There are hundreds of hotels in the islands of Greece, and contrary to popular opinion, not all of them are shaped like sugar cubes. Some are indeed cave-like and dazzlingly white, but there are also revived neoclassical mansions, barely visible retreats built into the landscape, and hotels with water worlds of swim-up pools. Read on to discover the best hotels in the Greek Islands, from Santorini to Skyros, in the Cyclades, Sporades and Dodecanese…
FOR A BEACH IN REACH
Aleró Seaside Skyros Resort
Over in the Sporades, Skyros has shied away from the spotlight. Mythology geeks will know it as the island where Achilles evaded conscription to the Trojan War, until Odysseus and Diomedes came knocking. Its neighbours Skópelos and Skiathos are more well known, thanks to the first Mamma Mia! film and the fact that Jackie O holidayed here in the Sixties and Seventies.
From Athens or Thessaloniki, flights to Skyros take less than an hour. A 20-minute drive from the airport, Aleró is on the island’s north-eastern coast, with a beach on its doorstep and a backdrop of gentle hills.
A steps-from-the-sand room Get ready for a refreshing morning dip with a Friends & Family Suite or Loft Suite — both categories are nearest to the beach.
Design details The exterior is pleasingly whitewashed, with private pools and outdoor showers in all rooms, and wooden accents, billowy drapes and hanging plants aiding the peaceful interiors.
Something to eat Your dining needs are in safe hands — Angelos Lantos, the first Greek chef to be awarded two Michelin stars, has created Aleró’s Amerissa restaurant, with filo pies, local cheeses and lots of tomatoes all starring on the menu.
See the sights How active do you like your holidays to be? If ‘not very’, soak up Helios’s rays at Molos Beach or on Atsitsa Bay the other side of the island. If ‘very’, wander the scenic streets of Skyros Town to see its hilltop Byzantine castle and the monastery below it, and tackle the island’s photogenic hiking trails.
FOR FIVE-STAR LUXURY
One&Only Kéa Island
If it’s luxury you seek, you can’t go wrong with a One&Only outpost — the clue’s in the name, even if you now find yourself singing a Nineties Chesney Hawkes classic. The brand recently expanded into Greece with a double-drop, first on the Athenian Riviera, then on Kéa Island, the closest of the Cyclades to the capital. This isle, also known as Tzia, is one of the most mountainous in the archipelago, with isolated dwellings, hairpin bends and unpaved tracks.
The One&Only resort has a location a hero might scour the Aegean for, with villas set on the hillsides above a cove that’s in direct view of sunset when it rolls around. From the Athenian port of Lavrio, James Bond-worthy, black-speedboat transfers take less than half an hour; needless to say, it’s even faster by helicopter. Check-ins are suitably glamorous, with buggies transporting you around the almost vertical paths and a terrace with a mesmerising view of the Aegean ready for ice-cold welcome drinks.
Best room for luxury lovers There’s no bad villa here, since all are enormous, with soaring ceilings, private pools and separate indoor and outdoor living spaces. But for a view as superlative as the slick interiors, opt for one with a sea view.
Design details The white-and-wood palette complements the dazzling blue outdoors perfectly, especially handy since some of the roofs are retractable.
Something to eat The main restaurant is modelled on a traditional taverna, with huge sharing plates of Greek salad and spanakopita in gyoza form. Down at the shore, the Bond Beach Club promises Japanese lunches with your toes on the sand, followed by swims and siestas.
See the sights This photogenic resort is designed to make you linger, but you really should leave at least once. Don’t miss the colourful centre of Ioulida, one of the island’s main towns, to visit the artist Alekos Fassianos’s old home and studio. If you can bear the early start and skipped breakfast, hike down to the beachside ruins of Karthea. It’s wise to have a Subtle Energies treatment (designed exclusively for the resort) booked at the mega-spa for limb-soothing on your return.
FOR A HONEYMOON
The Rooster, Antiparos
Greek islands promise honeymoon perfection and none more so than Antiparos, which can only be reached by boat. Touch down on neighbouring isle Paros or dock at its main port Parikia, before sailing past all the kitesurfers at play off the shores of Pounda Beach, on the ferry to Antiparos. From here, it’s a short drive to The Rooster and its 17 secluded, honeymoon-ready suites.
The owner spent childhood summers on Antiparos and this hotel is her love letter to the island, such was her insistence that it blends into (and treads lightly upon) the surroundings; it was built so that, from the beach at the bottom, you can barely see the buildings. And at night, it’s hardly lit so as not to disturb the local wildlife. This ethos extends to an Ayurvedic spa, a farm with a bakery and outbuilding residence for guests, and the new eight-room Beach House down at the water’s edge on Apantima Beach.
