Need to know
Rooms
Five suites.
Check–Out
11am. Earliest check-in, 3pm. Both are flexible, subject to availability.
More details
Rates include a seasonal breakfast spread of farm-fresh produce, such as just-gathered eggs, homemade jams and pastries, and local cheeses. A minimum three-night stay is required.
Also
Stone steps and steep terraces mean Ayiopetra isn’t wheelchair-accessible.
Hotel closed
The property closes during the winter months, and is open between May and October each year.
At the hotel
Vegetable garden, terraces, charged laundry service, and free WiFi. In rooms: kitchenette, gourmet minibar, herbal-tea-making kit, coffee machine, air-conditioning, TV, Bluetooth speaker, pool towels, and Olive Era bath products.
Our favourite rooms
Each of Ayiopetra’s suites is rather heavenly, and promises a private terrace overlooking the gleaming-white marble columns of Demeter’s temple. Exposed stone walls, beamed ceilings and breezy linens set a stripped-back, neutral tone throughout the antique-filled suites. Sun-worshippers in need of a little extra space can stretch out in the Fantastic Four suite, which sleeps up to six guests and features multiple mountain-backed courtyards which seem to catch Naxian rays all day long.
Poolside
Blessed with (quite literally) divine views of the sacred Temple of Demeter and surrounding mountains – where Zeus himself is said to have resided during his childhood – the outdoor pool (open daily between 8am and 8pm) and panoramic terrace is a legendary lounging spot. A striking metal-framed day-bed and valley-facing sunloungers are fringed by Mediterranean herbs, with an earthy scent of olives drifting on the warm breezes from the rolling groves below.
Spa
There’s no spa onsite, but the wellness gods work their magic through massages, meditation, reflexology, and reiki healing sessions in the comfort of your suite. Couples treatments are also available on request.
Packing tips
Seeing as you’ll be sleeping opposite an ancient temple, it’s worth adding a few of the Greek myths to your holiday reading list – particularly those about Zeus’ upbringing on the island, and Demeter’s dark dealings with Hades.
Also
Architectural harmony sings from the local Sangri stone walls – Ayiopetra’s owners enlisted the same German architects behind the Temple of Demeter’s Giroulas Museum to build the hotel as a modern and mirror-like offering to this ancient valley.
Children
This stay is for grown-up gods and goddesses above the age of 15.
Sustainability efforts
Taking an all-natural approach to dining, breakfasts at Ayiopetra are a farm-to-table feast of homemade marmalades (using fresh fruit picked from the grounds), free-range eggs gathered from the hotel’s chickens, and a seasonal selection of local tarts, pies and pastries. Various energy-efficient technology and water-saving measures are in place, and the hotel follows a strict ‘reduce, reuse and recycle’ ethos.