Kalia Konstantinidou and Antonis Iliopoulos, founders of Empiria Group, reveal all of the aspects of their Greek hospitality brand that stands out for its values and vision.
The Greek hotelier couple who live by the ethos of creating space for joy talk us through all of the elements that define Empiria’s hospitality philosophy.
Your company, which until recently was named Kanava Hotels & Resorts and owns Vedema, a Luxury Collection Resort, Mystique, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Istoria, a Member of Design Hotels, all located on the island of Santorini, as well as Parīlio, a Member of Design Hotels, Cosme, a Luxury Collection Hotel, and Acron Villas, was recently renamed the EMPIRIA Group. What was the reason behind the rebranding of your group?
The reason behind rebranding to EMPIRIA Group was to celebrate the 30 years since the inception of our wonderful journey in the tourism industry, which we began back in 1993.
We are leaders in offering high-quality services that allow us to provide an elevated guest experience. Hospitality is an art, and we want to be the pioneers of this art. Through our new corporate identity, we are evolving and strengthening our vision in regards to the quality of hospitality in Greece guided by our mission and driving force, namely to create a space for joyful guest experience. In other words, unique, unforgettable experiences, full of positive and authentic emotions and images, a mission that we have always followed and which has guided us throughout this journey.
The “birth” of our new corporate identity comes at an exciting time for the tourism industry and demonstrates that the values and vision that govern our company are strengthening, evolving, and allowing us to be more optimistic and creative than ever, ready for new challenges and goals.
Starting in 1989 with the acquisition of your first property in Megalochori, how has your vision for the quality of hospitality in our country evolved?
It all started from the special love that we have for Santorini, an island that has held and continues to hold a special place in our hearts all these years. The creation of hotels was not in our minds from the beginning, as our initial plan was to create a complex of summer houses, that would resemble a village within a village.
We faced many difficulties and challenges entering this industry at a time when Greek tourism was quite different from today, but we wanted to showcase this beautiful island, highlighting the wealth of experiences and the aura that characterizes it, placing a great importance, from the very beginning, on providing elevated services, authentic images, and personalization in each and every guest experience.
Over the years we have developed our vision even further. We recognize the importance of adapting to the needs and preferences of modern travelers. We continue to invest in innovation and creativity, implementing new practices to improve our guests’ experience, always guided by quality and authenticity. The same elements that motivated us so many years ago remain more relevant than ever.
We, therefore, think of the quality of the hospitality that we provide with a great sense of responsibility as global competition is greater than ever and the options are endless. Together with our expertise over the last 30 years, our collection of properties on the two islands, and our plans for developing other properties in new destinations, we have proved our success in this venture which gives us the strength to constantly set new goals and become even better in what we do. Our goal is to constantly act with quality in mind, so that every experience becomes a memory and every memory becomes a beautiful story for each and every guest that stays at our hotels.
Our philosophy is to offer unique hospitality experiences in exceptional destinations. We continue to innovate, creating spaces for joy that are natural, imaginative, human, and open.
What does the word ‘Empiria’ mean to you?
For us, the word ‘Empiria’ is not translated or explained simply by the concept of “experience”, the one that you acquire in your field or an experience that one lives through. We treat it as something much bigger, something that is special and meaningful which translates into our guest offering: unique, unforgettable experiences.
We believe that it highlights our purpose in the best and most direct way, which is to create a space for joy. Space for unique, unforgettable experiences which will feed our guests with a variety of images and emotions. Experiences that connect us to what matters; experiences that create the space for spontaneity and inner discovery in the time and in the way that everyone seeks.
This is the essence of our efforts at all levels. It is the bar that we want to reach and exceed every day, in order to listen to what travelers really want and operate as an organization that is constantly evolving and creating space for joy.
What is the overall experiences that you offer your guests?
Our guests seek high standards, they have traveled extensively and seek personalized service. They choose our hotels not only for the quality of our services, but also for the authenticity and uniqueness that we offer. They are looking for unique experiences that will offer them emotional satisfaction and a sense of authenticity, along with simplicity and disconnection from their daily lives whilst on vacation. They have the opportunity to enjoy a sense of togetherness that we provide in natural environments and places with a unique aura and beauty, to explore and get to know the culture, tradition, and local communities on the islands of Santorini and Paros, to taste unique gastronomic creations by award-winning chefs and to experience relaxation and rejuvenation in our hotels’ atmospheric spas.
We seek to offer experiences that provide an opportunity for deeper contact and connection with the destination and the environment, but we also make sure to create a space for them to release their joy and experience inner happiness.
It all started from the special love that we have for Santorini, an island that has held and continues to hold a special place in our hearts all these years.
By talking about the experience you provide, it seems that you choose to create a space for joy while encouraging your guests to experience the destinations you operate within with all their senses. How difficult is it for you to combine work in these two enchanting settings in the Cyclades?
Santorini and Paros are two islands with a unique beauty and energy that pervades everything. We have the opportunity to work in beautiful hotels and spaces that reflect the local architecture and tradition, Cycladic simplicity, and tranquility – always in perfect harmony with the environment.
I would say that we are blessed to be able to work under these conditions and we face our professional challenges through this prism, always aiming at how to provide the most meaningful experience to our guests. Therefore, in our case, when you love what you do and are passionate about it, a wonderful location and an idyllic setting are the accelerators for innovation and for setting the joy free in spaces of all dimensions…natural, imaginative, human, and open!
Was there a specific milestone anywhere in your journey? Did it change you or change how you had initially thought about hospitality until then?
In every journey, be it business-based or personal, there is a milestone that changes you, that forces you to evolve, and makes you redefine where you want to go. In our case, this was marked initially by our collaboration with Starwood, and later on with Marriott, for The Luxury Collection, of which our first hotel, Vedema Resort, became a member. This collaboration gave us the opportunity to be initiated into international brand standards and integrate them into how we operated. This also gave us access to international trends, allowed us to interact with hoteliers from all over the world, which ultimately helped us realize that we share the same concerns, as well as identify the power of Greece as a brand and how we can play an active role in the future of Greek hospitality.
First Santorini and then Paros. Are you thinking of the next destinations where your Empiria concept will expand to?
Our philosophy is to offer unique hospitality experiences in exceptional destinations. Starting with Santorini and then with Paros, we have taken very careful steps and have followed a structured strategy regarding the creation of our hotels. We are constantly fascinated by destinations that possess authentic beauty, a rich cultural heritage, and people ready to share their authentic lifestyle with visitors.
Regarding future plans to expand our Group to other destinations, this is a process that requires careful study and analysis. We understand the importance of local culture, natural beauty, and travel trends. So if the above criteria are met, there’s no doubt that we will look closely at developing further.
