The best luxury boutique hotels in Greece offer pleasant surprises, set in stunning landscapes from the sea to the mountains. Some of the best have also led a previous life.
At Fly Me to the Moon, we also know about the truly exceptional properties that have amazing stories and remarkable people behind them. These hotels intertwine luxury, fascinating history and gorgeous design.
We’ve compiled our list of impressive stays that are a special part of the history of boutique hotels in Greece.
Athermigo
A Cretan olive press transformed.
This stunning period villa in Crete was once — an olive press. Its story began around 1750, when Crete was still under Ottoman rule. The olive oil produced at the time, as in the whole area of Apokoronas, was renowned for its very high quality. More than 250 years later, following a careful and meticulous renovation project, the olive oil press was reborn into a beautiful three cottage luxury boutique hotel called Athermigo. The restoration brought back the finest details to life, creating one of the finest boutique hotels in Greece known for its rural chic style.
Located in close proximity to the Venetian port city of Chania, the amazing gorge of Samaria and breathtaking beaches, Athermigo is a hidden gem. Its laid back luxury merges with a storied history hailing from the fertile richness of Crete’s lands.
Cita dei Nicliani
A historic jewel towers in the wild beauty of Mani.
In the Peloponnese, the Mani region is famous for its wild beauty, fascinating culture and its historic military stone towers that dot its dry landscape. One of those towers, dating back to the mid-eighteenth century, is one of the most charming and stylish luxury boutique hotels in Greece today called Cita dei Nicliani.
The property is located in Koita village which was the birthplace of the Nicliani family, a strong clan that dates back centuries in the Mani. Koita lived through a tumultuous era of occupation periods and by 1945, the tower was abandoned. In 2011, a thorough and thoughtful renovation brought it back to life. Today the tower is one-of-a-kind traditional boutique hotel of immense style within close proximity to Mani’s crystal clear beaches, fortified villages and ancient sites.
Katogi Averoff
A history of fine wine in Metsovo, Ipiros.
Katogi Averoff has its prominent place in the history of boutique hotels in Greece. Behind the name is Evangelos Averoff, a prominent member of the Greek diaspora in Egypt and Greek politician who donated much of his wealth to develop his beloved Metsovo. Averoff founded the Katogi Winery reviving the traditional viticulture that once flourished on the slopes of the Pindos Mountains there. The Katogi Averoff luxury boutique hotel features an impressive wine cellar and an incredible view of the vineyards of Metsovo.
Besides local wine tasting experiences, the region is ripe with the characteristics that Averoff spent a lifetime admiring including traditional music and arts and the lush beauty of the region’s mountains and hiking trails.
The Old Markets
A fascinating marketplace of the Dodecanese islands.
Stay at The Old Markets on the island of Simi, and you’ll be staying in what was once the bustling island trading post and marketplace.
The luxury boutique hotel was once a series of nine shops in the sponge trading center of the Dodecanese island chain. Registered as a Greek national monument, the Old Markets has been exquisitely restored and converted into a four room luxury hotel. Each room is themed according to a historic major trading route with the island.
Nested in the amphitheatrically built town of Simi, itself protected by national preservation order, the hotel looks out to the fjord-like port. The Old Markets style, service and luxury offerings blend perfectly in Simi, an island known for its sophisticated atmosphere featuring great gastronomy and local charm.
Imaret
Birthplace of Mohammad Ali Pasha in Kavala, Macedonia
In a region of Macedonia, rich with influences from the Middle East, you’ll find the city of Kavala where the luxury boutique hotel called Imaret boasts an amazing story of culture. The property was built in 1813 as an Imaret-Koranic school and charitable center. Later it was the birthplace of Mohamed Ali Pasha, a prominent politician who became the founder of modern Egypt and the Egyptian royal family.
Pasha donated the building to Kavala to support the Muslim population there. In 1923, the Greek state annexed it. Today, after a long-term restoration project, it is one of the finest luxury boutique hotels in Greece.
The ancient site of Philippi, the National Park of Eastern Macedonia, the Nestos River and tours to learn about the area’s tobacco production add to a historic stay at one of Greece’s most multifaceted regions.
We love the rich history of boutique hotels in Greece. What did you think of the stories we wrote about? Which of the boutique hotels in Greece would you love to experience?