They Almost Named Natasha As The Best Hotel In Cyprus And What Does Prada Have To Do With It: A Beautiful Story Of A Family Business
They Almost Named Natasha As The Best Hotel In Cyprus And What Does Prada Have To Do With It: A Beautiful Story Of A Family Business
Anonim
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Each family has stories passed down from generation to generation. Alekos Michaelides provided his children with them when he founded his first Paphos Beach hotel in Cyprus. Paphos was still only a small village, and it was not so easy to get there. “Once my father said to me:“Someday the most beautiful hotel in the Mediterranean will be here”. I remember I told him that he was crazy, and he took it and built it,”recalls Alekos' daughter Natasha.

Back in the 70s, Alekos opened the first small hotel, but after the Turkish invasion in 1974, its territory was under occupation, and had to start over. He bought another hotel in Paphos - the same Paphos Beach, which would later be called Almyra, then built near Annabelle and finally bought out at auction the land where Anassa is now located. “Once he managed to bring the director of TUI to the island to convince him to include us in the brochures. There were refugee tents along the road from the airport - but can you tell the biggest tour operator the truth? The father only said: "We in Cyprus just love camping!" - Natasha laughs. Her other favorite story happened after Thanos hotels were successfully included in travel brochures: “At one exhibition we met the guests of our very first hotel. It turned outall these years they have kept the Villeroy & Boch cymbals that they took from us. Just imagine what it cost us to get hold of the Villeroy & Boch crockery at that time! But we certainly would never have chosen the cheaper option."

Natasha Peletis
Natasha Peletis

Many years later, she recalls that difficult period with a smile, but childhood in hotels inevitably left its mark on the current PR-director of the company: “Wherever I go, I always watch people, try to imagine or imagine their life. I didn’t even suspect about this habit until a close friend noticed it. Now I'm trying to control myself."

Thanos Hotels & Resorts is run by Alekos' eldest son Thanos - the company is named after him according to the old Cypriot tradition. When there were more hotels, Alekos decided to deviate slightly from the custom, giving them the names of two daughters. “Anna was too young to be consulted. And I rebelled and chose Anassa, which means “Queen of the Mediterranean”. Calling the hotel Natasha is simply ridiculous!"

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