Archontiko Mytilinaios is a tourism SME in the area of Neochori on mount Pelion in Greece. It is a family owned and operated business. The operators use their grandmother’s large family house (archontiko) as a bed and breakfast. The services for customers go well beyond a regular bed and breakfast. The owners are strongly environmentally minded and have made conscious effort to integrate circular and sustainable practices in diverse aspects of the business.
Archontiko Mytilineou Skretaion was renovated and started operating it as a guesthouse since December 2015.
Every morning Archontiko Mytilineou Skretaion offers handmade breakfast with fresh local ingredients, most of them are from their own production. They have large green gardens and an awarded eco-swimming pool (they use no chemicals but a system that disinfects the water with salt electrolysis).
For energy efficiency they created a water heating system that consists of a Tank in Tank Buffer (2000lts), solar panels, heat pump and a forest-based biomass boiler.
Moreover, they own a farm where they cultivate vegetables, nuts, fruits, etc and we raise chicken, rabbits, goats and horses.
They offer and promote outdoor wellness activities such as: Horse Retreats, Mountain Bikes, Forest Bathing, Lomi Lomi and Hiking.
Keeping alive they family manor, they renovated and transformed Archontiko Mytilineou Skretaion as a B&B, meanwhile they help tourists to discover our beautiful region in the best way possible and offer them a healthy lifestyle combined with outdoor recreational activities.
Archontiko Mytilineou Skretaion helps at creating jobs, promoting a healthier lifestyle, and wellness in general.
They also try to minimise waste, protect the ecosystem, and produce their own healthier products.
In other words, they are trying to create a better and holistic operational business scheme.
Questions to motivate the discussion and work on the case study:
Examples include:
· Energy efficient heating using a system consisting of a pump heater, solar energy, and a biomass boiler that uses waste wood.
· The facility offers a eco-friendly pool built from recyclable materials that is cleaned salt electrolysis rather than chemicals, making it more environmentally friendly.
· Cultivating seasonal products used for meal preparation through biological processes, ensuring that customers are served natural products.
· Using green fertilizer.
· Preserving cultivated products for off-season use.
· Formal certification of sustainable practices.
· Reducing costs through circular practices.
Case debate questions:
● Describe the circular service and the customer experience.
● Describe the added value for customers and operators and the dynamics that make it possible.
● Introduce a branding plan.
● Identify resources used in circular practices related to the case study.
● Describe current circular practices used by the operators.
● Propose additional circular practices that can improve the environmental footprint of this already eco-friendly business.
● Propose communication mechanisms for highlighting the circular nature of the business among customers and the public.
