Opening in May 2019 in time for the summer season, Dexamenes Seaside Hotel is a former abandoned winery that has been transformed into a contemporary industrial-style hotel. It’s located right on Kourouta Beach on an unspoilt stretch of Greece’s Peloponnesian coast. Baroque Travel investigates
Taking recycling to another level, this contemporary hotel was an abandoned post-war winery in the 1920s, a slice of Greek trading history that has been transformed into a 34-room boutique hotel where guests sleep in what were once wine tanks, now guest rooms with clean lines and pared down luxury.
The hotel, which boasts a taverna, bar lounge and private canopied patios overlooking the Ionian Sea, is in a relatively secluded location, the ideal spot for soaking up the sun, as well as a perfect base from which to explore this scenic region. To the north-east is the town of Amaliada, and the Peloponnese peninsula is home to a myriad archaeological sites, historical cities and wineries, all waiting to be discovered.
The abandoned factory is a result of the fruitful wine trade in the area, which started in the late 19th century when a number of distilleries and wineries sprung up, including this one, built in the late 1920s. Now in its new incarnation as a boutique hotel, Dexamenes Seaside Hotel combines Greek trading history with modern architecture, an old building that has been rejuvenated with steel, engineered glass, timber and aesthetically pleasing clean lines. Guests reach sandy Kourouta Beach via a wide promenade that looks as if it floats above the sand.
The hotel is characterized by two parallel rows of concrete blocks (previously wine tanks). Each luxury guest room features exposed concrete walls and polished terrazzo floors as well as an open wardrobe, double bed, couch and en suite bathroom with spacious shower hidden behind a wall of textured glass. The hotel also offers two suites, each 60 square meters in size, as well as a kitchen and a room with three double bunk beds, all located in a neoclassical beachfront villa.
Food and wine play an integral role in the design concept of this luxury hotel. No surprise actually – the entire Peloponnese peninsula is renowned for more varieties of grapes and wineries than any other region in Greece. And, of course, food and wine served at this hotel’s bar-lounge and taverna is excellent. The hotel also offers a selection of local gastronomy courses and wine tastings.
Creativity in every form is celebrated at Dexamenes Seaside Hotel; the establishment hosts yoga sessions in its open-plan studio, and it also hosts a number of workshops by local artists and creatives. And let’s not forget the spectacular setting, with the wide promenade leading to a selection of private sun loungers all set in front of the gentle waters of the Ionian Sea.