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Just when you think you know Greece, you’ll happen upon another slice of coast, sail to another island, or stumble across yet another one of the best hotels in Greece – and your perceptions are flipped all over again. Big-hitting Santorini (bright-white churches topped by blue domes that melt into the sky) and Mykonos (dinky beach bars arranged around a Venetian harbour) get a lot of attention. The scrubbier, craggier islands of Crete and Corfu, and the smaller, more bohemian flecks of land such as Antiparos and Syros are much-loved, too. On the mainland, Athens might be steeped in history but is always pushing boundaries with clever art, restaurants, and bars. Consequently, across the whole country are some of Europe’s best hotels – from sweeping retreats for switching off to stays built into caves and low-key hangouts that put wellness at the forefront of everything. Here, Athens-raised Rachel Howard picks her favorite hotels in Greece, from her favorite island spots to the mainland must-visits.
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Kostas Panagakis -
Sakis Papadopouloshotel Porto Zante, Zakynthos
As featured on our 2024 Gold List of the best hotels in the world
It’s the steps down to the stone-clad spa here that I remember most clearly. Perhaps because I was eight months pregnant, and hyper-aware, but mainly because they were straight from a fairy tale: so dinky and intriguing, paved into the hillside and bordered by lush Mediterranean foliage. I’d walk down them to a different treatment every day, as per the family-owned hotel’s advice – gradually unwinding, resetting, reviving, listening, and watching the waves of the Ionian Sea through huge open windows. Porto Zante is ideal for a babymoon. The villas are vast, design-driven but ultra-comfortable, with a temperature-controlled pool and a personal concierge, who embraced us and said, “You are our babies now.” Few places in Europe are as private or have service levels to match this. Want to eat from the Japanese-Asian menu at Maya, but in the Greek-Mediterranean Club House so you can listen to the resident pianist? Done. Need some time out from your toddler? The determined staff will have them giggling in no time. Are you keen to explore the surrounding sea and villages or the nearby city? Itineraries can be arranged on the day and then adapted from the four-by-four or yacht. It’s no wonder that presidents, royals, and cultural icons come here to disappear down those magical steps whenever they need to lighten their mental load.
Becky Lucas
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Rupert Peacehotel One & Only Aesthesis, Athenian Riviera
The latest milestone in the revival of the Athenian Riviera, Greece’s first One & Only resort offers an unstuffy approach to ultra-luxury. In its 1960s heyday, Asteria beach was a playground for socialites and starlets; many black-and-white Greek movies were shot in the Modernist bungalows and open-air restaurant. The new buildings follow the exact blueprint of the original layout, with 137 bungalows, villas, and residences scattered between lush gardens and the shoreline. Interiors are a tour de force of discreet decadence, but it’s the seamless service and cut-above amenities that really elevate the experience. The luscious Guerlain spa is reason enough to stay; the nourishing honey and orchid facials are phenomenal. The sensational breakfast spread at Ora restaurant is not to be missed. By night, Ora’s lemon-yellow booths become a lively setting for chef Ettore Botrini’s accessible but accomplished Greco-Italian menu. At El Bar, three-Michelin starred Paco Morales has created an extravagant take on tapas. Every guest has two dedicated hosts, on call round-the-clock for super-prompt service, restaurant reservations, padel and tennis sessions, or SUP lessons with the Greek national champion. While the slim beach is not the best swimming on the Athens Riviera, private museum tours and boat trips can be arranged nearby.
Rachel Howard
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Julia Klimi & Alexandros Kyrimis Kyrimai, Mani
As featured on our 2023 Gold List of the best hotels in the world
Down in deepest Mani, the middle tentacle of the Peloponnese, there’s nothing for miles save for the occasional road lined with shrines or fields full of chest-high thistles. Here and there, old stone towers stab the sky. In one place, Gerolimenas, on the far southwestern shore, Kyrimai hotel has occupied a 19th-century tower house for some 20 years. The immaculate and indulgent design retains the deep romance of a place so remote it might have been overgrown with brambles only a week ago. Rooms inside the thick stone walls are often split on two levels, with beds in the eaves. The restaurant sits above clear water where fish curl towards the shadows, making it impossible not to step off for a swim. The food is the best in the region: sardines with black olives and rock samphire that turns creamed feta into something paradisiacal.
Antonia Quirke
