablaze with fields of flowers. (The wild orchids appear in the lowlands from February. By this time of year, you can expect vivid swathes of scarlet gladioli, alongside silky drifts of almond blossom.)
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