Meet your Hosts
About Us
Paros Island
Board Games
Family story
to know us better
The Alea Family
Alea was founded by the brothers Dimitris and Simos Varrias, sons of Maria and Aristeides.
Born and raised in Paros Island, our hearts belong here. We both left the island to study, Simos Physics and Dimitris Medicine. After getting our degrees, we returned to paros and were given the opportunity to start a summer vacation project. We wanted to provide a feeling of a home away from home, a relaxing island experience, combining tradition with care, and the essence of filoxenia, the greek mentality of caring for the visitor. We put in a lot of hard work, a lot of enthusiasm, gave little touches of family and thus, alea was born.
Many years later, we are constantly trying to improve. Simos is currently living on Paros, teaching physics during the winter months, and Dimitris is currently working as a chief resident of Internal Medicine in Einstein Jacobi Hospital in New York.
None of these would have been able without the invaluable and irreplaceable help of our parents, Maria Arkouli and Aristeidis Varrias. Mama Maria is a retired teacher of Theology and History/Archaeology as well as a celebrated theatrical director. Aristeidis, a retired Scholar, professor of Theology and Psychology as well as renown Sculptor working mostly with the famous Parian Marble. They are the ones that provide the inspiration and unconditional love for us.
let’s play
The Board Games Story
Like most children growing up in the 90s we played board games. In Greece traditionally we play backgammon (tavli), checkers and chess but there are a few other games that one might have played back then. Monopoly, risk, stratego or hotel, to name a few.
After going to the university, Dimitris started exploring other titles, slowly building a collection. By the time he got his degree in medicine, this collection numbered more than 100 games. Coming back home we founded Alea and had the idea of making it the first thematic hotel in the world. This idea grew and still is growing.
Our collection now counts more than 1200 titles. Some of those we are very proud of like Patch History ( 50 copies world wide ) or the Japanese game Machikoro , or games from Splotter like Indonesia , Antiquity, the great Zimbabwe, Roads and Boats or some really old games like Die Macher or the game made especially for our event, Thermopyles by Touko Tahkokallio. Of course we are always proud of our greekboardgame titles, made by Drawlab Entertainment, Ludi Creations, or Lefteris Iroglidis as well as Artipia games. In our collection you will find games for every kind of player. Family games, party games, fun and relaxing games, dexterity and mind games, as well as more hardcore war and strategy games.
Apart from hosting boardgamers, along with a friend, IraklisGrous that managed it, we organized an annual event called ‘Cardboard and Sun’. This event run for 5 consecutive years with success. After that point and because of covid we kept it at a more friendly level. Still , every year we host aBoardgame event. The hotel is reserved only for boargamers and every table is occupied. After some years running, we are proud to call many of the recurring gamers, friends and family.
A guest can ofcourse borrow games and try them out! We will be happy to assist in picking something suitable and explain it! There is no charge for the games, although one must be careful and respectful so others can enjoy them as well.
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We Have Vacancy!
A 25% deposit is required to validate your booking with us. There is no cancelation fee for cancelations up to one month before check in date. You get a full refund. After that period, no refunds are made. In case of no show, the whole amount is charged.
The Reception desk is open 08.30-14.30 • Breakfast is served from 8.30-10.30
Check in time 12.00-14.30 • Check out time 11.00
* checking in and out at a different time is possible, but please be kind enough to make a request in advance