Christina Mitsis

Mitsis Group is Greece’s largest privately owned hotel chain and a tourism pioneer for the past 48 years. Renowned for exceptional service and unique locations, it boasts 23 hotels and 13 spas and Thalassotherapy centres across Greece’s top destinations. Christina Mitsis, the President of the Group, spoke to us about their expansion plans, including the opening of Mitsis N’U Piraeus Port, the acquisition of the 4-star Messonghi Beach Hotel, and the signing of a 10-year management contract for the 3-star Belvedere Hotel in Corfu, among other properties.

In general, the positivity that started in 2022-23 continues. Trends have grown both in terms of demand and the quality of products offered, which is better every year. The higher income scale of inbound tourism is also important.

How do you see the progress of the Athenian Riviera brand that stretches from Piraeus to Sounion? What assets does this Attican coastline offer as a tourist and business product?

The Athenian Riviera was famous in Ancient Greece from the 5th century BC. But it was ignored later, the city linked to nothing more than the Parthenon and Plaka. This unique 70km coastline, starting from the historic port of Piraeus and reaching the Temple of Poseidon in Sounion, wasn’t even mentioned.

The brand grew in recent years thanks to systematic and methodical efforts to establish the name “Athens Riviera”, such as the creation of a beautiful album for it by the world-renowned Assouline Publishing, thus putting us on the international jet-setting map.

The Athenian Riviera is an important tourist attraction, because it’s the only riviera in Europe located within a capital city. All others are on the periphery– just like our countless mainland and island rivieras. Another important factor is the area’s good weather, lasting 10 months of the year, combined with crystal-clear waters ideal for swimming.

Which redevelopment project on the Athens waterfront are you most looking forward to?

Firstly, I can’t wait for the major work being done at the Ellinikon to be completed. There’s also the Urban Promenade, a project that will cross six municipalities, starting from Piraeus and Kallithea and reaching Vouliagmeni. As an upgraded free public space dedicated to the entire basin’s pedestrians and cyclists, it will significantly improve the urban environment.

It’s constantly changing. We have significant investments in new hotels, large, small, and luxurious. There’s an increase in demand for Athens to be a tourist destination all year round, and the potential is still great. That’s why we undertook this important project, the Schliemann-Mela Mansion on Panepistimiou Street, a building by the famous Ernst Ziller. We want to highlight the historic structure and respect this great architect’s legacy in our country, which is why all the building’s frescoes will be preserved, a difficult and time-consuming task. It’ll be a hotel that adds lustre to the city, something unique. Finally, I’d like to mention the part that needs support from the state, namely infrastructure, such as sanitation, traffic, walking routes, and so on.

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.

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 Amber Cellar Bar & Restaurant, the mural by K. Kakanias continues 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.

At Mitsis Group, sustainable development and corporate responsibility aren’t just about individual actions. They govern the group’s wider philosophy and holistic fundamental approach to operations and decision-making.

Our goal is to be a model for sustainable tourism development, and we’re very happy that all our hotels have received numerous certifications and awards, including recognition of the whole group as one of the ‘Most Sustainable Businesses in Greece’ for 2023. Our actions focus on supporting local communities, developing our employees, highlighting our cultural heritage, digitising our business operations, minimizing our environmental footprint, and protecting our destinations’ biodiversity. As part of our sustainable development programme, we’re committed to donating at least 5% of our annual net profits to social and charitable actions. Since 2019, we’ve also issued annual Corporate Social Responsibility reports that present our performance and contribution in full.

A key element of your renewed corporate identity is the ‘kaleidoscope’, which reflects the constant reinvention and flexible nature of the group. How does this dynamic feel to you?

I’m proud of our new corporate identity and the ‘kaleidoscope’, which embodies everything we have planned and implemented in recent years, expressing in the best and most creative way the different experiences a guest can enjoy in our hotels. This symbol is tangible and broad. It shows the huge range of services we offer, as well as our flexibility in terms of modern visitor needs. One must catch the current and at the same time create it!

The warm Greek family spirit creates authentic hospitality experiences for your guests. How important are high hospitality standards to you personally?

The be-all and end-all in everything we do is warmth, care, and superior quality. Whenever we plan something new, the first question we ask is whether we can implement it while maintaining the high standards we set for ourselves. Hospitality is a supreme concept to us, and it requires respect.

Is there any advice from Kostas Mitsis, your father and the group’s late founder, that you in turn repeat to your children?

A good name is your greatest legacy and most valuable asset.