::. Hellenic Holidays

Dear Peter,

This thank you is overdue, but Michael and I wanted to extend our thanks to you for making our honeymoon an unforgettable experience. We still rave about it to this day. We were a little hesitant to go through a travel agent since we usually search for deals on our own, but we were very impressed with you services from start to finish. Although we didn't have a high budget to work with, you still did your very best to make each accommodation work for our needs. We only wish you were a general travel agent (not just specializing in Greece) as we would book future vacations with you. We were very impressed with how easy it was with all of the accommodations (which all exceeded our expectations), transfers and transportation. We were able to experience the history of Athens, drive around Crete and visit Chania and Santorini was a wonderful way to end off our trip. Absolutely breathtaking and romantic! We will always remember this trip, the food, the culture, the history, the scenery. We would highly recommend you to any of our friends wishing to travel to Greece. Happy Holidays!

With our greatest thanks,

Michael & Aleah Dometita
December 2008

To: Conde Nast Traveler,

As we look through pictures of our recent trip to the Greek Isles and Turkey, we cannot forget the exceptional service received from Petros Zissimos of Hellenic Holidays, Inc. I first contacted Petros back in August 2008 hoping that he can provide me a few ideas on how to create a special vacation for our 10 year wedding anniversary. The challenge was in meeting a fairly tight budget in a very short turn-around time. Petros more than exceeded our expectations. His sound advice on how to pace our time in this beautiful area of the world was right on. We not only toured some of the important sites, but we also had enough time to explore on our own at our own pace. We had a holiday we will not soon forget! My husband and I are so very pleased we found Hellenic Holidays in a vast sea of travel agents. We hope others can benefit from his sound advice and years of experience.

Regards,

Katherine & Ronald Arias
November 2008

Hello,

My husband and I would like to recommend our Greek travel agent as a top travel specialist. We recently traveled to Greece for our honeymoon, and Petros Zissimos of Hellenic Holidays was hugely helpful in making our trip something very special. When we came to him we were busy with wedding preparations, and planning a big trip to multiple Greek islands seemed too complicated to handle. Petros not only took care of all the logistical details, he also gave us excellent suggestions regarding things to do,see and eat helping us craft a honeymoon specific to our tastes and interests. Having been to Greece very recently before our trip, he was able to give us up-to-the minute advice regarding restaurants,neighborhoods and activities. Petros also made himself available to answer questions while we on our trip via e-mail and cell, which was very reassuring and helpful. Petros was a pleasure to deal with. The fact that he was so intimately acquainted with Greece and knew so much about all the different islands, hotels and experiences we'd have made figuring out the best trip for us that much easier. We have already recommended Petros to some friends who are thinking about going to Greece in the future and would highly recommend him and Hellenic Holidays to anyone considering such a trip.

Thank you for your consideration,

Alissa Umansky & Jamie Tanner
November 2008

Dear Sir or Madam,

My wife and I are writing to nominate Petros Zissimos as a Greece specialist for Conde Nast magazine. Petros planned our recent honeymoon to four different locations in the Greek islands, and it was beyond spectacular. I feel that the most important things for a travel agent to possess are an ability to know what your clients are looking for and provide that, and to be able to work within a budget. Petros was able to do this, and then some. Initially, when we went to see him, my wife and I had already seen a number of travel agents who had all recommended the same “package” hotels. When we met with Petros, he recommended a number of different hotels, ones that my wife and I would have never considered. At first, we were unsure whether these hotels were for us, as these weren’t the “popular” hotels where everyone stays. His personal experiences at each of these hotels, however, convinced us to take his advice. When we got to Greece, we realized that Peter knew exactly what we wanted out of our honeymoon even if we couldn’t completely express it. In fact, most of the time, we would get to a hotel and realize that Petros knew what we wanted better than we did. Each place we stayed was unique in its own way, and was perfect down to the last detail. Just to make sure, Petros or his trusted representatives contacted us immediately upon our arrival at each location to ensure that everything was to our liking. He truly made us feel as if we were the only clients he had (even though we knew he was coordinating several weddings during our stay). Petros managed to do all of this within our fairly modest budget, giving us a luxury honeymoon at a reasonable cost. Petros also had phenomenal restaurant recommendations in each location for casual meals, romantic dinners, and unique food, as well as wonderful ideas for day trips and things to do on each island. Even more importantly, thanks to Petros’ amazing attention to detail, a trip that took us to five cities and involved countless hotels, transfers, ferry trips, and flights did not have one ounce of stress, as everything was planned out perfectly. He spoiled us so much I don’t know if we will ever be able to go to another travel agent again, or even plan our own vacations! We had so much fun we did not want to return to the United States, and we are already looking forward to having Petros plan a return trip for our tenth anniversary. Clearly, there are regular travel agents, and then there are true travel professionals like Petros.

