OVERVIEW
A post-war winery turned conscious retreat, Dexamenes Seaside Hotel is an architectural slice of Greek history on an under the radar stretch of sand of Greece’s Peloponnese coast. Dating back to the 1900’s, the winery was built directly on Kourouta Beach to enable easy export of the wine; priming it for its second life as an offbeat and stylish 40-suite retreat overlooking the Ionian Sea. Surrounded by a natural landscape of olive groves, vineyards, sunflower fields and citrus trees, the area specializes in laid-back, slow living and is a true reprieve from the country’s more tourist-laden regions.
WHY WE LOVE IT
Dexamenes’ location on the northwestern tip of the Peloponnese coast is lesser known to tourists, with a tranquil, primarily agricultural landscape and one of the largest wine producing regions. Hotel owner / creator Nikos Karaflos sees the hotel as more than a place to lay your head, but a reflection of modern Greek culture, offering regular events and workshops such as wine tasting, candle making, art installations and poetry readings.
SUSTAINABILITY
In the words of owner Nico Karaflos, “Dexamenes is a place of meaningful luxury.” The intention with the project was to retain as much as possible of the original structures, both for sustainability as well as out of respect for the history of the site. In addition to repurposing the buildings themselves, the interiors of the hotel feature reclaimed elements—coffee tables made of original concrete from the wine tanks and reclaimed clay bricks that are now on the floor of the restaurant.
LOCATION
Dexamenes Seaside Resort is located on Kourouta Beach, on the northwestern tip of the mainland Greece’s Peloponnese coast, a 40-minute drive from Unesco World Heritage site, Ancient Olympia and an hour south of the port city of Patras.
