Summer is approaching very fast and we are starting thinking about the next summer break. It is no secret we love Greece and all the Greek islands, so we would like to start from a few tips about a couple of nice properties to stay at while in Mykonos.
Well, Mykonos is full of very nice hotels, so it is not difficult to find a nice property – but we were able to find a couple of hidden gems lately, which are different from the usual luxury hotels on the island.
First one is Bill&Coo, a great boutique hotel in the Megali Ammos area, member of the Leading Hotels of the World. Recently the hotel added also a new property, Bill&Coo Coast, in Agios Ioannis, but we decided to stay at the main property, Bill&Coo Suites & Lounge. Megali Ammos is an area between Mykonos Town (Chora) and Ornos, close to the seaside, just 5 minutes drive (or 15 minutes walking distance) from the city center. For our trip we booked a Bill&Coo Suite, which is the best suite the hotel offers, with private infinity pool.
As soon as you get there you just understand that this is a very customer-centric hotel and the level of attention to details is overt the top. We got there pretty early in the morning – usually the answer you get from the reception at your hotel is “check-in starts at 2:00pm, if you want you can leave the luggage and we will let you know when the room is ready…”. Here, instead, they offered us a complementary breakfast (which by the way is amazing) and made everything possible to get our room ready soon, at 11:00am. I think this tells you a lot about what kind of hotel is this.
The rooms are just great, with a nice modern Myconian style, and some precious details such as the Molton Brown toiletries. We highly recommend to get a Bill&Coo suite – the veranda got a nice view on the sea and the sunset; the infinity pool is big enough to have some relaxing time swimming while in the privacy of your room. And if the night is warm enough, just ask to get dinner in your veranda and enjoy some romantic moments with your better half!
It is worth adding a note about the food here: it is spectacular. Starting from breakfast where there is no buffet, but everything is “a la carte”, made just for you. You can ask basically for everything, from international to more local options. And then, the big thing is about the restaurant at night, where the very young Chef Athinagoras Kostakos will surprise you with amazing dishes. The Chef is able to mix the freshest produce from the island with very innovative ideas from the more contemporary cuisine – the result is just dishes to die for. One above all: the sea urchin with orzo – I am a huge fan of sea urchin, but I have never eaten anything as good as this. When you order this dish just close your eyes and dream…
The second location we wanted to talk about is Casa del Mar in Aleomandra, a member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World. It is located in an area on the South-West side of the island, pretty close to Ornos (if you drive from Chora to Ornos, you continue going south for another 10mins and you will get easily there). It is located in a very quiet area, with a private beach next to the property. It is an all-villas resort, with nice luxury villas, all of them with terrace facing the sea and some of them with a private infinity pool. We booked a Superior Outdoor Jacuzzi Villa but got upgraded at the arrival to a Master Infinity Pool Villa.
Once you get in your villa, you just realize you are not in a standard hotel – the terrace is huge, with a big table which can easily accomodate 8 people for dinner, a couple of sunbeds and chaise-longues and an infinity pool. Inside there are two big bedrooms, with two bathrooms and a large living room with kitchen – it is not a hotel room but your villa in Mykonos. Style is minimal, all Myconian, where white dominates.
The hotel is very small, but you still get a good level of service and all the amenities you need, such as a small gym where you can workout in the morning before starting your day. The thing we liked a lot is that your breakfast is served every morning on your terrace – at night you send your order to the reception and in the morning a white basket is delivered to your terrace with everything you asked. Once more, you feel like you are spending your holidays in your villa in Mykonos.
We did not try the restaurant there, so we do not have any details to add about food.
Now you will ask: which one to choose for our next break in Mykonos? Well, these are two very different properties. If you are looking for a superb hotel, with the highest level of service and a magnificent culinary experience, you have to choose Bill&Coo. If, instead, you are a bigger group of people, maybe two couples or a few friends, and you are looking for an amazing small villa with some hotel services, then Casa del Mar could be the right option for you.
We hope you will enjoy your next summer break in Mykonos!
The Hip Traveller 