Sincerely,

Alex & Sarah Fisher
October 2008

Dear Conde Nast,

It is with great pleasure that we write to you in recommendation of Petros Zissimos of Hellenic Holidays Inc. We acquired his services for our wedding and honeymoon trip.We have found him to be the main reasons our trip was an unforgettable experience. He has been the most thoughtful and generous wedding planner we have ever dealt with. As a wedding coordinator, Petros kept us on schedule, on budget, and on task, but more importantly, he made his role personal. He has become our friend and demonstrated a sincere concern for our needs and feelings regarding our destination wedding. He was able to find our "style" and assist us in finding the perfect place for the event as well as lining up the most suitable vendors for all the wedding details. In a year planning, it became obvious to us that he truly cared about his clients and work. Once it came close to our departure date, Petros let us know that he was going to fly out to Greece with us to make sure everything would go as planned. We spent an amazing 17 days in Greece and Italy. Our itinerary included the following destinations: Athens, Greece; Santorini, Greece; Mykonos, Greece; and Florence, Italy. His knowledge and rapport with the hotels and all other vendors was an immeasurable asset. We found him to be well respected in the Greek community. His organization, kindness, and dedication to quality made him the perfect choice to coordinate our wedding. Petros planned our wedding ceremony in Santorini, Greece and also planned a surprise sunset cruise once we got on the island. Petros was able to get us an upgrade to the Grande Suite at Homeric Poems Hotel as well as an upgrade to a Suite at the Mykonos Grand Hotel. His attention to detail was superb. We know some issues came up during our trip, but he was able to resolve every situation. The key part being that the resolution was behind the scenes. We felt everything turned out perfect and as planned. This is to Petros' credit for being able to isolate us from those stressors. We highly recommend for travel planning to Greece. He is very organized, detailed oriented, and dedicated to making one feel one's trip/vacation is of the highest priority to him. He is a great person and we would be very please to have him plan our next trip to Greece.

Sincerely,
Wilson & Annie Velez
October 2008

To Whom it May Concern:

We are writing to nominate Mr. Petros Zissimos as an A-List agent for Travel & Leisure for 2009. From the moment my husband and I met with Mr. Zissimos we were very impressed. We were trying to plan our August 08 destination wedding, honeymoon and hotel/airplane tickets for our families & friends to Greece and we were so overwhelmed. We found Petros and Hellenic Holidays in Brides magazine and immediately called for help! He planned every last travel detail for us and our family/friends. From day one, he provided a high level of customer service, great communication and excellent work. He did exactly what he said he was going to do to ensure our trip was well organized, properly coordinated and most of all exciting! The trip was absolutely amazing! He found the best hotels for our honeymoon (we couldn't wish for something better than that!), chose great expeditions for us and our friends, arranged all travel to and from the airport and most of all stayed within our budget. We didn't have to do anything! When we arrived in Greece everything worked out beautifully and we were able to enjoy our wedding and honeymoon stress free. Our friends are still talking about the Homeric Poems Hotel in Santorini! We will definitely be using Petros as our agent for all our trips to Greece and we will highly recommend him to anyone who wants to organize a vacation/honeymoon or even a wedding in Greece. We feel so happy and lucky to have found not only a great professional & expert but also a great person who will always show love and care planning our next vacation! We definetely look forward to that!

Sincerely Yours,
Ari & Natassa Karakatsanis
October 2008

To Whom It May Concern:

I would like to take this opportunity to recommend to add Petros Zissimos at Hellenic Holidays Inc., to the Conde Nast Specialist List for 2009. Let me start at the beginning. We started last year deciding what we wanted to do to make our 25th wedding anniversary special. We decided in October 2007 we wanted to go to Greece but didnt know where to start. We decided to go to Hellenic Holidays' office in New York and talk to their staff. We worked with Petros over the next several months narrowing down what we wanted to see and do. He listened to everything we wanted from touring to diving and everything in between. We finally narrowed our trip to three islands which were Athens, Crete and Santorini and would be gone for 16 days. He made sure all the documents were in place and we had everything we would need in one small envelope. He even made sure we had a page for our family to know the name and phone numbers of all the places that we would be staying and the dates. We went on several tours, rented a car and had drivers to and from the airport. Everyone was exceptional. They were always on time and very courteous. We ate at the restaurants that he recommended and they all lived up to everything he said about them. We have traveled a lot over the 25 years that we have been married and have never experienced a trip like this. Everything was perfect. I give all the credit to Petros and the Hellenic Holidays staff. He put a lot of time and effort into making our trip very special for us. I could go on for days about the wonderful hotels and the exceptional people that took care of us along the way. I still think about the trip every day and will have wonderful memories for years to come and I have never done that with a vacation before.

