196+ forum Milan: Hotel Casa Cook Samos in Greece wins "Hotel Design Award 2022“

The winner of the "Hotel Design Award 2022" is the Hotel Casa Cook Samos in Greece. The prize was awarded for the first time yesterday during the 196+ forum Milan.

Andreas Martin, jury chairman: "This year's winner Casa Cook Samos convinced the 196+ jury in particular by the clear, yet restrained design line of the resort, proposed and implemented by the Athens-based architecture firm Block 722, using predominantly local construction and furnishing materials. It was important to the owner family led by managing director Orestis Vallis to maintain the recreation of a Samian village character (a basic idea of his grandfather), but with a modern interpretation. This includes village squares as intimate meeting places for hotel guests, which become water squares in the resort, but also the successful integration of the village road leading through the hotel complex, as well as the presence of the island airport located right next door. In the successful interaction with the brand owner Casa Cook, an exceptional hotel for adults has thereby been created, as a fitting complement to the other hotel and restaurant businesses of the Doryssa Group of Companies, which has been rooted on the island of Samos for three generations!"

Casa Cook is still a young, modern lifestyle brand, which have found a suitable partner in the Valis family to drive the expansion of the hotel brand already present in Greece. The building structure of the latest Casa Cook hotel on Samos refers to the Greek word "paréa", which stands for a social gathering with friends. The new building incorporates the historical concept of a Greek village into a contemporary space. This allows for privacy and, at the same time, guest interactions. The architectural inspiration for the design of the hotel is the traditional "Kamares" on Samos, which were built simply and cheaply with local materials at the time. While visiting the island's villages, architecture firm Block 722 discovered these types of homes and was intrigued by their compelling simplicity. As a result, Casa Cook Samos, with its typical flat roofs, blends into its immediate surroundings between the airport and the Mediterranean coast. The earthy textures and colors are inspired by the landscape and its organic elements: the lush greenery reflects the island's fertile vegetation, and the indoor pools mimic the island's waterfalls, rivers, and beaches, complemented by wooden walls and stone pathways. Rooms feature private terraces, some with direct access to the various pool areas and water features. Throughout the hotel, indoor and outdoor spaces flow smoothly into one another.

From the 15 hotel applications from nine European countries, the interdisciplinary ten-member jury had selected ten nominees. Of these nominees, the following three hotels were selected as finalists (in alphabetical order):

25hours Hotel Piazza San Paolino (Italy, Florence)

Balcone di Guilietta (Italy, Verona)
Casa Cook Samos (Greece, Potokaki, Samos Island)
Sebastian Noack, spokesperson of the jury and Head of International Project Business at Bette: "The three finalists cover the entire range of story telling: From a clear, loud themed mission statement to integration in historical surroundings to the rediscovery and reinterpretation of the regional, original form of living as an authentic vacation experience. These very contrasting concepts also challenged us in the evaluation and led to very intensive discussions - but ultimately with a very clear result.“

The criteria for the award included the originality of the architectural and design concept, the associated architectural quality of the building and facade, and the design of the interior. The focus of the competition is the design approach for a convincing hotel concept.

The Florentine site of the 25hours Hotel Piazza San Paolino previously housed a Romanesque-style church, a convent and a pawnshop. The complete renovation of the three buildings, with a total area of around 10,700 square meters, was carried out by local architecture firm Genius Loci Architettura. The renovation was part of a comprehensive urban renewal plan to bring new life to less-focused parts of the city. The hotel's interior design commemorates the 700th anniversary of Dante Alighieri's death. For this reason, interior designer Paola Navone has reinterpreted his "Divine Comedy" as the main thematic and narrative element. Thus, vintage furniture from around the world is combined with modern furnishings and objects, created in the Italian artisan tradition. The interiors are bold, eclectic and amusing. The color scheme was developed based on Dante's symbols, used marble and mosaics, terracotta and metal, tiles and wood, ceramics and glass. Like a rehearsed choreography, the elements combine to create an image that spans eras and traditions. In the area around the elevator are illustrations by American artist Seymour Chwast, who humorously reinterprets characteristic scenes from the "Divine Comedy."

The Hotel Balcone di Giulietta in Verona is a revitalization of a previously closed hotel. The special feature of the hotel is the view of the famous balcony where Juliet, according to Shakespeare, is said to have stood unhappily in love with Romeo. In addition, a place was created that is warm, familiar and hospitable. Thus, the guest stays not only in a house with myth, called Relais (= home) in its own words, but with the Cortelletti family, which is rooted in Verona and runs various gastronomic establishments here. The building is a traditional family house: the older part overlooking Via Cappello dates back to the 15th century, with a 17th century extension facing the courtyard. A fresco of a Madonna from 1467 AD was found in the house and carefully restored. The elements of interior design are inspired by the genius loci, the spirit and history of the site. Four decorative elements are stylistic and have been transformed into modern design elements: the Gothic arches of Juliet's balcony, the Venetian style of the windows of Juliet's house, the "bugnato" style of Juliet's room and the battlements of the city walls. The earthy and warm colors of the furniture are taken from the frescoes that decorated the palazzi of Verona, known in the Middle Ages as "urbs picta", the painted city.

Finalists "Hotel Design Award 2022" in alphabetical order:

25hours Hotel Piazza San Paolino
Location: Florence, Italy
Owner: Invesco Real Estate
Operator: 25hours Hotels
Project developer: Art-Invest Real Estate
Architect: Genius Loci Architettura
Interior designer: Paola Navone, STUDIO OTTO
Type of business / Category: Full-service hotel / 4 stars
Construction period: 36 months
Number of rooms: 171

Balcone di Guilietta

Location: Verona, Italy
Owner: Michael Cortelletti
Operator: Food Democracy
Project developer: Stella del Mobile Italia
Architect: Spazio Progetto Professionisti Associati
Interior designer: Spazio Progetto Professionisti Associati
Type of business / Category: Hybrid hotel in the historic center / 5 Leoni Regione Veneto
Construction time: 4 months
Number of rooms: 16

Casa Cook Samos

Location: Potokaki, Samos Island, Greece
Owner: Velos Tourism SA
Operator: Velos Tourism SA
Project developer: Velos Tourism SA
Architect: Block 722
Interior designer: Block 722
Operation type / category: Resort Hotel / 5 stars
Construction time: 16 months
Number of rooms: 128

Ten nominated hotels in alphabetical order:

25hours Hotel Indre By (Denmark, Copenhagen)
25hours Hotel Piazza San Paolino (Italy, Florence)
Balcone di Giulietta (Italy, Verona)
Casa Cook Samos (Greece, Potokaki, Samos Island)
Hotel Gilbert (Austria, Vienna)
Hotel TaNte FriDa (Austria, Maria Alm)
Radisson RED Vienna (Austria, Vienna)
RG Naxos Hotel (Italy, Giardini-Naxos)
Ruby Mimi Hotel & Bar (Switzerland, Zurich)
Villa Nai 3.3 (Croatia, Žman)

Image material is available at the following link: Images Press. Please refer to the copyright information for photo credits. If no information is available, the hotel name must be given in each case.

Martina Rozok
+49 30 40044681
PKF hospitality group