This 1970s apartment in Kifisia, in the leafy northern suburbs of Athens, sits among Beverly Hills-sized mansions and Michelin restaurants, and is itself located within a piece of cutting-edge 20th-century architecture. Rising above the capital’s ubiquitous graffiti-covered walls, the residential complex features a pair of twin towers that cantilever from central pillars like concrete umbrellas. In one of these is the newly remodelled home by Georgios Apostolopoulos Architects, as innovative as the building itself.

‘The apartment is part of the Stroggyli Polykatoikia (‘Round Apartment Building’) designed by architect Nikos Despotidis and built between 1973–1974,’ says Apostolopoulos of the pioneering building. ‘Despotidis explored new typologies of collective living, combining expressive form with rational construction. The concrete frame, continuous balconies and carefully choreographed circulation created a strong architectural identity – one that offered both structural freedom and spatial generosity.’

To complement this unusual site, Apostolopoulos reimagined the original one-bedroom apartment by completely reconfiguring traditional domestic boundaries. The process began with subtraction: all partitions were removed to reveal the apartment’s spatial potential and expose the existing structure.

The original layout comprised two long, narrow corridors leading separately to the bedroom at one end and the kitchen at the other, with the bathroom at the centre of the plan, and the living spaces confined to a small, elongated space with limited natural light. ‘Overall, the apartment felt fragmented, the bedroom was overly enclosed, the rooms were small, and daylight struggled to penetrate the interior,’ explains the architect. ‘Each function existed in isolation, reinforcing a sense of separation rather than continuity.’

The client’s challenging brief required fitting a kitchen, living and dining areas, plus two bedrooms, one bathroom and one toilet into this compact floor plan. For the architect, the answer lied in questioning the conventional role of room-making, resulting in a home conceived as ‘a continuous interior where light and movement flow without interruption’.

‘The client wanted to have a calm space within a busy part of the town and next to a busy road – a ‘cave like’ space that would accommodate all the functions that he needed,’ says Apostolopoulos. ‘To achieve this, we had to rethink how an apartment can be inhabited, questioning whether privacy is needed at all. This meant pushing the boundaries of conventional domestic layouts and exploring a more fluid, adaptable way of living.’

‘This idea required a high level of precision,’ says Apostolopoulos, which was only made possible by turning joinery into a key architectural element. ‘Danelis, the joiners we collaborated with, played a crucial role in realising this vision. Their craftsmanship made it possible to execute the movable elements and create the flexibility that we wanted,’ he continues. ‘The complexity increased further because all the air conditioning is hidden within the joinery, something that required careful co-ordination between design and construction.’

Equally key was the client’s willingness to agree to an unconventional concept with flexible, flowing spaces. The new floorplan includes a main bedroom that feels like a natural extension of the living area, with wardrobes acting as ‘layered filters’. On the other side of the apartment is a versatile space that can be used as a dining room, guest room or study thanks to an entire wall of joinery hiding a fold-down bed, integrated desk and storage.

‘When the joinery is closed, it reads as almost the room doesn’t exist, allowing the apartment to feel open and uninterrupted,’ says Apostolopoulos. ‘When needed, sliding doors create a private space, and the dropdown desk and fold-down bed allow it to shift effortlessly between a workspace and a bedroom. It is a room that appears only when required – and disappears when not required.’

At the centre of it all, replacing the old bathroom, is the new kitchen – ‘a social device treated less as a room and more as an inhabited object’. Anchoring the space is a large kitchen island overlooking the refurbished original fireplace, which is located between two floor-to-ceiling windows framing the balcony.

‘I was interested in the idea of concentrating all the kitchen functions into a single piece placed at the centre of the plan. Positioned this way, it allowed the kitchen to become the main socialising element, a place where cooking, conversation, drinking can happen. It also connects seamlessly with the living and dining.’

Slim-frame windows bring maximum light into the interiors, reinforcing the sense of continuity between spaces, while the simple, monochromatic palette – including microcement finishes across floors, walls and doors – allows Despotidis’ original structure to shine through.

georgiosapostolopoulos.com

The best souvenirs are rarely souvenirs at all, but something that proves useful in everyday life – like a hat. This is the premise behind Ruslan Baginskiy’s summer residence at cult-favourite beach club Scorpios Mykonos, open on the Greek island until the end of September 2026.

Ruslan Baginskiy brings Ukrainian craft to Scorpios Mykonos

The Ukrainian luxury headwear and accessories brand has dreamt up the earthy space under the art direction of its eponymous founder, a milliner and designer. Somewhere between an atelier, a gallery and a summer pop-up, it is filled with the brand’s signature styles, original workshop hat blocks, hat-making tools, and handwoven wicker pieces made bespoke for the project.

‘To me, trips are about exploring, so I wanted to create a kind of “wonder room”,’ Baginskiy tells Wallpaper*. ‘It’s a place where people can wander around a little and slow down, get lost in the details. Craft is meant to be experienced in person – to be seen, touched, and understood through its details. Just like the places we travel to, the real value for me is in the experience itself.’

Large handwoven wicker ottomans reinterpret the silhouette of classic Ruslan Baginskiy (RB) bucket hats, turning a familiar accessory into something with sculptural demeanour. Other handcrafted pieces were shipped from Ukraine, while vintage furniture from Mykonos and mainland Greece helps the installation bend into the existing Scorpios landscape. ‘We brought the real tools of hat making into the space, but at the same time turned hats into furniture you can actually sit on,’ Baginskiy says. ‘I like this play between something authentic and whimsical.’

The young milliner wanted the residence to feel like ‘a natural continuation’ of the destination, rather than a retail insertion. ‘That’s why the RB summer residence exists somewhere between an atelier, a gallery, and a friend’s beautiful summer home,’ he says.

A selection of RB summer hats and accessories, from the versatile HatBag to the quirky straw cowboy hat, can be personalised with fruit- and vegetable-inspired bag charms as well as limited-edition Scorpios medallions, turning each piece into a keepsake. ‘I love the idea that guests can leave with something that carries a memory of this beautiful place, of their time there, and of this summer,’ Baginskiy adds. ‘To me, the best souvenirs are the ones that become part of your everyday life later on.’

Scorpios Mykonos is located at Paraga, Mikonos 846 00, Greece

Ancient mountains and blue sea. Warm local stone. Marble sculpted by island artisans. Raw concrete. Monolithic abstractions. And a traditional Greek keli – a small rural shelter for shepherds and farmers.

These key elements shape this Tinos House, a contemporary residence that deeply harmonises with its rugged mountainside setting overlooking the sea, on wind-swept Tinos, a small Greek island in the Cyclades.

Tour this Tinos House on a rugged Greek mountainside

Designed by Athens-based architect Kelly Spanou, the house is angular and compact yet open in atmosphere. It flows across two light-flooded levels, with one bedroom and walls of glass framing views across the natural landscape and the blues of the Aegean.

The seed of the house was an original keli – one of hundreds of small dry-stone structures that have dotted the elemental landscape of Tinos for centuries, traditionally built for storage and shelter from intense sun and strong winds.

The dynamism of the ancient island landscape was a driving force in the house, commissioned by a Greek and French-Lebanese couple based overseas. Boundaries between inside and out are softened by a material palette which is tactile and natural, raw and elemental (in stone, concrete, marble, wood) – with open interiors anchored by a monolithic structure on the ground floor, serving both as kitchen island and sculptural abstraction.

The couple were drawn to creating a home on Tinos, due to its rich local culture, year-round sense of community in villages and the beauty of its landscape – in particular, the powerful contrast between ancient mountains and the blue waters of the Aegean Sea.

As Spanou tells Wallpaper*: 'One of the most memorable things the client told me was that he wanted to feel small in relation to the space. Not in an overwhelming way, but in a way that would constantly remind him of the landscape and the views around the house.'

Highlighting the intensity of the landscape, she adds: 'The island is shaped by powerful natural forces: relentless winds, rugged mountains, a rocky landscape and sudden mists. Some of these phenomena link back to mythology, crafting a landscape that feels very tactile and elemental.'

The house is rooted in a traditional keli thought to be over a century old, which was previously altered by former owners in the years before the project began – with Spanou’s design consciously retaining traces of its past.

'No one had previously lived there as a permanent residence,' says Spanou, a former associate lecturer at Royal College of Art. 'One of our first decisions was to remove as much plasterboard and as many unnecessary wall linings as possible, in order to reveal the original stonework wherever it survived.'

She adds: 'One of the challenges of the existing building was its geometry. Nothing in the plan was orthogonal; there was not a single 90-degree corner. Rather than correcting this condition, the design embraces it and uses it as a starting point for the spatial organisation to encourage a continuous flow through the house.'

Materials mirror the elemental drama of its setting, with a simple earthy palette rooted in a mix of stone, concrete and wood. Reclaimed marble was also incorporated into the design, sculpted with skill by local Tinos artisans.

Interiors juxtapose layers of textures and materials: there are expanses of raw-edged concrete in the form of clean-lined internal staircases, floors and walls, alongside local stones in earthy tones and organic forms, touches of marble and custom-built cabinetry in light steamed beech.

'Reclaimed marble was sourced from marble yards in Tinos and Athens and reworked in collaboration with local craftspeople to create sinks, countertops, and floor elements,' adds Spanou, who worked on the house with design collaborator Penny Alevizou. 'Beyond its material qualities, the marble establishes a direct connection with the island's long tradition of craftsmanship and stone carving.'

And centre stage is the house’s scene-stealing monolithic structure, sculptural and raw-edged. Resting on a sharp concrete box is a strong horizontal stone and concrete counter, complete with a sunken marble sink, its smooth, upper surface giving way to an underside which is deeply irregular and textured, echoing the elemental atmosphere of the surrounding mountains.

'Through its material palette of stone, concrete, and marble, the monolithic volume acquires a strong sensorial quality, reinforcing its role not only as a functional element but also as a physical and sculptural presence within the home,' says Spanou.

'We wanted to avoid a sense of “perfection” and instead make it appear almost unfinished by embracing the roughness of the materials. At the same time, it had to be a carefully designed functional object that could effectively accommodate both cooking and dining activities.'

The line between architecture and nature is softened further by its external landscaping elements – from the curved pathways and stairs mirroring the mountain contours to the swimming pool, which is discreetly cut into concrete.

For Spanou, threaded through all these architectural details and material ingredients is a sensory connection to the setting: “The focus was not on refinement or perfection, but on allowing materials to express their natural character, texture, and imperfections, creating an atmosphere that feels authentic and deeply connected to the landscape of Tinos.”

kellyspanou.com

When Greek tourism, as we know it today, started booming in the 1960s and 1970s, travellers flocked to the country, enchanted by its combination of sea, sun, history and glorious food. Nature was pristine, the sites numerous, the prices affordable, and the locals open, hospitable and eager to attract guests and their spending. The Greek summer was soon central to the local culture, as documented in the coinciding golden age of Greek cinema and the slew of popular films and songs centred on holidays that it birthed.

The tourism industry developed steadily into the country’s key economic driver. That warm, fuzzy feeling of the Mediterranean sun on your skin and the sense that time slows down in Greece are ever-present. However, tensions between seemingly conflicting needs (attracting tourists and preserving local cultures and land) slowly emerged – and there is truth in this worry. Life on the islands is precious, and much more than what the transient tourist sees.

Aligned to these concerns, a different kind of investor – and visitor – has recently turned their attention to the Greek archipelago. A post-pandemic resurgence of interest in the Aegean island holiday has brought with it new hospitality ventures that endeavour to be respectful and born of their place; guests who put down roots here; and mindful activities anchored in the indigenous communities and lifestyle.

Each of the country’s hundreds of inhabited islands has a distinct offering. Landscapes and architecture may be shared, but digging below the surface reveals a rich tapestry of options, every place proudly holding its own identity that deserves to be maintained. We hopped across six, slightly lower-profile locations in the Cyclades and Dodecanese, documenting the creative communities within them and deep diving into each island’s ‘soul’. See below for a snapshot of all six, and click through to read our full feature on each island. Ellie Stathaki

Beyond the blue horizon: six under-the-radar Greek islands

Serifos

Also known as: the wild child of the Cyclades.

Good for: a lean, elemental escape anchored in antiquity and mythology.

The landscape: Steep mountainsides soar above rocky bays, forming jagged peaks that plunge back down again into deep green valleys.

The highlights: Kerameio Ceramic Studio; Homa Villas, a series of three conjoined holiday villas; Kaisanji Zen Monastery, which has a programme of retreats, including yoga and meditation; and Seriphos Estate, two villas overlooking a beach.

Can’t leave without... being at one with nature.

Read our full guide to Serifos

Sifnos

Also known as: the epicurean sibling.

Good for: Sifnos’ culinary prowess has been millennia in the making.

The landscape: The whitewashed hilltop town of Kastro rises loftily against the shimmering azure backdrop of the Aegean, with the Seven Martyrs Church perched prettily upon a rocky peninsula behind.

The highlights: Lamarina, for slow-cooked local dishes; Omega 3 seafood restaurant; Cantina, housed in a cluster of former fishermen’s huts and booked months in advance; hotel Verina Astra, and its in-house restaurant Bostani.

Can’t leave without... having pastitsio at Lamarina.

Read our full guide to Sifnos

Folegandros

Also known as: Sidira (meaning ‘iron’, a reference to its rugged topography).

Good for: a bare, windswept Aegean sojourn.

The landscape: a pocket-sized rock that’s home to a tightly-knit population, surrounded by glistening blue sea.

The highlights: Pounta, the restaurant of Danish artist Lisbet Schou; and hotels Anemi and Gundari.

Can’t leave without... tackling a hike to the island’s tallest point in the Chora of Folegandros.

Read our full guide to Folegandros

Paros

Also known as: the island of marble

Good for: an all-round escape.

The landscape: from 19th-century windmills built to harness the meltemi winds to a Byzantine trail, narrow alleyways paved with psaroplakes (fish-scale-shaped stones), katikies (traditional whitewashed Cycladic homes), and marble bell towers.

The highlights: Moonhouse, a guesthouse run by artist Christiane Smit; the new Luura Paros Cliff hotel; and Parīlio hotel.

Can’t leave without... befriending a cat.

Read our full guide to Paros

Antiparos

Also known as: Oliaros (meaning wooded mountain).

Good for: a verdant slice of Cycladic heaven.

The landscape: sun-drenched rolling hills, crystal-clear Aegean waters, and dune-fringed beaches.

The highlights: The Rooster a ‘slow-living’ wellness resort; The Beach House boutique hotel; and Bardot, a gem of a bar and restaurant.

Can’t leave without... skinny-dipping.

Read our full guide to Antiparos

Leros

Also known as: the island of Artemis.

Good for: everything you could ever want from a Greek island escape.

The landscape: rugged natural beauty, idyllic fishing villages and a languid pace of life that feels blissfully untouched by time.

The highlights: Lakki, an Italian rationalist port town built during the period of occupation (1912-1943); Mylos By The Sea, a highly regarded seafood restaurant; and The Monk, a stylish one-bedroom guesthouse.

