Hyatt announced today that a Hyatt affiliate has entered into a management agreement with Anolia Holdings Limited for the first Hyatt hotel on the island of Cyprus, Grand Hyatt Limassol. The 300-room luxury resort is expected to open in 2025 and signifies Hyatt's continued growth into Europe's leading travel destinations.
Heading up the team is York Brandes, who brings a wealth of hospitality experience from Europe, the Middle East and Asia to Parklane. In his previous role, Brandes spent three years as Vice President of Operations at General Hotel Management in Singapore where he was responsible for six of the best hotels in the world, as named by Condé Nast Traveller. Prior to this, Brandes led the launch of The Chedi Muscat in Oman where he spent ten years and prior to this, was instrumental during the launch of the internationally renowned Anassa in Cyprus. Throughout his career, Brandes has proudly led each property to achieve Leading Hotels of the World status.
With over 25 years of experience in the industry, Kratinos Socratous oversees all planning and implementation of sales and marketing strategies. With substantial grounding working with new openings, Socratous previously directed the brand launch of the Ikos Resorts, overseeing the openings of Ikos Olivia and Ikos Oceania in Greece, along with the five-star Cypriot resort, The Elysium. It was during Socratous's time at Ikos that the innovative Infinite Lifestyle concept was introduced, reinventing the all-inclusive concept and contributing to the highly successful brand launch that exceeded quality and financial targets.
Bringing 16 years of experience, Koukoulakis directs front of house, housekeeping and guest relations at the resort, with responsibility for creating a meaningful and personalised experience for guests. A native Greek, he is set to introduce a series of indigenous features to immerse guests in the local beauty and hospitality of the region. With a strong background in the Rooms Division for internationally renowned brands across the world including Thanos Hotels, The Chedi Muscat and Lebua in Bangkok, Koukoulakis combines his global expertise with authentic Cypriot personality.
Lakkas oversees Parklane's culinary division, ranging from authentic Cypriot cuisine to international delicacies (utilising the fresh fish and seafood from the region.) Having previously spent three years working at The Ritz-Carlton in Grand Cayman, Lakkas will drive his team to create vibrant, innovative cuisine utilising their local flair.
Work is currently underway by three construction companies on the new Parklane Luxury Collection Resort & Spa which will replace the Le Meridien inLimassol. Following the demands of Roman Nikitin, the major stakeholder in Emerald Coast Properties which owns 75% of the hotel, renovation work on the existing hotel, which was purchased from the Galatariotis Group, renovations on the hotel will be from the ground up.
With a wealth of experience and a Bachelor’s Degree in hospitality management and marketing, Christofi has committed his professional career to the tourism and leisure industry, having worked extensively in hotels across western Cyprus in front office positions, before settling for seven years in the sales department of a local resort.