Sincerely Yours,
Lindsay & Karen Mills
September 2008

To Whom It May Concern:

I would like to nominate Peter Zissimos of Hellenic Holidays Inc. as a top travel specialist for Conde Nast Traveller Magazine. He planned a most wonderful trip to Greece for us this past summer. We still think about the trip and all of our wonderful experiences we had during our 18 days in Greece. Peter is extremely professional. He made sure our vacation included everything we wanted. He was always available for any questions or concerns we had. When we got to Greece the entire trip went very smoothly. The restaurants he recommended were delicious. All arrangements went like clockwork. He called every other day to make sure we were content with our trip. We never had to be concerned about anything. The hotels he selected for us were lovely. All transportation arrangements were great. Peter is thorough in his planning. He listened very closely to our needs and desires and made sure they were all met. Peter is pleasant to deal with and extremely efficient. His contacts in Greece were all highly professional. Our trip was worry free so all we had to do was have fun. That is exactly what we were looking for. I highly recommend his services.

Sincerely Yours,
Eva Mininberg
August 2008

To Whom It May Concern,

I am writing this email share with you my praise and gratitude for our Travel Specialist Petros Zissimos at Hellenic Holidays Inc. I first contacted him simply to arrange our flights from New York to Athens. Then my family decided that we wanted to take a trip to one of the Greek islands also. Petros was extremely knowledgeable when it came to narrowing down which island would be the best for my family. After some discussion, we decided on Crete. That was all Petros needed to know. Using his expertise, he coordinated all flights, hotels, car rentals and transfers that we needed. I completely trusted his judgement and I was not disappointed. Our plans ran so smoothly I could not have asked for more. We were greeted at the airports in Athens and Crete, rental cars were easily obtained, our hotel was beautiful and he was also able to recommend some outstanding restaurants. Last but not least, Petros personally delivered our itinerary and answered any questions I had. I must also add that this was done with a specific budget in mind. I don’t for a minute doubt that Petros went the extra mile to ensure that we had a fabulous trip even though he had limitations to work with. Petros should be rewarded for his outstanding customer service, his expertise and most importantly, his personal touch.

Sincerely,
Rachel Boumis
August 2008

Dear Petros,

On behalf of me and my family, I wanted to take some time to thank you for all of your hard work and genuine care in both creating a perfect trip for us and in shepherding us through the journey. It has now been two months since our family trip to Greece, and I still smile every time I think of the trip of a lifetime you prepared for my family. As we discussed during our first meeting with you, we reserve family trips abroad for special occasions, and our daughter’s graduation from Cornell this year gave us an opportunity to explore a part of the world we knew little about…During that first meeting, you painted a picture for us of a country rich in history and culture, and provided us with an incredible array of options for hotels, restaurants and tours. You peaked our curiosity with stories of your previous clients’ experiences and put restaurant business cards and historical site brochures in our hands filled with colorful pictures. This instantly gave us the feeling that we were going to Greece and that we had an amazing experience ahead of us…Your planning process for us was interactive and, as such, gave you a chance to understand what aspects of travel made us most comfortable. But beyond making us comfortable, you also took the time to show us where we could find more of Greece than a bus tour could ever provide…But none of this would have been possible without your constant supervision. You and I were in constant contact via BlackBerry, which gave us the feeling that you were monitoring our trip as it unfolded and anticipated our every need. One day in Athens, Paul told me that he had spoken with you earlier and that you had discussed our day in detail just to be sure that everything was perfect. This was probably the most important service you provided.We were never alone. You were always there in the background and often with us as we went on a day trip or arrived at a hotel. We weren’t in the Crete Villa for more than five minutes when out phone rang and there you were making sure that we were satisfied with our amazing accommodations…So, thank you from all of us, for creating an unforgettable trip, for caring so much about us every step of the way and for being who we consider the top authority on everything about Greece.

