The Xenia hotel in Arta was designed in 1958. Along with the Xenia in Akronafplia, Argolis, designed by I. Triandafyllidis, it was one of two successful experiments of the Greek National Tourism Organization in the design and construction of a modern hotel unit within the walls of a medieval fortress. The location inside the fortress, which housed the regional prison, was considered by the GNTO to be an excellent choice, as it dominated the city and overlooked the river Arachthos. Although the landscaping of the surrounding area of the hotel would be extremely complex and costly, it was deemed worth making a serious effort to acquire the land from the Ministry of Justice. The Xenia of Arta was a B-class hotel with 22 rooms, each equipped with a bathroom and telephone. It featured central heating, a restaurant, and a covered parking area. The architect intended for the hotel to be constructed at a distance from the byzantine wall, remaining low and almost invisible from the city, while visible only from the side of the river. This design ensured a harmonious symbiosis with the Byzantine fortress. Cleaning, repair, and restoration of the fortress walls were also carried out, and the access from the town to the fortress was reconstructed. Finally, the new small church designed by Zivas as a replacement for the old one that had been demolished, was one of the rare examples of Greek Orthodox church architecture rendered in a modern style.