In Aitoloakarnania, in Petaliou in Evia, in Porto Heli in Crete, in Halkidiki and in Athens, some of the many and notable hotel investments that have been planned and implemented in recent years in our country have been launched, which are expected to give a “different air” to tourist Greece.
These are investments, most of which will be managed by international luxury chains that are making their debut in our country.
Varko Bay in Vonitsa
In Aitoloakarnania and specifically in Vonitsa, Varko Bay, the first ultra-luxury Banyan Tree resort in Europe, is being prepared. The Varko Bay tourist resort will be developed on the Varko Peninsula of the Municipal Unit of Paleros, in the Municipality of Aktion-Vonitsa, Western Greece, which aspires to change the tourist profile of Western Greece, is expected to open its doors in 2027.
The relevant Presidential Decree approving the Special Spatial Development Plan of the Strategic Investment (ESCHASE) “VarkoBayResort” at the “Varko” location of the P.E. Paleros of the Municipality of Aktion – Vonitsa Region of Western Greece, was published in April 2023 in the Government Gazette. The five-star resort, which is being developed by RND Investments Greece with the participation of Dutch capital, and has an investment of 180 million euros, will consist of a total of 116 luxury villas and 45 branded residences. It will have three restaurants and bars, as well as a tourist marina with the ability to dock yachts up to 40 meters.
In Athens at Elliniko
In 2027, it is estimated that the second Mandarin Oriental in Greece will open after the one at Costa Navarino that opened last year. A joint hotel of TEMES and Lamda Development will be located at “Elliniko”. It will have 123 rooms. Also, another hotel with 200 rooms and 49 residences will operate in the Greek joint product of the two companies. The total investment of the two hotels exceeds 300 million euros. In 2027, the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Athens will also open its doors, in the Hellinikon collaboration of Hard Rock International and GEK TERNA. An investment of 1.5 billion euros with the hotel having 1,000 rooms.
Halkidiki
In Halkidiki, the Diaporos Island project stands out, which is scheduled to open in the summer of 2026 by STANTA REAL ESTATE MANAGEMENT COMPANY of the well-known businessman Stavros Andreadis, honorary president of the Sani/Ikos group. Based on the building permit, the area of the plot exceeds 96 acres, while according to relevant information, the property appears to have been acquired in February 2023 for 30 million euros.
A 5-star hotel of high standards but low disturbance will be created, aiming to respect the environment in which it will be integrated. The design has been undertaken, according to the pre-approval of the permit, by the well-known architectural firm NIMAND Architects.
Porto Heli
The Peloponnesian Riviera is home to the Six Senses Porto Heli hotel, which is set to open in 2026, a collaboration between CBE Capital, Taconic Capital and the Goutou family. The Six Senses Porto Heli hotel is expected to open in 2026 and will be LEED Silver certified. The new hotel will feature 60 rooms and suites with private pools and gardens, as well as a separate three-bedroom villa. In addition, 10 branded villas with 5 to 8 bedrooms will be built and will be available for sale.
Also by 2026, Porto Heli will welcome the first Waldorf Astoria Hotel & Resort in Greece, an investment exceeding 200 million euros by Scarlet Beach S.A. This project occupies an extensive 234-acre estate, formerly known as the Ermioni Club. The total budget of the project amounts to 202,990,000 euros. In the final development, the Project will include a 5-star Hotel and luxury residences.
However, the new tourist complex “Hinitsa Bay Holdings”, owned by Irish businessman Paul Richard Coulson, is also being planned in Porto Heli. The Strategic Environmental Impact Study (hereinafter referred to as the SIE) describes a 5* Complex Tourist Accommodation with a capacity of 607 beds on a plot of land measuring 642.51 acres, in an unplanned area in the location of Hinitsa in the Municipality of Ermionida, owned by the company Hinitsa Bay Holdings S.A.
Six Senses Megalonisos in Petaliou
Six Senses will also have a presence in Megalonisos of Petaliou where Grivalia is planning to build 75 luxury villas and 20 branded residences, restaurants, wellness and fitness areas, a beach club, offering a wide range of particularly high-quality services to visitors. Grivalia’s investment in Petaliou is estimated to exceed 280 million euros and the aim is for the first phase of the project to be completed in 2027.
Crete
Ikos Kissamos is the new large 5-star hotel complex of the Sani/Ikos Group in Kissamos. In December 2023, the relevant building permit was issued by the Building Service of the Municipality of Chania.
The new large investment of 125 million euros by the Sani/Ikos Group for the new 5-star resort in Crete will be developed on an area of 200 acres in the bay of Kissamos. For this reason, the group purchased more than 33 different plots of land in the area and is preparing to start the large investment on the area of 203 acres. The new Ikos Kissamos will have a capacity of 414 rooms, suites and bungalows, with 1,280 beds, and will be developed along a 600-meter beachfront.
With a forecast for opening in the 2026 season. It is expected that over 750 new jobs will be created.