Can’t leave without... scuba diving.

Read our full guide to Leros

With its rugged natural beauty, idyllic fishing villages and a languid pace of life that feels blissfully untouched by time, it might seem surprising that Leros has managed to fly under the radar for so long. Part of the reason is geographic. The island is part of the Dodecanese island group, which is far closer to the Turkish coast than mainland Greece. But, for the most part, it’s the island’s turbulent past that’s to blame for its low profile.

What to see and do in Leros

Following an invasion in 1912, Leros was occupied by Italian forces for more than 30 years. It was heavily bombarded during World War II, and another dark chapter began in 1958 with the opening of the Leros psychiatric hospital – a vast mental facility that became notorious for its neglectful patient care. But it’s exactly these layers of history that make Leros such a fascinating place to visit today.

The main highlight is Lakki, an Italian rationalist port town built during the period of occupation. It was here that Mussolini chose to construct a base for the Royal Italian Navy, and a new town was built to house those posted to the island. The result is a highly geometric, unornamented utopia that unfolds neatly around the head of the bay.

It’s a concrete-heavy mix of squat, boxy dwellings and art deco-inspired municipal buildings – all overlooked by a chunky brick clock tower. Those familiar with the work of artist Giorgio de Chirico won’t find it hard to spot his influence; architects Rodolfo Petracco and Armando Bernabiti took significant inspiration when designing Lakki.

A host of new enterprises and initiatives have brought fresh energy to the shores of Leros. In 2023, the Istanbul-based cultural foundation Perasma launched the Leros Project, a group exhibition held at various historic venues around the island for several months each summer (it is reportedly taking a break this year).

Leros has also been steadily building its culinary clout, helped in large part by the success of Mylos by the Sea. Since taking over their family’s humble taverna in 2012, brothers Yorgos and Marios Koutsounaris have transformed it into one of the country’s most highly regarded seafood restaurants, with a menu that puts a contemporary spin on local catch with dishes such as octopus carpaccio, parrot fish ceviche and sashimi-style bluefin tuna.

And there are various stylish new accommodation options, too. Among them is The Monk, a one-bedroom guesthouse opened in June last year by Prodromos Toufexis and Ioannis Zacharakis. The building was renovated by Zacharakis’ firm A+ Architects, who gave the building a sleek modern refit and filled it with a vibrant mix of contemporary and antique furnishings, as well as a selection of works by Greek artists.

From its position high on a hillside that spills down to Agia Marina Beach, it looks out over the island’s medieval castle, as well as a string of stone windmills that date back to the 18th century. And with its striking cobalt façade, The Monk has become something of a landmark itself.

‘People keep asking, why blue?’ says Toufexis. ‘I tell them that Greek island homes weren’t always painted white. That’s only something that became common midway through the 20th century. Houses actually used to be very colourful, and we wanted to keep up that tradition.’

A version of this article appears in the June 2026 Travel Issue of Wallpaper*, available in print, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today.

According to myth, Poseidon struck the Aegean with his trident, splitting a piece of land into three. The largest part, Naxos, he gave to his wife, Amphitrite; Paros, he shaped with a more dramatic coastline; Antiparos, he filled with verdant fields. The last, once known as Oliaros – ‘wooded mountain’ – is a tiny island sitting just across a narrow channel from Paros, rewarding those who make the short crossing.

A small ferry shuttles back and forth throughout the day, carrying a mix that has long defined Antiparos: campers and late-night regulars of La Luna’s open-air dancefloor, alongside architects, collectors and returning summer residents seeking something less performative than neighbouring islands. Here, layers of antiquity, rural Greece, 1970s bohemia and contemporary design coexist with ease.

What to see and do in Antiparos, Greece

For Athanasia Comninos, founder of The Rooster above Livadia beach and owner of The Beach House on Apantima, that balance was the initial draw. She first arrived 15 years ago, looking to escape what she describes as ‘the same and the same in Mykonos’. What she found instead was ‘no overtrying, no see and be seen – just effortless and fun’. Antiparos, she says, feels both ‘cosy’ and ‘safe’, defined by a strong sense of community and an ability to hold multiple rhythms at once: family holidays, long lunches, skinny-dipping, late nights.

That looseness extends to how the island has been built. Antiparos has evolved through private houses and low-density development rather than large-scale hotel urbanism. Iasson Tsakonas, founder of Oliaros, arrived in 2001 in search of land for a family home and quickly recognised a broader pattern: people were coming for the same reasons – privacy, a central Cycladic location, and architecture that sits lightly within the landscape.

Planning regulations reinforce this. More than half the island is forest-protected, while large minimum plot sizes keep development deliberately sparse. As Tsakonas puts it, Antiparos retains ‘the intimacy of a small village island’ while steadily emerging as one of Greece’s more compelling architectural destinations. Over the past two decades, he has developed more than 55 houses, collaborating with Greek and international architects, including Nicos Valsamakis, Sou Fujimoto and Bjarke Ingels Group, each responding to the island’s restrained language with their own interpretation.

Tsakonas, also co-founder of the Cyclades Preservation Fund within the Preservation Fund Network, founded by Ben Goldsmith, sees the island at a pivotal moment. ‘Tourism often delivers what people expect, rather than what a place truly is,’ he says. ‘The responsibility is to present Antiparos honestly – to reflect what it stands for, and to continue offering that experience as a generational shift takes place.’

Eva Papadak, founder of 10AM Apotheke, describes Antiparos as ‘one of the most aesthetically refined hospitality scenes in the Cyclades today’. What stands out, though, is how close many of its most considered spaces remain to domestic life. Her own pop-up took over a 1970s house on the main street of Antiparos village last summer, operating not as a conventional café or concept store but, in her words, as ‘a house’.

Elsewhere, newer projects take a similar line. Bardot, set within the former home of a local shipbuilding family, is a restored bar and restaurant. Architects Andreas Kostopoulos and James McNally of Manhattan Projects worked with restaurateurs Thanasis Panourgias and Harry Spyrou to shape a breezy interplay of old charm and contemporary energy, expressed through cocktails, small plates and atmosphere.

In 2024, the same team expanded across the street, transforming a 1990s building into an interdisciplinary exhibition space hosting rotating gallery projects. Spyrou describes Antiparos as a place where ‘things don’t follow a program, they simply unfold’. Panourgias echoes the sentiment: ‘Nothing feels forced or overdesigned. There’s calmness, discretion. You don’t come here to show off – you come here to disappear a little.’

That may be why Antiparos still feels so distinct. It is internationally desirable, certainly, but not by giving itself over to visibility. Its luxury is subtler than that. The attraction lies in what the island withholds: its smallness, its informality, the sense that you adjust to its rhythm. In a region where so many destinations have learned to over-explain themselves, Antiparos is refreshingly its own.

A version of this article appears in the June 2026 Travel Issue of Wallpaper*, available in print, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today.

With Naxos to the east and Mykonos to the north, Paros has long occupied an enviable position in the Cyclades. It is also a place of rare versatility. The island shifts effortlessly between registers: working harbours, farmland, wind-beaten beaches, and a deliberate kind of hospitality. That looseness, and the sense that it still belongs first to itself, is what makes visitors reluctant to look elsewhere once they’ve discovered it.

What to see and do in Paros, Greece

Unlike other islands that have been distilled into a singular image, Paros carries multiple timelines at once. Inhabited since antiquity, its legacy runs through the landscape – from 19th-century windmills built to harness the meltemi winds and a Byzantine trail, to narrow alleyways paved with psaroplakes (fish-scale-shaped stones), katikies (traditional whitewashed Cycladic homes), and marble bell towers, many of which were built from Parian marble quarried at Marathi. It is this same material that was used for some of the most enduring works of classical Greece, including the Venus de Milo.

Ceramic artist Christiane Smit, who has lived on the island for nearly two decades and runs the guesthouse Moonhouse (a ten-minute drive from the Port of Parikia), points to a growing international community of artists, designers and independent makers: ‘What I find special is that many of them don’t come just for summer – they stay through winter and buy houses here, to live and create.’

The same shift is evident across the hospitality landscape. One bijou hotel at a time, a new wave of hoteliers is tapping into the island’s momentum. Among them, father-and-daughter duo Elie Khouri and Sophie Khoury, founders of Luura – a family-owned brand within Ennismore’s Morgans Originals portfolio – are preparing to debut their first property on Paros. Perched on a cliff above the Aegean, between Naoussa and Aliki, Luura Cliff – designed by Elastic Architects, with interiors by Lambs and Lions – draws on the pared-back purity of Cycladic architecture.

‘Most islands at this level of international attention have been reduced to a single story,’ say the Khoury family. ‘Paros still has layers.’ That instinct is echoed by Antonis Eliopoulos and Kalia Konstantinidou of Empiria Group, who opened Parīlio in 2019, marking their first move beyond Santorini. For them, Paros felt ‘more fluid, more social, and more grounded in everyday island rhythms.’

Amid rising tourism, it is the projects working within the vernacular – attentive to proportion, material and scale – rather than a generic model of luxury, that resonate most. As Eliopoulos and Konstantinidou note, ‘there is now a level of sophistication that can stand comfortably on an international stage, but the most successful places are still the ones that feel rooted in Paros rather than imported onto it.’ In a similar vein, architect Christina Seilern, who has been coming to Paros for decades and maintains a home here, adds, ‘You could not suddenly build something like a Venetian house there.’

Yet growth brings a degree of unease. The trajectory of neighbouring islands looms large, and concerns around overtourism and overdevelopment are never far from the surface. Stamos Hondrodimos of Interior Design Laboratorium – the studio behind Parīlio – points to the need for restraint: ‘there should be a conscious effort to ensure that each project contributes to the preservation and continuity of Paros’ identity.’

‘What preserves authenticity is investment in the right things: local supply chains, local employment, architecture that responds to the landscape rather than imposing on it, and businesses that champion local communities. We’ve all watched islands in the Cyclades lose themselves in the span of a few summers. The answer isn’t fewer visitors, it’s better visitors and more responsible operators – alongside architectural codes that enforce visual coherence with the landscape,’ the Khoury family add.

For now, a degree of limitation remains built into the island. Infrastructure is relatively contained, access is still mediated, and that friction enforces a different rhythm. It keeps Paros from tipping too quickly into excess, preserving the sense of space that defines it. As Seilern notes, ‘For now, you still have to fly to Mykonos and take a ferry, or fly via Athens – and I hope it remains that way.’

A version of this article appears in the June 2026 Travel Issue of Wallpaper*, available in print, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today.

Take a 20-minute walk up a tiny, winding, windy path from the Chora to the church of Panagia, and you can almost see Folegandros’ entire landscape, from one end to the other, surrounded by a glistening blue sea. It’s as bare, windswept and rough as Aegean islands come, a pocket-sized rock of a home to a tightly-knit population of as few as 300 people in winter and often no more than 800 at any one time, even in the busier summer months. It has no airport, and the ferries run only a few days a week during winter, when weather allows; it’s no coincidence that it was used as a political exile at times during the 20th century.

What to see and do in Folegandros

Mexican artist Bosco Sodi and his wife Lucia Corredor fell in love with Folegandros when their boat moored at its only port in 2018 during a sailing trip across the Aegean. Sodi walked past a local estate agent on his way to buy breakfast pastries and spotted a ‘magical’ piece of land for sale. He visited it, reserved it on the spot and then worked with Athens studio Deca Architecture to create a holiday home. Off the back of his first experiences on the island, he produced a series of richly layered, large-scale paintings for gallery Axel Vervoordt, and you can feel the place’s almost-primordial and deeply liberating power through them.

‘Here you can be completely free,’ Sodi says. ‘I love taking long walks through the beautiful landscape and feeling the salt in the air. In the mornings, I wake up early and work. Our house is not fancy. When we first arrived on the island, we invited some of the local people to dinner so they could get to know us. It’s a very small community.’ Sodi, who is now a member of the local nonprofit association Friends of Folegandros, advocating for the island’s preservation, is currently working with art dealer Boris Vervoordt and landscape architect Bas Smets on a small sculpture park here. ‘It’s near the beach, and we want it to have benches and shade for all to enjoy,’ the artist says.

French interior designer Severine Nenciarini, meanwhile, first came here 15 years ago on a detour from holidaying on nearby Milos. ‘At first, you feel as if you’ve arrived on a simple rock. On both sides, there is the immense sea, distant islands, terraced landscapes and incredibly pure air. Time seems to stand still.’ It led to her building a home here with the help of Athens-based architect Stéphane Ghestem. She styled it inspired by its sense of place, working with local craftspeople and shops, as well as an antique dealer from the capital. There is no swimming pool or WiFi. Staying here means going back to basics, in keeping with the island’s unspoiled scenery and lifestyle.

Danish artist Lisbet Schou first arrived on Folegandros in 1984 for a painting course. Captivated by its ‘wild beauty’, she returned annually and eventually settled in 1992 with her Greek soon-to-be husband. She set up a ceramics workshop to produce pieces she uses in her restaurant, Pounta, located on the Chora’s main square, engulfed in trees and bougainvillaeas. It serves simple, primarily local food. ‘Each Aegean island has its own charm,’ Schou says. ‘Folegandros is small. It’s kind of a bother to reach, so the tourists that arrive are the ones that really want to come.’

This is reflected in the relatively small number of hotels on the island. The first five-star establishment, Anemi, opened in 2007, followed by Gundari, designed by Athenian practice Block 722, in 2024. So if you are looking for an island on which to see and be seen, this is not the place; but for an immersive and restorative experience where three days feel like a month, you can’t go wrong with Folegandros.

A version of this article appears in the June 2026 Travel Issue of Wallpaper*, available in print, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today.

Sifnos’ culinary prowess has been millennia in the making; the island’s clay-rich soil has been used to make pottery since the Bronze Age, when it was shaped into the large vessels used to slow cook food. It’s a tradition that survives to this day, with classic local dishes including revithada (chickpea stew) and mastelo (lamb with wine and dill).

What to see and do in Sifnos, Greece

Giorgos Samoilis, one of Greece’s most revered chefs, pays homage to Sifnos’ slow-cooking heritage with Lamarina. Opened in the small fishing village of Faros last summer, this casual restaurant serves hearty portions of dishes like gemista (herby, rice-stuffed tomatoes and peppers) and pastitsio – a kind of Greek lasagne made with a layer of small tubes of pasta. ‘Lamarina is the name of the baking trays you make this traditional kind of food in,’ says Samoilis. ‘People used to fill them with food and take them to their local bakery to cook it overnight using the residual heat from their ovens.’

Samoilis was working as a molecular biologist in a diagnostic laboratory in Athens when he suffered a pulmonary haemorrhage. ‘It was a stress-related thing. It was my body telling me you’re going the wrong way.’ To recover, he moved to his mother’s native Sifnos and began working as a private chef before opening a contemporary seafood restaurant called Omega3.

