Icon Holidays has launched Australia`s first luxury wholesale program focusing on…
Icon Holidays has launched Australia`s first luxury wholesale program focusing on Greece. It is a programme, which contains hotels, villas, cruises, car rental, yacht charters and private touring.
Icon Holidays presents personalised itineraries based on individual arrangements – private guides, drivers and vehicles enable Icon to customise a holiday to specific client needs without having to be part of a group itinerary which must run to a schedule. Hotels and villas featured in the brochure are all 4 star plus, but the Company`s rates are highly competitive.
In Greece the program includes properties that are a little off the beaten track, such as the private estate of Levendis on beautiful Ithaca, and Marnei Mare on Samos. The properties have 4 traditional houses and 3 superb villas respectively, and guests are invited to try the superb range of produce actually grown on the estates. Set amongst vineyards and olive groves, it is hard to imagine a better way to experience the Greek islands.
Other favourite destinations include private touring on Crete, with emphasis on Heraklion and Chania. Properties such as the award winning Elounda Gulf Villas and the superb Casa Delfino Suites at Chania set up the Icon program.
On Skiathos, Icon features the Aegean Suites Hotel above the beautiful beach of Megali Ammos.
Santorini is another destination much favoured by Icon Holidays, and diverse properties such as the super luxurious Zannos Melathron Hotel, the wonderfully situated and friendly Fanari Villas, gorgeous Katikies with its stupendous views, the individual `houses` which make up Ikies, the beautifully appointed Canaves, and the much heralded Sun Rocks catering specifically for couples.
On Mykonos, emphasis has been placed on the superb Mykonos Grand, and the Myconian Collection of hotels, (Myconian Ambassador, Myconian Imperial, and Royal Myconian) with their Thalasso Spa centres. Other Mykonos properties include the Theoxenia, the Apollonia Bay, Petasos Beach and Semeli hotels. These are all unique properties which beautifully capture the diversity and charm of life on Mykonos..
On the Greece mainland, the Icon program hubs around Athens, where an eclectic range of truly superb properties provide the ideal starting point for a holiday in Greece. The Grande Bretagne, King George II, NV Athens Plaza, St George Lycabettus, Electra Palace and the Athenian Callirhoe benchmark the Company`s ideals of quality and variety of experience. Icon Holidays is the first operator in Australia to heavily feature the Athens `riviera`, with two of its most beautiful properties being the Astir Palace Resort and the Grecotel Cape Sounion.
Icon has not forgotten the rest of the Greek mainland, and offers private luxury touring to Olympia, Meteora, Delphi, Mycenae, Epidavros, Argolis and Sounion.
Icon Holidays is the `brain-child` of Tim Hakins and Simon Hills. Tim has worked in the Australian industry promoting and developing holiday programs to Greece for the past 18 years. For 16 years he was the Greece product manager for one of Australia`s largest wholesalers, and he has now thrown his enormous experience and his love for Greece and the Greek people, in to this unique and high quality program.
We have chosen Horizon Travel in Athens as our partner in Greece. They are certainly one of the most experienced and well respected travel companies in the Mediterranean area, says Mr Hakins, and they have the knowledge and expertise to provide the specialised and personal service expected by our discerning clients.
Icon Holidays` entry into the Australian travel market has received an overwhelming welcome from the retail agencies and discerning travellers throughout the country. The company will continue to add special properties, products and experiences to its program, and welcomes any expressions of interest from owners or suppliers in Greece.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
