Porto Carras (Greek: Πόρτο Καρράς), known as Porto Carras Grand Resort, is one of northern Greece's largest and most famous hotels and holiday resorts. It is located on Sithonia, Chalkidiki peninsula in Macedonia, Greece. It is about 120 km away from Greece's second-biggest city, Thessaloniki.

Porto Carras Grand Resort
Πόρτο Καρράς
Map
General information
AddressNeos Marmaras 630 81, Greece
CountryGreece
Opened1973
OwnerBelterra Investments
Height
Top floor6
Technical details
Size1800 hectares
Floor count6
Design and construction
Architect(s)Walter Gropius
Awards and prizesGreece's Best Incentive Hotel 2022 - MICE tourism
Known forOne of Greece's largest resorts Hosting prestigious events
Other information
Number of rooms479
Website
https://www.portocarras.com

Porto Carras has garnered a reputation as a popular destination particularly among Serbian tourists, who comprise as much as 90% of monthly visitor traffic. Its array of amenities, including luxurious hotels, a marina, a casino, and a golf course, coupled with its proximity to Serbia, have contributed to its appeal within this demographic.

History

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Porto Carras was created by Yiannis Carras, a Greek businessman and ship-owner.[1] Originally it was planned with the renowned architect Walter Gropius, but the construction works started posthumously in 1973. The project brought a revolution to Chalkidiki's tourism.[2]

In April 2020, Porto Carras changed ownership and became a member of Ivan Savvidis' controlled Belterra Investments.[3]

Specifications

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Porto Carras Grand Resort includes two major hotels, the 5-star Meliton and 4-star Sithonia as well as the bungalow style hotels Marina Village and Kalyva Mare.[4] There are also 45,000 olive trees; basketball, football, tennis, and golf sports areas as well as a vineyard covering an area of 475,000 m². Porto Carras is home to the biggest private marina in northern Greece, having berths for 315 boats. It also contains restaurants, spa, interior and beach bars and a cinema theater.[4]

Location

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Porto Carras Grand Resort 2021
 
Porto Carras Meliton

The resort of Porto Carras is near the traditional village of Neos Marmaras; a tourist destination, busy during the summer period, with many restaurants, cafeterias and tourist shops.

Held events

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During June 2003, Porto Carras was the place of the Thessaloniki European Union Summit; organized under the Greek Presidency, during which the draft Constitution of the E.U. was presented for first time. The 25 leaders of European Union, along with Turkey's Prime Minister and the heads of NATO and E.U. took part in an official dinner, hosted by the then President of the Hellenic Republic.[5]

There was also held the European Team Chess Championships 2011.

Other information

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Porto Carras was the recipient of MICE's Best Incentive Hotel in 2022 for Greece. [6]

Porto Carras offers complementary WiFi to its guests. The WiFi service, alongside the internal booking platform, are provided by Zoottle.[7]

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References

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  1. ^ "Domaine Porto Carras". CavaOinos. Retrieved 2024-03-11.
  2. ^ "WALTER GROPIUS". architecture-history.org. Retrieved 2024-03-11.
  3. ^ "Porto carras to reopen in April 2021 under new management". gtp.
  4. ^ a b "Porto Carras - Meliton 5*". Porto Carras Grand Resort. Retrieved 2024-03-11.
  5. ^ "EU summit opens in Halkidiki | eKathimerini.com". www.ekathimerini.com. 2003-06-20. Retrieved 2024-03-11.
  6. ^ "World MICE Awards » Greece's Best Incentive Hotel 2022". World MICE Awards. Retrieved 2024-03-11.
  7. ^ "Zoottle's website - Customer list". Retrieved 2024-03-11.

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