The best hotels in Greece

Athens is the entry point for most Greece trips. and most people underuse it. Three nights here makes sense: one for the Acropolis and the Acropolis Museum on Dionysiou Areopagitou, one for the National Archaeological Museum in Exarchia, one for getting lost in Psyrri and eating your way through Monastiraki. The city moves fast and it rewards curiosity.

The hotel spread here is wider than anywhere else in Greece. Hotel Grande Bretagne on Vasileos Georgiou A street is old-school luxury. Winston Churchill slept here, the rooftop pool overlooks the Parthenon. Electra Metropolis in Plaka hits the sweet spot for views and price. Athens Was in Psyrri is the design pick, and it punches well above its price point.

Stay away from Omonia Square area. it's improving slowly but not enough yet to recommend for stays. And avoid the chain hotels near Athens International Airport unless you have a 6am flight. you'd be 40 minutes from everything that makes Athens worth visiting.

Santorini earns its reputation. The caldera. the collapsed volcanic crater filled with the Aegean. is one of the great natural spectacles of Europe, and the villages of Oia and Imerovigli perched on its rim are legitimately breathtaking. This is not hype. But you need to plan it right, because Santorini in August can feel like a cruise ship terminal with better architecture.

Canaves Oia Suites is our top pick for couples. private pools, caldera views, and a location at the quieter northern end of Oia village near the lighthouse. Vedema Resort in Megalochori is the surprise: a converted winery in a village most tourists drive straight past, with arguably the best wine program on the island. Both are worth the prices they charge.

The south of the island. Perissa and Kamari beaches. is cheaper and more accessible but lacks the drama of the caldera side. Fira is convenient but noisy and commercial. First-timers: go straight to Oia, pay for the view, don't apologize for it.

Mykonos is unapologetically glamorous and it knows it. Psarou Beach is where the superyachts anchor and the beach clubs charge €80 for a bottle of rosé. and it's genuinely fun if you're in the right headspace for it. Mykonos Blu sits right on that beach and makes the most of the location. The sunsets from Armenistis lighthouse on the western tip are free, though, and just as good.

For something calmer, Agios Ioannis beach on the southwestern coast is where Katikies Mykonos sits. quieter, with a view of Delos island across the water. Delos itself is a 20-minute boat ride and one of the great archaeological sites in Greece: an entire ancient city, uninhabited and uncrowded. Worth half a day.

Mykonos Town. Little Venice and the Kastro area specifically. is the highlight of the island for architecture. Get there before 9am or after 7pm to actually move through the lanes without being jostled. The windmills at Kato Myli are 3 minutes from Little Venice and the best photo spot on the island.

Crete isn't a quick stop. it's a destination in itself. The island spans 260km, and the east and west are genuinely different experiences. Elounda in the east is where the luxury resorts cluster around a sheltered bay, with Spinalonga island visible from every terrace. Blue Palace Resort there has one of the best spa programs in Greece, and the private beach is real. not a shared strip.

Chania in the west is the cultural and culinary capital. The Venetian lighthouse, the covered market on Gianari Street, and the old harbor tavernas serving fresh catch off the boats. this is the Greece people imagine before they arrive. Domes Noruz is adults-only, set just outside the old harbor, and it's one of the more thoughtfully designed hotels in the country.

The food in Crete is specifically excellent. not just 'good for Greece.' Dakos, sfakianes pites, and Graviera cheese from the Amari valley are the local specialties. Don't leave without eating at least one meal in a village away from the port. ask any local for a recommendation and they'll give you one immediately.

Rhodes gets overlooked because it feels less 'Instagram' than Santorini. and that's exactly why it's worth going. Lindos village on the eastern coast is the standout: a hillside of whitewashed captain's houses, a Doric acropolis on the cliff above, and a crescent beach below that genuinely earns its reputation. Lindos Blu hotel sits on the hillside with the kind of views that make you cancel your plans for the day.

Rhodes Town's medieval old city is a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the most complete walled medieval cities in the world. The Street of the Knights. Ippoton. was built by the Knights of St. John in the 14th century and looks exactly as dramatic as it sounds. It's 55km and about an hour's drive from Lindos, worth a day trip.

The western coast of Rhodes is windier and better for windsurfing. Prassonisi at the southern tip is a world-class spot. The eastern coast is calmer, clearer, and better for swimming. Faliraki. avoid it unless you're 22 and looking for an all-inclusive package deal.