Perivoli Country Hotel & Retreat: The past and the future

juillet 31e 2022 Perivoli Country Hotel & Retreat: The past and the future

Perivoli Country Hotel & Retreat opened its doors in the summer of 2009, and since then, guests have been curious about the story behind the hotel's creation, the meaning of the Greek word περιβόλι (perivoli), and the hotel's logo.

This blog post aims to answer all these questions, to delve deeper into the hotel's history, from its early origin to its present-day developments, and share the co-managers' vision for the future. To jump to a specific topic, use the short links below.
 

A DREAM IS BORN

The hotel co-owners and co-managers, Evagelos Karpatselis and Alexandros Kastrinos, met while studying economics at the University of Athens. However, it wasn't until years later, after they had received their Master's degrees in economics and business administration at the Universities of Sheffield and Southampton, that the two would reunite in Greece as they prepared for their obligatory military service.

Evagelos had always been unsure about following in his father's footsteps and becoming a full-time farmer. But when he remembered his father's orange grove in the outskirts of Nafplio and told Alexandros about it, a dream was born. In their mid-twenties, Evagelos and Alexandros began planning and implementing their vision of a luxurious hotel surrounded by the natural beauty of verdant hills, olive trees, and orange groves that would provide guests with an authentic Greek hospitality experience and emphasize agritourism.

The hotel was carefully designed to incorporate traditional architectural features of the area while offering modern comforts. Moreover, it is one of the few hotels in Nafplio that offers rooms with ease of access for guests with mobility issues. In June 2007, the construction works began.


ΠΕΡΙΒΌΛΙ (PERIVOLI)

A major challenge that the co-owners faced was finding a suitable name for the hotel. In the old days, farmers referred to their groves as their gardens. The Greek language has a word that describes a blooming garden full of flowers and vegetables, and that word is περιβόλι (perivoli). Considering the hotel's surroundings of wildflowers, vegetables, and fruit trees, perivoli was the ideal name to express the hotel's natural environment, its emphasis on agritourism, as well as its green and sustainable concept. For more information, kindly take a look at our Green Policy.

And so it came to be that 26 months after the start of the building works and situated on a hilltop right in the middle of Evagelos' father's perivoli, Perivoli Country Hotel & Retreat eventually opened its doors on July 31, 2009.


A NEW FAMILY MEMBER

Perivoli Farm-to-Table Restaurant has been serving authentic and delicious dishes made with local and organic ingredients based on the seasonal bounty of its land for many years. Due to popular demand, the restaurant began accepting bookings from external guests who haven't booked a hotel room.

This organizational change within the Perivoli family required us to reconsider the look and feel of our existing hotel logo and to provide our new family member with its own visual appearance.


THE PERIVOLI LOGO(S)Perivoli Country Hotel & Retreat Logo Retina

From the very early days, there has always been a philosophy of sustainability and respect for nature at the very heart of what we do. It is and will always be a big part of our DNA. The integration of our premises into their natural environment has therefore become a central visual element of our hotel's logo.

The hand-drawn orange refers to the orange trees that surround the hotel, as well as to our hand-made dishes and specialties. The outline of the tree shows 13 shapes, symbolizing the 13 rooms of the hotel.

Perivoli Farm-To-Table Restaurant Logo RetinaFor the brand new logo of our Farm-to-Table Restaurant, we have replaced the orange with a hand-drawn olive, indicating that we base our (hand-made) dishes on ingredients from our own perivoli as well as from local producers, and the wild and pure Greek countryside. The four windows that are visible in the hotel logo have been exchanged for a fork, a knife, and a spoon on a folded napkin.

Due to the deep connection of our restaurant with nature and the fact that our dishes use organic and seasonal ingredients of our local lands, the overall setting of the visual restaurant elements inside the tree remained unchanged. This helps in identifying the new restaurant logo as the little brother of our hotel logo.


AN EVOLVING WEBSITE

In order to provide our visitors and guests with the best possible user (and booking) experience and offer them the most useful content to plan their tours, Perivoli Country Hotel & Retreat strives to constantly improve its website.

Thanks to an interactive attractions map, you are able to plan your vacation at Perivoli Country Hotel & Retreat better and faster. Simply locate the nearby archaeological sites, beaches, guided tours, islands, monasteries, museums and natural highlights with a few clicks and plan the trip of your dreams.
 



You may also want to browse through our extensive FAQ section, take a look at our hotel video and/or photo gallery, scroll through our most recent awards and certifications or simply get inspired with our updated blog articles on best places to visit, must-do activities, unique day-trips as well as exciting local events and tips on the local cuisine. And just in case you speak German, we have recently added a dedicated German language option for you. Herzlich willkommen!


CERTIFIED TO BEST SERVE YOUR NEEDS

In recent years, our hotel has earned recognition as an award-winning destination, celebrated for exceptional service and a commitment to sustainability. In 2018, we were proud to be named the Global Winner of the World Luxury Hotel Awards, a testament to the team's unwavering dedication to excellence.

Yet, the hotel's accomplishments extend far beyond its luxurious amenities and stunning surroundings. Perivoli Country Hotel & Retreat is officially accredited as a Hikers Friendly and Bike Friendly hotel, two certifications that are only awarded to hotels meeting specific criteria. Our team has gone above and beyond to create an environment that caters to nature-lovers seeking to immerse themselves in the region's breathtaking trails, olive groves, winding mountain paths, and local flora and fauna. Our goal is to help guests escape the stress of everyday life and enjoy a rural vacation filled with unforgettable experiences.

Our commitment to sustainability and responsible tourism is evident in every facet of our operations. From the use of organic ingredients in our homemade breakfasts to the provision of gear for outdoor activities, we have made it our mission to provide our guests with a truly authentic and sustainable experience.


THE FUTURE

Not too long ago, περιβόλι was merely a dream and a word on a paper. Today, we couldn't be more proud to live that dream every single day and see the Perivoli family grow. As we look ahead into the future full of excitement, we would like to take this opportunity to thank you and all our guests for your continued support and for the many wonderful and unforgettable years. Our sincere gratitude also goes to our remote marketing agency, the REMOTE AGENCY.

We will continue to strive to provide all of our guests with authentic Greek hospitality and the best possible accommodation, dining and outdoor experiences. It is our biggest pleasure to serve you at Perivoli Country Hotel & Retreat and Perivoli Farm-to-Table Restaurant and to help you explore the riches that our wonderful region offers. We look forward to having you with us and being a part of your experience.

Thank you for your trust and see you soon!

 

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