Function and Design

On the Peloponnese peninsula, in Greece, a careful renovation recasts an abandoned winery as a chic hotel.

- Sarah Souli

MANY HOTELS IN Greece are bright white and curved, M their smooth shapes dotting the landscape like dollops of whipped cream. Not Dexamenes Seaside Hotel (doubles from $190), which was constructed from a former wine factory and opened in 2019 on the wild coast of the Peloponnese peninsula in southern Greece. Its lines are industrial and angular, the colors rusty hues that call to mind grape-juice stains. The hotel's aesthetic is an entirely novel approach to Greek hospitality-and pays homage to the country's long wine-making history.

"The factory was once very important for the local economy," said Nikos Karaflos, the owner and manager of Dexamenes. "I was born in this area-I want to preserve the culture and history of this place."