Breaking Travel News interview: Andreas Metaxas, chief executive, Metaxa Hospitality Group

Breaking Travel News editor, Chris O’Toole, speaks to Andreas Metaxas, chief executive of Metaxa Hospitality Group, as the leading Greek hotelier is honoured by the World Travel Awards.

Breaking Travel News: Congratulations of your fresh success at the World Travel Awards – how does it feel to have won?

Andreas Metaxas: It is a great honour for me to have Metaxa Hospitality Group be awarded Greece’s Leading Hotel Group by a renowned institution such as the World Travel Awards.

I feel honoured that they recognise our hard work and efforts to add value and support the growth of the Greek hospitality industry by offering high-quality services with particular care and complete attention to detail for our guests.

Authentic hospitality is a key brand pillar and integral part of our DNA.

Our hotels not merely welcome customers, they welcome true friends and extended family.

We share with them a culture of friendly and humble hospitality which dates back five thousand years.

We thank all our guests and, of course, World Travel Awards for this distinction, and for recognising our hard-working team for their dedication and care to ensure every guest of ours always feels at home when they stay with us.

BTN: As we continue the fightback from Covid-19, how will these trophies boost momentum as we head into the key summer months of 2022?

AM: The pandemic has altered our way of life and the hospitality industry in particular was one of the most affected and changed industries.

Over the summer, we have seen a strong recovery both in Greek tourism and at our properties.

It is wonderful to see people back enjoying our resorts and feeling safe and comfortable while staying with us.

As we close our properties for the season, we are keeping a close eye on the latest global developments and hope we will be looking at a more stable 2022, allowing the hospitality industry to continue regaining momentum and confidence.

At Metaxa Hospitality Group, health and safety have always been among our top priorities and will continue to be so as we look ahead to 2022.

The five distinctions we garnered across the group as a whole as well as for our individual properties at this year’s World Travel Awards are a true indicator of the high level of quality service we deliver to our guests even when faced with difficult global situations.

BTN: Santo Maris Oia Luxury Suites & Spa in Greece was this year honoured with the title of Europe’s Leading Boutique Resort. What is it that makes that property so special?

AM: It is a great honour to see our property, Santo Maris Oia Luxury Suites & Spa recognised for the third year in a row among so many other outstanding hotel brands in Europe.

Santo Maris Oia Luxury Suites & Spa is the ultimate serene hideaway for those who seek amazing views, tranquil vacations, luxury accommodation, and warm hospitality in Oia Santorini, one of the world’s best loved destinations in Greece.

Located only a five-minute walking distance away from the village centre, the resort boasts amazing direct views to the world-famous sunset of Santorini and the Aegean Sea.

Original, laid-back, and private is how to describe Santo Maris Oia Luxury Suites & Spa best.

Guests feel immediately at home as they walk through our doors, and they know instantly that all their needs will be seamlessly met.

This summer, Santo Maris had a strong year despite the inconsistency in travel recommendations from global governments.

We saw key markets such as US travellers come back to Santorini, and we hope this will continue in 2022.

BTN: Creta Maris Beach Resort was also recognised as Greece’s Leading All-Inclusive Resort by voters. What separates that hotel in a competitive marketplace?

AM: We are extremely proud that Creta Maris Beach Resort has been distinguished as Greece’s Leading All-Inclusive Resort for the second year in a row.

Creta Maris Beach Resort is a family-friendly all-inclusive five-star resort in Hersonissos, Crete, that combines the tradition and elegance of Cretan hospitality with a safe and sustainable environment.

The resort’s unique architecture and layout as a traditional village, its stylish design, its high-quality services, and its many interesting activities and facilities, both for children and adults such as the on-site aquapark and Europe’s largest outdoor amphitheatre cinema, set this resort apart from other properties in Crete.

Since its opening 46 years ago, the hotel has operated based on principles of authentic Cretan hospitality and sustainable development.

Metaxa Hospitality Group has remained faithful to this philosophy and has continuously issued sustainability reports since 1999 that reflect our continued efforts to improve both our social and environmental footprint, while Creta Maris Beach Resort in 2013 started to produce its own, separate sustainability report.

BTN: Finally, and most significantly, Metaxa Hospitality Group took the title of Greece’s Leading Hotel Group. Can you tell me a little about the group, and your plans to develop it as we head into 2022?

AM: Metaxa Hospitality Group is an internationally recognised and award-winning hotel group.

It was founded in Crete, Greece in 1975 by my father Nikolaos Metaxas and, today, it consists of Creta Maris Beach Resort five-star in Hersonissos, Crete, (the first hotel of the group), TUI Magic Life Candia Maris five-star in Amoudara, Heraklion and Santo Maris Oia Luxury Suites & Spa five-star in Santorini, as well as a convention centre, one of the largest in Greece which recently hosted the ANOC XXV General Assembly, also in Hersonissos.

Our mission is to lead the business towards a promising sustainable future in which employees, guests, and local communities are at the heart of the group’s activities to benefit the national economy, the environment, and society at large.

The strength of our commitment to sustainable development, our unique local perspective, welcoming hospitality, and our philosophy focused on continuous growth remain our key priorities for the years to come.

More Information

Based on sustainability principles and solid financial foundations, Metaxa Hospitality Group is a leading hotelier in Greece.

Offering authentic personalised holiday experiences with an excellent quality of service to guests, Metaxa Hospitality Group seeks to provide a stimulating and rewarding environment for employees.

Find out more on the official website.