Best room for romance All of the rooms are standalone villas spread across the estate; with petite pools and outdoor living spaces you’ll never want to leave. They’re so private and peaceful that people sometimes book in for months at a time, for a summer escape from normal life.
Design details The spec here is high — every last item is top line, from the chairs to the pouffes and the vases. Naturally, neutrals are in favour, with the odd pop of colour coming from cushions in earthy greens and reds. It’s basically your dream holiday home in miniature, available to borrow.
Something to eat The food is simple but delicious: huge steaks served with harissa, chimichurri and crispy potatoes; the daily catches and sizzling supersize prawns are all on the menu of the walled garden restaurant. It’s imperative to enjoy sundowners at the bar first (unforgettable Aegean sunsets aren’t exclusive to Santorini — they’re just as spectacular here). And the sourdough and focaccia from the bakery at the farm are worth suspending any complex-carb shun.
See the sights If you’ve ever wanted to try kitesurfing, this is the place to do it — the waters between Paros and Antiparos have some of the best conditions for the sport in the world. The main chora (or main town), which you’ll come into off the boat, is perfect for shopping and scenic strolls, with lots of restaurants and boutiques selling things you’ll be bubble-wrapping and shipping home before you know it.
FOR THE GROWN-UPS ONLY
Nós Hotel & Villas, Sifnos
Mykonos has become a little busy over the years, so for a taste of what it was like a few decades ago, head to Sifnos instead. This foodie-friendly isle has a famous son: Nikolaos Tselementes, a chef so beloved that for a time the Greek word for cookbook was his surname. His legacy on the island is still felt, with restaurants like Cantina and Pelicanos flying the gastronomy flag today, and an annual Cycladic food festival in September.
Nós arrived a few summers ago, giving the Mykonos crowd somewhere new to go for poolside beats and a slick Cycladic aesthetic. It has possibly the best treatment room in Greece: a vast open-air platform (with modesty-preserving screens, of course) for alfresco massages overlooking various other islands slumbering away in the distance.
Best room for couples For peak romance, book a Faros Superior with Sea View and Private Pool, where you can admire the shimmering Aegean from the comfort of your veranda.
Design details This is the Cyclades and it’s a neutrals world out there, with white and 50 shades of beige the palette of choice to ensure it’s all suitably cool and calming. Arched doorways and wooden beams feature, too.
Something to eat Star chef Athinagoras Kostakos created the restaurant, importing similar Greek favourites to those seen in his kitchens all over the world, from Scorpios in Mykonos to Bacchanalia in London. Expect old classics such as tarama, chickpea stew, spanakopita as a salad and lobster with orzo, alongside more modern-leaning dishes such as amberjack tartare with carob and artichoke.
See the sights There’s a beach a few steps away from the hotel, but you’ll want to hire a car to see more of the island: trips to the former capital Kastro and Artemonas, home to ceramic workshops and confectionery shops, are a must. Swim off the rocks near the monastery in Chrisopigi — the waters here are said to have healing powers — and make a pilgrimage to one of the island’s many blue-and-white churches (Sifnos is home to 237 religious sites).
FOR WELLNESS
Noūs Santorini
As ever popular with holidaymakers as Crete and Mykonos, old favourite Santorini is one of the most frequented Greek islands, and it isn’t hard to see why, even if you’re not a honeymooner. Though it is indeed one of the most romantic places on the planet (just the thought of that caldera has us swooning), it has lots to offer other types of traveller too, especially hikers, who can traverse the coastal path that leads from Oia to Imerovigli, or the trail from the Profitis Ilias monastery down to Perissa. Happily for hikers with sore limbs, lots of Santorini hotels are furnished with excellent spas — and none more so than Noūs.
The spa here uses products from a neighbouring Cycladic isle’s brand, The Naxos Apothecary, and has a pleasingly pink beauty station for mani-pedis, gardens for post-treatment naps, an alfresco yoga space and a gym with trainers on hand. Other facilities to aid you on your way to Ancient Greek Ef Zin (the art of living well) include a cold tank, sauna and steam bath, and an open-air treatment room framing the bright blue sky above.
Best room for spa seekers The hydrotherapy on offer at Noūs isn’t limited to the spa — book a Harmony Suite with a hot tub, or a Euphoria Private Pool Suite with an outdoor shower and pool to continue the aquatic ailment-easing.
