Five Greek Hotels On Condé Nast Traveler Gold List 2014

Greek hotels located on Santorini, Crete, Mykonos and Athens were put into the “2014 Gold List,” which was voted by Condé Nast Traveler readers and highlights the best hotels and resorts in Europe.

In December, Condé Nast Traveler covered an annual vote result named Gold List 2014. Some 80.000 frequent readers of Condé Nast Traveler magazine voted their favorite hotels and resorts in the survey.

The Condé Nast Traveler Gold List 2014 appears in the magazine’s January issue.

Below are the five Greek hotels that made it on this year’s Gold List in order of their readers’ choice rating and with their descriptions as included in Condé Nast Traveler magazine.

GOLD LIST 2014: Greece Hotels & Resorts

– Perivolas, Santorini
Readers’ Choice Rating: 98.5

“A dream place for the soul! You feel whole again after staying at this paradisiacal sanctuary.” On a cliff above the island’s famous caldera—a perfect-scoring location—this resort “embodies simplicity, elegance, and tranquillity.” Modern, spare rooms converted from 300-year-old caves have clean white walls with splashes of vivid fuchsia, mauve, aqua, and rose in the cushions and bedding. There are no TVs, but there is an “absolutely marvelous infinity pool”—Mediterranean fish and other seafood plus Greek wines are served on a deck overlooking it. Perfect-scoring staff are “friendly, warm, and accommodating, second to none.”

– Blue Palace Resort & Spa (Luxury Collection), Elounda, Crete
Readers’ Choice Rating: 96.4

“The view is breathtaking when you open the curtains” at this “truly inspiring resort” set amid palm and olive trees and jasmine and bougainvillea plants, in Elounda, opposite the isle of Spinalonga. The low-rise property blends into the landscape with clay roof tiles, wooden shutters, and traditional pebble mosaics, while the lobby’s design evokes the local shipyard. Guest rooms are arranged in clusters along a slope overlooking the sea—”definitely splurge on one with a private infinity pool.” Vegetables handpicked by the chef accompany Flame’s locally sourced steak. Decorated in white-and-blue tablecloths, Blue Door focuses on the daily catch from local fishermen. Sample typical Cretan pastries and egg dishes for breakfast at Olea. “The highly qualified staff provide royal service.”

– Mykonos Grand Hotel & Resort, Mykonos
Readers’ Choice Rating: 94.1

Located on Ayios Yiannis beach, opposite the island of Delos, this “delightful and marvelous” 2001 hotel was built on land that housed only a beach tavern and embodies Cycladic architecture with cube-shaped whitewashed buildings linked by pathways and terraces. Public spaces use elaborate mosaics  and hand-carved marble to set the tone. Most of the rooms have views of the Aegean Sea, as do some of the bathrooms, which also come with deep soaking tubs and a separate walk-in rain shower and steam cabin. “Service at the pool was perfection.” At Dolphins of Delos, dine alfresco on Greek cuisine with panoramic views of the sea.

– Hotel Grande Bretagne, Athens
Readers’ Choice Rating: 91.3

This 1874 stone building with marble and wood is “in the heart of things” on Constitution Square. Rooms, though “a bit small,” set the tone with restored antiques and “very elegant marble baths.” Suites come with butler service and Gilchrist & Soames bathroom amenities. Watch the changing of the guard or unwind with a martini at Alexander’s Bar, under an eighteenth-century tapestry of Alexander the Great. Decorated in Art Deco style, GB Corner serves Greek specialties like roasted white grouper with artichoke; its rooftop garden bar offers views of the Acropolis—”it’s one of the most beautiful places in the world to have dinner.” “The service was superb, but the high food prices aren’t completely justified.”

– Mystique, Oia, Santorini
Readers’ Choice Rating: 90.0

Building a hotel into the face of Santorini’s dramatic sea cliffs lends an immediate advantage: The location alone is enough to make it a showstopper. Happily, the 18-room Mystique, under the same ownership as the island’s highly regarded but viewless Vedema Resort, lives up to its stunning site. The free-form rooms, decorated in what might be called cave-art style (driftwood for headboards, a dining table and chairs that appear to be made of egg-shaped boulders), are carved directly into the cliff, and the views—toward the town of Fira—are magnificent. Mystique is accessed by a heart-poundingly steep staircase in one of the most private locations in Oia. Guests can take advantage of the splendid isolation by whiling away their afternoons poolside, then sitting down to a grilled-lobster dinner under the stars at the open-air restaurant.