Skiathos resort also unveils two newly commissioned 'art rooms'

Kivo Art & Gourmet Hotel, a stylish contemporary resort on the Greek island of Skiathos, will launch masterclasses about new-age Greek wines in summer 2015.

The fun twice-weekly sessions, for up to eight people, are open not only to guests but also to those staying elsewhere on Skiathos – just one of the ways Kivo Art & Gourmet Hotel is creating holiday experiences that go beyond the beach.

The classes, which run from 6pm to 8.30pm, will champion new-age Greek wines, including the famous pine-scented Retsina. Kivo's maître d'hôtel and resident sommelier, Panagiotis Schizodimos, will reveal some fine examples from the hotel's extensive wine cellar, such as Tetramythos Retsina, the white Argyriou Malagouzia and red Nemea Agionimo Agiorgitiko. Plus, there will be tips on how to pair the wines with typical Greek meze, such as fish stuffed with Baxevanis' herbs, and roast lamb, reared by the sea, served with aubergine purée. The new-age Greek wine-tasting sessions cost from €40 (£31) per person.

The hotel will also enhance its drinks menu this year with Greek cocktails, a focus on authentic spirits such as tsipouro, ouzo and a wider range of the country's craft beers.

More about the hotel and the Kivo Skiathos Collection

Kivo Art & Gourmet Hotel is set on a hill surrounded by olive groves and pine woods overlooking the Aegean Sea, just outside Skiathos Town. A stylish, contemporary, four-star property, it mixes the personal touch of a boutique hotel with the services of a grander resort. The property is spread across a sequence of white cottages with red-tiled roofs, within 15 acres of gardens, and has 38 double bedrooms, as well as a pair of romantic two-room suites, one with its own infinity pool.

Interiors are tastefully decorated in white and soft pastels, reflecting the natural colours of the island, and each has been luxuriously re-furnished for the next summer season, all now featuring king-size beds. Also new for 2015, two more “art rooms”, to add to the existing four, will be unveiled. Greek artists, including the photographer Argiris Zafeiridis and the painter Kostas Komninos, have been commissioned to create imaginative spaces for guests seeking inspiring lodgings.

Kivo Art & Gourmet Hotel has two restaurants. Kivo Greek Creative Restaurant by baxevanis offers an innovative menu of dishes using traditional ingredients – some grown in the hotel grounds – created by the award-winning chef Giannis Baxevanis, whose many accolades include Chef de L'Avenir from the Académie Internationale de la Gastronomie in France. Kivo Modern Asian Restaurant draws the inspiration for its menu from Japan, China, Thailand and India. Weekly cookery day courses are also available during the season.

Facilities at the hotel include adult and children's swimming pools and a sun terrace with views over the Mediterranean. Guests also enjoy access to a private area on nearby Mikros Vasilias beach, where sunbeds, towels, drinks and snacks are provided. The hotel makes and sells its own line of artisanal products, many locally sourced, including olive oil, red wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar, herbs, honey and soap.

The hotel is part of the Kivo Skiathos Collection, which is dedicated to creating memory-making holiday experiences across the island. A free, full-colour magazine, Skiathos Traveller, filled with ideas about what to do on the island – from hiking to scuba diving – is published by the Collection. The print version is available at the hotel and the magazine can be read online at skiathostraveller.com and by downloading the app for iPhone or iPad.

Meanwhile, Kivo Art Gallery in Skiathos Town showcases new and established talent, with a changing programme of exhibitions. Next summer's highlights include 'Seascapes I', by the photographer Argiris Zafeiridis.

Kivo Art & Gourmet Hotel is open from 1 May to 10 October 2015. Rooms cost from €80 to €200 (£62-£155) per night and there is a minimum stay of five nights.

To book, visit www.kivohotel.com or call +30 24270 22407. Follow developments at Kivo Art & Gourmet Hotel on Twitter @kivoskiathos, facebook.com/kivoskiathos, pinterest.com/kivoskiathos, YouTube, and Google+.

To request images or further information, and to enquire about press visits, please contact Little Black Book Creative: Simone Kane on 07811 161839 and simone@lbbcreative.co.uk, or Kate Simon on 07939 526109 and kate@lbbcreative.co.uk.

Notes to editors:

Kivo Art & Gourmet Hotel is a family-run property owned by Antonios Maniatis. The hotel, which is just 4km from the island's international airport, underwent a three-year renovation which was completed in 2010 and is currently implementing a plan to upgrade and expand facilities, due for completion by 2016. Facilities include a 24-hour reception, full concierge service, two restaurants, a bar, a lounge, gift shop, mini business centre, breakfast room and secure parking area. The hotel is licensed for weddings.

The 40 air-conditioned rooms and suites feature king-size beds, spacious wardrobes, modern, well-designed bathrooms, flat-screen satellite TVs, free Wi-Fi, deluxe bath amenities, slippers, hair-dryers and mini-bar. Extra amenities in suites include safes, coffee machines, bathrobes, complimentary bottled water and fruit baskets. Room service and laundry service are available.

Kivo Art & Gourmet Hotel was awarded The Green Key from the Foundation for Environmental Education in 2013.

Direct flights to Skiathos are operated throughout the season by Thomas Cook Airlines and Thomson Airways, and by Aegean Airlines via Athens airport. 

ENDS