Its success propelled Samoilis to launch a second restaurant, Cantina, in 2020. Housed in a cluster of stone fishermen’s huts, it sits in a tiny bay at the foot of a hill. On offer is a tasting menu that puts a refined spin on local classics, made using meat and produce sourced predominantly from Sifnos. Today, it’s something of a destination restaurant, with tables booking up months in advance.

At Bostani, the in-house restaurant of hotel Verina Astra, chef Nikos Thomas crafts dishes using locally-sourced produce and vegetables grown in the restaurant’s kitchen garden. Over the years, it’s become as famous for its revithada, which is served with beef marrow and fresh crayfish, as it has for the view from its terrace.

The whitewashed hilltop town of Kastro rises loftily against the shimmering azure backdrop of the Aegean, with the Seven Martyrs church perched prettily on a rocky peninsula behind. It’s a particularly mesmerising vista that becomes all the more dreamy at sunset.

A version of this article appears in the June 2026 Travel Issue of Wallpaper*, available in print, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today.

Serifos is the wild child of the Cyclades. Steep mountainsides soar above rocky bays, forming jagged peaks that plunge back down again into deep green valleys. These rugged landscapes are so dramatic that it’s not hard to imagine the island as the stomping ground of the Cyclops, who, according to Ancient Greek mythology, once roamed here.

What to see and do in Serifos, Greece

For ceramicist Natasa Kalogeropoulou, it was exactly these landscapes that drew her to set up her practice on the island in 2014. ‘Serifos is lean and elemental; it stands out for its understated, almost unpretentious beauty,’ says Kalogeropoulou. ‘At times, you feel that the landscape itself carries a primordial, transformative energy.’

Today, her studio, Kerameio, is located on the winding road that leads up to Chora (the word for ‘main town’ on the Greek islands). It’s here that she crafts her designs from stoneware clay, creating pared-back tableware with smooth contours and earthy glazes. There’s also an adjoining shop where she sells her wares alongside a selection of pieces by other Greek makers. The view from the space’s hillside perch provides a picture-perfect showcase of the unique natural beauty that brought Kalogeropoulou to Serifos, with a panorama that sweeps across the azure waters of Livadi bay below.

Despite being so easy on the eye, Serifos was largely written off as an industrial backwater, due to its vast iron mines, and so never quite established itself as a key stop-off on the classic island-hopping trail. The mines were closed in the 1960s, with much of the infrastructure left abandoned.

According to Iliana Kerestetzi, founder of Athens-based Mold Architects, these remnants of its past imbue Serifos with a particularly singular character, which she paid homage to when designing a series of three conjoined holiday villas for a development known as Homa. Built into the hillsides above Vagia Beach, the sand-coloured construction spreads across various levels dotted with large terraces and private pools.

‘The acknowledgement of this layered history was our starting point,’ says Kerestetzi. ‘We sought to reimagine a form of dwelling that unfolds beneath the surface, an echo of the iron miners’ world.

Homa is one of a crop of striking new architectural projects to arrive on the island in recent years. C-O Lab (an architectural firm with offices in both Athens and Serifos) has been particularly busy, designing a string of sleek holiday homes as well as the site of Greece’s first Zen monastery. But it’s not just the architects that are finding inspiration in the island’s rich history and remarkable geography. When furnishing Seriphos Estate (two villas overlooking Agios Ioannis beach), interior designer Ioli Chiotini also took cues from the island’s heritage.

She says, ‘Elements such as the mirrors, inspired by the eye of the Cyclops Polyphemus, and the lighting, referencing traditional beehives, act as cultural markers within the space.’

A version of this article appears in the June 2026 Travel Issue of Wallpaper*, available in print, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today.

In the 1800s, the Greek port city of Piraeus, where Castor Place is located, was a booming maritime gateway. Almost entirely rebuilt after Greece gained independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1821, the city was designed as a modern commercial counterpart to neighbouring Athens, and became filled with shipyards and warehouses. The intervening centuries have seen its fortunes rise and fall dramatically; from a thriving industrial hub to a seedy stop-off point on the way to catch a ferry to the islands.

Tour Castor Place by MPNYC

Recent years, however, have seen clues emerge as to Piraeus’ next chapter. Various leading galleries and creative enterprises have begun reimagining its vacant warehouses as bustling cultural hubs, among the most striking examples of which is Castor Place — the multi-purpose events space designed by Manhattan Projects (MPNYC).

Forming its base is a 19th-century stone warehouse, upon which was placed a boxy extension when the space was transformed into a nightclub in the 1990s. 'It was a real Frankenstein building,' says Andreas Kostopoulos, who founded Manhattan Projects in 2019 after working as an associate director at Diller Scofidio + Renfro. 'There was this masonry base from the 1800s, which was all covered in this weird stucco when we arrived. And inside, it was all painted black. It looked like a haunted theatre.'

Kostopoulos’ brief was to give the building a sleek modern refit; stripping back decades of haphazard architectural interventions to create a functional, flexible space that could be used for everything from corporate dinners to fashion shows and art exhibitions.

The main hall features a 12m high ceiling, a wrap-around mezzanine level and travertine marble floors. Walls, Kostopoulos decided, should all be finished with a slick white-wash. 'By doing that, you sort of calm the whole space down, and you start reading all the layers. So you can see where there used to be an archway, where extra bricks have been added as well as all the structural steel elements.'

The cube-like roof unit was also refurbished to improve insulation (both in terms of acoustics and water), and a vast, vertical window was carved through it in order to flood the space with light. But for Kostopoulos, the real stand-out intervention is the bespoke cast-aluminium doors by local artist Stefania Strouza, who decorated them with an abstract pattern inspired by the mapping of ocean floors. 'They are one of my favourite things about the project. For me, they’re the real jewel of the building.'

mpnyc.net

For our annual travel issue, we cast off for new shores in more ways than one. Following in the footsteps of Odysseus and Onassis, we set sail across the Aegean to explore six slightly-lower-profile Greek islands in the Cyclades and Dodecanese and document the creative communities, permanent and transient, responsible for a recharged cultural energy there. We also investigate a niche in the world of cruising as a new wave of sleek, smaller vessels usurp the floating behemoths, promising greater comfort, cooler surroundings and perhaps a glimpse of what keeps the tech barons besotted by boats.

Back on dry land, our global editors check into the restorative oasis that is Six Senses London; camp out at Amangiri’s new six-bedroom private residence in Utah; visit brutalist Trieste church Monte Grisa; and make a whistlestop tour of Nairobi to glean the Kenyan capital’s creative goings-on.

This month’s entertaining story captures the vibrancy of nyonya kuih, traditional bite-sized Southeast Asian treats, while our interiors story offers rovers’ requisites plucked from the farthest reaches of the imagination.

For this month’s End Paper, our travel director Lauren Ho urges us to put pen to postcard on our travels, the better to recall the moments that have inspired us to travel in the first place. As she notes, ‘“Wish you were here” is one of the most recognisable lines of a certain time – scrawled on the back of cards showing sunlit promenades or famous landmarks – but what mattered wasn’t the words so much as a brief proof of life somewhere else.’ In this age of scrolling, saving and storing, the thought of sending a ‘note to self’ to welcome you on your return has real cachet.

And finally, 20 years after their predecessors debuted, we relaunch our venerated Travel Guide series, the first four of which are available to buy now globally at selected retailers, as well as online at WallpaperSTORE*. Whether you’re heading to London, Milan, Paris or New York City – or simply wish to reacquaint yourself with their design hubs, retail haunts and hospitality scenes – be sure to pick up yours today. Safe travels.

Bill Prince
Editor-in-Chief

The June 2026 Travel Issue of Wallpaper* is available from 7 May in print on newsstands, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today

If there’s one thing that Wallpaper* does well, it’s houses – spotlighting architecturally arresting gems from around the globe and spanning the spectrum of modern design. Our inboxes are overflowing with news of the world’s most boundary-pushing architectural projects, and we strive to bring you the very best.

To ensure you don’t miss a thing – and to showcase the scope of residential architecture today – we’ve launched a monthly series: The Architecture Edit. Each instalment will highlight our favourite houses of the month: buildings that demonstrate creative planning, innovative methods and, of course, aesthetic excellence. Here are the best new houses of March 2026.

A house between mountains

Set between Brazil’s Serra do Mar and Serra da Mantiqueira mountains, Valley House is architect Beatriz Meyer’s family home. Built on a rural plateau, the single-storey, horizontal structure is designed to blend into its landscape rather than dominate it. It’s divided into three volumes using glass, stone and carbonised timber, balancing transparency and solidity, while open-plan interiors emphasise light, airflow and connection to nature with pergolas and apertures framing views. The house embodies Meyer’s vision of calm, sustainable living, rooted in place.

Read about it here.

A Gujarat behemoth

Amaltash, a 12,000 sq ft home in Navsari, India, combines technical precision with cultural meaning. Designed by Veeram Shah, it embodies Le Corbusier’s idea of the home as both a ‘machine for living’ and a space rich in symbolic meaning. Climate-responsive design drives its form, with solar strategies shaping layout, patios cooling interiors, and large windows – the house operates as a micro-ecosystem, with rainwater harvesting and greenery replacing lawns. At the same time, it draws on Gujarati traditions. Crafted with local materials and artisan collaborations, Amaltash merges sustainability and heritage.

Read about it here.

A Canadian forest retreat

Nestled in British Columbia’s Coast Mountains, the Passive House Forest Retreat is a highly sustainable home designed to rigorous environmental standards. Its treehouse-like structure sits lightly on a forested slope, featuring a cantilevered volume that frames expansive views while creating a sheltered space below. Dark cladding and natural materials allow it to blend with its surroundings, while precise construction ensures top-tier energy performance. Interiors, meanwhile, complement the architecture with refined detailing and sculptural lighting.

Read about it here.

An unusual floorplan

Trim House in Vilnius, Lithuania, is a striking triangular residence shaped by unexpected planning restrictions. Originally designed larger, the project was reduced by 40 per cent after new regulations limited building size. Rather than compromise, architect Robert Konieczny reimagined the design into a compact, angular form centred around a courtyard. A spiral staircase leads to upper-level bedrooms and a terrace, while expanded outdoor space improves daylight and connection to the surroundings. The enforced ‘trimming' ultimately enhanced the project, proving constraints can inspire innovative architectural solutions.

Read about it here.

A modernist landmark

Designed in 1946 by Rudolph Schindler, the Kallis-Sharlin Residence is a modernist hillside home in Los Angeles. Built into a slope overlooking the San Fernando Valley, its layered volumes, terraces and glass walls blur indoor and outdoor boundaries, and distinctive features include a butterfly roof, clerestory lighting and rich materials like mahogany and Douglas fir. Recently restored and listed for sale at $6.35 million, this cultural monument stands as a lasting example of a modernist architecture that harmonises innovation, landscape and human experience.

Read about it here.

A bright red villa

Villa Jevany in the Czech Republic boldly contrasts its forest setting with a vivid red façade. Designed by Architektura, the house intentionally stands out rather than blending in, creating a dialogue between man-made form and nature. Built into a sloping site, it appears single-storey from the road but reveals additional levels below. Inside, a central staircase leads to a spacious living area with forest views, while irregular windows reference abstract art. Divided into active and quiet zones, the home balances striking visual identity with functional, family-oriented design.

Read about it here.

A timber house

Orchard House in Cheshire exemplifies thoughtful rural architecture. Designed by Studio Bark under strict UK planning rules, the home demonstrates exceptional design quality while remaining modest and energy-efficient. Its S-shaped plan spans two levels, with living spaces elevated for views across a restored orchard. Timber construction, passive design strategies and local materials reduce environmental impact, including parquet flooring made from a tree on-site. Over time, the house has blended into its landscape, aided by weathered cladding and revived planting, now representing a balance between contemporary, sustainable living and deep connection to place.

Read about it here.

A traditional Kyoto residence

House in Narutaki is a sensitive renovation of a traditional Sukiya-style home in Kyoto by kooo architects. Respecting strict preservation norms, the design maintains the building’s historic character while adapting it for modern living. Original tatami spaces were reconfigured into three flowing zones, including a garden room and connecting passage, while natural materials, sliding doors and handcrafted details preserve cultural authenticity. The result is a calm, minimalist home that honours Japanese tradition while providing a refined, contemporary living experience.

Read about it here.

A Jacques Couëlle-designed home

This organic modernist home near Cannes, originally designed by Jacques Couëlle in the 1960s, has been carefully refreshed by Miriam Frowein Interiors. Distinctive for its sculptural, fluid forms, the house exemplifies Couëlle’s ‘architecture-sculpture’. The renovation respects his vision, using organic shapes, earthy tones and handcrafted elements throughout, as well as mid-century-inspired furnishings to complement rather than compete with the architecture. The design approach allows the building’s expressive form to remain central while enhancing comfort and livability for contemporary use.

Read about it here.

A hidden island escape

Euthea, a house on the Greek island of Meganisi, is designed to disappear into its landscape. Created by Ateno Architecture Studio, it is partially buried and covered by earth, making it nearly invisible from above. As the first structure on its peninsula, the project prioritises minimal environmental impact – built with local stone and earthy tones, it blends seamlessly with its surroundings. Interiors are arranged to frame sea views, enhancing the sense of isolation and immersion in nature. Even functional elements, like a brass drainage pipe, are treated poetically, reinforcing the home’s quiet, thoughtful integration.

Read about it here.

Located on the remote Greek island of Meganisi, just off Lefkas, a discreet new residence gently marks the arrival of the first inhabitant on this particular peninsula. Ateno Architecture Studio designed the house, titled Euthea, to be integrated into its surroundings so seamlessly that from a bird's-eye view, it is actually hard to spot. Minimal disruption to the environment and surrounding landscape was key, setting an example for future residential projects in the area.

Tour Euthea house on the small Greek island of Meganisi

Euthea, which in Greek suggests both 'nice view' and 'straight line', sits on a slight elevation, using the landscape as a 'blanket' for its roof. The residence is so integrated into the land that the structure is only visible to passing boats.

‘Our primary inspiration originated from the site’s raw, unmediated character. Recognising the responsibility of becoming what we call “the first inhabitant”, we approached the intervention as a foundational gesture, meant to establish a measure of restraint rather than dominance,’ explain Yiorgos Fiorentinos and Elias Theodorakis, principal architects and co-founders of Ateno Architecture Studio.

‘Instead of asserting form, we decided to work through subtraction to soften the building’s presence. Euthea is conceived less as an object placed upon the land, but more as a subtle modification of it, partially concealed beneath a mantle of earth. The aspiration to leave the landscape mostly untouched became a guiding principle for spatial decisions and materiality during all later design stages.’

The residence’s visual imprint is further softened by the use of local stone, and an earthy colour palette, continuing to help blend into its context. Inside, the interior spaces are laid out in sequence, allowing visitors to enjoy the expansive sea views.

Construction on such a remote island naturally was challenging, as the architects told Wallpaper*: ‘While the site was a profound source of inspiration, it also posed the greatest challenge. Meganisi, despite its proximity to Lefkas and the mainland, is a small island of only a few hundred inhabitants, most engaged in agriculture and tourism, where construction is inherently complex.

