The startups of the 9th Acceleration Cycle of the Capsule^T Travel & Hospitality Accelerator of the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels had the opportunity to spend an entire day dedicated to direct interaction with the hotel market.

On Wednesday, September 30, ArtStay, ClinicaGo, Culizen, Depnos, Loomee, OverGrid AI, Pricinger, StayMate, and WhenWines took part in a special on-site visit to four hotels in central Athens, getting a first-hand look at different hotel properties, how they operate, and the people behind the day-to-day hospitality experience.

The day began at Anthology of Athens, a five-star boutique hotel that seems to be literally immersed in the city’s history. With the Temple of Olympian Zeus directly opposite and views that, depending on where you are in the hotel, open up towards the Acropolis, the Archaeological Park, the National Garden and the Athens skyline, Athens and its monuments essentially become part of the guest experience.

The next stop was the Athens Capital Hotel - MGallery Collection, where art is integrated into the hotel experience itself. During their tour, the startups explored a space where works of contemporary Greek art meet hospitality, with a characteristic example being George Lappas’ Mappemonde, an impressive installation extending vertically through the building and one of the elements that gives the hotel its distinctive identity.

At NEWHotel by Donkey Hotels Group, the focus shifted more towards design and the way an older hotel was given an entirely new identity. NEW was the first hotel project by internationally renowned Brazilian designers Fernando and Humberto Campana, who reused elements and materials from the former Olympic Palace and transformed them into part of the new design. From Karagiozis and the Greek “evil eye” to old postcards of Athens, familiar elements of Greek culture are reinterpreted in a completely contemporary way throughout the hotel.

The day concluded at Conrad Athens The Ilisian, where the startups visited one of Athens’ most recognisable hotel buildings, the former Hilton, as it enters a new era. With the iconic façades by Yannis Moralis preserved as part of its identity, the historic building is being transformed into The Ilisian, a destination that broadens the concept of hospitality by combining a hotel, residences, dining, wellness and social spaces.

At each of the four stops, the startups had the opportunity to present their solutions through short elevator pitches to hotel executives, bringing their ideas and proposals directly to people in the market. We took the experience one step further, with 1-to-1 meetings between the startups and hotel executives, providing space for more focused discussions, direct feedback, and the exploration of potential areas for implementation and collaboration.

From the Startup Solution to Real Market Needs

On-site visits are a particularly important part of Capsule^T’s Acceleration Program, as they give startups the opportunity to step outside the framework of workshops and mentoring and experience the real environment for which they are developing their solutions.

Direct interaction with hotel executives gave the teams the opportunity to hear first-hand about the needs and challenges of day-to-day operations, receive valuable feedback, and gain insights they can use in the further development of their products and services.

For the teams of the 9th Cycle, the day was another opportunity to step outside the framework of workshops and mentoring and come closer to the travel & hospitality market itself, gaining feedback and insights they can use in the further development of their products and services.

Thank You to Everyone Who Opened Their Doors to Us

We would like to warmly thank to the 4 hotels, as well as their teams, for their hospitality, their time, and their willingness to share their experience and knowledge with our startups.

Special thanks to the Athens - Attica & Argosaronic Hotel Association (EXA) for its valuable contribution in connecting Capsule^T with the hotels and making this on-site visit possible.

Through initiatives like these, startups gain something that is difficult to convey within a training room alone: direct contact with the market, meaningful dialogue with the people within it, and a better understanding of the real needs of the hotel industry.