Now that you know what we intend to do, you are right to ask the question: "Who are you, anyway?"

We are Serhat and Hamza, two guys still living and working in Berlin, but with hearts and minds set on Crete. We aspire to finally do what we have told ourselves ever since the first time we visited Crete: "Let's move here and do something that's relevant."

From the moment we touched ground on the island, gazing at the snow-topped mountain ranges in the distance, the crystal clear blue sky and the even clearer waters of the Aegean, we've felt like Crete was home. Unfortunately, the hotel we stayed in felt like a remnant of a tourism era that is past its prime but still thriving in many places in the Mediterranean region. The place felt out of touch, rather than putting us in touch with the island.

We had found our purpose!

Since then we've made amazing friends and met great supporters in Crete. We've assembled a team of experienced local experts who have been working with us on creating something we can all love and share.

What plays into our hands is that more and more locals are discovering the potential of a sustainable turn in Cretan tourism. They are securing for themselves a share of the vastly growing market for services that focus on experiences of nature and local production and products. From cocktail bars serving creative mixed drinks based on goat's milk (yes, that's a thing – don't judge until you've tried), honey, raki or thyme, to providers of original Cretan experiences such as soap making, pottery, or Cretan cooking, to fashion brands that revive local weaving traditions with a modern twist – the range of offerings is growing. Through personal networks, these passionate players are joining forces, exchanging ideas and realizing together the opportunity that lies in the preservation of nature and tradition for them and their guests. Catalysts are needed to transform this organic process into an organized turnaround in Mediterranean tourism.

So we set out to plan THE GROVE CRETE as one of these hubs for sustainable hospitality.

The prospect of hosting guests from all over the world and reconnecting with nature has much greater appeal than continuing with our disconnected big city-lives. Maybe it is also because we both share roots in the Mediterranean region why Crete felt so right for us. After all, we had long admired Greek history, mythology, cuisine, hospitality and handcraft. Moreover, the island is located at an exciting crossroads – right between Asia minor, Europe and North Africa, with a South coast that has remained almost untouched by mass tourism, harbouring bountiful natural and cultural resources.

In the face of climate change, the sustainable use of these resources became our guiding principle.

Our professional backgrounds are in facility and project management. In addition, Hamza is also an experienced service staff, whereas Serhat has worked as tour guide in the past on another island, Borneo. We have traveled the world extensively for work and pleasure and we've stayed in all types of accommodations, from luxury hotels in Tokyo to youth hostels in Los Angeles. With four eyes for details, we both came to know what we personally expect from the hospitality sector in the 21st century. So we planned a hotel that we ourselves would want to stay in: well-designed, relaxed, friendly, and with a vision that is conscious of its local impact – making sustainable living fun and not overburdening guests with a sense of mission.

We strive to provide you with a home away from home – the same way that Crete feels like home to us. That's why we will run THE GROVE CRETE ourselves to ensure that we can offer you exactly the kind of personalized and curated experiences that make you want to come back again and again.

Thank you for your support!

We look forward to welcoming you as guests at THE GROVE CRETE.

Your future hosts

Hamza & Serhat