The 8 Best Hotels in Mykonos
When the party's over, kick back in one of Mykonos' best bedrooms, with sensational views of the Aegean Sea, exclusive access to private beaches, tasting menus designed by top chefs, northern winds for kite-surfing, family-friendly suites and secret swimming pools. As one of the best Greek Islands, it's only natural that Mykonos be home to some of the best Greek Island hotels. From here, you can visit the prettiest places in Mykonos, lose an afternoon at the best beach clubs in Mykonos or take a slice of island life home with you after a day shopping in Mykonos.
What are the best areas in Mykonos to stay in?
For all of its hype, Mykonos is relatively small. The island is only about six miles long, so wherever you stay, you're pretty close to the action and beaches. Some of the hotels on this list are found along the popular Ornos Beach on the island's southwest. If you want to be based around some hubbub, this option has plenty of shops, restaurants and bars nearby. To be in the thick of the party scene, look to hotels like Mykonos Theoxenia, located right in Mykonos town. If you'd prefer to be far removed from it all, Cali Mykonos is hidden away in the reclusive (and exclusive) coastal village Kalafati.
For the loveliest places to stay, see our pick of the best hotels in Mykonos below.
All listings featured on Condé Nast Traveler are independently selected by our editors. If you purchase something through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Stathis BouzoukasMykonos Theoxenia
Mykonos Theoxenia offers a refreshing counterpoint to the Cycladic whitewashed cottage aesthetic. It is seven geometrically laid out rectangles in a large garden, together fusing to create a haven of flowing spaciousness, symmetry, olive trees, cacti and fragrant herbs in the beating heart of Mykonos. And it has serious architectural pedigree. In the 1950s, Greece had just a handful of proper hotels, so the Hellenic Tourism Organisation sought to rectify this with a 20-year hotel-building project. From 1957, Aris Konstantinidis, now considered the father of Modern Greek architecture, led its design – and this building project was one of his design babies. Overlooking the thatches of Chora’s famous windmills, Mykonos Theoxenia originally opened in 1960, five minutes from the squiggly maze of Little Venice. Back in the day, Jackie and Anastassis Onassis and Brigitte Bardot partied here. But by 2021, when the hotel closed for a long refurb, that heyday was a tired memory. In summer 2022, a new-look Theoxenia threw open its doors. Vois Architects has preserved the marble, the 1960s jolie-laide seawall-stone and timber facades. For Theoxenia 2.1, flowing, clean-lined public spaces have been expanded, stripped down, and left to shine with a minimal dressing of ancient jars and sculptures. Forty-nine fresh rooms and suites have pale marble bathrooms, upholstered walls, linen-dressed beds and bespoke furniture. All the terraces face the ocean, or the pool garden, with its dove-grey loungers and there’s killer service from its Kou Kou Bar. It serves relaxed salads, tacos, and burgers to complement the main restaurant, devoured by families and Mykonos party veterans alike. —Lydia Bell
Nicholas MastorasCali Mykonos
Worlds away from the madness of Mykonos Old Town, Cali Mykonos is where it’s at if you want to experience Cycladic nirvana without the booze-loving crowds. Inspired by the Greek myths and legends of your school days, the dapper boutique is the work of Kyriakos Mourkakos, a 27-year-old Greek American entrepreneur who has a crush on all things muted luxury. Hidden on a craggy fortress on the shores of the secluded beach town of Kalafati, its slick white columns hover down to the sea in perfect unison. The place is mighty pretty. There’s a secluded umbrella-flecked private beach. A sexy curvaceous pool. Private yacht charters to neighbouring Naxos and Delos. Heck, there’s even a helipad with breezy, untouched sea views. Elsewhere, there’s a swell shop kitted out in all the latest Athens-approved fashion and the brilliant white walls and nooks are splashed with indie Grecian art and curios from across the land. Slick rooms are a vision of muted tones and ridiculously smooth Greek marble, and there are saltwater pools on the ginormous sea-facing terraces. All food is courtesy of Greece’s first Michelin-starred chef, Lefteris Lazarou, and is a fusion affair. Eat poolside for a perfect Greek sunset. –Luke Abrahams
Once in Mykonos
New to the island, this dapper spot built into the steep hillside of the cozy western bay has some of the best views in Mykonos. Swim up to bedrooms from a private pool or dip a toe into the rooftop infinity pool, which has a sunken bar and floating sun beds. 59 minimal suites have terraces and sea views for sipping sundowners. The bathrooms, equipped with a huge Hamman walk-in rain shower, are worth a shout-out. Guests range from young families to sleek partygoers, all looking for a chilled post-party buzz. Staff are friendly, attentive and know all guests by name—they won’t forget how you want your coffee in the morning.
Young-gun Cretan chef, Marion Toutountzoglou serves innovative dishes, taking inspiration from his travels and incorporating traditional Greek flavors. We had to refrain from ordering the hummus with every meal. Supper is best taken on the terrace at golden hour when the sun is sinking behind the craggy hillside dotted with bright-white villas and windmills. You chose this hotel to quietly laze, chill out, and nurse the ouzo hangover from the night before. –Sophie Knight
Kalesma
Far removed from the island’s party scene, 17 one-bedroom suites, eight one-bedroom villas and two larger ones emerge from the hillside. Private suites are set within manicured gardens of lavender and bougainvillaea – slick white-washed sanctuaries with sea views and private pools that wrap around the bedroom making it hard to leave. In fact, Kalesma has had plenty of long author residencies, who have written books happily confined to the outdoor terrace of the private suites. We woke early to sunrise views over Ornos Bay while tucked comfortably in the huge beds, took a morning shower in the outdoor bathroom to the sound of cicadas before ambling slowly to breakfast – other than supper on the terrace at Pere Ubu, it’s the only time of day you can expect to see the other well-groomed guests emerge.
