Spring 2019

56 Jan19222 A Boutique Hotel Committed to Excellence on the Island of Corfu Established in 2014, Corfu Palma Boutique Hotel was the first boutique hotel on the island of Corfu. In January, the hotel was recognised as the Leading Greek Boutique Hotel by LUXlife Magazine. Spyros Ioannidis, Hotel General Manager, was keen to offer some more insight into this luxurious Greek retreat. Despite its relatively small size, the Corfu Palma Hotel has made a very large impression indeed in the luxury hospitality sector. Being the first truly boutique hotel on the island it aimed to offer a new experience for tourists wanting to experience a true taste of Grecian hospitality in the finest of settings. Its success in the years since has been defined by this truly tailor-made service and the impeccable natural beauty of Dassia itself, as Spyros explains in more detail. “The Corfu Palma Hotel is a small to medium sized hotel with 48 rooms, a clear design identity and distinguished tailor-made service. I have been hotel manager since 2016, welcoming international and national guests from all over the world. The majority of our guests are from other countries, mainly couples, aged between 25 and 50.” Naturally, being a boutique hotel, the core ethos of the Corfu Palma is to exceed expectations across the board. Nothing is too much work or effort if it means that the guest experience is not only improved, but unparalleled. “Being a real boutique hotel we are always focused on going beyond ‘classical’ hotel services and amenities. We operate in a truly tailor-made way. We follow all of our guests needs and we invest lot of time and resources into finding the right staff and training them to the highest of standards. We aim to be innovative at all levels. Spyros moves on to discuss the importance of the tourism industry to Greece and Corfu in particular. Tourism has always been a fundamental asset to the country’s economy, and now it can be considered the cornerstone of it, leading the way to a stronger future on the world stage. “The tourism industry is a major key player in our economy, especially during our economic crisis. It’s role in GDP raises are considered. Investment in the hospitality sector and its infrastructure has been increased in order to reinforce Greece’s quality and distinction as a tourist hotspot. This investment allows us to better follow the needs of millennials and generation Z, which are crucial for our business.” As Spyros takes the time to explain, the future of the Greek hospitality sector hinges on an ability to really understand how to attract millennials in the same way that their parents and grandparents were attracted to the island of Corfu. Meeting their needs and expectations is crucial: “This remains the main development for the hotel going forward – we want to attract further bookings from this important demographic segment. As such, we’ve moved to become more active on social media, especially Instagram. “We’ve aimed to be at the forefront of innovation on the island after its full refurbishment in 2014. Since then, we have created a very solid and successful path by being proactive and focusing on our commitment to excellence.” Corfu Palma’s future can be defined by further development and innovation, as they continue to distinguish themselves from their peers and competitors in the region. “We have our plans to develop a new selling point for the hotel which is a new a la carte restaurant with an identity based in local flavours with a trendy, relaxed atmosphere. We are also planning to create an in-house cocktail-oriented lobby bar.” Corfu Palma Boutique Hotel Contact: Spyros Ioannidis Address: Dassia, Corfu, 49083, Ionian Islands, Greece Website: www.corfupalmaboutiquehotel.com Telephone: +30 26610 93941 Retreat