[I]
Establishing Odera as the cultural gateway into the handmade isle of Tinos
[II]
Designing a signature guest ritual founded in brand promise
[III]
Qualifying Odera for Marriott International’s Autograph Collection
The Challenge
Despite being one of the larger Cyclades, Tinos is an island that, until very recently, had gone largely unnoticed by most of the world. The result is an island that feels trapped in time.
Search volume for finding unspoilt Greek islands is high. There is a clear desire for an authentic, lesser-known experience especially. Appetite for places off the beaten path. In its obscurity, unmarred by over-tourism and over-development, Tinos is a much-needed antidote. A place with no airport, where people live year round, and is inherently more peaceful than its “clubby”, hedonistic neighbours. But it's not enough to purely be the opposite of something. To put Tinos on the map, we needed to position Odera as its gateway.
The Approach
As the first high-end hospitality offering on an island with little awareness among affluent travellers, Odera was an opportunity to present Tinos to the world, as the best expression of what one of Greece’s last hidden gems has to offer. Steeped in mythology, history and art, Tinos has long been an epicentre of marble craftsmanship, housing Greece’s last marble carving school in one of its villages. Tinian marble can be found in both Buckingham Palace and the Parthenon. Beyond its marble, the island is flecked with over one thousand artistic dovecotes; its buildings painted with murals and poems; all overlooking locals fishing or harvesting the fruit from high-topped vineyards.
These observations, coupled with identified consumer desires and market research, wove together our brand promise: rediscover the beauty of a world still made by hand.
The Outcome
Odera opened in May 2024 to acclaim, proudly part of Marriott International’s Autograph Collection thanks in part to a signature experience we designed in tandem with the brand work. Praised by The Times for its commitment to keeping in line with “the handmade isle”, Odera has also featured in Condé Nast Traveller, Financial Times, London Evening Standard, Robb Report, The Guardian, with a full feature dedicated to the hotel’s design in Wallpaper* magazine.
