Two aquariums in Crete were ranked among the 25 best in the world in Tripadvisor’s 2015 Travelers Choice awards for zoos and aquariums.

“The Travelers’ Choice awards are recognizing the top zoos and aquariums around the world that are the favorites of the TripAdvisor community,” Barbara Messing, chief marketing officer for TripAdvisor, said in an announcement.

The Aquaworld Aquarium & Reptile Rescue Centre in Hersonissos ranked 7th and the Cretaquarium Thalassocosmos in Heraklion raked 23rd among the world’s best.

Meanwhile, in the list of Europe’s top aquariums, the Aquaworld Aquarium & Reptile Rescue Centre in Hersonissos ranked 3rd and the Cretaquarium Thalassocosmos in Heraklion ranked 9th.

“Travelers visiting these award-winning attractions can get a close look and learn about the magnificent creatures that inhabit the world around us”, Ms. Messing added.

To read more, please visit: Greek Travel Pages

 

I visited 2 places this past week that I liked a lot, one that’s brand new and one that’s been around for more than 10 years. These are each very different places – and very different spaces – and I enjoyed them both, for different reasons.

 

Last Saturday night, I had a couple friends in town attending a medical conference (yes, apparently there are lots of these in Athens), staying at the Hilton. We decided to meet for dinner at Agora Select, which is literally behind the hotel. The area around the Hilton has numerous restaurants and night spots – including places like Cookoovaya and Pulitzer… This is not exactly a ‘cheap and cheerful’ neighbourhood, but has a number of nice choices for when your local taverna just won’t do.

 

Agora Select is a busy Greek restaurant – with an ‘upper class’ vibe and a relaxed Athenian elegance in the décor.  I had called several hours ahead to reserve a table for 5 people – and was told that there was in fact only 1 table left. Yes, there are many restaurants in Athens that are completely booked on a Saturday night… Definitely call ahead. If I’m being honest, the space itself was not so interesting – very clean and well kept, but on the ‘classic’ side for my taste. However, I quickly discovered that people go to Agora Select for two tings – the super-professional service and the delicious Greek (and non-Greek!) food. There is an extensive menu at this place (also available to view online), offering large portions, delicious plates and surprisingly reasonable prices, considering location and clientele. The food is not ‘fussy’ – but more like really well done Greek food. A pleasant surprise.

 

K8 Point is on the opposite end of scale in terms of design and vibe. This is a carefully decorated, dramatically beautiful, decidedly cool space. Only recently opened, K8 is envisioned as an ‘all day/all night’ venue, for morning coffees, lunch or dinner, and drinks into the wee hours. With its multiple spaces perfectly set-up for all kinds of fun, they have numerous events and parties planned, they are sure to become a new favourite in the city.

 

K8 is an older structure that was originally a horse stables, and around 1880 became an inn. In recent years it was abandoned and left to fade into the background of the lower Ermou Street chaos… Today, the place has been transformed into an architectural masterpiece of exposed brick, original arches, wood, glass, graffiti and modern art. If you love unique spaces as I do, K8 is for you. Apart from this, the menu looks equally ‘curated’, an interesting take on modern Greek fare. Great drinks list too.  I must admit I only stopped in for a coffee – but you can be sure I will be back.

 

Athens, you never stop surprising me! There is life in you yet…

 

Until next week,

 

Jack

 

Ermou 119 & Astiggos

+30 21 0331 5407

 

Chatzigianni Mexi 8 & Ventiri 9

+30 210 72 52 252,

Greece's Alpha Bank SA has launched a process to sell Athens-listed Ionian Hotel Enterprises, owner of the five-star Hilton Athens, a source familiar with the matter said.

Alpha Bank, which holds 97.3 percent of IHE, wants to receive expressions of interest by a deadline of March 11. Citi is advising Alpha Bank on the sale, the source said.

Alpha Bank was not immediately available for comment.

The Greek bank is aiming to further strengthen its capital base with the share sale, which is valued at about 106 million euros based on its last closing price of 8.13 euros.

Greek banks that have been recently recapitalized with the euro zone's help have agreed to divest non-core banking activities and sell their participation in overseas assets.

Citi's head of Greece and Cyprus investment banking, Theodoros Giatrakos, is leading negotiations with interested parties, which have been given the option of bidding alone or teaming up in an investment consortium.