‘The project’s remote, uninhabited location intensified these demands, making sustainability and the careful management of energy resources, materials, and waste not merely a guideline but an essential condition. Yet, amid these constraints, Meganisi offered some of the most rewarding – and at times unexpectedly playful – construction experiences of our career to date.’

It may be surprising, especially upon viewing the building's expansive vistas and elegant overall volume, that the architects’ favourite feature is the humble water-drainage pipe. ‘In the process of figuring out how rainwater from the planted roof could be collected and stored, we realised that this humble necessity could become a defining feature. The pipe is the only vertical counterpoint on an otherwise horizontal façade. Cast in brass, it catches the sunlight, quietly announcing the presence of life to passing boats and transforming a purely functional detail into a small, poetic gesture within the landscape.’

When approaching the residence from the winding dirt road, the views slowly and subtly change. You see first only an expansive coastline, and then an abundance of dense flora rather than a house. When you enter the residence and walk around the plot, views of the horizon across the sea unfold again.

Says the Ateno Architecture Studio team: ‘In Euthea, we wanted visitors to focus solely on the sea – the sound of waves, and the almost uncanny awareness of being alone on a raw, elemental stretch of land, fully immersed in nature’s presence, while enjoying the amenities provided by a contemporary residence.’

ateno.studio

On a generous, green site in one of Athens’ smarter northern residential suburbs, a strange concrete presence rises. The long, relatively low structure features unusual, almost retro-futuristic forms, screens that frame large openings and exposed textured concrete that make it clearly stand out from its neighbours. Locals know it well. This is not your typical Greek office building; it is the former headquarters of AGET Iraklis, one of Greece’s best-known cement manufacturers. It was designed in 1972 by one of the country’s most celebrated 20th-century architects, Alexandros Tombazis (see W*138).

The architectural landmark is emblematic of its creator’s style and early explorations of concrete and Metabolist architecture principles, such as the use of modular design and technology – this part of Athens also features his Iliako Chorio (meaning ‘Solar Village’, a 1980s experiment in environmental architecture) and his own office. The AGET building was left empty for seven years after the company moved out in 2010, but it has now been given a new lease of life by local architect Georges Batzios.

Tour a Greek brutalist gem reborn in Athens

‘I was on the island of Kythnos for work, and the client called me up out of the blue,’ recalls Batzios, who set up his boutique studio in the central Athens neighbourhood of Petralona in 2013, following an international career that included stints with »

Designed by Greek architect Alexandros Tombazis in 1972, the former HQ of cement manufacturer AGET Iraklis has been renovated for a new owner, restoring as much as possible of the original David Chipperfield in London and Jean Nouvel in Paris and New York. ‘The client and I hadn’t met before, but he’d seen my work, especially my work with concrete, and liked it, and he wanted to invite me to submit a proposal to a competition for the office building’s renovation. It was a lovely surprise.’

The client, part of a private company, was searching for the right architect to bring the structure into the 21st century without compromising its design intention and integrity. Batzios entered the competition and won, presenting a proposal that would work with the building’s strengths and concrete character, which over the years had been undermined, painted over and added to. The architect often uses naked concrete in his studio’s mix of commercial and cultural work, and he was delighted that a celebration of the material was central to the brief. ‘It’s not common in Greece for a client to ask for exposed concrete,’ he says. Renovation works started on site in 2017.

‘The building is a rare example of brutalist architecture in Greece,’ says Batzios. ‘Our aim was to respect and restore as much as possible the existing design’s intention, and maintain key features, its “bones” and textures. However, in terms of the interior, we didn’t want to create something that gets completely lost in the original. Instead, we took drastic, confident steps to bring to the surface a sequence of spaces that we feel were always there, in the original building’s “subconscious”.’

The architect studied Tombazis’ original drawings, and his interventions blend effortlessly with the old design. He first gutted the building and cleared any additions that compromised the original design’s conceptual strength. While the main concrete frame was of great quality and in excellent condition (‘Tombazis was a master in his use of concrete,’ Batzios points out), its surface was less so.

Batzios analysed the concrete mix to produce a treatment with local specialist Poriotis that would cover damage, while recreating a surface texture as close to the original as possible (this treatment also helped with temperature management and energy efficiency for the project). He reworked the main entry to expand the original lobby, restore its water features and create a dramatic entrance. The building’s conference hall has also been expanded, with a service room to accommodate modern technologies.

Guided by the ceiling’s concrete grid, a new internal route was plotted through the double-height ground level, which also includes management areas and meeting rooms. This trajectory is arranged around a central axis, named by Batzios the ‘Golden Way’, and incorporates a striking, redesigned circular staircase of grey Cretan marble that connects all levels.

Terra grey and grey Evoian marble have been used on all the vertical surfaces of the central axis, creating a sleek but tactile finish. The 13,000 sq m building spans two more floors of office space – the slightly recessed second floor was added in 1978. The building’s new tenants have access to outdoor sports pitches on the tree-filled campus grounds, and an old heliport facility has been converted into a company gym.

Everything has been executed with meticulous attention to detail, from the way the marble slabs were cut, so that the veins appear continuous in large surfaces, to the concrete’s exact hues. ‘In fact, one of the biggest challenges was that the original grid, around which the building was designed, was not very precise, so we had to redesign everything in CAD in great detail so that our interventions fit exactly and the alterations are seamless,’ says Batzios.

Leading both the design and project management helped him get through this. ‘We got involved in all aspects of the project. This allowed us to have great quality control over the result, but also meant that everything went through us. I’m not sure I’d like to do that again!’ he says, laughing. Now fully refreshed and open for business, this piece of experimental Greek 20th-century architecture is ready for its next chapter. 

georgesbatzios.com

A version of this feature was first published in Wallpaper* November 2020

At Wallpaper*, movement is second nature, and savouring it is an art. Whether on assignment or off-duty, our editorial team is perpetually combing the globe, visiting places that are mind-expanding and spirit-lifting. This year, we paused to gather the places that truly stayed with us. Consider this selection of travel highlights, handpicked by our staff, as a starting point for the year ahead, compiled to spark curiosity and fuel your future travel plans.

As such, follow the sun to Mexico, Greece, Spain and Italy, or embrace the stark beauty of Finland and Iceland. Looking for adventure? Uzbekistan, Egypt and Kenya deliver. For a spiritual reset, Japan and South Korea offer ritual and depth. From European mainstays such as Vienna and Lisbon to American icons including Miami and Joshua Tree, let’s get globetrotting.

Amanohashidate, Japan

‘Last April, adding a few days to a long-haul work trip felt like the responsible thing to do, particularly when long-haul now extends to a 16-hour dog-leg to Osaka via Doha, which is how I came to visit one of Japan’s most revered destinations, Amanohashidate, site of a 3.6km sidebar known as ‘the staircase to heaven’ that cuts across Miayazu Bay in Kyoto prefecture. Amanohashidate itself is a quiet village with a national landmark at its heart and a well-run ryokan (Monjusou) to relax in, but the surrounding area is blessed with no less significant points of interest. Ine is a ‘floating village’ of 230 fishing cottages, protected as a heritage site, that offers good walking with splendid sea views and great coffee in one of its repurposed properties. Sometimes all you need is sea air, the odd stroll and the chance to indulge in something as silly as matanozoki, or peering between your legs atop Kasamatsu Park, at which point the now-inverted sandbar appears as a bridge across the sky.’

– Bill Prince, editor-in-chief

Athens, Greece

‘This past autumn, I celebrated a milestone birthday in Athens. The city feels as though it was shaped by accumulation rather than careful urban planning, its layers of typeface, texture and attitude stacked across eras, politics and glitzy inconsistencies. Visually, Athens is unrelenting: everything speaks loudly and constantly, and nothing is treated as too precious. Even the Acropolis feels unresolved, its original fragments scattered between the exquisitely built Acropolis Museum and far beyond Greece’s borders. I enjoyed long lunches with generous pours of Assyrtiko from aluminium jugs, and late nights drifting into hot spots like SMUT, where Athens’ spontaneity really kicks in. I chose Athens as my favourite of the year because it thrives in chaos, offering moments of beauty and excitement, and rewarding those who stay longer, pay attention and arrive hungry.’

– Gabriel Annouka, senior designer

Brittany, France

‘On something of a nostalgia trip to the south coast of Brittany, France – the destination of my first-ever trip abroad – now with my own teenagers in tow, I was relieved to find it a still-lovely, laidback and low-key escape with none of the hussle or hassle a beach break during the summer holidays can entail. The sea was utterly clear – too freezing for me, even in July, for more than one cold plunge, but perfect for kayaking or admiring endlessly from coastal walking paths. Bike hire in this cycling-obsessed nation was ubiquitous and the paths plentiful and well sign-posted; they even continued across estuaries, courtesy of short ferry hops on which bikes were not just bienvenue but (bafflingly for a Brit used to transport-network shortfalls) positively encouraged. And a day’s hire extended through to the evening, allowing ample time for a thoroughly civilised French lunch break en route with (savoury) galettes and (sweet) crêpes galore. Pancakes for all courses is a concept close to my heart.’

– Bridget Downing, executive editor

Cairo, Egypt

‘In November, I visited Cairo and spent a few warm, autumnal days watching the light shift over the Art D’Égypte installations, set in the sand beneath the pyramids of Giza. I was particularly drawn to SolidNature and Studio PROBA’s organically shaped, naturally coloured stone sculptures. Seeing them positioned against the pyramids was both wondrous and surreal: two forms of stone, prehistoric in material yet composed millennia apart, held in quiet dialogue with one another. The experience was utterly mesmerising, leaving me feeling incredibly small in the face of such magnificence and scale. Other highlights across the city included losing track of time in the newly opened Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) and wandering through the calming gardens of Adam Henein’s gallery house.’

– Olly Mason, head of interiors

Évora, Portugal

‘When my sister moved to Lisbon in 2024, I dreamily imagined endless weekends of wandering, but life got in the way and it never quite happened; until this summer, when we managed to bring both our families together for ten scorching days in Alentejo, a more off-the-beaten-path part of Portugal, around 90 minutes east of Lisbon. We stayed in gloriously serene countryside, awash with olive groves and vineyards, occasionally popping into the medieval, walled UNESCO city of Évora for ice cream (Pezagno, delicious!). On one visit, we explored the Capela dos Ossos (Chapel of Bones), a 16th-century chapel within the Church of St Francis, built by Franciscan monks as a memento mori to inspire reflection on the transience of life. Its walls and columns are clad with thousands of strikingly arranged human skulls and bones, previously buried in Évora’s medieval cemeteries. Above the door, an inscription reads: “We bones are here, waiting for yours.” At the entrance to this macabre chapel is a simple modern mural by Portuguese architect Álvaro Siza Vieira – a counterpoint to its meditation on mortality.’

– Anne Soward, production editor

Helsinki, Finland

‘While others escaped to hotter climes, last February, I decided to embrace the cold and wintry feel of Europe and headed further north, to Helsinki. It was one of the best travel decisions I ever made. The day was short, but the city was fun, and the cultural offerings were plentiful and welcoming. Helsinki was frozen – not that you would be bothered with the right clothes and shoes, especially in the city centre, where pavements are heated so that the snow doesn’t build up. A short ferry ride, breaking through the icy waters, took me to the magical Suomenlinna sea fortress - thank you, Laura Iloniemi, for the tip! I also explored the numerous art offerings the city has to offer, from the Amos Rex museum to the Temppeliaukio church of the rock. I stayed at a timber-framed hotel by the water, Solo Sokos Pier 4, paid a visit to the renovated Finlandia Hall, and enjoyed sticky Korvapuusti (Finnish cinnamon rolls) and warm and creamy salmon soup. As travel reviews often conclude, “would definitely recommend.”’

– Ellie Stathaki, architecture and environment director

Hydra, Greece

‘This year I’ve been lucky to visit great European capitals including Vienna, Paris and Athens, but somehow it’s my day on the small Greek island of Hydra that was most memorable. Big cities are filled with great things to do and see, but Hydra offers an escape from it all, with no cars, no museums, and practically no phone reception. And yet it still has everything you might possibly need on a nice autumn day: a lunch at a taverna followed by a dip in the sea, and a walk along the coastal path, suspended between the blue sky and the Mediterranean.’

– Léa Teuscher, sub-editor

Joshua Tree, USA

‘In May, I made the three-hour journey from Los Angeles into the Mojave Desert to Joshua Tree. It had long been on my list to visit, likely prompted by endless interviews with musicians who enthused about the desert’s mystical energy. There are no shortage of incredible architectural stays to book in the area, but after much deliberation, I settled on this geodesic dome, far enough away from civilisation to get the full experience (the drive back from dinner in the pitch black was a little hairy) but just twenty minutes from Joshua Tree National Park and the must-sees of the Yucca Valley and Twentynine Palms. I loved every single thing about this trip. From the weird roadside stops along the route – a desert crochet museum? A shrine to fifties hairdressing? A park filled with many, many statues of Christ? – to dinner at The Copper Room, drinks at Mas o Menos and obligatory live music at Pioneertown institution, Pappy & Harriet’s (the nearby Red Dog Saloon was a little quieter when Pappy’s is packed). I can’t wait to return.’

– Charlotte Gunn, director of digital content

Kyoto, Japan

‘I loved visiting Kyoto this year, and discovering its rich history, gorgeous food and beautiful surroundings. The highlight, though, was being able to get to know some of the locals, who were as generous with their time as they are cultured, intelligent, and extremely kind.’

– Hannah Silver, art, culture, watches and jewellery editor

Lake Como, Italy

‘Until last year, I had never been to Italy; now, I can say I’ve been three times. A run of good fortune took me to Milan for Salone de Mobile, and Venice for an immersive exhibition hosted by Golden Goose. In addition, to mark the beginning of the summer season, I was invited to Lake Como to stay at Il Sereno’s new listening suite, designed by Patricia Urquiola. The lake in the foothills of the Alps took my breath away. It was scenery I had not seen before, and I was captivated by its beauty. There was an effortless air of Old Hollywood glamour and relaxed sophistication coupled with the calming nature of the lake, which makes the location entirely unique. I cannot wait to go back.’

– Tianna Williams, staff writer

Menorca, Spain

‘The Menorca Experimental hotel had been on my bucket list for years, and I finally made it there for a short break in September. Designed by Dorothée Meilichzon, the interiors strike a balance between playful colour and subtle Art Deco references, incorporating local designers and materials. It felt considered yet relaxed. The weather was still warm enough for sea swims in some of the clearest water I’ve seen in Europe, and it was easy to find quieter spots that felt untouched. There’s a quiet, understated rhythm to the island that encourages you to slow down, making it a perfect mid-season reset.’

