Social Responsibility: What It Means to Be a Neighbour at Domes

As a hospitality brand, we believe that being amongst people, their actions, their habits is of the utmost importance. Especially when it has to do with daily life. Zooming out of the details that make for a luxurious lifestyle and rooting back to the significant, grounded and essential. 

Actions that span outside our hotel worlds, educate our practice even more, while the main intention still remains a human-centric one. 

“I Made That.” A School Entrance in Ayios Nikolaos

The first initiative we want to share with you has to do with our dear 2nd Gymnasium of Ayios Nikolaos. The children created artworks that deserved to be well exhibited, and we put our design mind into practice. Now the entrance of the school will welcome the students, the teachers and all with their works with their creativity and essence of their youthful minds. For us at Domes, hospitality begins with noticing what the people around us have to contribute. We wanted the young artists to be able to walk in each morning, point to a piece on the wall and say, “I made that.”

Wednesdays with The Love Van in Zante

Second, we would like to share an act that took place by collaborating with Love Van. Every Wednesday, volunteers with The Love Van, a Greek non-profit, cook homemade meals and deliver them to people living on the streets of Athens and Piraeus. Domes Aulūs Zante supported this weekly effort with a donation of food and ingredients to help the volunteers prepare those meals for people in need. 

In our own kitchens, cooking for someone is one of the simplest ways we know to make them feel welcome. We saw that same care in The Love Van’s Wednesday routine and wanted to play a small part in it.

First Aid on the Track and Court

Moving on to our third initiative, safety takes centre stage. It is a value at the heart of hospitality, and it matters just as much on a running track or a basketball court. Together with Ergoprolipsis, we held a first aid seminar for athletics and basketball coaches in our local community. Coaches are often the first people young athletes turn to when something goes wrong during practice or a game. The seminar helped them build their knowledge and feel better prepared to offer immediate assistance to children and athletes in their care. At Domes, we know how much it means to have someone you can turn to. This time, we wanted to support the people our young athletes already trust.

Social Responsibility: What It Means to Be a Neighbour at Domes

Getting out of our little worlds is essential to our growth. At Domes, it means stepping outside the hotel often enough to know what matters to the people who live around it. Their towns and islands are the reason our hotels are here in the first place. We love these places for their beauty, of course, but ask any of us what gives a place its particular soul and chances are we’ll tell you about someone.

This time, we’d tell you about the students in Ayios Nikolaos whose artwork will greet a whole school each morning. We’d tell you about the volunteers who decide what to cook on a Wednesday and then head out into Athens and Piraeus to deliver it. And we’d tell you about the coaches our children look for on the sidelines, especially when a game takes an unexpected turn.

In each case, our part was quite specific. We could lend a little design expertise, contribute ingredients for a meal or bring people together to learn first aid. What we take home from these encounters is a better sense of how to be a neighbour. That matters to us wherever we have the privilege of welcoming guests.