New Helvetia Hotel in Platres to return following its most extensive-ever renovation (pics)

Having been renewed through most extensive-ever renovation since its founding, the historic New Helvetia Hotel in Platres, honored by the Deputy Ministry of Tourism with the ‘Historic Hotel of Cyprus’ label, will soon be welcoming guests once again.

The date of the hotel’s reopening will be announced soon.

The renovation mainly concerned the interior of the hotel, and specifically its 32 rooms, with the main goal of upgrading the experience the venue offers its customers.

In statements to InBusinessNews, the co-owner of the historic hotel, Nicos Mattheou, refers both to the extensive renovation/upgrade of the accommodation venue, as well as to this year's prospects in terms of reservations.

Regarding the renovation, Mattheou said that it had encompassed all the hotel. As he explained, "last October and after we received approval from a scheme managed by the Deputy Ministry of Tourism - a grant scheme for the upgrade of hotels and tourist accommodations in the countryside and in mountainous and remote areas -, we received a subsidy and proceeded with the complete renovation and upgrade of the hotel, from the rooms to the public-use areas."

All the upgrades, he continued, were made internally, "because externally, due to the fact that the building is listed, it remained as it was with some minor changes, such as painting and changing some doors."

After this upgrade, Mattheou emphasised, "our hotel is now the most renovated and upgraded hotel in Platres and our mountains and we are hoping for a good season."

The aim of the renovation

When asked what the main aim of this renovation/upgrade had been, the hotel co-owner indicated that "the main aim of the renovation was to upgrade the experience we offer to the customer."

"Let's not forget that this is an old building, which has been in operation for almost 100 years and, as you understand, needs maintenance," he pointed out.

According to Mattheou, this was the fifth and largest renovation carried out so far at the hotel, emphasising that "it was something that had to be done so that the hotel could continue to operate."

"Great importance was given to the comfort of the guests in the rooms - beds, bathrooms, etc. -, something that is considered very important for the traveller today, while the decoration maintained its original character by preserving many classic elements such as furniture and objects from the time when the hotel first opened, which gives it the character of a hotel museum," he explained, emphasising that "my brother and I are operating the hotel and we must hand it over to our children, the fifth generation, in operable condition."

Regarding the certification that the hotel received a few months ago, Mattheou said that "on 27 September, 2024, which is World Tourism Day, it was honored by the Deputy Ministry of Tourism with the 'Historic Hotel of Cyprus' label", emphasising that "it is the first and only hotel in Cyprus to receive this label from the Deputy Ministry and this is a great honor for us."

This season's prospects

Asked to comment on the prospects for this year's tourist season for the hotel, Mattheou pointed out that "it is something difficult to predict and that is why we are talking with the Deputy Ministry of Tourism to find ways to attract incoming tourism. There is of course a lot of demand during the weekends, mainly from Cypriots, but as you can see, this is not enough."

"However, in order to boost our revenue, in the last two years we have started and have been organising wedding receptions in the hotel's outdoor area, which is popular with young couples," he continued.

"In general, we hope that after the renovation/upgrade and after the promotion and marketing campaign that we will promote in the near future, we will have a fairly good number of visitors," he added.

When asked whether the hotel records its highest occupancy rates on weekends, Mattheou answered in the affirmative. "Yes, like all hotels in mountainous areas that attract local tourism," he noted.

Asked if the hotel also attracts visitors from abroad, Mattheou said that "we have some visitors from abroad who come to Cyprus utilising alternative forms of tourism, such as walking, cycling, nature study, and so on, and who choose other hotels in the mountains, in addition to ours."

"Unfortunately, however, in recent years this flow has decreased, but it exists and we try to have these specialised groups on weekdays and leave the weekends free for Cypriot and local visitors," he concluded.

(Source: InBusinessNews)