Nearly 500 hotels have opened in the southern Aegean Sea since 2020. Here are some thoughts on that staggering fact — and some of our favorites.
There are plenty of hotels in the Aegean Sea. That’s inarguable. In recent years, more than a hundred new hotels have opened there annually — a mind-blowing statistic that brings with it the expected strain on the region’s infrastructure and brings up the age-old question: what do you do when tourism risks destroying the very things the tourists came to experience?
The Greek Islands are setting out to answer that question and solve the myriad problems caused by an ever-rising tide of travelers. By no means are officials telling visitors to stay home — tourism is a crucial part of the economy — but they are asking them to consider what type of holiday they’re planning to have, and how it might effect the local character and ecosystem. They’re asking that you support native businesses, seek out authentic experiences, and engage thoughtfully with their thousands of years of heritage and culture.
In other words, they’re asking that you value the things that can only be found there, so those things may continue to exist.
For our part, we can recommend that you skip the mass-produced mega-chain hotels and look for independent, locally owned and operated properties. And short of that, look for places that are integrated into the community and aren’t just siloed-off, stand-alone compounds with more Japanese and Mexican restaurants than Mediterranean.
Of course, huge resorts can be great! Franchise hotels can hit the spot! We’re humans here at Tablet; we’re not completely dogmatic. We’re as flexible as we need to be to meet our own personal travel requirements, and sometimes those requirements are a home rental or a simple, reliable, mid-level chain brand. Regardless of where you stay — but especially if it’s a massive all-inclusive — the important part is to get out and get immersed in the local culture. Don’t repeat the mistakes made in the first season of White Lotus. Don’t sit still and have a thin performance of the culture trucked in for you.
How, then, do you sift through those hundreds of new accommodations and find the ones most worthy of your consideration? We thought you’d never ask. Below, a handful of the best and most interesting Aegean island hotels recently added to the Tablet selection. They help tell a hopeful story of modern hospitality in this region — distinctive, connected, thoroughly luxurious yet willing to trade island-hopping glitz and glamour for a vibe that’s more grounded, natural, and earth-toned.
Kalesma Mykonos
Mykonos, Greece
Mykonos is already as desirable as any destination in the Mediterranean, and the luxe and alarmingly stylish Kalesma only raises the stakes. It’s set on a hilltop on the island’s west side, fifteen minutes from town, and feels like a private refuge — one whose 25 suites and villas pay tribute to classic Cycladic architecture as well as modern interior design, and feature Rick Owens furnishings among their adornments.
La Perla Villas & Suites
Santorini, Greece
Any hotel that’s going to stand out in Santorini is going to do it by virtue of the fine details — and there will be guests for whom only La Perla, with its particular vision of modern-classic Cycladic hospitality, will do. The genre is subtle, modernist-inflected luxury, with boutique-hotel characteristics, and the color scheme sports a diverse array of greens, blues, and violet, against a backdrop of white and gray.
Soho Roc House
Mykonos, Greece
Soho House’s expansion is notable not only for how well its urban-creative members’-club concept has traveled, but for how effortlessly the brand has developed an equally strong line of far-flung destination clubs — including Soho Roc House, a 45-room escape on the south coast of Mykonos, close enough to the beaches and nightlife to feel convenient but removed enough to offer the privacy a members’ club demands.
Magma Resort
Santorini, Greece
Named for the volcanic rock on which it stands, Magma Resort Santorini makes a powerful argument for the outer edge of this crescent-shaped island. It faces the Aegean rather than the inner caldera, which trades one dramatic view for a rather subtler one — and which affords the resort a substantial expanse of extra space, allowing its rooms and suites to spread to luxurious dimensions.
Mandraki Beach Resort
Hydra, Greece
The mythical hydra has many heads, but the island of the same name has only one sandy beach — and it’s on this idyllic stretch of sand that you’ll find the Mandraki Beach Resort, a modern luxury resort built on the site of a 19th-century naval fortification. It’s this curious history that explains the aesthetic; one part weathered stone and one part crisp, contemporary minimalism.
NOŪS Santorini
Santorini, Greece
With NOŪS, Dakis Joannou, the industrialist and art collector, has created a hotel that doesn’t need a caldera view to supply a visual identity. Here a village-like collection of modern minimalist buildings — clearly descended from, but not in imitation of, the local village vernacular — stands around the centerpiece of a man-made water feature, a 50-meter L-shaped infinity pool.
Acro Suites
Crete, Greece
Perhaps inspired by similarly situated dwellings on the island of Santorini, Acro Suites brings cliffside romance and carved-rock drama to the north coast of Crete. This adults-only resort-style luxury boutique hotel is the smaller and more reserved sister to the Sea Side Resort, right next door — an arrangement that allows Acro Suites’ guests to use Sea Side’s substantial facilities, but not the other way around.
White River Cottages
Crete, Greece
A relatively remote corner of the eastern end of Crete is where you’ll find White River Cottages, a collection of stone houses in a valley called Aspros Potamos, whose direct translation gives the hotel its name. It’s a refreshingly tranquil and pastoral experience, with access to some impressively wild countryside and with an atmosphere that’s a fine mix of rough-edged rustic charm and contemporary boutique-hotel polish.
Cosme
Paros, Greece
Cosme is set in the village of Naoussa, on the northern coast of Paros, an island that’s rather more tranquil than some of its neighbors, though hardly less desirable. In its 40 suites you’ll find a thoughtful, tasteful approach to luxury, and a style that’s memorable and modern while remaining unobtrusive — as always, the setting and the seascapes are the main attraction.
WeSense Santorini
Santorini, Greece
WeSense contains a mere two units: a Cave Suite called Zest, and a Cave Villa by the name of Bliss. The former sleeps three guests, the latter four; it’s smaller than some vacation homes, and that’s part of its appeal. Privacy and tranquility are assured at this scale, and the interiors in both are clean-lined and modern, with plenty of island character but not a spot of kitsch.
Pnoēs Tinos
Tinos, Greece
A nearby alternative to busy Mykonos is the island of Tinos, practically undiscovered in mass-travel terms. And while Pnoēs Tinos will raise the island’s profile, it’s not likely to disturb the local tranquility — this ultra-stylish retreat comprises a mere three villas. They’re the work of the Greek firm Aristides Dallas Architects, and they’re a very modern evolution of the classic Cycladic white-on-white look.
Minois Hotel
Paros, Greece
Minois, a 44-room boutique hotel in a style that’s equal parts modern minimalism and Cycladic tradition. It’s less a party hotel and more a luxurious little enclave, but that doesn’t mean it’s any less glamorous — its buildings combine a contemporary take on Greek architecture with a vibrant mix of Western Mediterranean influences, all unified by the confident hand of its Athens-based designers.
Mark Fedeli is the hotel marketing and editorial director for Tablet and Michelin Guide. He’s been with Tablet since 2006, and he thinks you should subscribe to our newsletter.