– Cindy Parthonnaud, acting photography editor

Mérida, Mexico

‘I spent 10 days in Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula this summer and enjoyed soaking up Mérida’s rich history, intense summer heat and xtabentún, the local firewater. The city is about 30 miles inland, meaning those craving a swim-up bar or large beach resort won’t find it here. Instead, they’ll discover a mix of unhurried streets, bustling markets, pretty boutiques and innovative cuisine that spotlights traditional Yucatec cooking. My husband and I checked in at Hotel Cigno, an elegant boutique property located in Mérida’s historic heart, before hiring a local guide to take us to Uxmal, one of the Mayan world’s most important sites, and an azure blue cenote, a naturally occurring limestone sinkhole that peppers the area. There was still an opportunity to hit the beach, though: an hour-ride taxi will take you straight to the coast, where you can take in tranquil waters, white sand beaches, bright-pink salt lakes and – my favourite – droves of flamingos.’

– Anna Fixsen, U.S. editor

Miami, USA

‘I came to Miami for the Grand Prix – where Lego had built ten fully drivable cars – but stayed for the art deco architecture, palm-lined boulevards and viscerally cinematic sunsets. Miami’s expansion in the 1920s and 30s left it with a remarkable concentration of art deco buildings, which I completely fell in love with. A stroll down Ocean Drive – one of the finest showcases of the style – took me hours, slowed by pastel façades and kitsch vintage cars that demanded to be photographed. Little Havana, shaped by Cuban émigrés after the 1959 revolution, is home to cigar shops, graffiti tributes to Celia Cruz and Old’s Havana Cuban Bar & Cocina, which, with its yellow walls and mojito production line, is an institution. So, too, is Delilah – swathed in pink velvet and favoured by A-listers – though in an entirely different vein. Miami is a place I’d return to in a heartbeat.’

– Anna Solomon, digital writer

Nesjavellir, Iceland

‘My yearly travel mainly comprises the movement between Milan, Paris and New York for fashion week (and the freneticism and overstimulation these trips bring), so when I’m not working I seem to be attracted towards the vast and the desolate – Lanzarote has become my go-to escape, and this spring I loved losing myself in its strange, moonlike landscapes once again. Though it was another otherworldly (and volcanic) island that was my favourite trip of 2025: Iceland, which I visited with 66 North last month (the outerwear brand was founded on the island a century ago). I have been a couple of times before, though each time it is surprising in its vastness and scale: speeding across the snow-covered mountain ridge Thórsmörk – named after the Norse god Thor – on off-roading buggies was a truly cinematic experience (and the perfect release). We spent the second night at the Ion Adventure Hotel, a Brutalist box on stilts that looks out over the geothermal fields of Nesjavellir – in the silence, it was my best night’s sleep of the year.’

– Jack Moss, fashion and beauty features director

Seoul, South Korea

‘About two hours from Seoul, in the mountains of Wonju, Museum SAN (Space Art Nature) heralds an architectural feat by Tadao Ando: a 25-metre-wide subterranean dome beneath the museum’s flower garden, topped with an oculus rising more than seven metres high. Titled Ground, it was commissioned to accompany Antony Gormley’s exhibition Drawing on Space.’

– Jason Hughes, creative director

Tashkent, Uzbekistan

‘I spend much of my year bouncing around beautiful design-led hotels. But at least once a year, I make it my mission to step out of this bubble as a reminder of why I love to travel in the first place. And this year, my trip to Uzbekistan was a welcome reset. It’s not a destination known for luxury, but with tourism on the rise, you can feel the energy in Tashkent’s creative pockets and across Samarkand and Bukhara, which just hosted its inaugural biennale. From the staggering detail of the Islamic architecture to the small, genuinely local boutique hotels, there’s an incredible history and a rawness that was not just compelling, but a reminder that stepping away from the familiar is not just refreshing, but important to keep your curiosity alive.’

– Lauren Ho, travel director

Tokyo, Japan

‘Tokyo had been calling for some time, and this October I was finally able to answer. Japan’s capital is an urban sprawl of ritual, contrast, beauty and tradition, where even the smallest details feel deliberate and meaningful. It was my first visit, and I tried to stay fully present, absorbing as much of the city’s energy as possible; yet I still feel I barely scratched the surface. There are countless moments I hold onto, but one stands out: waking to a bright, clear morning and, from my hotel room on the 34th floor of Fairmont Tokyo, spotting Mount Fuji in the distance. It appeared as a majestic presence on the horizon, wishing the city a good day.’

– Sofia de la Cruz, travel editor

Vienna, Austria

‘Vienna is a really great city for a short getaway, especially for those interested in design. The city is filled with hidden gems, such as the interiors and ambience of Café Prückel, located just across the street from the Museum of Applied Arts (MAK). Be sure to check out the numerous storefronts designed by Hans Hollein throughout the city, including the iconic façade of the Retti candle shop. One of the highlights for me was the Roman Catholic church depicted above, built in the late 1970s by architect Viktor Hufnagl.’

– Sebastian Jordahn, head of video

Watamu, Kenya

‘Earlier this year, I travelled to Kenya and spent time in Watamu, a coastal town known for stunning white-sand beaches, coral reefs, mangroves and a large marine life. I was there for a private yoga retreat with a yoga company called Pana and stayed in a one-of-a-kind treehouse, Watamu Tree House, near Watamu Beach. Our treehouse retreat, built by the family who runs it, rises through the landscape, from the ground to the top floor, with shimmering coloured glass mosaics. Each day in Watamu began with yoga in the studio at the top of the building, which offered quiet and perspective. Practising yoga above the ground, with the sea nearby and trees in the distance, felt grounding. Fresh vegetarian meals formed the core of each day, as each meal came with coconut water and juices made fresh each morning.’

– Jamilah Rose-Roberts, social media editor

An Athens penthouse becomes both a case study and a warm family home via the drawing boards of locally based architecture studio Block722. The project, set in the predominantly residential neighbourhood of Papagou in the city's northern suburbs, sits on the top two levels of a newly built block of flats – the dominant typology of the Greek 'polykatoikia'. The structure was designed by the studio founders, architect Sotiris Tsergas and interior designer Katja Margaritoglou, and it was there that the couple chose to create a base for their family of four.

'For the first time, we found ourselves simultaneously being the clients, the architects, and the contractors,' says Tsergas. 'Balancing all three roles at once was challenging, but also incredibly insightful. It gave us a deeper understanding of every layer of the process.'

Explore Block722's Athens penthouse

The home was the result of an intense and rewarding period of research and exploration by the two founders, who worked with local contractors Thekla Construction on the overall build. This investigation phase was followed by delicate and precise detailing and spatial planning, orchestrating an interior that would 'fit like a glove' to the lifestyle of its inhabitants.

At the same time, the space reflects the studio's ethos and overall approach of 'organic luxury'. This means using natural materials (here, marble, wood, and travertine) and maintaining a strong relationship with the outdoors, emphasising wellness and environmental health. To achieve this, the interiors are highly bespoke, as the architects worked with specialist craftspeople for lots of the fittings, fixtures and furniture, as well as designing a number of the products and built-in elements in-house.

'We don’t regret for a moment the countless hours we spent reflecting on how we live as a family – our needs, our habits, our routines, and our aspirations,' Tsergas explains. 'This type of self-observation proved invaluable, and it’s something we will encourage our clients to engage with more deeply. Understanding who they are inside their home and how they move through their day offers such rich information for the design. The aesthetics and spatial solutions that emerge from this process are inevitably more authentic, personal, and beautiful.'

The penthouse, titled Lumen Residence, was conceived as a duplex, spread across 230 sq m. The first level contains a flowing and carefully composed living area, while bedrooms are located upstairs. On the top level is also an expansive roof terrace, partially planted and partially paved and operating as an outdoor living room for resting and entertaining – as well as sports, as it also contains a half-size basketball pitch and a swimming pool. The Athenian skyline beyond becomes a key part of the experience.

'Designing a home so high above the city gave us a rare opportunity to work with natural light in a completely different way. With almost nothing obstructing our views, we were able to bring abundant daylight into every space – even those oriented northwards – and then soften and filter it through sheer fabrics, wooden jalousies, and the timber grille that channels light into the master bathroom through a skylight,' says Tsergas.

'We also knew from the beginning the type of qualities we wanted for our new home: a sense of seclusion and privacy, and a calm, grounding energy that would contrast with the vibrant pulse of Athens below. Although we didn’t intentionally set out to create a “resort-like” home within the city, that is exactly the atmosphere that emerged. The water element on the rooftop and the extensive planting across both floors contributed significantly to this feeling.

'Ultimately, what thrilled us most was achieving all the qualities you would expect from a single-family home – comfort, openness, connection to nature – but experiencing them in the sky, with a panoramic relationship to the city, the sunset, the stars, Mount Hymettus, and the entire Athenian landscape. That feeling is truly indescribable.'

The pair have been living in their tailor-made home for a few months already, but they say that it feels like they've always been there. Two comments keep coming up when friends and collaborators visit their new home, the couple add: 'This is so you!' and 'It’s clearly a Block722 home – but in a way that feels different and unexpected.' No doubt, the type of feedback that subtly signals a resounding success.

block722.com

This Athens apartment redesign posed a unique challenge to its architects, Aspassia Mitropapa and Christina Iliopoulou. The expansive home, set in the corner-set penthouse of a block with far-reaching views from the Acropolis to the Panathenaic Stadium, was brimming with craft and rich materiality – a hallmark of many homes in the Greek capital built in the 1960s. Yet the residence, which has belonged to the same family for decades, was also in need of a refresh to fit the needs of 21st-century living.

Tour this Athens apartment, bridging old and new

The architects worked hard to bridge those two characters – the home's existing material-rich, midcentury appeal, and the contemporary sensibilities of the owners' lifestyle. The team writes on its approach: 'The craftsmanship of 1960s Athens formed the foundation of our architectural intention: to respect it, preserve it and reinterpret it.'

'The residence is therefore not just a renovated apartment, but a comprehensive treatment of the materiality of the era – a bridge between two periods, where craftsmanship and memory of the past are transformed into tools for the practice of architecture.'

The existing surface palette and décor in the penthouse includes some fine Athenian craftsmanship - from refined marblework and intricate wood details to hand-painted ceilings, all enveloped in the residential building’s original façade, which is distinctly clad in travertine marble featuring a range of decorative motifs.

The design team centred its reimagining of the apartment on a key gesture: they reworked the kitchen as the heart of the home, wrapping it in glass blocks which offer separation but also plenty of natural light where needed, and carving out strategic openings that frame views across the home, opening up the overall layout arrangement.

More design interventions include adding Didyma marble to the interior, which gently nods to the travertine exterior skin of the building. Existing Tinos marble, aged with beautiful, natural patina, was complemented with green Cipollino in bathrooms. Elsewhere, colourful tiles add another dimension in select areas.

A lot of the existing fabric was kept and carefully maintained to extend its natural life. This includes the hand-painted ceilings, the wooden inlays in the living room, and the herringbone parquet in the bedrooms (there are four of them). The result is a family home that thrives in its 20th-century identity but also feels distinctly contemporary, perfectly fitted to its owner's daily life.

If there’s one thing that we at Wallpaper* do well, it’s houses – spotlighting architecturally-arresting gems from around the globe and spanning the spectrum of modern design, to be precise. Our inboxes are overflowing with news of the world’s most boundary-pushing architectural projects, and we strive to bring you the very best.

To ensure you don’t miss a thing – and to showcase the scope of residential architecture today – we’re launching a new monthly series: The Architecture Edit. Each instalment will highlight our favourite houses of the month: buildings that demonstrate creative planning, innovative methods and, of course, aesthetic excellence.

Here are our standout houses for July.

A 1970s Japanese summer house

Architect Mayumi Miyawaki’s Fukumura Cottage, designed in 1974, posed a counterpoint to the dominant Japanese architecture of the time. Rejecting the techno-futurism of his peers, Miyawaki infused traditional ideas with geometric experimentation. This Nasu home resembles a concrete treehouse, with bold, primary forms and a raw material palette. Inside, interiors are minimalist – a compact living room, a tatami tea room, and an attic bedroom accessed by ladder. Recently, collectors Noboru and Yuka Tanaka restored Fukumura Cottage, preserving its architectural legacy while integrating it into a modern design compound that also includes a gallery and office.

A Victorian villa turned eco-home

Studio Bark transformed a neglected Victorian villa in Tunbridge Wells into a sustainable family home using its modular U-Build system – a flat-pack timber method for self-build construction. The retrofit restored original Victorian features while introducing sustainable systems like an air-source heat pump and MVHR (mechanical ventilation with heat recovery), reducing energy usage by 75 per cent, as well as adding a 50 m sq extension clad in timber and insulated with cork over wool, two bedrooms, and a kitchen-diner.

A Wyoming mountain sanctuary

This contemporary retreat was designed by CLB Architects as an off-grid escape for a New York family. Nestled on a 49-acre site with panoramic views of the Teton mountains, the home is anchored to the hillside, formatted to meet local height restrictions. Its materials echo its natural surroundings – Montana stone, cedar ceilings, walnut flooring and blackened steel – as does a muted colour palette. A high-performance envelope and geothermal systems ensure that the home treads lightly on the land it draws from.

A midcentury modern masterpiece in California

A mid-century home in Berkeley, designed in 1956 by Chinese-American architect Roger Lee, was updated by Mork-Ulnes Architects for its new owners. Retaining the original warm wood structure, the renovation focused on subtle edits – improving light flow, concealing utilities and updating finishes. The continuation of Lee’s vision was key, and can be felt in the addition of a rectilinear central volume and playful red tile bathrooms. The kitchen remains galley-style, and new furniture selections respect the home’s historical warmth.

A clifftop house in Crete

The Rethymno House by Gkotsis Serafimidou blends into its rugged Cretian surrounds through materials and form – think local stone, timber shutters, matte plaster interiors and a cement screed floor. Its clifftop architecture also responds to environmental challenges like strong winds by embedding itself into the slope and using strategic orientation, while native vegetation and framed views enhance the immersive connection to nature.

A revived Rudolph Schindler gem

Originally built in 1925 by modernist master Rudolph Schindler, the How House in Silver Lake, Los Angeles, was recently restored by Spencer Velasquez. Comprised of intersecting L-shaped volumes, the house features cantilevered rooms in poured concrete and redwood. Velasquez, with the help of interior designer Taska Cleveland, made sensitive updates, including new built-ins, brass lighting and concealed audio systems. The result is a living architectural relic that balances design history and daily life.

This year marks four decades since the Chaidemenos family first helped turn Santorini from sleepy volcanic rock into an island synonymous with luxury, romance and creamy white walls angled perfectly toward the Aegean sun. And in time for the summer season, their flagship property, Canaves Oia Suites, has unveiled five new private pool suites, perched on the cliffside like sleek white shells and conceived in collaboration with Greek firm Kapsimalis Architects – the local firm known for translating the island’s language of light and limestone into minimalism with soul.

Tour Canaves Oia Suites’s latest addition

The new suites are, in a word, serene. Or maybe serenity, because they feel more like a state of being than a hotel category. From the outside, they nestle discreetly into Oia’s volcanic façade. But inside, they open up expansively: Pale marbles, natural stone, soft linen drapes and earth-toned accents mirror the tones of the island’s terrain and the shifting blue light outside. Each suite features its own infinity pool – private, yes, but not withdrawn. You’ll want to float there endlessly, watching the sun paint shadows across the caldera.

