When hospitality is part of your legacy—as it is for Agapi and Costantza Sbokou, whose father founded the family hotel business—you feel a sense of responsibility to uphold the traditions that have helped the company grow over the decades. When you are from Crete that responsibility is magnified. “Hospitality is an essential element of our DNA,” explains Costantza. “We Cretans open our homes to our guests. We welcome them to our land in a unique and authentic way.” Indeed, “authenticity” takes on new meaning at Cretan Malia Park, marking a distinct evolution in the sisters’ vision of hospitality.
Words by Ken Baron | Originally published by Design Hotels
- Agapi Sbokou
Phāea Resorts is a leading hotel company on Crete and a great success. So why, as co-CEOs, did you feel a need to evolve your approach to hospitality?
Agapi Sbokou: We thought about both our heritage and the causes that drive us. We really wanted to steer people away from anything that is commercial and identical, from mass tourism. Part of Crete is known as a big resort destination. But when you are in this business and you want to be an innovator, you think: “How can you create change?” Costantza and I feel that luxury and travel are now being redefined. People want to be part of things, to give rather than take, to return home feeling changed and inspired.
Costantza Sbokou: People say, “Never change a winning formula”. Cretan Malia Park was always doing well. Yet I strongly felt it could do better, that we had to change! The shift to an ecohotel initiates our vision for sustainable tourism. To that end, we also invest in our own people. Many of our employees have their own land. So we educate them on organic farming and then we buy their products for Cretan Malia Park. In this way, our staff feels part of the new vision.
What specifically makes the experience authentic and unique for guests?
AS: We try to create meaning, to bring likeminded people together. We do that in many ways: through design and responsible tourism—we have embarked on a very vigorous sustainability project—and with authentic food tied to a Cretan experience. For example, in the morning guests can join our chef and head gardener in the hotel’s organic garden, pick produce for the day, and then go to the kitchen and cook, drink, and taste together. There is live music playing.They are participating and experiencing. It feels like you are in a Cretan home on a Sunday.
CS: Our aim is to create a slow-paced, authentic environment, one that connects our guests with local people as well as to Crete’s natural beauty and heritage.
AS: Immersion into local life, organic food, the beautiful beach and garden…it’s as much preservation as it is creating something new. For us, it’s like going back to a simpler time
And how does your father feel about your vision?
AS: He believes that if you do something that you don’t love, then you won’t be good at it. And he knows that Costantza and I are passionate about what we are doing, that we love it. He has always been extremely supportive!
What is your most prized possession?
CS: An old country house that has become my sanctuary. I managed the construction and designed the renovation. We now produce the family olive oil from an olive grove on the property.
AS: For me, it is a painting, a photograph, a book, a gift from my children…it changes with time. I love beautiful things that make me want to “travel”. But mostly it is about the feeling that they create in me and not the fact that I own them. It could be something hanging in a museum or it could simply be an emotion I have and cherish after spending time with my loved ones.
This summer season, Cretan Malia Park is the epicenter of authenticity for today’s modern traveler showcasing Crete’s rich heritage and storied soulful, experiences.
Phāea Resorts are committed to hiring local staff wherever possible and embrace that many work as farmers in low season, as Crete is a highly self-sustainable island known for its agriculture. We are investing in our employees’ agricultural efforts with the Phāea Farmers Program, providing support through collaborations with agronomists to train in organic farming methods and sustainable land use. Ultimately the program is creating more value and quality production and the resorts can source the highest quality local produce for use at the resorts.
There are currently 18 employees in the program cultivating 52 land parcels reaching a total of 19 local communities around Crete. Training programs include how to plant vegetables, theoretical and practical trainings on soil health and sustainable crop management, agriculture productivity and pruning practices in selected olive grove and vineyards.
A variety of products are produced including aloe, grapes, wine, herbs, honey, fruits (apples, pears, strawberries, bananas, citrus (orange, lemons, mandarins), olives/olive oil, seasonal vegetables (tomatoes, bell peppers, zucchini, eggplants, potatoes), dairy products, and raki, a traditional, Cretan grape-based spirit.
Crete’s an island of superlatives. The largest Greek island is rich in both ancient history—going back to the Minoan civilization 4,000 years ago—and flora, a botanical Eden thanks to its setting between Europe, Asia, and Africa. It’s no wonder that Cretan Malia Park, wants to do its utmost to protect this unique corner of the world.
With a certification from the iconic Blue Flag eco-label, Cretan Malia Park’s dedication to responsible living is deep rooted. The hotel’s expansive botanical gardens that are filled with wild foliage, palm trees, cacti, Indian fig, and local banana trees play a significant role in the layout and design of the spaces.
Words Vidula Kotian | Originally published by Design Hotels
Cretan Malia Park is excited to announce its new partnership with Maison Flâneur and Design Hotels™. In an exciting collaboration, Maison Flâneur is presenting a curated, limited edition of Cretan Malia’s art & design items, furniture & lighting decorative pieces and a unique catalogue of homeware.
For the new nomad that seeks interesting interiors pieces that are rooted in a destination.
Have you ever fantasised about the interiors of a hotel or restaurant to the point that you were tempted to cling onto an intricately decorated vase and leave with it under your arm?
Such objects can linger in our memory long after we’ve returned home – but the Maison Flâneur team have the answer.
An Interview With Lefteris Iliadis
Born and raised in Crete, Lefteris Iliadis found his calling as a chef at an early age—a passion that took him into the kitchens of acclaimed Greek and international hotels until it pulled him back home. Inspired by the island’s rich UNESCO-protected culinary heritage, Iliadis, who heads the culinary offerings at Cretan Malia Park, believes that the most flavorful food is made simply with the highest quality, fresh, seasonal, and local ingredients. He considers it a part of his job to inspire and educate guests about the surrounding bounty by taking them on tours of the organic kitchen garden and exploring the resort’s botanical gardens.
Originally published by Design Hotels
