From the luxury suites of Hersonissos to major energy investments, and from there to the investor’s chair on Dragons’ Den, Antonis Karatzis is simultaneously expanding his business footprint and his public profile. This week, the inauguration of a standalone battery energy storage facility developed by Metlen and the Karatzis Group in Thessaly — attended by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis — turned the spotlight firmly on the energy side of his operations.
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Antonis Karatzis: From five-star hotels to Dragons’ Den
On the hospitality front, an equally ambitious plan is taking shape: the strengthening of Nana Hotels in the luxury accommodation market and their expansion into Athens. For the group’s chairman and CEO, hotels are a field of deep personal expertise. Born in Athens in 1976, Karatzis joined the family business at an early age and studied Hospitality Management at Glion in Switzerland. He speaks five languages and has served as chairman and CEO since 2009, having previously held a senior executive role within the group.
His career path reflects the outward-looking nature of an industrial family navigating the demands of an international tourism market. A pivotal moment came in 2020, when he and his sister, Marita Karatzis, went their separate business ways. Through his holding company ANTKAR, Antonis Karatzis acquired her 38.44% stake in the family company for approximately €47.5 million, bringing his total shareholding to 84.63%.
Marita Karatzis has since developed her own presence in the hospitality sector through MK Hotel Collection. The shared family starting point thus gave way to two independent business paths, with tourism remaining a significant investment area for both.
The hotels
The group’s hospitality roots stretch back four decades. In 1985, Nana Beach opened its doors in Hersonissos, laying the foundation for the family’s presence in tourism. Today’s Nana Golden Beach is the direct continuation of that original investment. In 2018, Nana Princess was added to the portfolio, marking a move toward more upscale, luxury accommodation. Then, in December 2024, the group acquired the former Aldemar Knossos from Aldemar — comprising Knossos Royal and Knossos Villas, with a capacity of 840 beds across 413 rooms, bungalows, and suites — for €80 million. Following a thorough renovation costing €50 million, the property was relaunched on the market as Nana Royal. The next step leads to Athens.
Antonis Karatzis has set in motion an investment of over €80 million to convert a property near Syntagma Square into a hotel of approximately 100 rooms. The property is planned to carry the Nana Princess brand and to be positioned at the very top of the luxury hospitality market. Meanwhile, in Hersonissos, the Pantheon Waterpark & Suites is under development across a 40-acre site. The complex, inspired by Greek mythology, features 15 luxury suites and NAVATU — a water and entertainment destination featuring water slides, aquariums, and aerial structures reaching 34 metres in height. Rounding out the group’s hospitality activities is Panellenic Private Aviation, the group’s airline, headquartered in Heraklion, which offers private jet charters and tailored travel services, seamlessly linking air transport with the VIP offerings of Nana Hotels.
This week, the inauguration of the energy storage facility developed in partnership with Metlen — attended by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis — brought the energy dimension of Antonis Karatzis’s activities into sharp focus. The €170 million investment, with a capacity of 330 MW and storage of 790 MWh, is the largest standalone battery energy storage facility in Greece and one of the largest in Europe. Speaking at the inauguration, Karatzis described the new facility as a project of strategic importance and international reach. He emphasized that without storage, an efficient energy transition is impossible, and that the ability to store surplus green energy and feed it back into the grid when needed is critical to the country’s stability and energy security.
There is also a more personal side to this businessman: music. In 2024 he released the single Meltemi in collaboration with artist Foivos, and has since continued recording. His participation in Dragons’ Den now adds the pursuit of new business ideas in front of the television camera. Amid business commitments, music, and a growing media presence, hotels remain one of the core arenas where the next chapter of his story is being written.
Published in Parapolitika newspaper
