Telegram: Peloponnese / Home of the Gods

Happiness is a beach hotel in Greece

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. Dexamenes Seaside Hotel is my happy place, my home away from home, and anyone who stays here will understand why.

At first, the hotel’s location 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. 

Dexamenes Seaside Hotel, a Brief History

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 Pelopennese, 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 where 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 decay of the once-abandoned buildings has not been hidden, but is celebrated as a form of beauty, its marks still visible in the concrete walls. The design studio wished to add as little as possible, and perhaps that is why Dexamenes is filled with a quiet sense of calm. 

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. Lunch is 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 friendly 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. 

What to do: Visiting the Home of Greek Gods

“Valley of gods” is the name of the area where ancient Olympia lies, a short car ride from Dexamenes. Two thousand years ago, when he participated in the Olympic Games of 65 AD, this is where emperor Nero lived in his famous villa “Octagon”, by the Kladeos River, complete with a peristyle court, many rooms, gardens and a luxurious bath. 

The mosaics and arched roofs are still well preserved and possible to visit. However, the name of the valley does not refer to the mortal Nero, but to the powerful Greek gods, who called Olympia and Peloponnese their home. 

The most famous building of Olympia was the temple of Zeus, placed in the Aitis, a sacred grove in the central section and providing the core of the sanctuary. The giant temple, devoted to the ruler of gods and men, dominated the cluster of buildings, while the oldest temple dedicated to Hera, lies slightly north. East of these two holy temples is where the Olympic Games were held. 

Zeus was the king of gods and the god of sky and thunder (and cognate with the Roman equivalent Jupiter). Son of Cronus and Rhea, he was raised by his grandmother Gaia. Together with the Olympians (from Mount Olympus, not to be confused with Olympia), he fights for power, and wins over his father, thus becoming the ruler of cosmos. Married seven times, Hera was his seventh wife (and also his older sister). In order to woo her, he turned himself into a cuckoo. Together, they had several children. Hera was the goddess of marriage, women and family, and the protector of women during childbirth. She was also the first deity to whom the Greeks dedicated an enclosed roofed temple sanctuary, possibly an effect of the large cult-like following she enjoyed in Ancient Greece. 

Olympia was the most celebrated sacred place in Greece, and also the birthplace of the Olympic Games, the most important sports event in all antiquity. It started in 776 BC, and from then on, every four years all Greeks would be united, and all hostilities suspended, so that everyone could take part in the games. 

Olympia was a famed destination and a powerful landmark. Today, this is where the Olympic flame – symbol for the continuity between ancient and modern times – is lit, and then brought to the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games, where it continues to burn for the duration of the Games. 

In Ancient Greek mythology, fire had divine connotations, having been stolen from the gods by Prometheus. During the Olympic Games at Olympia, fires would be lit in the temples of Zeus and Hera. The first games took place during the festival of Zeus at Olympia, at the time a sanctuary within the independent state Elis. The games conducted in Zeus’ name drew visitors from all over the Greek world. 

Today, Olympia’s archaeological site is categorized as part of the UNESCO World Heritage. It is possible to tour the impressive remains of buildings used by the ancient Greeks as worship areas, and as sports and symposia centres. In the sleek and cleverly designed Archaeological Museum of Olympia, many of Greece’s most important ancient treasures and statues are on display, including several depicting emperor Marcus Aurelius. 

Local Wine Tip: Domaine Spiropoulos

For many people, Greek wine is not the obvious choice. The history of wine in places like France, Italy, and Spain is widely known, but many associate Greek wine with bad Retsina, and thus tend to avoid it. That’s a a shame, because low-intervention wines are reshaping wine-production in Greece. Close to Dexamenes, you will find a cluster of organic vineyards, including Domaine Spiropoulos.

Sine 1860. this land, located on the Ancient Mantinia plateau and Ancient Name, in the central Peloponnese, has been owned and maintained by the Spiropoulos family. It encompasses over 50 Ha of vineyards, with grapes ranging from Moschofilero, Agiorgitiko, Lagorthi and Merlot to Cabernet sauvignon, Cabernet franc, Chardonnay, Sauvignon blanc and Syrah. Since 1993, they have been certified as “Organic Farming”, and the family’s aim is to produce high-quality wines while protecting the local ecosystem.