Villa de Vecchi, Elafos & Elafina in Rhodes
The story and the bright future of a unique boutique hotel complex … Villa de Vecchi of Rhodes, has the same name of… that of Lake Como in Italy. Two baroque mansions which are architectural jewels in the Mediterranean. The Rhodes villa and the adjacent buildings Elafos and Elafina, are at the stage of maintenance and restoration, with the prospect of their future shining bright.
Villa de Vecchi was built by the Italian authorities, in 1936, at the edge of a rock, on Mount Profitis Ilias, where the historic two – storey building with a total area of 757 square meters, stands arrogantly, showing a persistent resistance to the wear and tear of the recent decades. Villa de Vecchi was named after the Italian governor of the Dodecanese, Count Cesare Mario de Vecchi. The imposing villa was used as the summer retreat of the Italian king Vittorio Emanuele III and later as a resort for the Greek royal family. The construction of a luxurious building in the middle of the forest, with the elegance of the Italian architecture and a stunning view, aimed to offer relaxation and recreation, while at the same time, due to its location, it allowed a panoramic view of the island.
The villa is located at an altitude of about 800 meters, on the hill of Profitis Ilias and is 40 – 45 minutes from the city and the airport of Rhodes. It is a work of art, a historical monument which is regulated by the relevant archaeological service. Other smaller auxiliary buildings, coexist on the same plot, while the villa borders two magnificent historic chalets, the Elafos and Elafina, which were built also by the Italians, in order to be used for their officers and in the later years, operated as hotels.
Initially, in 1929 the hotel Elafos was constructed and in 1930, was added on the ground floor, a restaurant with a large terrace above it, a large dance floor and a tennis court. In 1932, a new independent wing was built next to the hotel, which was given the name Elafina and from there on, the complex is by the peculiar name Elafos & Elafina. It has since been used as a hotel.
The area in which Villa de Vecchi is located, reaches a total of 8,100 sq.m., with steep slopes and very dense vegetation. Accessibility in the area is facilitated by the existing road signs, as Profitis Elias is one of the most characteristic locations of the island and a tourist destination all year round .
Profitis Ilias is the third highest mountain of Rhodes, following Attaviros and Akramytis, reaching a height of 798 meters ( and a minimum of 100 meters ) and located 6 km from the village of Salakos, where you can admire stones – ruins of a castle, which goes right up to the village of the Knights. A wooded area, of rare natural beauty and a tourist destination all year round, with main vegetation cypresses and pines, where the well – known deer of Rhodes, DAMA DAMA, as well as the rare endemic birds survive. During the Italian occupation, extensive reforestation took place in the area, using the native species Pinus brutia and Cupressup. A divine landscape whose imposing position captures the visitors breath. The conversion of the villa complex, as well as Elafos Elafina into hotel units ( boutique hotel ), will be a new quality tourist product for Rhodes, which will attract high level visitors, offering unique experiences.