Greek families are close in both their work and their leisure, that of the Alexopoulos family being no exception.
This page has been compiled from a number of sources, as an illustration and an explanation of the warm-hearted
and quietly efficient family behind the Saga Hotel and associated businesses.
The family Alexopoulos are well established in the travel industry. Although his father used to be a priest, Takis's
mother runs her own travel firm. Their three sons are in different but complementary sides of the travel and hotel
business. Stathis, the eldest, runs a hotel business, Takis has the Saga Hotel on Poros and the
Oneiro
Suite Apartment Hotel in Athens, also a farm 'Villa Zefi' in the hills behind Galatas. The youngest brother, Constantinos,
runs a successful tour business; he and Zoe married in 2004, a picture from their wedding is at the head of the weddings page,
with a small cameo of his father.
Takis runs Greek Properties, a thriving building development and joinery business, making doors and windows and fitted kitchens, as well as
organising building plots and constructing homes on them for his clients. It is common in Greece for people to have several different jobs,
Zefi herself managing the hotel, her family and the farm with ease and skill.
Takis and Zefi have three children - the daughters Dimitra and Panayotta (Yota) in their teens and the son Giorgios, now about
seven. Dimitra is at University, her brother and sister can be seen at home and round the hotel.
Zefi loves to cook and she is known for her hospitality; a guest's a birthday will be celebrated with a barbecue and a
birthday cake out of the sheer enjoyment of it. The British and French three-course meal is not popular in Greece, which
is why many visitors self-cater, but Greek cooking has its own charm - generally a course of fresh produce simply cooked
with a lot of salad. The Saga Hotel poolside bar therefore serves single course meals without starters or puddings. Salads
are normally eaten as a separate starter course before the main course.
The whole concept of puddings or sweet courses is not common in Greece - they are considered special festival treats, in
the way a British or American visitor would consider a Christmas, Birthday or Wedding cake. This is why the wedding sweet
is a special matter and an important part of the wedding packages Zefi offers. The teeth and health of Greek children is
likely to be better than British and American ones, simply because of this attitude to sweets. At some stage, Zefi may run
Greek Cooking courses - maybe with a list of recipes on this site.
The Oneiro Suite Apartment Hotel in Athens reflects the almost classical delight of wealthy Greeks in a place in the
town and a place in the country - there are references in the classical Greek plays to this. Oneiro is in the wealthy
suburb of Ano Glyfada, on the hills above down-town Athens - cooler in summer and so very sought after. Takis's mother and
father now live there in one apartment, enjoying their retirement.
Takis's pride and joy is definitely the farm in the hills above Galatas. He is said to produce some
of the largest and sweetest olives in the Pelopennese, cooking with them and their oil. His vines produce
rather good grapes, these being a delight on their own or made into white and rosé wine, bottled under the 'Saga'
label for general use in the Hotel.
