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Let’s face it, hot spots in Mykonos are crowded, so if you prefer to stay away from the shops selling tat, and the cruise crowds storming off their ships to jam the one-moped-narrow streets in the globe’s most glitzy Cycladic isle, this one’s not for you. If you hunger to be at the heart of the action, however - and you’re not too fussy about having a mega-sized plunge pool - this historic Design hotel’s member which sits bang next to Mykonos’ famed windmills is definitely The One
Why stay at Mykonos Theoxenia?
Location, darling! If you’re planning to ‘do’ Mykonos in style, this recently refurbed historic hotel which opened wa..a..ay back in the 1960s when it was a magnet for celebrities – Aristotle Onassis, Jackie O and French bombshell Brigitte Bardot amongst them – you couldn’t find a better spot. You almost can’t believe it when you arrive in Mykonos in the Fabrika district and see it’s literally just behind those world-famous, on-every-Instagram windmills and just steps from Chora’s winding alleys. The Little Venice waterfront is your eye-candy as soon as you step outside the hotel – along with the mega cruise ships that anchor just opposite. It’s in the Fabrika district, so as soon as you leave the hotel you’re in a pedestrian area which means no noisy traffic (although there might be some noise from drunken partygoers late at night), and all the famous bars – give names – are just a few labyrinthine alley-strolls away.
What are the rooms like at Mykonos Theoxenia?
There are 49 rooms scattered across seven low stone buildings in fairly spacious grounds with plenty of plants, and lots of stone and concrete - gleaming royal blue shutters and doors make it seem less austere. Built in 1960, this is a historic hotel which means that they can’t change much – "just the colour of the wall paint and the furniture," the manager joked. This means that some of the entry-category rooms are cramped, although you’ll probably be out exploring most of the time anyway (if you get one with a sea view you’ll spend most of the time out on the balcony). Interiors have been refurbished – although the pitted floors made with marble from Karystos are original, so youre literally walking in footsteps of all the celebs who’ve stayed here.
Style is fairly bland: creamy vanilla or pale beige walls; pale linen curtains hiding desks and alcoves; low couches that can turn into beds; monogrammed towels and linen, and a few earthenware pots and wicker baskets scattered here and there. Bathrooms are gleaming modern with marble surround sinks, walk-in showers and delish Guerlain toiletries. Some rooms have garden or side sea views but if you want those fab celeb-loved views over the windmills to the sea, rooms on the top floor are you best bet. There are also four suites with private pools – probably more worthwhile in summer when it’s nice to have a splash around after a long hot day treading the tourist-packed streets.
What is the food like at Mykonos Theoxenia?
Classic Greek dishes with a French twist are all the rage at Apanemi, the hotel’s main restaurant. Views over the Mykonos glittering bay to the dark mysterious shadow of Delos – and the odd party boat floating past – add lashings of atmosphere, which is matched by the food. Executive two-star Michelin chef Jerome Serres collaborated with local celebrity chef Giannis Baxevanis to create the menus which are expertly prepared by hotel chef Antonia Oikonomou. I started with the dips – four creamy bowls of meringue-soft tarama, smooth tangy eggplant, cucumber-fresh tzatziki, and chunky split yellow pea fava served with crispy pita crackers, an amuse-bouche of squid in a guacamole and basil-infused sauce, followed by day-fresh prawns that were cooked on a hot stone at the table, sprinkled with fleur de sel and then doused in a cloud of ouzo, along with their version of Greek street food classic gyros pita, with the pita as a base for luscious mounds of tzatziki and finely chopped veg topped with delicate chunks of free-range chicken. Like the views, there wasn’t a false note.
Breakfast was one of the best presented and most varied I’ve seen in a small hotel: half a dozen different local cheeses, honey on the comb, delicate tarts filled with fava, seeds, nuts, elegant pastries; also à la carte egg dishes and a whole table for healthy treats: fresh fruit, four different fresh-made juices, smoothies, yoghurts.
What’s the service like at Mykonos Theoxenia?
It’s a sprawling property and staff are busy everywhere. At reception they’re friendly and helpful, and eager to point you to the sights; restaurant staff in smart white apparel are effortlessly charming, whisking plates away, stopping to ask if you had a good day or where you’re from, with genuine interest but without it seeming cheesy.
A star attraction is Petros the pelican – it’s actually one of the descendants of the Mykonos original pelican – who can often be found wandering around the grounds.
What are the pools and facilities like at Mykonos Theoxenia?
There’s a lovely pool in the centre of the property surrounded by a jungle of trees and plants. In the centre of the pool there’s a huge daybed on a dais – get there early as there’s only one – but also plenty of loungers scattered around. In other areas near the seafront there are sofas covered in marshmallow-soft striped cushions where you can just chill.
The spa is just a couple of rooms on a lower level of the property. It’s not very attractive – it’s a bit like a clinical spa – very functional, and there are few aesthetic touches. On the plus side they have some state-of-the-art equipment, including infrared sauna – “it burns off three times as many calories,” I was told, along with an AI skin glow advisor, Ghaemi PLT plasma mask, and a Satori chair for stress. Also, the therapist is an ex-football player who played for Mykonos, so sports lovers with aches and pains are in professional hands.
There’s also a bijou beach beneath the church opposite the hotel which is reached by a narrow dirt track.
What’s the area like around Mykonos Theoxenia?
This is one of the best locations in Mykonos with those famous windmills, Little Venice waterfront and Chroa’s chic boutiques right there on your doorstep. Further afield the hotel can organise excursions to the mythical island of Delos (it’s just opposite).
Why should you book a stay at Mykonos Theoxenia?
Weren’t you listening? Location darling, location!
DETAILS
Address: 84600, Mykonos, Greece
Price per night: Starting from €475 per night
Closest transport: The hotel organises complimentary port and airport transfers – if you’re coming under your own steam contact the hotel first because the area, Fabrika, where the hotel is, is out of bounds to vehicles if you don’t have prior permission, and it’s a long walk with luggage from the bus station if you’re left there.