The island’s town council has thrown up a roadblock to plans for a new five-star hotel on Serifos, with a budget of €5 million, voting by a majority to issue a negative opinion on the project’s Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), which has been initiated by DNA Hospitality Group IKE.
The investment plan calls for the development of a 36-room hotel with 94 beds on a 18.7-stremma site in the “Mouria” area of Kalo Ampeli, within the protected Natura 2000 area.
According to the town council’s decision, five councillors opposed granting a favourable opinion, two voted in favour and two abstained. In any case, the negative opinion does not automatically mean the project will be rejected outright.
The objections
More specifically, Serifos Mayor Konstantinos Revinthis argued that plans for more than one swimming pool conflict with the current regulatory framework. He cited Decree 930 D of 24 October 2002, which, in his interpretation, permits the construction of just one pool, provided the competent authorities deem it necessary.
Beyond the issue of the pools, the mayor described the investment as disproportionately large for the scale of Serifos, expressing concern about its potential environmental and visual impact, particularly given its location within a protected Natura 2000 area.
Emphasis was also placed on the issue of water supply, as water scarcity, limited existing infrastructure and insufficient available water resources raise serious questions about whether the hotel’s needs can be met without interruption.
As the mayor pointed out, even if the company were connected to the Serifos municipal water main, subject to certain conditions and using its own mechanical equipment, the available water supply would not be considered sufficient to meet the hotel’s needs.
According to the EIA, the company has applied for permits to drill boreholes on the property, with estimated total water extraction of up to 3,000 cubic metres a year. The municipal network is envisaged as a supplementary water source.
The meeting also considered waste management for the hotel, while the plan to build a biological wastewater treatment facility was recognised as a positive feature.
However, not all town councillors opposed the investment, with two members backing its implementation on the grounds that it would benefit the local economy, create jobs and support tourism development on Serifos, which, they argued, has lagged behind neighbouring islands in attracting investment.
The discussion also addressed the need to set a limit on the number of beds in new tourist developments, an issue that had also been raised by the town council during discussions on the Special Urban Plan.
The €5 million investment plan
The hotel under development is the first project by DNA Hospitality Group, in which Dino Alexakis and Alexia Valentina Sheinman each hold a 50% stake.
The complex will have a planned floor area of 1,497 sq m and will comprise a main reception building and four accommodation blocks. It is expected to operate seasonally, from May to September, with around 20 employees.
According to the EIA, the investment is expected to cost about €5 million, with the buildings accounting for around 60% of the total.
A 2021 decision brought the investment plan under the development law’s aid scheme for small and very small enterprises, while potential sources of funding include bank loans and equity.
The company has said it is seeking investors to carry out the project, but no final financing plan has been presented.
In terms of permits, by the time the EIA was submitted, the project had already received a favourable opinion from the Council of Architecture on the design study, preliminary approval for a building permit from the Milos Building Service and approval for construction from the Ephorate of Antiquities of the Cyclades.