Kapsimalis Architects have long championed a language of space, light and texture. And here, they’re in fluent form. Terraces become extensions of living spaces. Showers are carved into curves. Beds are framed not by headboards, but by horizon lines. The whole effect is airier than the island’s famously dry whites, and just as transportive.

Of course, this being Canaves, it’s not all chill. There’s the attentive service, the discreet staff members who seem to arrive with fresh towels or espresso just before you realise you want them. There’s Petra Restaurant, where the tasting menus bring Santorini’s terroir to the table without the weight of pretence. And there’s that unmistakable energy Oia gets just before sunset – a slow collective hush as cameras are raised, heads tilted the whole town bathed in gold.

But when the crowds disperse and the cruise ships retreat, the new suites at Canaves are exactly where you want to be: dipped in silence, bathed in moonlight and soaking in your own private pool, far above the world.

Canaves Oia Suites is located at Main Street, Oía 847 02, Greece.

A new Athens gallery has made its appearance underneath the Acropolis. The space, titled Melas Martinos, has been designed by architecture studio Local Local and sits in the neighbourhood of Monastiraki, at the foot of the ancient hill. The reimagining of an existing building, its architecture was conceived to nod to its area's and original structure's historic character, but has been refreshed and crafted in close collaboration with the client as a 21st-century art space.

Tour this modern Athens gallery by Local Local

The existing building's bones were sturdy – an old shop with three floors of storage and secondary spaces upstairs, previously inaccessible to the public. It has belonged to the client’s family, who had an antiques business, for over a hundred years.

The emerging Athens architecture studio, headed by founder Sofia Xanthakou and set in 2022, worked this memory and function into the design - cleaning up the interior to house contemporary art shows, but allowing space for antiques and furniture displays to exist in between this programme.

The early 20th-century building is surrounded by Athens' dense cityscape, packed with life and structures, as well as various archaeological digs and historical sites, such as the Roman Agora, the Library of Hadrian, and two former Ottoman mosques.

Within this rich urban environment, Melas Martinos brings its own architecture story to the mix. The 19th-century building had been added to and tweaked over the centuries, its fabric also including a series of arches on the first floor, which were added to the building in the 1960s by Greek modernist architect Takis Zenetos.

The architects tackled this sensitive and busy architectural mosaic with care, maintaining, cleaning up and sharpening its features and identity, while ensuring the interiors work for the purposes of a modern art space. The entire top floor had to be reworked and now includes an accessible terrace with a red terrazzo floor that overlooks the surroundings.

The craftspeople involved in the renovation were selected for their superior knowledge and skills, bringing back period features or creating new elements that echo the building's original spirit - such as the terrazzo with white stones and red pigment user as flooring in the balconies, executed by Nikos, 'one of the few craftsmen using traditional techniques in this format,' the team explains.

localocal.org

This Rethymno house by architecture firm Gkotsis Serafimidou stands strong on its clifftop plot, framed by Cretan mountains and gazing out across the South Cretan waters and the Libyan Sea beyond. Located in the southern part of the Rethymno region on the island of Crete, in Greece, the home boasts panoramic views and neatly morphs into its surrounding context.

This was the main goal for Christos Gkotsis and Elena Serafimidou, founders of the Greek architecture firm. ‘We wanted the house to be part of the mountains’ topology both material-wise and in morphology,' shared Serafimidou.

Inside Rethymno house by Gkotsis Serafimidou

Working with the clifftop site, the architects noted the strong winds, which influenced the building's positioning. The entrance is located lower than the plot's entry level, which offers shelter from gales and protects visitors who enter via the street. ‘The strong winds were the biggest challenge for us, in addition to the project's remoteness, which made construction hard,’ says Serafimidou. ‘We levelled the entrance lower as strong mountain drafts moved through the plot. Extended levels are placed in harmony with the existing slope.’

The interior is divided into two main sections: a public area that includes a living room, a kitchen, a dining space, and a lounge, with social outdoor spaces consisting of a barbecue area and a pool. The quieter and more private areas include two en-suite bedrooms and a detached guest house.

The island's natural setting was a source of inspiration for the architects, which is reflected in the project's material choices. Local stone found on the walls of the house was matched by timber frames and shutters. A natural matte plaster finish was used for the interior, and cement screed features on the floor and infinity pool.

The area of Rethymno is known for producing a delicate green stone. This was mixed in fragments within the stone blocks used in the house to create an earthy outdoor area, which seamlessly integrates with its surroundings. Landscaping also played an important role in the residence's integration into its context. Stipa grass was planted to playfully interact with the wind and natural light.

'We wanted the visitor to disconnect from “civilisation” and to reconnect with nature’s greatness through all possible senses. Framed views directed through the house tell a story and allow visitors to be isolated from all external factors,’ the architects say.

gasap.gr

‘Death is an evil. We have the gods' word for it; they too would die if death were a good thing.’ South African artist Marlene Dumas reads this poem attributed to the Ancient Greek poet Sappho, outside her exhibition ‘Cycladic Blues’, taking place across the neoclassical Stathatos Mansion in the Museum of Cycladic Art in Athens. The poem cuts across time, framing death not as a transition to the next cycle of life, but as a failure – an affront even to the divine – and asserting its finality and violence. With this, Dumas sets the tone for ‘Cycladic Blues’, a deeply personal and expansive exhibition that moves through the many cycles that preoccupy her work: sex and desire, love and hate, life and death, guilt and innocence. The show draws connections between Dumas’ paintings, works on paper, and Cycladic and Hellenistic artefacts selected by the artist – some more than 4,000 years old – from the museum's permanent collection.

The majority of the ancient objects placed in dialogue with Dumas’ works – ranging from early pieces made in 1992 to new paintings created specifically for this exhibition – are Cycladic figurines. Carved from marble and originating from the nearby Cycladic islands, the figurines exude an eerie anonymity. Little is known about them with certainty; they were likely placed in graves and it is assumed they played a role in funerary rituals.

Their minimal, stylised forms – with folded arms, curved and smoothed-over features, and precisely incised lines marking sex and limbs – are a delicate abstraction of the human body, one that resonates with Dumas’ visual language. The ancient figures now stand in quiet proximity to her paintings, which chart the body in its most charged, exposed and intimate states. From the strip-club dancers portrayed in her Amsterdam series to martyrs, murderers and tender portraits of her daughter, Helena (1992), Dumas’ figures are consistently performing, ageing, desiring, or dying. The exhibition becomes not only a confrontation with death, but a meditation on how we face death, through the persistence of bodies, the repetition of ideals or gestures, and the act of image-making itself, in a dialogue that cycles across centuries.

The artist's relationship to Greek antiquity is shaped by conflict. Raised in Apartheid-era South Africa, Dumas witnessed how classical ideals were weaponised by fascist and colonial regimes to uphold order and supremacy. In that context, the smooth, idealised body of antiquity became a political tool. It was only later that she recognised the subversive potential buried within those same classical texts. On Robben Island, political prisoners, including Nelson Mandela, staged and acted Greek tragedies, in acts of camaraderie and survival. In Sophocles’ Antigone, for instance, the prisoners saw a story of moral defiance against state violence. Greek antiquity, for Dumas, thus becomes a paradox: one in which traditional beauty is entangled with brutality.

This tension runs throughout her work. Dumas returns obsessively to death, not as a singular event, but as a persistent cycle that binds all things. In 50+ (2010–2018), painted over eight years and after her 50th birthday, the body is depicted as something already fading. Veins pulsate beneath a translucent skin, as a second face hovers like a spirit leaving the body. Dumas’ process is as much about erasure as depiction; in the studio, as she works, she removes more paint from the canvas surface than she builds. In Long Neck (Fragment) (c. 1998), ink pools and bleeds into paper, forming a dissolving, incomplete body. Her starting points are often photographs, many of them marked by violence and post-mortem images, including that of the young Chechen woman from the Moscow theatre crisis in Alfa (2004). A cropped image of a female’s side profile fades to a milky grey haze, her mouth softly ajar, and her eyes closed in what could be sleep, or deathly slumber.

The tension between presence and absence, eroticism and grief, is heightened in Immaculate, a close-up painting of a lower torso and vagina; the skin of the unknown figure is blue beside the lower torso of a Cycladic figurine. The effect is quiet but charged. Dumas’ painting invites the gaze, in an intimate, vulnerable and fleshy way, whilst the marble figurine, detached from its funerary origin, stands cold and symbolic of the transition to the next cycle in life. Their proximity does not resolve into harmony; rather, they orbit each other in a dialogue of opposites. One speaks to desire and immediacy, the other to departure. But in that friction lies the power of ‘Cycladic Blues’: a refusal to idealise the body as fixed to one state. Rather, the body constantly has the capacity to transform and change, to slip between desire and decay, intimacy and distance, past and present.

The conversation between Dumas’ paintings and the Cycladic figurines is neither seamless nor reconciled, and it is in this friction that gives the exhibition its charge. The Cycladic islands, from which the ancient figurines originate, take their name from the Greek word kyklos (meaning ‘circle’), a reference to how the islands encircle the sacred island of Delos, mythic birthplace of Apollo and Artemis. But the term also evokes larger, more existential cycles: birth and death, memory and forgetting, creation and decay; the very cycles that animate Dumas’ work.

The figurines, with their smoothed limbs and closed forms, speak to the cyclical nature of ritual and mourning. And yet, both ancient and contemporary bodies resist realism, preferring distortion and abstraction as ways of reaching what lies beneath the surface. Their connection lies in the rhythm of recurrence in how form returns in different guises, and how death persistently haunts life.

‘Marlene Dumas: Cycladic Blues’ at the Museum of Cycladic Art until 2 November 2025, cycladic.gr/en

From the Japanese Genmaicha dotted with popped brown rice to the time-consuming but deliciously foamy West African Ataya, the world of tea is truly full of wonders. And it’s certainly not stuck in time: today, a new generation is discovering the beauty of bright-green matcha and fragrant masala chai. For her latest book, 150 Tea Houses You Need to Visit Before You Die, writer and editor Léa Teuscher – a long-time Wallpaper* staffer – explores what’s brewing, whether it’s in a cool café in Istanbul, a historic tea plantation in Darjeeling, an elegant hotel in London or a beautiful Kyoto ochaya. Here she picks ten tea houses serving great drinks and homemade blends in elegant, often architect-designed spaces, around the world.

Ten contemporary tea houses to visit now

Basao Tea, Xiamen

Designed by Norm Architects, this beautiful minimalist space is the flagship tea room of Basao Tea, a brand established in 2011 in Xiamen, Fujian. It is named after a Japanese zen monk who once wrote: ‘Having learned the ways of silence, within the noise of urban life, I take life as it comes to me, and everywhere I am is true.’ Its pared-back space aims to help visitors enjoy quiet contemplation and the calming sounds of tea being prepared, poured and enjoyed. Sit at the large stone tea counter to take part in a Chinese gongfu tea ceremony, or learn about more contemporary ways of tea making, like Basao’s nitrogen-infused cold brews. The tea sommeliers can also guide you through the company’s collection, which ranges from hand-rolled Nepali tips to Hangzhou’s ‘dragon well’ tea. Basao also has branches in Shanghai and Hong Kong.

Basao Tea is located at 8 Jianye RdSi Ming Qu, Xia Men Shi, Fu Jian Sheng, China; @basaotea

Bellocq Tea Atelier, New York

Bellocq is known for its single-estate full-leaf teas and signature botanical blends, as well as its famous yellow tea caddies now found in the tea rooms of some of the world’s leading brands, from Tiffany & Co to Cartier. Designed by co-founder Heidi Johannsen Stewart, and her husband, architect Scott Stewart, its studio and tea room is located in a brick warehouse in Brooklyn’s Greenpoint, and celebrates the luxury of taking time to enjoy a fine cup of tea. Distilling inspiration from botanical traditions while embracing innovation, the brand focuses on sustainable production practices, sourcing teas from exceptional gardens that reflect the unique terroirs of China, Japan, Taiwan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, India and South Africa. Bellocq’s Earl Grey, for example, is made with an exceptional base leaf and, uniquely, the essence of Sicilian bergamot extracted from the entire fruit.

Bellocq Tea Atelier is located at 104 West St, Brooklyn, NY 11222, United States; bellocqtea.com

Cafe Svenskt Tenn, Stockholm

Leading Swedish interiors brand Svenskt Tenn was founded in 1924 by Estrid Ericson, an entrepreneur and a great tea lover who is said to have drunk five cups of tea every day. Fittingly, the brand’s beautiful shop in central Stockholm is also home to a café serving a wide range of teas, with everything from delicate, grassy Japanese green teas and Indian Darjeeling, to its own flavoured blend of Chinese keemun/Yunnan. The teas were selected by chef Petter Nilsson’s team at Petri, a fine dining restaurant that is known for its focus on tea pairings, so expect some pretty special drinks here, such as rare jungle teas from the Monsoon Tea Wat Ket in Thailand and Dongfang meiren (‘Oriental beauty’) from Nantou County in Taiwan. These can be accompanied by dishes such as smoked salmon on French toast, or rhubarb cheesecake, canelés and chestnut tartlets.

Café Svenskt Tenn is located at Strandvägen 5, 114 51 Stockholm, Sweden; svenskttenn.com

Casa de Chá, Brasilia

Designed between 1965 and 1966 by legendary architect Oscar Niemeyer, the Casa de Chá was conceived as a meeting point on the monumental Three Powers Plaza, the site of the three branches of the Brazilian government. It is a unique spot with floor-to-ceiling windows hiding under a long flat white roof, in the great modernist architecture tradition. Inside, you will find classic pieces such as Jean Gillon armchairs and a menu by local chef Gil Guimarães. Drinks include Itamaraty Chai (black tea with star anise, cloves and pepper), a house maté, and the Congresso infusion, with hibiscus, apple, clove and cinnamon. We’d recommend sampling these with a slice of corn cake or, if really hungry, a Niemeyer tartine with Parma ham and umbu jelly. Refurbished in 2019 by Bloco Arquitetos, the café is actually part of the local university and a training ground for its hospitality students.

Casa de Chá is located at Praça dos Três Poderes Três Praça dos Três Poderes - Brasilia, DF, 70802-140, Brazil; @casadecha.df.senac.br

Ksana matcha, Bangkok

Located in cosmopolitan Pathum Wan, this cave-like specialist matcha tea room offers a unique haven of tranquillity away from chaotic central Bangkok. Sourced from Japanese heritage farms in Uji and leading tea estates in Shizuoka, the powdered green tea is served here on simple wooden tables in a cocooning white cave designed by local practice JUTI architects. Ksana matcha uses the finest-quality tea leaves to create four teas, including Coastal Breeze, with umami flavours that evoke the fresh serenity of a coastal morning, and Smoky Peaks, a hōjicha with a hint of hickory. Also on the menu are traditional Japanese wagashi sweets, such as yuzu and yokan jelly. Ksana has just opened an equally slick new outpost in the nearby Central World mall.

