Moevenpick has just signed a contract for the management of the resort hotel Candia Maris, from Maris Hotels on the island of Crete.

The premium 4-star resort will operate as the Moevenpick Resort and Thalasso Crete as of April 2008 following extensive renovations during the winter seasons 2006/07 and 2007/08. It will be the first hotel to be run by the Swiss international hotel chain in Greece.

The Moevenpick Resort & Thalasso Crete is located on the north coast of the island, 6km west of the capital Heraklion, directly on a 300m Blue-Flag beach and 11Km from the international airport.

This will be an additional resort for the hotel chain on the Mediterranean and will offer 287 fully refurbished rooms including 28 bungalows; 33 new, luxurious villas, some with private swimming-pool; 217 king-, twin- and executive- rooms in the main building; 8 junior suites and 1 Royal Suite, all with views over the Mediterranean.

Moevenpick's trademark cuisine and delicacies will be served in the resort's three restaurants: the main, all-day dining restaurant, with its wide variety of buffets; a fine-dining restaurant with a Mediterranean flair and a typical Greek Taverna serving local specialties and snacks. The lobby bar, pool bar and nightclub are welcoming venues for a relaxing drink and entertainment throughout the day and night.

This beach-front resort offers a spectacular 3'000m² Thalasso spa complex featuring a wide range of classic thalassotherapy, wellness and beauty treatments and a large selection of specialised thalasso packages including a unique spine rehabilitation institute and two indoor thalasso pools.  For relaxation and fun, other amenities include two outdoor and two additional indoor swimming pools, fitness centre, separate children's pool, kid's club, tennis court, various sports facilities, an outdoor theatre, shops and even the resort's own picturesque, private chapel, perfect for memorable weddings.  The Thalasso spa and the health and sports centre will continue to be managed by the hotel Owner Maris Hotels, in close collaboration with Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts with the objective to optimise synergies.

Demanding meeting planners will appreciate the 4 conference rooms including a ballroom for up to 600 people with state-of-the-art audiovisual equipment.

"We have long had our eye on the Greek islands and are particularly proud that as of spring 2008 we will be able to offer our guests genuine Swiss hospitality coupled with the legendary Greek lifestyle in this superb Cretan resort." says Stefan Flury, Senior Vice President Europe Moevenpick Hotels & Resorts.  "This resort will be a perfect complement to our portfolio of international resort hotels as we continue our strategic expansion around the Mediterranean."