Bull-headed monsters, nymphs, and dismembered body parts: these aren’t child-friendly bedtime stories. But the myth and magic of these adults-only luxury hotels in the Greek Islands, from Crete to Corfu, spin more of a fairytale for lovers and serenity-seekers – in as life-saving a manner as Ariadne leading Theseus through the labyrinth.
For uninterrupted views, sundowners, swoonsome scream-free evenings, and a strict do-not-disturb policy, pull on that thread…
ACRO SUITES
Crete
So, you’re looking for some grown-up fun – easy – we’ve found an adults-only retreat in Crete where children are banished like mythical beasts, leaving a peaceful white-and-cream haven of cliffside cave suites, a bath-house spa with a Byzantine-style hammam and cocooning couples’ day-beds from which those sunsets look all the more superlative.
That Greek-minimalist design is seductive throughout Acro Suites, and Crete pulls out all the scenic stops, with sapphire waters crashing into rocky ridges.
A wellness resort at heart, time passes in yoga poses, holistic spa rituals and healthful cuisine (to a point – hello, truffled pastitsio and saganaki dumplings in feta cream), and with no, ahem, little distractions, you’ll leave feeling as serene as the goats that graze in the gardens here.
GRACE HOTEL
Santorini
The island of weddings and honeymoon hotels – and quite a few steep staircases – is best experienced BC (before child). With dazzling white-cube hotels that cascade down cliffsides like a bride’s veil, steamy views of Skaros Rock and baby-maker sunsets, romance hits hard here.
Grace hotel, part of the Auberge Resorts collection, is a luxury hotel in Santorini for over-14s only and it has the isle’s greatest hits and more in a geometric tumble of white and blue.
Its jutting angular pools (including Imerovigli’s largest infinity pool) and terraces blend into Aegean blues – so far, so classic – but there’s something cooler at play here in the lazy beats that accompany lingering breakfasts, free yoga and Pilates sessions, customisable service to arrange bespoke in-room cocktails, olive-oil massages and a giddy-making champagne lounge – plus whisper-quiet suites for snoozing off any excesses in peace.
WHITE COAST POOL SUITES
Milos
Greek isle Milos is a passionate place – it’s quite literally steamy, with sulphur pits and volcanic craters that create psychedelic rock formations and healing thermal springs. Plus it’s where saucepot statue the Venus de Milo was found. So, all in all it feels like a more PG-rated getaway.
And White Coast Pool Suites is one of the loveliest luxury adults-only hotels in the Cyclades where you can experience fire, brimstone and marble boobs in restful style. It’s set in a private nature reserve on a lunar-looking coast rivalling that at Sarakiniko, and water babies (sorry, adults) will be thrilled to find that each of their bright white suites has a private pool.
You can spend your days hopping the dozens of beaches, yachting and exploring Venetian forts, but rush back for sunset, when that Milos passion swells forth again and the sky is set aflame.
NUMO IERAPETRA BEACH RESORT
Crete
Some Greek Island hotels offer pure escapism for couples, and Numo Ierapetra Beach Resort feels very far away from the day-to-day. For one, this adults-only hotel sits at the southernmost point in Europe, Ierapetra in Crete, whose name means ‘sacred stone’, likely for the mountains that provide a majestic backdrop.
London-based Studio Lost took design inspiration from the native tamarisk trees and created a minimalist aesthetic with a funkier feel, punching up latte and cream hues with interesting silhouettes and textures.
This goes beyond its look too – the lively pool and bar space cover 300 square metres, where there’s a programme of international DJ residencies and guest-chef pop-ups, plus Cretan wines and cocktails infused with local herby liqueurs.
When you’re not in party mode, you can laze on a black-sand beach, watch films alfresco in scenic surrounds, and scuba down to an underwater art gallery. Sophisticated and seductive, it’s the stuff of child-free daydreams.
CASA COOK SAMOS
Samos
We suspect Samos’s native son Pythagoras, who was born close to the luxurious adults-only retreat Casa Cook Samos, would be more interested in love triangles, but we’ve done the math and one-plus-ones will be very happy at this chilled-out retreat.
The pared-back earthy-hued stay is styled like a traditional Samian village, with rooms and suites (some swim-up) built like kamares (local houses) and set around communal pools.
The sheer number of day-beds here should clue you in that it’s not a place for doing; but you could venture out to waterfalls, and visit historic Pythagoreion or the Heraion of Samos sanctuary (the goddess Hera of marriage and fertility was also born here, so your next stay might be somewhere child-friendlier…). But after that, it’s Josper-grilled dinners, Muscat wines and cocktails around the fire pit at this more-than-the-sum-of-its-parts escape.
ASTRA SUITES
Santorini
We firmly believe that even watching a Yorgos Lanthimos marathon could become one of the most romantically charged moments of your life if it’s done in Santorini.
But no one needs that kind of drama, so just stick to the classics, which for-adults-only stay Astra Suites does very well indeed. It ogles Skaros Rock, has a pool that looks like it’s floating high above the caldera, and many rooms have their own private pool.
Scents of jasmine and wild rosemary drift in from Imerovigli’s slopes, and proposals for your stay include visits to wineries for Assyrtiko tastings, booking the spa’s Jacuzzi exclusively with a bottle of champagne or boating out to hot springs – or maybe even an actual down-on-one-knee event… All the love, none of the drama.
NOMAD MYKONOS
Mykonos
Ok, we confess, when it comes to adults-only hotels in the Greek islands, Nomad Mykonos (no relation to the NoMad hotels of London and LA), just makes the cut as it allows over-13s. But, rest assured, rest is assured – this bohemian retreat offers a sand-in-between-your-toes, flopped-in-a-crochet-hammock, meditating-by-the-fireplace-before-cocktails existence.
And, it’s managed to find a quiet corner of Mykonos too – no mean feat – close to the blonde sands of Kalo Livadi beach. It’s a setting that lends itself to canoeing trips, wakeboarding and gentle horseback rides, but unlike anklebiters, it demands nothing of you, so don’t feel guilty for managing your morning yoga session then retiring to the terrace and private pool or Jacuzzi all suites come with.
We rather like the Nomad-ic life, which is all the easier when you’re going child-free, but ironically, we could see ourselves settling here.
DOMES MIRAMARE
Corfu
Bring your biggest shades and Caprese Canfora sandals to make like Jackie O at Domes Miramare, an adults-only stay in Corfu which was once owned by the Onassis family. Back when it was built in the 1960s, you might have found yourself partying with the King of Greece, Maria Callas, President Eisenhower, or musical legends breaking between tours.
Designer Kristina Zanic has updated its look with lots of sleek wood, marble, glass and the odd nautical-style row of chains; but, much like the centuries-old olive trees that grow along its oh-so-blue shoreline, things haven’t changed all that much.
A spa styled like a Grecian bath, cantadors and a live orchestra playing over elegant dinners, and a private black Mirametta yacht with champagne service attract a new wave of noted sybarites. (And, if – if – you want to bring the kids next time, sister stay Domes of Elounda is an almost- as-fabulous family-friendly resort).
Enjoying that pin-drop quiet? Check out the rest of our adults-only hotels around the world. Or, if your eye is on Santorini, spy our guide to the best hotels with caldera views.