BOSTON – In Mytilene, on the island of Lesvos, specifically in the area of Neapoli by the sea, there is one of Greece’s top hotels, the five-star Elysion. Imposing, with all the amenities one would expect, including a large pool, it is located close to Odysseas Elytis airport and faces the Asia Minor coast, specifically Ayvalik.

The hotel is owned by Dimitris Spanelis, a businessman in Mytilene who is well-known due to his car rental businesses, now known as Reserve. He is also distinguished by his sincerity, affability, and honesty, and is respected for his integrity.

Spanelis holds great respect and boundless appreciation for the Greek-American community.

We met him at the Elysion, where his wife Katerina is the heart and soul of hospitality and service in the hotel’s restaurant, which offers a rich breakfast – included in the room rate – prepared with the purest and most authentic local ingredients. Lunch and dinner feature the tastiest dishes, including fresh fish and seafood with the aroma of the Aegean. The hotel staff, all the men and women, are courteous, cheerful, and eager to assist guests in every possible way.

Speaking to The National Herald Spanelis said, “this summer is very good for Lesvos; we have many foreigners visiting our island, especially many Turks. I must emphasize that through July 31, the number of Turks who visited Lesvos was around 75,000, something that has never happened before, so many visitors from one country. Besides Turks, many Dutch, Belgians, English, as well as Romanians, and quite a few Israelis visited our island for the first time this year.”

Regarding whether there are visitors from America, he said, “mainly Greek-Americans from the United States come, as well as from Canada, South Africa, and Australia, but purely American tourists, I think, do not favor us as much.”

When asked if there is domestic tourism, Spanelis said, “domestic tourism drives Lesvos’s economy for 50-60 days a year, mainly during the high season. As you know, we are far from the rest of Greece, and the tickets are quite costly for the average Greek. During the rest of the year, we are visited by groups from all over Greece for religious and school tourism, as well as by businessmen, commercial representatives for business transactions promoting olive oil, dairy products, etc.”

When we asked him when he built the beautiful hotel, he said, “it used to be the old Lesvos Beach hotel. We bought it in 2007, renovated it, and have been operating it year-round since 2010 as the island’s first five-star hotel. Among other guests, during the time of the migration crisis, 2015-2018, we hosted the Queen of Jordan, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, prime ministers of states, ministers, and prominent figures” from a number of countries.

When asked to identify some of the most serious problems facing the city of Mytilene and the island of Lesvos in general, Spanelis replied, “Lesvos, after the storm of the migration crisis and COVID-19, is slowly beginning to develop commercially, along with Northern Greece, through exports and, of course, tourism. However, there are problems hindering progress, such as the need to strengthen maritime transport, the drought plaguing our island, which, if it doesn’t end by the end of October, will ruin this year’s rich olive production with adverse effects on our economy, and lastly, the high cost of tickets and distance from the mainland are negative factors for our businesses and economic progress.”

Regarding Greek-Turkish relations, he said, “for now, they are good, but their instability complicates our planning. One thing to remember, my dear friend Theodore, is that if Turkey ever joins the European Union, Lesvos will reach the top.”

Regarding Greece’s current political landscape, he said, “the political landscape of Greece, barring unforeseen events, will continue as it stands until a serious and reliable opposition is found. Unfortunately, for the country, there are no longer leaders with stature on either side who want and can change the bad mentality of the Greeks: “we have democracy; we do whatever we want.” It is the frustration of our nation. Apart from the Prime Minister, who is trying, in my opinion, the other political leaders make the minimal effort.”

When asked how he views us, America and the Greek-American community, Dimitris Spanelis said, “regarding America, where you live and do business, I think as a large and dominant country, the choice of the Democrats will be positive for Greece. In this, I hope the greater part of the Greek-American Community helps them significantly. I thank them because I feel they create a sense of security for me in the place where I live and do business.”

Elysion is located at Neapoli, Mytilene. For more information, call +30 22510 61531 and email [email protected].