Ksana Matcha is located at 2nd Floor, One City Centre, Unit R2-02, 548 Phloen Chit Rd, Lumphini, Pathum Wan, Bangkok 10330, Thailand; ksanamatcha.com

Osulloc Tea Museum, Jeju

Set on an organic tea farm on the island of Jeju in South Korea, this stylish tea room and museum designed by Seoul-based practice Mass Studies was set up by the South Korean brand Osulloc, which started growing tea here only in 1979, after painstakingly transforming the rocky land into tea fields. It has since won a string of prestigious prizes for its teas, including Illohyang, a first-flush green tea handpicked in early April, and Sejac, the brand’s signature green tea. You can try them at the museum’s teahouse, which also serves blended teas, such as Samdayeon Jeju Tangerine, and lots of pretty tea-flavoured treats, such as matcha tiramisu and Jeju green tea cheesecake. Osulloc also has teahouses in Seoul, including a flagship location in the Bukchon district.

Osulloc Tea Museum is located at 15 Sinhwayeoksa-ro, Andeok-myeon, Seogwipo-si, Jeju-do, South Korea; us.osulloc.com

Oxi Tea Room, Melbourne

Known for its exquisitely detailed themed afternoon teas, this serene tea room in downtown Melbourne celebrates the tea terroirs of Kenya and Taiwan, the home countries of owners Mehboob and Andy. From Kenya come teas such as Nandi Gold, a fruity black tea with hints of roasted hazelnuts, while from Taiwan are sourced crisp Alishan and delicate dong ding oolongs. The 30 premium whole-leaf teas are paired with meticulously crafted menus, and an interactive app guides diners through a culinary journey, revealing the stories behind each dish. Designed by local practice Alta Architecture, Oxi Tea Room is well known for its themed afternoon teas, with past inspirations ranging from local honeys to artists such as Yayoi Kusama. All feature pastry chef Johnny Ping’s eye-catching creations, including surprising bites such as cheesecake with plum, blueberry and tofu.

Oxi Tea Room is located at T4/158 Victoria St, Carlton VIC 3053, Australia; oxitea.com.au

Steep LA

Located in Los Angeles’ Chinatown, this teahouse, bar and eatery was co-founded by Samuel Wang and Lydia Lin, for whom tea is a family tradition. While Samuel grew up drinking oolong with his dad, Lydia’s favourite is pu-erh tea, which her family enjoys while eating dim sum. Their menu focuses on premium teas handpicked from China and Taiwan, which cover five out of six major Chinese tea categories: black, green, white, oolong and pu-erh – the latter including a refreshing Green Tangerine tea with notes of citrus and freshly cut grass. Come 5pm, Steep LA introduces its After Dark program, offering tea-infused cocktails such as Winter’s Whisper, with Jiaziyuan oolong tea. There is also a food menu with noodle bowls and snacks and a boutique selling pieces by local designers and craft makers.

Steep LA is located at 970 N Broadway #112, Los Angeles, CA 90012, United States; steepla.com

Théhuone, Helsinki

As you’d expect for a boutique and tea room located in the Design District, the décor at Théhuone is pure Scandinavian minimalism. Tea is served in sleek white porcelain cups and transparent teapots, which are perfect to watch flowering teas unfurl. There’s only a handful of tables and a seating area with floor cushions by the window from which to enjoy a selection of over 400 teas, carefully selected by sisters Nina and Nea, who founded the tea room in 2005. Flavoured teas such as classic Earl Grey and cherry-flavoured Sencha Sakura are particularly popular here, as are rare pu-erh varieties from Yunnan and the finest oolong teas from Taiwan. In keeping with the pared-back décor by local studio Pure Design, which lets the teas do the talking, there is no food menu – but drinks do come with little biscuits, mochis or a piece of green tea chocolate on the side.

Théhuone is located at Eerikinkatu 10, 00100 Helsinki, Finland; thehuone.com

To Tsai, Athens

Owned by specialist Ceylon tea importer Mlesna, To Tsai opened its doors in 1993. Inspired by Japanese architecture, the sleek space by Georges Batzios Architects is divided into a boutique and a tea room, where tea is served in a variety of teapots (porcelain, cast iron or clay) depending on its origin. It’s a real treasure trove of hard-to-find teas, such as an organic orange pekoe, grown near Etseri in the mountains of Georgia, and mastic tea, a tea flavoured with natural mastic oil (a key Greek ingredient), from Dimbula, Sri Lanka. Another local favourite is mountain tea, or Sideritis scardica, grown on an organic farm on Mount Olympus – a delicious infusion with notes of mint, chamomile and citrus.

To Tsai is located at Al. Soutsou 19, Athens 106 71, Greece; tea.gr

As the weather gets warmer, the pull of a European break gets stronger, promising azure archipelagos and sunny cities. Like always, Wallpaper* has the inside scoop on the most distinctive and distinguished stays in Europe. These destinations are practically guaranteed spring sun. They are also spots that, come summer, will be heaving with tourists, so savvy travellers should get in before high season.

If you’re a design lover, look no further than our collection of European hotels to book now.

The best European destinations to visit in spring

Meraki Studios, Crete, Greece

Meraki Studios offers Mediterranean minimalism in the nature-rich valley of Kissos. The six simple studios by Sigurd Larsen Design blend indoor and outdoor living, sitting within a 6,500 sq m garden filled with olive, oak and fig trees, which is also home to a vegetable garden. Each accommodation boasts either a shaded patio or infinity pool; inside, expect functional comfort and well-equipped kitchens. The nearby village of Kissos is a quiet, secluded escape from the crowds of Crete’s major towns, and the local beaches of Ligres and Triopetra are as beautiful as any.

merakistudios.gr

This Time Tomorrow in Florence, Italy

This Time Tomorrow offers experiences in Florence and Marrakech; its Italian travellers stay in the Abitazione building, a modern tribute to Florentine art situated on the city’s northern edge. The fresco-filled building, restored by SpaceStudio and RecDi8 Living, is home to eight curved-ceiling residences filled with baroque portraits and velvet furniture. Enjoy off-menu cuisine and unseen exhibitions while you stay here courtesy of This Time Tomorrow’s resident curators.

This Time Tomorrow in Florence is located at Viale Don Giovanni Minzoni, 3, 50129 Florence, Italy; thistimetomorrow.io

The Verse, Lisbon, Portugal

The Verse offers the chance to experience local living in design-led surroundings. Fifteen residences designed by Studio Astolfi, from a pastel-pink loft with soaring ceilings to an apartment with a private walled garden, are housed in a historic building. They boast marble-clad kitchens, midcentury furnishings and a palette inspired by a Portuguese landscape, and are populated with local handcrafts, metalwork and hand-painted Azulima tiles. As well as five-star hotel amenities, The Verse also offers a home-away-from-home experience with fully-equipped cooking setups, work areas and hosting spaces.

The Verse is located at R. de São Bento 39, 1200-109 Lisbon, Portugal; theverse.com

The Bodrum Edition, Turkey

Get in before the summer crowds on Turkey’s Turquoise Coast with a stay at the Bodrum Edition, a boutique hotel in one of the twin bays of the Bodrum Peninsula. The 110-rooms, suites and villas feature custom furnishings, marble bathrooms, warm wood finishes, light fabrics, and a private plunge pool, balcony or garden. The Bodrum Edition is also home to a spa, Turkish hammam and beach club, all mere moments from the glittering Aegean Sea and a stone’s throw from the medieval Bodrum Castle.

The Bodrum Edition is located at Dirmil, Balyek Cd. No 5A, 48400 Bodrum/Muğla, Turkey; editionhotels.com

La Residencia, a Belmond Hotel, Mallorca, Spain

Nestled in the mountain enclave of Deià, a centuries-old spiritual home of artists and musicians, La Residencia captures the area’s bohemian spirit. The hotel, which recently unveiled the Studio Ashby renovation of its Villa Robert Graves, sits across twin manor houses among olive and citrus groves. La Residencia offers an award-winning spa and art classes for guests, while local exploration can be done on foot via local hiking trails, by Vespa, or even with the hotel’s donkeys transporting your picnic.

La Residencia, A Belmond Hotel, Mallorca is located at Carrer son Canals, 07179 Deià, Balearic Islands, Spain; belmond.com

La Fondation Paris, France

It’s always a good time for Paris, but the city is especially lovely in the spring. Stay at La Fondation, which is cocooned from its 17th arrondissement surroundings inside brutalist volumes by Philippe Chiambaretta Architecte, breaking from the city’s wedding-cake Hausmann aesthetic. Interiors, including 58 rooms, a brasserie and a bistronomic restaurant, are designed by Roman and Williams; La Fondation is also home to rooftop offices, a semi-Olympic pool and a climbing wall.

La Fondation is located at 40 Rue Legendre, 75017 Paris, France; lafondationhotel.com

High jewellery, that melting pot of precious materials and incredibly elevated craftsmanship, can often veer towards the traditional in its aesthetic, something Athens-based jeweller Nikos Koulis has been determined to avoid.

Koulis’ high jewellery is a breath of fresh air. Fluid, modern and cool, his embracing of clever engineering and diamonds in unconventional cuts brings something wholly new to the field. ‘A client once told me that my jewellery is “kind” to women,’ Koulis says. ‘They said it has a gentle attribute, feeling light, fitting right, flowing with movement. I consider fluidity as a core characteristic of my aesthetic, an integral element of how I shape each of my creations. Sometimes, it’s strikingly visible in the design; other times, it’s hidden in the details – how a piece rests against the ear, drapes around the neck or embraces the wrist. It’s in the way it moves, in its softness, in the seamless connection between form and feel. It’s a challenge for craftsmanship, but a very deliberate aesthetic choice. Women should not have any restraints in wearing precious one-of-a-kind pieces, they should enjoy them in a nonchalant and comfortable style.’

In the ‘Wish’ collection, Koulis is inspired by the spiky yet soft character of a dandelion, its spikes here translated into diamonds set in gold, on aluminium. The fluffy seed-heads become unusual diamond cuts, such as the moval, a blend of a marquise and oval cut.

‘It all begins with my deep, almost sensual connection to stones,’ Koulis adds. ‘I am fascinated by searching for unusual cuts, old-mine treasures, rare gems that stand out not for their carat weight, but for their enticing allure. Diamonds, as creations of nature, possess an inherent, timeless beauty. The irresistible charm of a no-heat blue sapphire or a fiery ruby is unmatched.

‘And the magnetism of Colombian emeralds? It lies in their colour and their imperfections, all the more enchanting for their subtle inclusions. The conduit to originality is to experiment with different materials and techniques.'

Koulis enjoys embracing these unusual techniques to bring his vision to life. ‘An anchor for me is black enamel, heated in very high temperatures with a traditional Greek technique. It’s a nod to art deco, made with my signature. I embraced innovation with the clear enamel, where diamonds appear as if floating in a translucent surface. I explored new materials, introducing aluminum in “Wish”. The metal has soft and sculptural transformative powers and it’s so light and smooth, a contrast to how people perceive it. My purpose is to evolve and feed my curiosity.’

nikoskoulis.com

Much like the shapes in the beloved retro arcade game Tetris, from which it takes its name, this island house slots into its environment with satisfying precision. Located in the heart of the Aegean Sea, on the island of Antiparos, Greece, the residence peeks out of the horizon, all L-shapes and rectangular volumes. The home was designed by ARP (Architecture Research Practice), a studio with experience in building in Greece's archipelago and whose Avlakia House was featured in the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory in 2022.

This island house slots neatly onto its site

ARP’s founder Argyro Pouliovali was inspired by the basic geometries of Tetris blocks as a means of shaping space through interlocking forms. ‘The starting point for this project was the existing unfinished structure – one of many that dot the Greek landscape – and a broader architectural philosophy rooted in the spirit of a place,’ the architect says.

'We approached the design as a process of careful subtraction and precise addition. By integrating simple geometric volumes that interlock like pieces in a three-dimensional puzzle, we transformed the inherited structure while maintaining a dialogue with its surroundings’.

The architectural context of Antiparos, which is set in the Cyclades, offers a mix of the picturesque, white-washed walls and domed roofs that have long been associated with these islands. Tetris house echoes this Cycladic vernacular, which is often expressed in cubic compositions and minimalist façades. However, it brings a contemporary touch through its crisp edges, compared to the more traditional, softer, rounded corners of local buildings.

When entering the home there is an air of spatial generosity. The architecture unfolds as visitors journey through house, the spaces designed to be dynamic, interacting with light and shadow.

Pouliovali hopes visitors feel the quiet presence of the site itself as they enter, she explains: ‘The house “contains” its surroundings, carefully balancing introversion and openness, while the materials used throughout subtly reflect local construction traditions. We aspire to create architecture that inevitably emerges from its place, much like all enduring architecture should.’

A pool frames the inner courtyard on the ground level. Inside the house, the layout steps away from a conventional arrangement, and offers a more communal way of living, with the body of water being the main focal point and rooms spread around it.

On the upper floor, there is a living room and principal suite with a large window open to views of the port. For Pouliovali, the real challenge was achieving a balance – 'between past and present, between privacy and openness, and between structure and landscape', she says.

The project is a great example of uniting local resources and skill, with contemporary design. Pouliovali explains: ‘The project employs a mix of local craftsmanship and available technology – from traditional, groutless stone walls marking the plot’s edges to concrete elements cast in wooden planks.'

'It was about working with what was at hand, in the way that vernacular architecture has always done, but without falling into a folkloric aesthetic.’

arp.com.gr

Costa Navarino in the Greek region of Messinia welcomes a new collection of luxury villas which settle into verdant olive groves and lap up the ocean vistas of the Mediterranean. Designed by Greek architecture firm K-Studio, these villas finely balance contemporary looks with sustainable architecture, allowing for the residences to gently nod to their idyllic, rural context of what is known to be one of the country’s most sought-after resort destinations.

Step inside Southwand House in Costa Navarino by K-Studio

Part of this group, Southwand House was created as an escape to the sun for its clients – a Northern European family – and is also available to book. Although the building is modern, its site is gracefully aged, shaped by 4500 years of history. Its views are unobstructed and expand over the Ionian Sea, lush golf courses, and gardens.

K-Studio had to align its work with the region’s strict traditional architectural patterns, which makes sure new residences are a natural extension of the surrounding landscape. Here, the architects stayed true to this while integrating a contemporary spin which caters to both functionality and aesthetics.

The team was inspired by ‘folk’ architecture in Messinia which usually includes varying stone volumes which can be seen in piazzas and courtyards. K-Studio, inspired by this, decided to integrate negative spaces in the forms of hidden passage ways and shady courtyards.

The studio told Wallpaper*, 'Our favourite part of the building is the intricate interplay of the modules and the way they form courtyards, passages, and dynamic outdoor spaces. Especially compelling is the central axis—a subtle yet powerful feature that ties all the spaces together visually and functionally. The way the water element—through the pool—relates to almost every ground floor space, and how the indoor functions are mirrored outdoors, creates a living experience that is truly immersive and joyful.'

