Joy. It’s inside
Waiting for the door to open, so the light can flood out.
Empiria creates space for joy.
Locations for elevated experiences that connect us to what matters.
Space to explore and discover, to relax and rebalance.
Space for spontaneity, where joy flourishes in all its glorious forms.
Experience the richness of Greek culture.
Forget your aspirations and remember your foundations.In your own time.
With room to look for joy inside.Empiria. Space for joy.
At its core, Empiria Group is a story of love, family, and joy—one that began in the 1990s at a shipping event where Antonis Eliopoulos and Kalia Konstantinidou first met. He was working in his family’s shipping business; she was a driving force within a PR think tank; and soon a deep love for each other and hospitality was born.
On one of Antonis’ countless trips to Santorini, he purchased a neoclassical mansion steeped in history in the medieval village of Megalohori. Soon after, he acquired a winery and a vineyard in the same village. Initially, he planned to use the properties and surrounding land as the family's summer retreat but decided instead to create the island's first 5-star resort, reflective of Santorini’s culture and traditions—the now famed Vedema Resort. From this origin, Antonis and Kalia have cultivated a passion for hospitality, creating a collection of hotels, resorts, and villas across Santorini and beyond, each offering a distinct “space for joy.”
Antonis acquires a neoclassical mansion in Santorini in the traditional village of Megalohori. A year later he buys a winery with its vineyards in the same village.
A beautiful hotel is created on the vineyard and becomes the first 5-star hotel on the island, Vedema Resort (originally, Villa Vedema).
Antonis and Kalia expand north to the iconic village of Oia with the opening of Mystique, which immediately redefines the concept of luxury on Santorini.
The visionary couple transforms a legendary socialite’s abandoned mansion on the black-sand beach of Perivolos into the peaceful Istoria.
Antonis and Kalia open their first location away from their eternal love, Santorini. On the island of Paros, Parīlio is a statement hotel, where Cycladic simplicity prevails, seen as a gateway to the real Cyclades.
The duo introduce Acron Villas, a unique collection of twenty-four villas with Cycladic-minimalism aesthetics.
Cosme is launched. Their third Paros property is conceived as a celebration of life, inviting guests to experience the joy of freedom and choose how they connect, imagine, and enjoy.
To coincide with the 30th anniversary of the business, Kanava Hotels and Resorts becomes Empiria Group. The new name and distinctive identity unites our hotels and people with a shared ethos that underpins everything we do.
We’re here as champions of joyful exploration. We believe that joy is inside us all, our role is to create the space for each of us to discover it.
We create an environment for excellence that allows our people to learn and grow. It’s our commitment to constantly improve the experiences we create.
We show and share how we feel. Connecting over what’s meaningful to each other is key to successful relationships and achieving excellence together.
We’re comfortable taking risks and practicing innovation. We build bravery at all levels and do what’s right, not what’s easy or expected.
