The Elefthere Seaside Luxury Thermal Spa Resort is a new innovative tourism project in the thermal town of Eleftheres, near Kavala in northern Greece, that combines spa and wellness with hospitality.
Six hot springs with water temperatures ranging from 37 to 42 degrees Celsius are located in the area and are thought to be ideal for the treatment of musculoskeletal disorders and skin diseases, among other things.
The Elefthere Resort, a project of KNC SA, a Greek wood processing company based in the northern city of Drama, aims to operate as an all-inclusive spa and wellness destination 365 days a year.
The 30-million-euro project will include a variety of spa facilities, a five-star hotel, and villas.
Its construction is expected to begin in July 2019, following the publication of a joint ministerial decision by the Greek government establishing the project’s environmental and construction terms.
KNC intends to finish the project by 2020 and open the spa resort in May 2021.
The investment
The Elefthere Seaside Luxury Thermal Spa Resort will be built on a 785 sq.m. plot of land surrounded by natural beauty in the Marmaras valley and forest, as well as a 1 km long seafront. KNC has leased the area until 2052, with the option to extend.
The resort will have 155 deluxe rooms, suites, and villas, as well as a health and wellness center, a five-star thermal spa hotel, a five-star hotel, an agora, an artificial lake, and a small spa center on the coast focused on seawater therapies, treatments, and activities.
“The Elefthere Resort project is founded on five pillars: the area’s hot springs, the natural surroundings, Greek culture and nutrition, high-quality services, and the site’s distinctive architecture.”
Our goal is to have the resort open 365 days a year. “It is our vision, and it is the most difficult part of the project,” KNC Elefthere Resort Project President & CEO Nikolaos Charakidis said at a press conference in Kavala on Saturday.
KNC also works to preserve the natural surroundings and historic buildings in the area.
“We will concentrate on natural local materials like wood, stone, and marble… We want to preserve the characteristics of the old thermal town while also adding new facilities that will provide privacy to our guests,” Charakidis explained.
The National Strategic Reference Framework (NSRF) and the EU’s JESSICA (Joint European Support for Sustainable Investment in City Areas) programs will fund roughly 70% of the project, with the remaining 30% coming from private sources.
KNC is considering a strategic partnership and has signed a memorandum of understanding with an Indian wellness and hospitality group based in London that is interested in investing in the Greek tourism market.
Furthermore, KNC has been working with Inova Hospitality to manage the resort’s international sales.
The Elefthere Resort will be 40 km from Kavala and 120 km from Thessaloniki.
Elefthere’s thermal springs have a long history.
The healing powers of the Elefthere thermal springs have been known since antiquity, as evidenced by references in Herodotus and Strabo’s works.
Furthermore, the thermal springs are mentioned in manuscripts of Mount Athos monks from the 11th and 14th centuries AD.
The Eleftheres thermal town was designed by architect Aristotelis Zachos and operated by tobacco trader Zachos Zachou between 1908 and 1910. It housed 31 structures, including Ottoman baths, a bakery, a grocery store, and two hotels.
The site was operational until 2011 and is now closed.
The Ottoman baths and four historic buildings on the property will be restored and preserved as part of the Elefthere Resort project.
