The best hotels in Greece

Acropolis-like hotels on the wild mainland to palatial suites with private pools on magical islands, these are the best hotels in Greece right now

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. And 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 favourite hotels in Greece, from her favourite island spots to the mainland must-visits.

Nikolaou Residence, Aegina

Less famous and glamorous than the neighbouring islands of Hydra and Spetses, Aegina has quietly attracted artists, poets, and aesthetes for decades with its radiant light, ancient ruins, and time-warp tavernas. Many of them were drawn to the island in the 1960s by Nikos Nikolaou, one of the great Greek painters of the 20th century. At his seaside home, Nikolaou hosted epic dinner parties almost every night, with the likes of César, Yannis Moralis, and Odysseas Elytis in attendance. Nikolaou’s nephew, the architect Theodore Zoumboulakis, has converted the dream house where he spent his boyhood into a guesthouse that revives the warm spirit and artistic temperament of his aunt and uncle. Surrounded by pistachio, fig, and pomegranate trees, the five studios are decorated with Nikolaou’s own artworks and antiques, bespoke furnishing and photographs by Zoumboulakis, and designer lights and objects from his family’s design shop in Athens. Nikolaou’s atelier (open by appointment to non-residents) is a beautiful time capsule, his paintbrushes, rare books, painted stones, and glowing nudes exactly as he left them. Across the road, a path through pine trees leads down to the sea. All this, only one hour from Athens by ferry boat.

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