56 Best places to stay in Greek Islands

For a natural high and authentic local experience, this eco-retreat is still the benchmark on Crete. Hidden away in the forested peaks of Kissamos, Milia is ideal for active walking holidays and gourmet locavores (the food is phenomenal).

A great value and cosy two-star family hotel at the northern edge of Naxos Town, renowned for its Greek filoxenia (hospitality) and spectacular sunset views.

A waterfront landmark brimming with local character and an unbeatable location for people and boat watching.

With just six smart, contemporary rooms right on Symi’s picturesque port, this intimate, welcoming hotel is incredibly central and convenient.

A superb value 2-star hotel, just moments from Agios Prokopios beach, and a convenient base for exploring the town and island.

A fabulous 1896 neoclassical gem ideally located in a central, but quiet, part of Corfu’s old town.

This quiet, charming 500-year-old Ottoman mansion in the centre of Rhodes old town is a designer jewel, with a restaurant offering Michelin-quality food.

Design-forward interiors, Cretan home-cooking, and a sandy beach on the doorstep make Ammos a much-loved favourite with parents and children alike.

Romantic hideaway with a hidden pool and excellent restaurant, just moments from all the fashionable portside action.

Welcoming, tranquil, family-run boutique hotel, close to all amenities and only one block away from Santorini’s famed black beach at Kamari. 

Seaside digs on the Greek islands don’t come cheap, but this 3-star hotel offers real value for money. It’s right on Golden Beach, a half-mile expanse of sand popular with windsurfers and families.

A mountain inn, with ten rural-luxe rooms, strategically located in the island’s crossroads at Monolithos – a perfect, inexpensive base to explore Rhodes (with a car).

This simple and stylish boutique, on the best location of the most picturesque resort of the island, is the ideal alternative to the Corfu resort.

A handsome sea captain’s mansion built in 1810, Miranda is a peaceful guesthouse that epitomises the old-fashioned charm of Hydra’s cultural heritage.

An idyllic hideaway beach hotel on the tiny but chic island of Ano Koufonissi, neighbouring Naxos.

An uber-romantic, adults-only beachfront boutique hotel with sea views over dunes and rooms decorated in southeast-Asian chic.

Boutique bolthole combining heritage charm and contemporary chic, with show-stopping harbour views from the terrace and suites.

A smart and exceptionally well-run hotel geared towards couples, with a large pool, spa, and lush grounds overlooking the sea, which is a 10-minute walk away.

Cycladic blinding-white chic and rooms with private pools, set in blissful peace and privacy, a short drive from the village and beach of Agios Prokopios.

An all-inclusive four-star oasis on a five-star, laid-back stretch of Moraitika beach. Great value for the location and five-star facilities.

A rare (and remote) seafront hotel on the rocky island of Hydra, with seven calm and elegant suites in a converted stone mansion.

The adults-only Avaton Resort boasts an excellent spa and caldera views, and is one of the island’s more ‘affordable’ luxury hotels.

A beautifully-restored heritage boutique hotel set in a historic townhouse in Rhodes Old Town. A cultured alternative to the typical Rhodes beach resort.

Stylish quirky and secluded, Avant Garde is a stunning design hotel, with an unusual location that results in an alternative sunset panorama.

A family-friendly, beachfront resort in the southwest of the island, away from the crowds, with six gourmet restaurants, excellent evening entertainment and a kids’ club.

Once an olive mill owned by the nearby Arkadi monastery, this 200-year-old stone hamlet has been sensitively converted into a secluded hillside hideaway, where nature and traditional heritage take centre stage.

A lavish yet genteel luxury boutique hotel in the style of a 17th-century Lindos mansion, with sweeping panoramas of the beach and coastline below.

An intimate, compact hotel right on a sheltered sandy beach, far from the madding crowds of Paros. It’s an ode to Cycladic simplicity: white-on-white minimalism and a no-fuss, friendly vibe.

A historic mansion overlooking a pool in the peaceful backstreets behind the old harbour of Spetses, this intimate hotel brims with personality and warmth.

A slick design-led hotel with a fabulous pool, great food, and efficient, helpful staff. The look and feel is Cycladic minimalism with a contemporary edge.

A sharply designed but relaxed seaside hotel where the contemporary Cycladic lifestyle includes fine dining, wellness, and curated island experiences.

A five-star adults-only showstopper on vibey Moraitika Beach, close to the quiet resort of Mesonghi – the perfect place for a blissful break.

A modern classic on the quieter end of Elounda, with a wealth of facilities and warm Cretan staff. The atmosphere is calm and cossetting, making it hard to venture out and explore the island.

A funky, sustainably minded haven, this 205-key beach resort brings a dash of sophistication to an over-developed corner of Crete.

Family-friendly resort, just west of Corfu Town on the Blue Flag Glyfada beach, with three bars, two excellent restaurants, top-notch activities and a great kids’ club.

A historic palazzo hidden in the colourful backstreets of Chania’s old town, this family-owned hotel has plenty of personality.  The views from the roof terrace are a knock-out, and breakfast in the photogenic courtyard is a treat.

A pioneering cave-style hotel in the beautiful village of Oia, with one of the island’s best restaurants and luxurious suites.

Architecturally bold, centrally placed and standout-stylish, this luxurious hotel combines environmental awareness with quality dining and personal comfort.

A great have-it-all resort for those who want a ‘stay and relax’ rather than a ‘drive and explore’ holiday; superb facilities, and on quality sand beaches. Adults only.

Tranquil and spacious resort in the quieter south. Contemporary and dreamy,m and right on Kalathos beach.

A stunning family five-star on its own thin, long sandy stretch at Dassia packed with facilities for all ages.

Superbly located on a secluded peninsula and straddling two beaches, only 9km from Corfu Town, this top-quality, family-friendly resort is hard to beat.

A 1960s landmark brimming with contemporary art, this low-rise resort has an enviable seaside location and lashings of local colour.

The only five-star resort on Hydra, with beautifully breezy (and pricey) suites and a lively beach bar, enjoys a covetable location on sandy Mandraki bay. The hotel is adults-only.

An adults-only hotel, amphitheatrically sited on a hill above Vlycha bay. One of Rhodes’ most romantic hotels.

A stunningly romantic design hotel, in the quintessential white village setting, with food and service to match the mind–blowing views. 

An intimate retreat run by a local couple, in the traditional yposkafo (cave dwelling) style, with jaw-dropping views of the caldera.

A perfectly-located, luxury hotel for drivers who don’t want to get clogged within the permanent traffic jam of Fira, yet still a hop skip and jump from Santorini’s effervescent capital.

Slick spacious suites with great sunset views come as standard at this island favourite, located at the start of the Oia-Fira trail. 

A blissfully quiet, adults-only resort snuggled among the hoary olive groves above Kalami with magnificent views of the sea and the fishing village-cum-resort below.

Boutique and bijou, Naxos Island is the best of the five-stars bunched up around Agios Prokopios.

Charming, family-owned hotel right on the beach of Agios Georgio, conveniently positioned at the edge of Naxos Town.

A 100-key resort set in pretty gardens with three pools and excellent in-house dining options. It’s a short walk from lively, sandy Pounta beach.

Serene seaside hotel that effortlessly combines five-star service, low-key luxury and fabulous sea views.

Effortless barefoot glamour at this low-key, luxury retreat carved out of the Santorini cliffside. An oasis of calm, with stunning caldera views.

Unmissable landmark on the Spetses waterfront, updated with chic interiors and a destination restaurant. Glorious heritage mixed with contemporary luxury.