In May 1995, Villa Stoupa, where Piero had played host to prominent personalities, was transformed into the family owned Belvedere Hotel, an institution that would help shape the history of Mykonos. A pool was added to the villa, along with communal areas and additional rooms, rented by the day. The belvedere benefited greatly from the pervasive hippie movement, fostering a careful lifestyle. The swimming pool took pride of place, feeding into the social ecosystem of the hotel, as many guests preferred to lounge by the pool rather than spend a day at the beach. The sunloungers were swapped out for tables, allowing dinner and drinks to take center stage. The Belvedere guests watched the metamorphosis in real time, the anticipation for the night ahead building as the hotel changed into evening attire, just like them.
Ioannidis family approach to the Belvedere's renovation was no exception. Carried out by the NY-based Rockwell Group and headed by Domna Ioannidis herself, it implemented a mixture of high and low – Italian stone and humble plaster, a Mexican handcrafted wood screen and locally carved timber features – to approach splendor from a different perspective.
