Hellenic Tourist Properties (ETA) proceeds with the development of Xenia Hotels,
with the tender for the lease of Xenia Tsagarada in Pilio expected to be launched by June.ETA CEO Dimitris Lamprou told Capital.gr that the conditions of competition for Xenia Tsagarada for a long-term lease of 30-35 years will be announce in June.
Meanwhile, the rest Xenia hotels are expected to be developed through tenders, or through renovation of the competent municipalities.
However, despite the willingness of local communities to redevelop and preserve Xenia hotels, several municipalities ask for the renovation of hotels before they are granted to them. But, the cost of renovation is huge and ETA is unable to take it over.
Most Xenia hotels have been abandoned since 1980s, showing obvious signs of neglect, while many of them are at risk of collapse.
ETA administration manages 44 Xenia hotels, with 7 of them considered as new age monuments. This means that the renovation should be totally consistent with the original plans.
At least three hotels have been demolished, while Xenia I has been turned into Olympia’s City Hall. Xenia Rethymnon has turned into a student residence.
50 Xenia hotels, harmonized with local architecture and environment, were built during the period 1957-1967 under a program of strengthening tourist infrastructure.
Architect Aris Konstantinidis had been the head of the project but resigned because of dictatorship in 1967, starting a long period of neglect for Xenia hotels, many of them granted to municipalities, universities and other institutions.