Design details Everywhere you look in Santorini, you’ll be blinded by some whitewash, but here, terracotta and coral tones get a look in, too.
Something to eat There’s an all-day restaurant by the pool, as well as the smarter Elio’s, where all the shrimp saganaki, lobster pasta and orzo you can eat awaits.
See the sights From this position, right in the middle of this croissant-shaped island, you’ll be able to head north to Oia and Imerovigli, and south to capital Fira, the black-sand shores of Perissa and archaeological site Akrotiri (dat you, Atlantis?).
FOR FAMILIES
Domes of Corfu
As a nation, Greece masters the family-friendly resort, and evergreen Corfu is a stalwart summer-holiday classic for all the family in the Ionian Islands. Even in high summer, when the Cyclades are scorched, Corfu hangs on to its verdant landscape, thanks to its multitude of olive and cypress trees.
Domes of Corfu is near the village of Pelekas on the west coast, with various sea-facing swimming pools, an array of dining options to appease fussy eaters and a kids’ club to keep every generation happy — even the moody teens, who’ll love the Arcade Room.
Best room for family fun For the most space to accommodate your brood, opt for a Patio or Sapphire Junior Suite, or a Sapphire Sublime Suite, all of which can fit a cot and an extra bed. For extra-happy water babies, book one with a swim-up pool. For bigger clans, the Sapphire Family Two Bedroom Suite can sleep two adults and four children.
Design details Interiors crafted with wooden ceiling fans, pendant lights, smooth terracotta-toned walls and dusky-pink throws are clearly aimed at discerning adults instead of the kids.
Something to eat As with any self-respecting, family-friendly resort in Greece, there are enough dining destinations here to keep you entertained for a week — younger guests will especially love the food court, complete with a souvlaki truck and gelato bar.
See the sights Don’t miss Corfu’s Unesco-listed Old Town, a 35-minute drive across the island away, for cobblestone wandering and Venetian-relic glimpsing — these include fortresses, mansions and a palace. On the way, there’s an Aqualand the kids may force you to stop off at.
FOR PRIVATE POOLS
Gundari, Folegandros
Folegandros is a tiny speck adrift in the Aegean, with beaches that can only be reached by boat, one main road running its eight-mile length and ferry schedules that make this petite Cycladic isle (year-round population: 700) a little harder to reach. Making your voyage even more worthwhile since summer 2024 is Gundari, an ambitious hotel project created by its passionate Uruguayan-Australian owner.
The ultra-luxe lair offers three restaurants and two bars, with an organic farm supplying some of the produce; a spa for sound baths, yoga, energy healing and treatments that use island-grown herbs and tonics; and Mini Mokes or boat trips to see the island in style.
Best room for seclusion Each of the rooms is more like a private villa, with a pool and outdoor deck, so you’ll be tempted to stay sequestered away in any of them. If you really want to hide away from the world, book one of the sea-facing Executive or Deluxe Cave Suites, built into the cliffs.
Design details The suites and villas are modern and high-gloss, with shades of brown, taupe and cream, smooth concrete and stone, and windows that frame the dazzling blue of the Aegean.
Something to eat Italian immigrants to Folegandros are responsible for the island’s national dish, matsata pasta, a shape similar to tagliatelle, often served with a rabbit sauce. Or you can make your own meal with the help of Gundari’s Greek-grandma-led cookery classes.
See the sights Every Greek isle has a photogenic chora and — thanks to some admirable conservation efforts by its mayor — Folegandros arguably has one of the prettiest, with alfresco taverna tables, handpainted storefronts (electric signs are banned) and all the crazy-paved streets you’d hope for. Don’t miss a stroll up the zig-zag path to the Church of Panagia above the chora for one of the most iconic sights of Folegandros.
FOR SWIM-UP ROOMS
Olea All Suite Hotel, Zakynthos
Further south in the Ionian Sea from Corfu, Olea All Suite Hotel is on the Greek island of Zakynthos, whose name may scream ‘18 to 30 package holiday!’, but is actually a world of calm, glamour and refinement, if you know where to look. The white cliffs of Keri are a prime position for sunset watching, and the island’s west coast is home to high-charm hamlets and yet more rugged shoreline. In the north-west, Navagio, popularly known as Shipwreck Beach, is where to set sail to see the famous wreckage.
The set of suites in question is on a hillside on the eastern coast, just a 10-minute drive out of Zante Town, with cascading tiers of pools, olive groves, three restaurants and a spa.
