- Aqua Blu, Kos: A sensational pool terrace merges seamlessly with handsome lounges, while guest rooms are design statements that combine contemporary chic with comfort, intimacy, and elegance. Guests are pampered with sea views, terraces, and such perks as fireplaces and private pools in some rooms and suites. Somehow the design-magazine-worthy surroundings don't dampen the staff’s down-to-earth hospitality.
- Atrium Hotel, Skiathos: Beautiful and comfortable accommodations that range from doubles to lavish maisonettes tumble down a pine-clad hillside above one of the island’s nicest beaches, commanding endless sea views from multiple terraces and outdoor living spaces. Wood and warm stone are accented with antiques and island-style furnishings, all carefully chosen by the architect-family that built and still runs this stunning retreat.
- Cavo Tagoo, Mykonos: Huge rooms and suites, set amid beautiful gardens, are filled with high-tech gadgetry, gorgeous handcrafted furnishings, sunken tubs, and other soothing comforts. Most rooms have sea-facing terraces, many with private pools and built-in divans and dining tables surrounded by exotic plantings. All in all, it provides a thoroughly decadent al fresco island experience.
- Elounda Mare, Crete: At this low-key, intimate, and idyllic retreat—one of Europe's truly great getaways—swanky bungalows and other handsome guest quarters are tucked into verdant seaside gardens. All are furnished elegantly in traditional Cretan style, and expansive views extend over the Gulf of Elounda. A sandy beach and all sorts of shady seaside nooks are among many, many amenities.
- Esperas, Santorini: You’ll feel like a cliff dweller at this welcoming, intimate enclave of traditional houses teetering on the edge of the caldera in Ia. This enchanted perch seems like a world unto itself, soaking in stupendous views from the private terraces, beautiful pool and terrace, and comfortable and tasteful accommodations filled with traditional island furnishings.
- Melenos Lindos Hotel, Lindos, Rhodes: An authentically Lindian-style villa is a work of art, where hand-painted tiles, local antiques, handcrafted lamps, and weavings provide the backdrop for an almost otherworldly experience on a pine-scented hillside. Huge Lydian beds make anyone feel like a reclining pasha, while rooms open to large, nicely furnished, terraces that are embellished with statuary and architectural fragments and look out to an idyllic cove.
- Petra Hotel and Apartments, Patmos: The Stergiou family has created a luxurious haven on a hillside above Grikos Bay, lavishing personal attention to guests in spacious, beautifully appointed rooms and one- and two-bedroom suites that exude island style. Most quarters have balconies or open to lavish terraces furnished with pillowed divans for some Greek-island-style lounging. The main veranda is a gracious living space, a pool glistens off to one side, and sandy Grikos beach is just at the bottom of the lane.
- St. George Lycabettus Hotel, Athens: Large, nicely decorated guest rooms (each floor has a different theme, from art nouveau to minimalism) and a beautiful rooftop pool do justice to a wonderful location—the pine-scented slopes of Lycabettus hill just above the designer-boutique-lined streets of Kolonaki. The choicest quarters have views of the Acropolis.
- Spirit of the Knights, Rhodes City: Five luxurious suites and a cozily medieval chamber are tucked away in a beautifully restored Ottoman house in the quietest part of Old Rhodes Town. Hand-painted ceilings, original beams, Ottoman stained glass, marble baths, rich carpets and textiles, and other exquisite details embellish the exotic surroundings, while a beautiful courtyard is cooled by a splashing fountain.
- Villa Marandi, Naxos: A stone-and-stucco villa set in seaside gardens surrounding a large pool fulfills just about anyone’s fantasy of a Greek-island getaway. Beautifully designed and maintained rooms are large, stylish, and supremely comfortable; all have large, well-furnished terraces, most with sea views. A private strip of beach lies at the end of the garden path, and an expert staff serves cocktails and inspired Mediterranean-style meals on a beautiful poolside terrace.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.