Hilton Athens was one of the venues that hosted recent negotiations between international creditors and the government of Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras in 2015.

To read more, please visit: Ekathimerini

The Romanian flight carrier Blue Air will be adding Athens to its new summer flight program for 2020. As part of this new program the Bucharest-based company, will introduce eight new routes departing from Bucharest, Bacau, and Iasi.

 

As of June 15th, Blue Air will provide flights from George Enescu International Airport in Bucharest to Athens International Airport. It is reported that the prices of Blue Air’s new destinations will be starting from as little as €19,99 and may include other discounts through the airline’s yearly subscription program.

 

So, for those seeking to travel to Athens from Romania, or the other way around, it may be worth looking into the largest Romanian airline.

 

To read this article in full, please visit: Greek Travel Pages

For many years, Athens has been facing complaints from residents, professionals, and visitors alike about cleanliness. As in any capital around the world, cleanliness is essential, and the objective of every municipality is to design practices that are both substantial and effective.

For the first time, the City of Athens is moving towards a strategy of total cleaning interventions that have shown significant results. For the last 12 months, 37 cleaning operations in 37 different areas have been changing the image of dozens of Athenian neighborhoods.

How Things Are Changing

Every Sunday, entire city areas are sanitized. To achieve the required cleansing result, dozens of cleaning staff gather in a specific area to wash sidewalks, streets, and public spaces with hot water. Due to the current circumstances, they also carry out the required disinfection.

These operations are the pinnacle of everyday cleaning and combined with smaller-scale but equally significant actions, they are changing the city for the better. For example, the group interventions that take place in the squares. During those interventions, a large group of staff take care of the green and wash and repair the equipment within a few hours. The cleaning staff is also in charge of washing-out the bins–that are gradually being replaced by new ones throughout Athens–and organized recycling.

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Street cleanings have been happening every Sunday for about the last year, neighborhood-by-neighborhood, and not just for hygienic reasons during Covid. The Mayor would say 'it’s about returning to the basics of quality of life,' and it’s starting to have a noticeable effect. Attention to neighborhoods outside the touristic center – focusing on the neighborhoods where people actually live – is part of telling people that they are wanted and belong in Athens.

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Equipment

Today, Athens is renewing its old cleaning equipment, but it has also obtained new, modern machinery to make cleaning even more efficient. The cleaning operations rely on modern equipment such as large vacuum cleaners, 20 high-pressure cleaners, water trucks, sweepers, and other equipment for washing and sweeping sidewalks, squares, and pedestrian streets. In other words, the municipality is moving away from superficial cleaning, which may have temporarily given the feeling of cleanliness but did not offer the desired result.

How Often Do Cleaning Operations Take Place?

Every Sunday and in a different area. In every Municipal Community, non-stop. The Municipality of Athens now follows a cleanliness cycle where one cycle closes a new one opens up. The cleaning cycle is supported by daily actions in every corner of the city. "This couldn't go any further, and we all saw it for so many years," explains Mayor of Athens Costas Bakogiannis. "We have the human resources and we are renewing the equipment. We had to, at all costs, find another way to clean Athens. We had to design the cleanliness plan from scratch, avoiding one mistake: Clean it in fragments, without planning, phobically. We've reached a threshold and applied dynamic interventions in the whole city, in entire neighborhoods. And as it turns out, we are winning the bet. We have a lot of work ahead of us, but now we know how to deliver the results that all Athenians want", he adds, talking about the citiy's new cleaning strategy.

Operations By Date

Votanikos- Kato Petralona 19/01/20, Kypseli 26/01/20, Kolonaki - Exarchia 02/02/20, Gyzi- Goudi 09/02/20, Pagrati 16/02/20, Pagrati- Neos Kosmos 23/02/20, Patissia 08/03/20, Omonia 10/05/20, Akadimia Platonos 17/05/20, Neapoli Exarcheion 24/05/20, Probonas 31/05/20, Neos Kosmos 07/06/20, Plateia Amerikis (Filis Street) 14/06/20, Kolonos 21/06/20, Ampelokipi 28/06/20, Metaxourgio 5/7/20, Sepolia 12/7/20, Kolonaki 19/7/20, Plaka 26/7/20, Agios Panteleimon 6/9/20, Exarcheia 13/9/20, Kato Patissia 20/9/20, Kato Patissia 28/9/20, Sepolia 4/10/20, Ano Petralona and Thiseio 11/10/20, Neos Kosmos 18/10/20, Ellinorosson 25/10/20, Votanikos 01/11/20, Agios Pavlos 8/11/20, Lambrini 15/11/20, Omonia 22/11/20, Metaxourgio 29/11/20, Koukaki 6/12/20, Commercial Triangle 13/12/20, Kypseli 10/01/2021, Kypriadou, Ano Patisia 17/01/21, Gyzi, 24/1/21, Kato Petralona, 31/1/21

