Trikolonion Country Club
Stemnitsa
220 04 Arkadia 		find it on the map
 

Built in the 19th century, this used to be boarding school for girls. Later, it was converted into village hotel. Its final makeover came when it joined the family of Country Clubs and it became an elegant retreat. The hotel offers 18 stylish rooms and suites that offer all the contemporary comforts you could hope for, while some of the architectural features like wooden ceilings and arched windows, set in thick walls, definitely add extra charm. In addition you will also find a stylishly decorated sitting room (spacious and cosy at the same time, very ‘country club’ indeed), a (card) games/meeting room, a gym, a sauna and a Jacuzzi. I personally prefer the mountain trails to the treadmill, but relaxing in the sauna and/or the Jacuzzi (or by the roaring fireplace) to conclude a day spent outdoors is not a bad proposition at all!


What makes it special to me:

The character of the building combined with the luxury of the rooms.


But what you should keep in mind:

Service is professional but not very personal.

OwnerKyriakos Griveas
Address Stemnitsa
220 04 Arkadia
Tel. 27950-29500-1 (hotel), 210-6889249 (reservations)
Fax 27950-81512
E-mailinfo@countryclub.gr
Website http://www.countryclub.gr
Opening period:

All year

Children:Welcome
Dogs:Not allowed
Credit cards: AMERICAN EXPRESS, VISA, DINERS, MASTERCARD
Accommodation14 double rooms
2 suites for 2 persons
2 suites for up to 4 persons
Prices:

Double room €120-230 per night (breakfast included)

Room facilities

En-suite bathroom (shower)
Telephone
Television
Mini-bar
Internet connection
Hairdryer
Safe
Other facilities

Large sitting room with fireplace
Bar
Gym
Meeting room
Play and TV room
Sauna
Spa with Jacuzzi

Breakfast is served until 10h30. It will be brought to your table when there are only few guests in the hotel, but otherwise you will find a buffet with everything ranging from croissants and pains au chocolat, boiled eggs and omelettes to yogurt, nuts and dried fruits, fresh juice and fruit salad. You can also order your breakfast in bed (for an extra charge). For lunch and dinner you can order from a ‘light menu’ (sandwiches, salads, cold plates, etc), and you will find several places to eat in Stemnitsa.

You will find the Trikoloinion Country Club in the traditional mountain village of Stemnitsa.
find it on the map

If you come from Athens, you should follow the motorway from Korinthos to Tripoli. Turn off the Korinthos-Tripoli motorway 10 km before Tripoli, towards Levidi and Vytina. Around 12 km after Vytina, follow signs for Dimitsana and Stemnitsa. You will reach Stemnitsa after about 16 km. The hotel is on your left, just off the road that passes through your village. Alternatively, you stay on the motorway to Tripoli and continue in the direction of Kalamata. Turn off towards Megalopoli and then follow signs for Karitena, Elliniko and Stemnitsa. In Stemnitsa, you will find the hotel on your right. If you come from Nafplio, the fastest way to go is to return to the motorway via Argos and Koutsopodi and then continue to Tripoli (and continue as instructed above), but you can also follow the coastal road and cross the mountain to Tripoli after Myli. It is a beautiful drive but it takes more time.
find it on the map

A good guidebook* on Greece published in 1999, writes the following about the mountains of Arkadia: “The Arcadian highlands suit those who look for low-cost excursions among natural surroundings and traditional Greek villages, far from mass tourism. With the exception of Vytina, you will have to forgo your comforts and nights out and for a few days at least adapt to the local way of life.” It is amazing how fast things have changed. Fortunately, the natural surroundings and traditional villages are still there (and beautiful as ever) and there’s no mass tourism anywhere near. But at only two hours’ drive from Athens, the area has become a popular weekend destination for Athenians and to cater to them, comfort was introduced as well. There are now several wonderful small hotels and guesthouses where you won’t have to rough it at all. Nightlife isn’t exactly developed in the area (and hopefully will never be), but you will find plenty of nice places to have a meal or a drink.

 

Athenians may only come for the weekend, but the area is worth a much longer stay. There is a lot to see and do: the mountains are wonderful for walking and hiking, there are several immensely pretty, historical villages to explore, you can visit the cliff-hanging centuries-old monasteries in the Lousios Gorge (some are easily accessible, to get to others it’s better to go with a qualified guide), you can arrange to go river trekking and rafting, and in the winter you can enjoy snow sports at the (small!) Menalo ski centre.

 

Two villages that are definitely not to be missed are Stemnitsa and Dimitsana. In Stemnitsa, which in the past was famous for its highly skilled metal workers, (church) bell-makers, silver- and goldsmiths, you can visit the superb Museum of Popular Art, as well as some quite impressive 16th- and 17th-century churches. Dimitsana is known for the important role it played in the Greek war of resistance against the Ottoman rule – it was the base of the gunpowder production. Just outside the village you will find open-air hydraulic power museum where you can learn how it was done. Other villages worth visiting include Vytina, Andritsena, Magouliana, Lagadia, Karitaina, Isari and Alonistena. If you’re in for some further driving, you can make a day trip to Ancient Olympia.

 

* Greece - Only the Best, published and edited by Alexander Kyrtsis
Read here what others said about the Trikolonion Country Club

It was funny, I actually stayed in this place several years ago, before it was part of the country club chain.  It took me a while to recognize it.  The hotel is nicely appointed, the rooms and public spaces were comfortable, and the village is beautiful and really still feels like a village, despite the busloads of Greeks visiting.  The desk staff were perfectly cordial, but it was kind of like staying in a major hotel chain in the US -- everyone is polite and helpful, but impersonal -- there was no real warmth or connection.  In other words, I don't have any actual complaints about the place -- everything was fine.  But since that warmth and personal touch is such a lovely aspect of so many interactions in Greece and of many of the places in your book (and so different from here!), we missed it.  I would happily have stayed at a more humble place, trading opulence for more of a connection with the owner or manager.  We all loved Stemnitsa though.

Laura H.
Pullman, WA, USA
June 2006
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