6 Mega Greek Hotels Off The Beaten Track

There’s an untouched slowness to Antiparos that the wellness-focused Rooster embraces. The best way to get around is e-bike – the Rooster can lend you one if you want to see the Cave of Antiparos, though you might find yourself not wanting to leave the cosseting property and the perfectly quiet beach at its foot. The treatments in its House of Healing are wonderful (book a signature Ayurvedic massage with Abhilash for the most healing massage of your life) – as is the service across the board – but a sunset drink at its bar, then dinner in the walled Secret Garden might be the greatest tonic of all. New for 2024 was the hotel's Beach House, which comprises an eight-bedroom mega villa, 90 sunbeds, two further treatment rooms and an outpost of Athens' acclaimed Cookoovaya restaurant.

From £930 per night

Visit THEROOSTERANTIPAROS.COM

The Destination

An hour by ferry from Santorini, Folegandros is a chilled, slow-paced island. A world away from its famous neighbour, it’s where you’ll find white-washed houses and blue-domed churches without the crowds. For the best views, walk along the zig-zag cliff-edge pathway up to the Church of Panagia – local guide Poly Giouri is the perfect person to take you up there. Given the island’s small size, we suggest hiring one of the quad bikes from the friendly team at Donkey Scooters to get around. They’re fast, fun and will get you down to the most secluded beaches and coves. Make sure to sample the local delicacy, matsata. Thick, homemade pasta, this is best eaten at Irini’s, a roadside restaurant run by a grandmother and granddaughter.

The Hotel

Folegandros’s first five-star boutique resort will open for its second season this summer. Gundari’s return promises chic new villas – designed for families – and a ‘results-driven’ falcon conservation programme, which will help to sustain the island’s rugged wildness. Positioned dramatically on a cliff front, the new three-bedroom villas come with the same laid-back luxe interiors and striking sea views as the existing suites. Also new for 2025 is wine bar Wild Thymes, which will serve a drinks list curated by the outstanding team at Line Athens (ranked sixth in the World's Best Bars awards). Previously a centuries old farmer’s hut, this stone bolthole has been restored into a hole-in-the-wall bar, seating just three guests.

The resort’s 29 appealingly minimalist suites and villas are bio-climatically designed and solar energy is harnessed to heat the resort. Facilities include a cliff-edge pool with swim-up cocktail bar, gym, and an organic farm that fuels the restaurant, which was designed by Lefteris Lazarou – Greece’s first Michelin-starred chef. We rate the subterranean spa, which offers therapies inspired by the ancient Greeks with a side of sea views.

From £520 per night

Visit GUNDARI.COM

The Destination

Kéa island is the closest of the Cyclades to Athens. With ancient trails, olive groves, forests, terracotta-coloured villages, untouched beaches and hidden coves, there’s everything you’d want from an island escape on a small scale – and with four historic wrecks just offshore, it’s also a world-class diving destination. On land, scenic hiking trails connect beaches with ruins, including the spectacular remains of Karthea, which overlook the sea.

The Hotel

There are many high-end perks to a stay at luxe resort brand’s One&Only’s recent opening on Kéa. The first is its speedboat, which can get you there from the capital in just 45 minutes. Sitting high up on its own peninsula, the resort has remarkable views across the sea – and many of the 63 suites’ private terraces make the most of them. With design inspired by traditional Hellenic architecture and the rugged coastline, the new retreat goes big on relaxation, with a mega three-floor spa, 100m sandy beach and private infinity pools all on hand to help you relax into a slower pace of life.

The resort's own dive centre offers underwater adventures for all skill levels, from beginner PADI certification courses to advanced technical dives. For those who prefer to stay above the water, a vintage yacht charter is available for exploring the island’s 14 most secluded coves, accessible only by boat. The day-to-night Bond Beach Club is a place you could lose a week, but the real luxury here is the peace. The resort also offers private boat and helicopter services between the island and mainland Greece for those also wanting to experience One&Only Aesthesis on the Athens Riviera.

From £1,070 per night

Visit ONEANDONLYRESORTS.COM

The Destination

The island of Tinos is just a short ferry ride from Mykonos, yet it remains an unspoilt gem with rustic landscapes, white-washed villages, uncrowded beaches, a bubbling-up food scene, great hiking… We could go on. It’s the third largest island in the Cyclades and, for our money, one of the archipelago’s most beautiful . For years, the only visitors were pilgrims who came to pray in the 19th-century Church of Panagia Evangelistria, often crawling uphill on their hands and knees from the harbour to the church. Today, Tinos is yet to be discovered by mass tourism, unlike its party island neighbour, though its recent culinary and cultural revival has started to attract the chic Athenian set (there’s a direct ferry) and in-the-know travellers.

The Hotel

One reason Tinos is on the radar for 2025 is the launch of Odera, the island’s first luxury property. Opened last summer, the hotel has promised to respect this unspoilt island. You’ll find it in a secluded bay 5km from the island’s capital, Chora, alongside a private beach and club, 77 rooms and pool suites, and an expansive spa. 

Local craftmanship and traditions can be seen in every corner of the hotel, from Tinian stonework to marble furnishings and authentic dovecotes (you’ll see plenty of these charming structures across Tinos). All the rooms come with magnificent sea views and a walk-in shower, but if you want to elevate your stay, opt for the Odera Residence, which has a large living area and private pool overlooking the Aegean. The team will be on hand to help with activities and excursions, which include hiking, fishing, village tours and marble-carving workshops – and new for this season are some special-sounding stargazing tours. The hotel’s own sandy beach, Vourni, is a short walk away and guests can rent the hotel’s private boat to explore the island’s rock-lined coastline.

From £388 per night

Visit ODERATINOS.COM

The Destination

You’ll find Costa Navarino on the south-west of the Peloponnese peninsula, hugging the edge of the Ionian Sea. Fly into nearby Kalamata airport if you can, or take the toll roads from Athens to reduce the drive to just a few hours (with a break at the spectacular Corinth Canal). It feels remote, which only enhances the sense of quiet luxury. Fast becoming a hot mainland Greece destination – W, The Westin and The Romanos have all launched here in recent years – this is a great place to base yourself on the west coast.

The Hotel

Last summer’s big news was the launch of Mandarin Oriental Costa Navarino, the luxury hotel group’s first resort in Greece. Though it can boast of all the group’s usual high-end facilities, the low-slung property spreads politely to fill its prime spot on the bay, where 99 villas are built in local stone and look across the golf courses to the sea. Many of them come with their own pools. Inside them, expect chic, neutral colour schemes, earthy textures and gorgeous details. 

There's a wide choice of restaurants, ideal for those plotting longer stays. Oliviera is our favourite. With panoramic views over the bay, the restaurant is the hotel’s Greek flagship and uses local Messenian ingredients to great effect – we loved the red prawns with orzo and bottarga foam, and its riff on a Greek salad, which is assembled tableside. For something different, try the tasting menu at Pizza Sapienza. A striking spa offers all Mandarin Oriental’s signature treatments, blending the group’s traditional rituals from the Far East with the flora of Greece. The Oriental Qi massage uses ancient pressure techniques and is one of the most effective we've ever had. Make sure to kick-start your day with a few laps of the suspended rooftop infinity pool before heading down to the terrace for a memorable breakfast back at Oliviera.

From £1,000 per night

Visit MANDARINORIENTAL.COM