20 Years Of Mediterranean Palace

Just like all good ideas, the original idea was conceived by one man! A man with a restless entrepreneurial mind, who could only see opportunities and challenges! A man who has worked hard since he was a little kid, and always had the ability to view ahead of his time; that man is Mr. Serafeim Dedeoglou! As he also stated in his own words: “I ‘ve always wanted to build a hotel!”.

He envisioned a hotel, on the boundaries of what was then known as the city centre, within an area surrounded by controversy. The erection of a new hotel in Thessaloniki had been prohibited by law for many years; this prohibition was finally lifted in 1995, when, on the event of Thessaloniki being nominated Cultural Capital of Europe 1997, permission was granted for an extra 1,000 beds in the city. In the end, the Mediterranean Palace was the only hotel to be erected on this opportunity.

It has already been a much-debated subject in the local community since its construction, mostly due to the spot where it would be erected. Its vicinity with the Ladadika district was a cause of major concern, because, up to that time, the reputation of the area had not been very favorable, and, in fact, its popularity with locals had been virtually non-existent. However, as the construction operations of the hotel were reaching to completion, public admiration was growing higher. Finally, and contrary to the commonly held view about the district, the sophisticated neoclassical building – in perfect architectural harmony with the old customs office, used later as the port’s passenger station, which lied right across the front face of the hotel – started to dominate the surrounding area, and made a significant contribution to its regeneration!

Indeed, the hotel opened its doors on the 10th of December 1997, and really earned the public’s good impression. It had only been the third 5-star in Thessaloniki!