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XpatAthens extends a warm thank you to This Is Athens and the City Of Athens for sharing with us news and inspiring stories about how Athens is constantly becoming a cleaner, friendlier, and more welcoming city to live in.

The extension of Line 3 in Piraeus will be operational within the next few days, according to Giorgos Karagiannis, deputy minister of infrastructure and transport.

Speaking to ERT, he highlighted the substantial advantages that the metro lines 3 and 4 additions will provide to not only all Athens citizens but also to the environment. Karagiannis noted that with the operation of the metro in Piraeus, the country’s largest airport will be connected to the largest port in less than an hour. The trial runs for Metro Line 4 started last Tuesday.

“An additional 340,000 passengers will travel daily on this line alone, while 2,000 new trees will be planted in Athens, and, for the first time, architectural contests for square redevelopments will be launched in collaboration with the Municipality of Athens,” he said.

Karagiannis also announced the project for the extension of Line 2 to Ilion will be tendered by the end of 2022 and the extensions to Menidi and Zefiri will follow in the next phase.

Originally published on: ekathimerini.com

LAMPSA Hellenic Hotels, a distinguished group in the hospitality industry, is pleased to announce another bonus initiative for its dedicated associates.In a heartfelt gesture of appreciation, the major shareholder of LAMPSA SA has decided to offer a bonus totaling €1.3 million for the second consecutive year to all associates of Hotels Grande Bretagne, King George and Athens Capital.

Recognizing the unwavering professionalism and tireless efforts of its people, LAMPSA SA will be distributing a bonus of €1000 net to each associate, irrespective of their ranking at the company's three flagship hotels in Athens. This reward serves as a testament to their commitment to delivering exceptional hospitality services and their ability to excel during demanding periods.

LAMPSA SA, a company with a long-standing history in the hospitality field, firmly upholds the belief that employee recognition lies at the core of its corporate philosophy. By fostering strong bonds and trust- based relationships with its workforce, the company has consistently positioned itself as a leader in the tourism industry. For the second year in a row, LAMPSA SA has been named among Greece's ten most attractive employers according to the prestigious Employer Brand survey conducted by Randstad. This accolade reflects the enduring commitment of LAMPSA SA to charting a shared path with its employees, driving future accomplishments and continuing to thrive as the oldest hospitality and tourism organization in Greece.

The bonus initiative not only symbolizes LAMPSA SA's gratitude towards its valued associates but also reinforces their pivotal role in achieving the company's vision. Through their exceptional skills and outstanding achievements, they contribute significantly to the company's success and the promotion of Greek hospitality.

In a world where no child should have to choose between a meal, a doctor’s visit, or an education, Children First (Πρώτα το Παιδί) stands as a bridge of hope for families living at risk of poverty in Greece.

Through its three core pillars — Nutrition, Education, and Medical Care — the organization ensures that every child receives the essentials they need to grow strong, healthy, and confident. Daily meals are tailored to each child’s needs in collaboration with a nutritionist, while educational support, language lessons, and sports activities help nurture both body and mind. At the same time, pediatric and dental care guarantee that no child’s health is left to chance.

But Children First doesn’t stop there. Recognizing that empowered families raise empowered children, the organization also offers parental counseling from psychologists, helping parents take an active role in their children’s wellbeing.

In partnership with the Municipality of Egaleo, Children First currently supports 19 children between the ages of 3 and 17, providing them with nutritious meals, medical monitoring, English lessons, and extracurricular opportunities. An additional 21 children receive ongoing nutritional assistance. Initiatives such as “Girls Empowering Girls”, designed for single-mother families, further highlight the organization’s commitment to building confidence and independence in young lives.

At its heart, Children First envisions a community built on kindness, solidarity, and trust, where everyone can play a part in creating change, whether by offering time, skills, or financial support.

 

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Donate here and help more children thrive.

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