The hotel is owned by business partners Aby Saltiel and Makis and Sofia Kousathanas, Greek owners of several acclaimed restaurants in Athens. Aby, who previously worked in the New York fashion industry, lived at the hotel for six months prior to its opening to note and implement every detail and design function a guest may need. Everything is made from natural materials blending the hotel into the landscape, from the woven wooden ceilings and light-washed natural wall colours to the stone ornaments and ceramics that decorate the room - design is of the utmost importance and of the highest standard on the island. Sophie Knight
Katikies
Boutique brand Katikies has brought the success of its sister hotel in Oia, Santorini, to Mykonos, with a spacious, whitewashed sanctuary on the island’s south-west coast. Compared to other properties, where A-Listers preen and everyone else stays to be seen, this is a discreet hillside enclave of timeless buildings that are secluded enough to catch your breath but close enough to the action that you won’t miss out (Scorpios and Nammos restaurant are less than 20 minutes away by car). Soak up the scenery from the swimming pools overlooking the tiny island of Delos, known as Apollo’s birthplace, to which you can also catch a boat from the pier. If the nightlife hasn’t got the better of you, rise early to claim the four-poster wooden daybed at ground level and order sushi from Seltz Champagne Bar. Bright bedrooms are cool and calming with private terraces and plunge pools, plus there’s a subterranean spa for when you need a break from the blistering heat.
George FakarosSanta Marina
Family-run and family-friendly, Santa Marina offers parents and children the best of both worlds, an unusual feat on this party-hard island. A renovation by owner Christiana Papageorgiou, whose father bought the estate in the late 1970s, has brought it up to date with Greek go-tos such as bamboo furnishings and rattan textures; it’s polished but not precious, smart but not stuck-up (a relief for parents letting little ones loose here). Perched on a cliff overlooking Ornos Bay, it’s designed like a small village—albeit one with lifts—and is one of the only retreats to have its own private beach with shallows, shade provided by the palm trees and domed wicker daybeds.
Lyo Boutique Hotel
Just when you thought Mykonos didn't need another Japanese restaurant, up pops chef Nam Truong at this out-of-the-way new hotel. And guess what? He's turning out some of the best sushi on the island. The German banker-turned-chef trained in Japan, and his black cod with miso-yuzu buttercream and sensational tuna-belly nigiri are reason enough to brave the winding road to Lyo, which sits high on a slope above Super Paradise Beach. Being removed from the intensely developed parts of the coast has allowed the owner, Tasos Zouganelis, to create a more sprawling hotel than is usual in the Cyclades; the 18 bedrooms are spread beneath a series of low-rise buildings, giving the feel of an intimate hill-top hamlet.
Its pristine spaces have a kind of upscaled Nineties look, which makes a refreshing change from the boho-mania that dominates current hotel design, with unabashedly smart and contemporary wire furniture, and bright-white, sky-blue and geometric colour schemes: the opposite, basically, of the murky modern palette. In high summer, Super Paradise's beautiful sandy bay, a five-minute stroll down the hill, transforms into a heaving, hedonistic party zone with crowds drawn to beach clubs such as the magnificently razzly Jackie O. Those who prefer to sip rather than spray their Champagne will probably plump for Lyo's super-quiet, open-air bar with sublime sea views.
Courtesy Vaggelis Paterakis/Bill&CooBill & Coo Coast
Back in 2016, Mykonian hotelier Theodosis Kakoutis worked with hip Athenian architects K-Studio to begin a radical overhaul of the original Bill & Coo, upping the ante from unassuming honeymoon hideaway to super-slick hangout with a buzzy vibe. A few years ago, after an impossible-to-turn-down piece of land became available on the Agios Ioannis peninsula, he opened Bill & Coo Coast, a gorgeous, suites-only hotel overlooking a perfect crescent of sand. Built in rugged stone, bleached wood and cast iron, it feels a lot more private and peaceful than its sibling; a place for A-listers to unspool rather than party. Each of the 15 lovely bedrooms has secluded terraces and is done out in a cool, calm colour palette of light grey and powdery whites with the occasional jet-black vase thrown in for contrast.
For lunch, old-school taverna staples have been given a light, modern makeover, with standouts such as humble but delicious sardines on bread, and slow-cooked rooster pasticada served with pasta and truffles. For dinner, guests can catch the five-minute transfer to the original property, Bill & Coo Suites & Lounge, where executive chef Ntinos Fotinakis creates serious tasting menus with a strong Greek accent in Gastronomy Project. Back at Bill & Coo Coast, Beefbar Mykonos has cemented itself as one of the best restaurants in Mykonos following a full redesign.
Back by the pool at Coast, there are a couple of gazebos (one of which doubles as a therapy tent for outdoor massages), with views of the charming Greek Orthodox church of Agios Ioannis, where black-clad widows mourn on the steps and village lads scoot past on mopeds.
A version of this article originally appeared on Condé Nast Traveller UK.
.jpg)
