Dexamenes Seaside Hotel

When the sun rises over the ocean, the sky slowly turns from the black of night to the light pink of early morning, mixed with streaks of dark blue. 

The rhythmic sound of the waves come crashing against the shore, only a few metres from the warm bed, softly intermingling with the sound of the couple in the room next door whispering to each other, on their way to a morning swim. 

The large sliding window turned towards the waterfront is open, letting fresh air in, visible from the bed, turned towards the sea and sky, perfectly framed by the large doorway and outdoor terrace. 

The location of Dexamenes Seaside Hotel might seem slightly peculiar. 

Most travellers who go to Greece have a desire to visit one of the islands, but this hotel is located on the mainland, a few hours from Athens by car, in a small, almost derelict town, in an undervalued and often overlooked region. 

Formerly a wine factory, situated almost directly on the beach, the buildings have gently been converted into an understated and minimalist hotel by Nikos Karaflos, who commissioned the architects of K-Studio to oversee the transformation, carried out with the help of local craftsmen. 

After the spread of phylloxera killed almost all of the vines in France, the wine business in Greece grew rapidly. In the western part of Peloponnese, with its long agricultural tradition of winemaking, the wine industry quickly expanded, and ships would carry wine made from Black Corinth grapes to countries around the world, but notably also to France, where the Greek wine was mixed with French.

In 1890, the French wine-production had recovered and there was no more need for Greek wine, leading to a national crisis and so the Greek government implemented the “Currant Policy”, dividing different types of wine based on quality. The best was exported, the lower quality kept for the domestic market. 

For this reason, wineries and distilleries were built, and in the 1920s, the concrete tanks that today hold Dexamenes were created, used for wine fermentation and export overseas. 

Even though a luxury hotel has vastly different requirements than a wine fermentation tank, most of the original construction has been preserved. 

The two concrete tanks, parallel with one another and with the sea, contain the hotel rooms, nine of which face the ocean. 

Between the two buildings, two original steel silos are placed in a shallow pool of water, their internal spaces used for art exhibitions, yoga and massage sessions. 

A variety of local grapes have found a home in the courtyard of Dexamenes, serving both as a reminder of its past and as a contribution to the restaurant and bar menus, both of which focus on organic and locally sourced food and wine. 

The buildings are low and the courtyard large, meaning that the visitor is at all times close to either the sea or the sky, or both.

Breakfast is served in generous portions at the restaurant. Most prefer to sit outside, enjoying the fresh air while eating their locally produced sheep yoghurt and orange juice. For lunch, served until 7 pm, when the restaurant opens for dinner (for which reservation is mandatory). 

The distractions are few, and most who come here stay for several days, reading books, going swimming, attending wine tasting evenings and in general simply relaxing. 

The atmosphere is friendly but respectful of boundaries. Even when at capacity, the hotel will feel spacious and calm, as though you have it almost all to yourself. 

This is enhanced by the elegant terrace that accompanies each room, a kind of private outdoor living room where many prefer to rest, have a cocktail or even enjoy breakfast or lunch. 

The staff will go above and beyond to make sure that you are comfortable, and that you have everything you could wish for. 

The only drawback is that staying here creates a sense of regret that there are not more hotels like Dexamenes in the world, respectful of its history but contemporary in design, celebratory of local culture and produce, offering a place for contemplation and complete relaxation. 

Dexamenes Seaside Hotel

Kourouta, Greece