Sincerely,
Evan,Susan, Rachel and Emily Schneider
June 2008

Letter to Eyeywitness Travel Guide,

We are writing to nominate Hellenic Holidays and Petros Zissimos as a Top Travel Specialist. We recently spent several days in Athens followed by a week in Crete and finished with three days in Santorini…We were treated very well at each hotel and all of them fit our style and budget, ranging from nice and functional but very well placed in Athens to more luxurious near Heraklion, Crete (and we loved the Amirandes Hotel). We were met and given excursion,restaurant and shopping recommendations at each step along the way. We were given local contacts for us in case of any problems or any questions and they were extremely helpful as well when called upon as in the case of the flight changes…Petros was very personable and conscientious and had a good read of us—we were lucky enough to be able to meet with him in his New York City office, but he was also quickly responsive to e-mails, made the calls personally to tell us about the flight changes in plenty of time and gave good advice throughout…We are confident that Hellenic Holidays would be similarly wonderful if used by any of your other readers.

Sincerely,
Douglas Beer & Jennifer Marcus
June 2008

Dear Travel & Leisure,

We just returned from a fabulous sixteen-day vacation in Greece. Besides the fact that Greece is such a beautiful country, the reason this vacation was so magnificent was because of the planning services of Peter Zissimos of Hellenic Holidays. We contacted Peter in February telling him of our plans to visit Greece for the first time, along with our two grown sons. We contacted Peter in February telling him of our plans to visit Greece for the first time, along with our two grown sons. He was extremely helpful and worked hard to plan a trip that would be memorable and enjoyable for all of us. Working with only a rough draft of where we wanted to go, Peter put together an unbelievable itinerary. We thoroughly enjoyed Greece’s mainland, along with the islands of Mykonos, Santorini and Crete, utilizing the tips that he gave us regarding great restaurants, beaches and exciting nightlife…Peter planned our trip so thoroughly that we never had to worry about the logistics of the trip. We just simply looked at our itinerary and ventured out! All his “Ts” were crossed and “Is” were dotted…He also checked in with us from time-to-time via cell phone (always at appropriate times for us—however, due to the time zone difference, late nights, early mornings for him) and text messaging to make sure that all was well. We felt as though we had a family member watching over us. What a stress reliever! He truly made us feel so relaxed…making this a true vacation!...In this day and age when good customer service is something one can only dream of, it is refreshing to know that it indeed does exist. Peter epitomizes and delivers the good customer service expectations of days gone by. He is truly a rare find.

All the Best,
Tom & Stella Cragin
May 2008

Nomination for top travel specialist,

My wife and I recently arranged our honeymoon through Petros and it could not have gone more smoothly, which was especially impressive given how much bouncing around we did…The little details were what really made the trip for us, though. These included great choices in hotels (rooms with ocean views in the islands and an Acropolis view in Athens), seamless transport to and from airports and ferries, and great suggestions for restaurants and side trips. He also helped me plan a surprise dinner for my wife’s wedding present on the beach in Mykonos. The fact that Hellenic has a representative in Crete was great for us as well. She was quite helpful with touring suggestions and driving directions.

Best Regards,
Matthew Olivo
May 2008

Hello Petros , we are back and getting used to Eastern Standard Time. We had a great vacation and learned a great deal about our roots. It was sad and startling to hear about the earthquake near Patras. We thank you very much for all your help on this trip. We can’t tell you enough about how much Paul meant to us on our trip and how he was part of the family. We had quite a whirlwind vacation and are still trying to process it all.

Sincerely,
Tom Kanes
May 2008

Nomination for top travel specialist,

I would like to nominate Petros Zissimos for recognition as a top travel specialist. Mr. Zissimos works for Hellenic Holidays out of New York, NY. In early January, I contacted him for information on planning a honeymoon to Greece. His name came to me by way of a highly favorable recommendation from a friend. It took little time for me to realize why my friend spoke so highly of Mr. Zissimos. He was professional, friendly and accomidating. In addition, he showed me the true value of using a travel agent. Within a few weeks, we settled on a final itinerary for our dream trip to Greece…Despite being separated by the Atlantic, Mr. Zissimos was able to stay in contact with us at several points through the trip. A workers strike grounded one of our flights and Mr. Zissimos was able to book us a new flight and alter our hotel arrangements without any additional cost. Overall, my wife and I are very grateful for the trip he planned and his help along the way.

Best Regards,
Eric Lindahl
March 2008