Best room for swimming and sipping If you like to spend the majority of your holiday in the water, book one of the rooms with swim-up sunbeds; for something a little more secluded, choose a room with its own sea- or sunset-facing pool.
Design details The multiple pools are the most striking element of the design at Olea, but doing their best to compete are wicker accents in every direction: on the ceilings, on the walls — even the bath tubs look like baskets.
Something to eat It’ll take a while to reach capacity, but if you’ve overdone it on the Greek salads and souvlaki, locate Cocoon Restobar for a sushi lunch instead.
See the sights If you can bear to leave your own private oasis, head into Zante (also known as Zakynthos Town) to discover its Venetian architecture: the belfry of Agios Markos, which was built in the 16th century, is modelled on Saint Mark’s in the motherland.
FOR A SMALL-SCALE STAY
Casa Mediterraneo, Kastellorizo
Over in the Dodecanese, cosmopolitan, creative isle Kastellorizo is at the eastern edge of Greece, closer to Turkish waters than it is to Athens — just a 20-minute ferry ride from the coastal town of Kas. As with many parts of Greece, on this isle you’re never far from antiquity. Its ancient name was Megisti (meaning ‘the greatest’), with a history dating to the Neolithic era; the Knights of St John built the Castello Rosso above the port in the Middle Ages (hence the new name, Kastellorizo). The island prospered thanks to a tidy fishing and shipping trade — the grand houses along the Kordoniou coast are a relic of those boom days.
One such refined waterfront residence is Casa Mediterraneo, the exterior of which is painted a hard-to-miss shade of rich desert red. Inside, three mansions have been restored to create a suite on each floor, with just six guestrooms in total.
Best room for a boutique feel Unsurprisingly, each room is individually designed, with lots going for it, whether a snug bed in its own nook up a set of steps (Kappadokia), an abundance of portholes and archways (Bleue), or sloping ceilings and shuttered windows and doors (Hamra).
Design details The architect owner has crafted her labour of love with painted beams, vintage finds from her travels, assorted shades of spice and rainbow-coloured glass.
Something to eat This is a bed and breakfast, with a sea-facing terrace ready for sundowners, snacks and sailboat views come late afternoon. They’ve mastered the most important meal of the day, though: expect a bountiful breakfast spread of fresh bread, olive oil, feta, honey and, of course, Greek yoghurt.
See the sights Kastellorizo may be lacking in beaches, but that doesn’t mean you can’t swim, sail or snorkel off its shores. There are piers at Faros and Mandraki where a turtle might just join you for a dip. If the sea is calm, head to the Blue Grotto for a transcendental experience once you’ve squeezed through the cave’s opening.
FOR SOMETHING A LITTLE DIFFERENT
Aristide Hotel, Syros
It may come as a surprise to hear this, but not all hotels in Greece are whitewashed — in Syros, you can swap sugar cubes for stately neoclassical stays. At the nine-suite Aristide Hotel, a Venetian-relic mansion, the interiors of this have been lovingly restored by the family who are now the custodians.
Syros is the capital of the Cyclades, with a university, various festivals and a year-round population giving it a more cosmopolitan feel than many of its counterparts. It’s also easy to reach, with the fastest ferries from the Athens port of Piraeus taking less than two hours.
Most unique room Each suite is individually styled and with its own charms, but we especially love the Pteleos Suite at the top of the house, with its palm-print wallpaper behind the bed, moody (in a good way) bathroom and plunge-pool-enhanced terracotta terrace.
Design details This isn’t your usual cave-like Greek island hotel with minimal details — it’s a grand residence with high-ceilinged interiors, a stately staircase, parquet floors and statement features that will be making their way onto your Pinterest board in no time.
Something to eat The shaded courtyard restaurant champions local produce (much of it seafood), with the best Greek wines to wash it all down. Up on the roof, there’s an Aegean-facing terrace that’s the perfect spot for sundowner o’clock.
See the sights The island capital, Hermoupolis (named after the winged messenger himself, with a name that literally means ‘place of Hermes’), with its dazzlingly bright marble streets, is on your doorstep, as is a charming rocky swimming spot where you can enjoy morning dips with the local yiayias (grandmas). The hilltop village Ano Syros, the island’s mediaeval capital, offers more traditional Cycladic backdrops (crazy-paving and whitewash included). It’s worth hiring a car to venture further north, where vineyards, olive groves and secluded beaches such as Fokotrypes await.
Discover the Santorini stays with hot-ticket caldera views, or browse our full Hellenic hotel collection