- A brick-making firm from Rethymno is entering the luxury tourism market.
- The €74.35 million investment will bring a five-star resort to Vrouchas, near Agios Nikolaos.
- The plan includes 159 rooms, wellness spaces, restaurants, and even a hillside cable lift.
- About €15 million is reserved for eco-friendly systems and green infrastructure.
- Construction is scheduled to begin late 2025, with an opening targeted for April 2027.
From Bricks to Boutique Luxury
Agios Nikolaos has seen its fair share of luxury resorts, but the latest project carries a twist. The developer is not a hotel chain or a real estate conglomerate, but rather Rethymno Brick Company S.A. After 26 years in the industrial clay and kiln industry, the firm has decided to lay the foundations of another kind: a high-end resort. The move is overseen by company president and CEO Zacharias Lenakakis, who is guiding this unusual transition from building blocks to beachfront cocktails.
The resort will be situated in the Vrouchas area, on a stretch of land locally known as Ariganies – Katselios – Limni – Ambeli – Kipos. The 71.2-hectare plot was assembled through the merger of three properties, giving the company the space it needs for a broad, multi-structure development.
The master plan outlines:
- 31 guest buildings with 159 rooms and 374 beds
- A central building with reception, lobby, conference space, offices, and a shop
- Indoor pool, gym, wellness and spa facilities, plus a hair salon
- Two restaurants—one main, one à la carte—alongside a pool bar and beach bar
- Underground-style rooms and dining areas designed to blend with the landscape
- A hillside lift (essentially a mini cable car) to navigate the steep terrain
The property will welcome guests from April through October each year, with winter months reserved for upkeep and renovation.
A €74 Million Gamble on Green
The financial plan is as ambitious as the architecture. The total outlay comes to €74.35 million, drawn from private funds, bank financing, and support from the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Fund.
Nearly €15 million is earmarked for sustainability upgrades, including:
- Waste reduction and recycling systems
- Desalination facilities and water boreholes
- A wastewater treatment unit
- Eco-friendly management of construction debris
According to the project’s Environmental Impact Study, the hotel is not expected to leave a significant scar on the landscape, thanks to these green measures and the reliance on modern building techniques.
If all goes smoothly, permits will be cleared by autumn 2025, construction will take 18 months, and the first guests are expected to arrive by April 2027.
Developers are quick to highlight the benefits this investment will generate:
- Local employment in both construction and hotel operations.
- Spillover gains for suppliers, agriculture, and regional services.
- A new draw for high-spending visitors, boosting Crete’s luxury tourism profile.
- Reputation building, aligning the island with global trends in sustainable travel.
For a company long known for turning earth into brick, the leap into five-star hospitality is bold. But if the plan unfolds as promised, by 2027 Agios Nikolaos will not just have a new hotel—it will have a story of transformation, where an industrial past quite literally sets the stage for a polished, eco-friendly future.