The residences’ façade is defined by textural stone which is sourced from a nearby quarry and lends to a seamless integration with the organic surroundings. However, the integration of white concrete slabs adds a modernist touch.

Due to the area’s pleasant climate, the architects seamlessly integrated an indoor-outdoor living feel. This is felt from entering into the home as you are greeted with the long views beyond. The large pool on the ground floor reflects these views, naturally inviting nature inside.

Situated on the lefthand side of the building, or on the top floor are the bedrooms. All other internal spaces have a duplicate outdoors, offering options for outdoor cooking, showering, lounging and exercising al fresco. K-Studio worked closely with its clients who are social and active, and the home is a testimony to vibrant holiday living.

The studio shared, 'We want visitors to feel a sense of calm, connection to nature, and fluidity between interior and exterior spaces. From the very first step into the central courtyard, the design invites people to visually and physically connect with the natural landscape, sea views, and the pool. The house aims to evoke a warm, welcoming atmosphere where social life, nature, and architecture blend into a harmonious and uplifting experience.'

k-studio.gr

Southwand House is available to book at costanavarino.com/navarinoresidences

With the flurry of art fairs coming up, there’s no shortage of masterworks to delight, inspire and seduce us. From Frieze Los Angeles 2025 and Contemporary African Art Fair Marrakech this February to Art Basel Hong Kong in March, the art world and its patrons have shown that if you love art, you must travel for it. So, if art is life and life is art, why not embody the avant-garde sensibility and turn even your sleeping quarters into a Gesamtkunstwerk (German for ‘total work of art’)? From contemporary art at New Hotel Athens to surrealism at the Broadwick Soho and modernism at The Fife Arms in Scotland, the following art hotels make sleeping feel like a night at the museum.

The best hotels for art lovers

The Broadwick Soho, London

The Broadwick Soho is a wild, decadent hotel in the heart of London that draws on 1970s-era discotheque opulence and smoky, velvet backrooms. Yet its maximalist design, masterminded by interior designer Martin Brudnizki (also behind the makeover of members’ club Annabel’s), is thoughtfully supplemented by an impressive art collection. Selected from hotel owner Noel Hayden’s personal collection, a series of 300 original artworks curated by Jonathan Brook match the Broadwick’s eclecticism, ranging from iconic masterworks like Andy Warhol’s shoe sketches, À la recherche du shoe perdu (1955), that were once part of David Bowie’s estate, and works by Francis Bacon and Bridget Riley, to flea-market finds and works by contemporary artists such as Faye Wei Wei and Casey Moore.

The Broadwick Soho is located at 20 Broadwick St, London W1F 8TH, United Kingdom; broadwicksoho.com

Château Voltaire

Smack dab in the centre of Paris’ 1st arrondissement, between Opéra and Tuileries, Thierry Gillier, founder of the French fashion brand Zadig & Voltaire, brought to life a five-star, 32-room hotel that feels as personal as the art on its walls. At Château Voltaire, works from Gillier’s personal collection dot the space – each room is unique, so you might wake up under a piece by Picasso or Cy Twombly, or see works by Marlene Dumas, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Stephen Shearer and Francis Picabia in the lobby and lounge. With artistic direction led by Franck Durand, and interior design by Festen, the mood is one of highly curated contemporary eclecticism with elements of elegant gothic design, in buildings that date back to the 17th and 18th centuries.

Château Voltaire is located at 55 Rue Saint-Roch, 75001 Paris, France; chateauvoltaire.com

El Fenn, Marrakech

Co-owners Vanessa Branson (sister of Richard), Madeline Weinrib (and her husband Graham Head, president of ABC Carpet & Home), along with El Fenn’s creative director Yann Dobry have all had a hand in defining the hotel’s eclectic art and interiors that blend Marrakech style with bohemian luxury. As a collector and gallerist, Branson’s taste in art has appeared throughout El Fenn’s hallways since it opened in 2004: pieces by William Kentridge, Antony Gormley, Bridget Riley and David Shrigley remain on display. The hotel, whose name means ‘house of art’, remains closely tied to culture – many contemporary Moroccan artists, such as Hassan Hajjaj and Yto Barrada are featured in the space as well.

El Fenn is located at Derb Moulay Abdullah Ben Hezzian, 2, Marrakech 40000, Morocco; el-fenn.com

The Fife Arms, Braemar

When two of the art world’s most powerful players open a hotel, you know that the art collection will be worth the visit alone. Owned by Iwan and Manuela Wirth of the famed gallery Hauser & Wirth, The Fife Arms offers artwork to rival many major museums. A 19th-century Victorian coaching inn located in the picturesque village of Braemar in the Scottish Highlands, just about everything at the Fife Arms is extraordinary. Its jaw-dropping collection is made up of nearly 16,000 pieces that range from Pablo Picasso’s Mousquetaire Assis (1967) and Lucian Freud’s Child Portrait (1962) to a painting by Gerhard Richter, and a piece by Renaissance painter Pieter Bruegel the Younger. The Russell Sage-designed interiors incorporate Scottish heritage with tweed and tartan accents and antiques in keeping with the property’s history. Where else can you stay with two full-time art historians who were brought on board to research Scottish history, Victoriana and contemporary art?

The Fife Arms is located at Mar Rd, Braemar, Ballater AB35 5YN, United Kingdom; thefifearms.com

New Hotel, Athens

Owned by Cypriot Dakis Joannou, one of the world’s preeminent contemporary art collectors and founder of the Deste Foundation, the New Hotel in Athens is a hub for supporting and showcasing contemporary art. Revolving exhibitions feature contemporary artists from the Athenian scene, while 20 pieces from Joannou’s personal collection also dot the walls. Works by major artists such as Jenny Holzer, Laurie Simmons, Jeff Koons and Barbara Kruger are in the hotel’s permanent collection, and there's an installation by a Greek artist in every suite. For the bibliophile, 2,000 art books are on display in the hotel’s Art Lounge. Designed by Brazilian brothers Fernando and Humberto Campana, the 79-room hotel with views of the Acropolis harkens back to classic Greek architecture but is infused with hand-selected luxury design details that nod to a forward-thinking, eclectic sensibility.

New Hotel, Athens is located at Filellinon 16, Athens 105 57, Greece; donkeyhotels.gr

Pompey Jamaica

Located in Portland Parish on Jamaica's north-east coast, Pompey is a private estate owned by American DJ and music producer Diplo, surrounded by dense rainforest on 50 acres of land. The brutalist complex designed by Freecell Architecture in collaboration with designer Gia Wolff is complemented by an art collection that includes work by artists such as Sofia Londoño, Pedro Reyes, Lucas Muñoz, Asafo Flag, Garnett Puett, Veronica Ryan and Vince Skelly. Composed of a main house, a music studio, a yoga studio, a spa and a lagoon, the interiors by Sara Nataf and Katelyn Hinden and landscape design by Geoponika provide a homely contrast to the stark concrete structure that seems to be swallowed up by its jungle surrounds – a metaphor for the hideaway that Diplo envisioned.

pompeyjamaica.com

Rhinoceros Roma

If having artwork on the walls of your hotel isn’t enough, how about sleeping above a gallery? Rhinoceros Roma in Rome’s ancient Velabro district – home to Fondazione Alda Fendi Esperimenti, the contemporary art foundation of Alda Fendi, youngest daughter of the Fendi family – allows just that. Restored by architect Jean Nouvel, the 17th-century palazzo houses 25 apartments that exude luxury with ultra-modern, Italian minimalist chic (think: lots of chrome and concrete floors). On the bottom floor, an art gallery hosts rotating exhibitions, including a partnership with the Hermitage Museum of Saint Petersburg that has shown works by Picasso, El Greco and Michelangelo.

Rhinoceros Roma is located at Via del Velabro, 9, 00186 Rome, Italy; rhinocerosroma.com

Les Roches Rouges, Saint-Raphaël

Set on the splashy landscape of the French Riviera, Les Roches Rouges in Saint-Raphaël embodies classic Côte d’Azur style with minimalist furnishings that ooze elegance. Interior design studio Festen Architecture gave the hotel’s 1950s modernist architecture a fresh vision in sun-drenched colours reminiscent of vintage Mediterranean style. Antique dealers Hélène Breheret and Benjamin Desprez selected furniture from designers such as Pierre Charreau, Willy Guhl and Charlotte Perriand, while sculptor Guy Bareff created custom Alpilles terracotta wall lamps. American artist Rosemarie Auberson made colour-block paintings based on a palette of blue tones, while artist Caroline Denervaud’s colourful abstractions add a light-hearted energy to the space.

Les Roches Rouges, Saint-Raphaël is located at 90 Bd de la 36ème division du Texas, 83530 Saint-Raphaël, France; beaumier.com

Glamping might not immediately conjure up images of Greek holidays; yet 91 Athens Riviera offers just that, bringing together contemporary luxury and design ambition with a well-connected setting and the year-round warm, Athenian sun. Located within an idyllic waterfront setting and unfolding as a family of low structures set within a richly planted estate, this is an entirely fresh offering when it comes to the Greek capital's hospitality scene.

Checking into 91 Athens Riviera

The boutique resort, a member of the portfolio of Greek hospitality group Domes, comprises a mere 28 cabanas of varying sizes (for couples and families), arranged around a garden planted with native Mediterranean species and a mesmerising reflective pool. Each has its own plunge pool and outdoor deck, surrounded by foliage which provides seclusion and privacy.

Inside, the relatively compact interior feels expansive through its large openings, outdoor space, smart design and rich amenity provision - residents will feel well looked after, thanks also to the responsive and attentive staff. Meanwhile, the tent structure's lightweight nature instantly transports you away from the Athens bustle - even if the resort is a short ride away from the capital's centre, including the Acropolis and its myriad attractions.

Three communal structures in the same tensile material host the main reception lobby, a shop and a bookable meeting room. Gym facilities, a tennis court, and an outdoor swimming pool ensure residents can stay active, should they wish to; while the nearby Soma Spa helps with winding down through a selection of holistic treatments in a separate, dedicated building.

On the beach end of the property, an outdoor lounge and bar with deck chairs and an organic, curved swimming pool complement the seaside offering in this section of the serene Voula beach. Some 130 sunbeds dot the private stretch of sand.

The famed restaurant Barbarossa, a long-term staple of Paros Island's culinary scene, brings a taste of the Aegean to this corner of Athens. A combination of Chef Dimitris Nikolis' fine dining menu and cocktails makes for the perfect foodie escape - open to both the resort residents and guests. Seafood is exquisite, and the deserts bring an interactive touch to the experience (try the Island Tree's sculptural mix of yoghurt, white chocolate, and sour cherry).

With the Athens hospitality scene booming and more design destinations opening in the Greek capital than ever before, 91 Athens Riviera is certainly a unique offering - and one worth the visit.

domesresorts.com

Artisanal representations of metaphysical ideas, the objects of desire coming out of Kiki Karayiannis’ jewellery atelier, Vasiliki, shine bright with this committed young designer’s individuality and innate flair. Some are bold, others subtle, but all Karayiannis’ designs convey the quality of originality that has made her one of the jewellery world’s most exciting names to watch.

For inspiration the designer turns to Ancient Greek, Japanese and Norse mythologies, plus postmodern novelists Borges and Ballard, before hand-molding offbeat forms that represent their stories and symbols in her own abstracted way. Whether earrings, necklaces, bracelets or rings, her creations tend to be fluid, bearing an artisanal charm that stands out in a machine-led world. Sometimes gnarly, always organic, each of her miniature sculptures feels precious to wear because of the passion and care put into its making.

Despite having killer looks, Karayiannis has been relatively camera shy until now, largely evading portraits and modelling requests from her creative scene friends for years. For our shoot with photographer Marco Arguello at her space beside Philopappou Hill in Koukaki – the neighbourhood between the Acropolis and contemporary art museum EMST – she’s paired a hotel pyjama shirt from her recent trip to Japan with a heavy kilt and ballet pumps, accessorised of course with a few of her own accents.

Proteus, Orlando, Ursula, Gilgamesh – this motley crew of charismatic personae inhabit the Vasiliki world, lending their assorted associations to be solidified at Karayiannis’ craft-worn fingertips. The designer says she enlists these archetypes 'as consoling protections against the violence of the here and now,' tapping into a fortifying psychic pool in which eternal associations reside. Each kink, gloop, (de)formation is a micro-tribute to randomness and digression, in contrast to the blandness of uniformity she feels has taken over.

Besides its founder’s vivid imagination, the treasure in Vasiliki’s toolbox is craftsman Spiros Amanatidis, now aged 73. He ran his own Classical and Byzantine revivalist jewellery company for years with his brother, and today makes pieces for the admired Lalaounis house. Karayiannis’ designs emerge from their close collaboration and hours of detailed conversations. 'We’ve had a strong emotional connection since we first met, and he’s one of the only craftsmen I know willing to create everything by hand.'

Amanatidis handmakes each Vasiliki chain, some requiring over 100 hand-turned links, which is a rarity these days and gives the label its organic style. Greece has a rich historical jewellery culture and Karayiannis learned her techniques by studying with local craftsmen, which is how she found Amanatidis. Spending long hours at their work tables, she not only learned about mould making and stone setting, she also picked up Greek.

Karayiannis is committed to sourcing ethical materials wherever possible, which is easier with metals than it is with stones (sapphires, emeralds, tourmalines, lemon quartz) but she persists, working with a network of dealers she met at London’s ethical gemstone fairs. Sometimes she repurposes antique diamonds from heirloom pieces she finds at auction, inherited by clients, or from her craftsman’s stash. She works exclusively with precious solid metals – recycled sterling silver and Fairtrade-certified gold. Over the years the designer has donated various pieces to raise funds for regional causes. Her mother had to leave Cyprus abruptly at nine years old after the 1974 Turkish invasion, and Karayiannis is sensitive to the conditions around the Eastern Mediterranean she’s chosen to make her home.

Bespoke one-of-a-kind commissions are where the dynamic designer’s talents come into their own as she imagines unique sculptures to suit an individual’s character, style and needs. In 2020 for example, she crafted a bouquet of protective amulet pendants for a painter friend to wear on a chain, re-envisaging the age-old icons of the cross and evil eye in her charming gloopy hand. More recently she’s come up with spherical solid gold vessels, gemstone-studded chains, irregular gold cufflinks, and molten splashes of kintsugi to rehabilitate a broken pearl.

There have inevitably been more than a few engagement rings too, for which she’s tested her capacity to transform something standardised into something unusual, creating a diamond encrusted organic band for a gallerist, a rich molten version of a solitaire with cabochon emeralds for an artist, and an ancient-looking eternity ring with princess-cut rubies for an architect.

You can find Vasiliki at Sense online, as well as small boutiques like Sekt & Sekt in Basel and Bureau in Taipei. When in 2022 she was commissioned by fashion brand Nanushka to design a silver collection for them, she came up with bulbous bracelets and fibrous ear cuffs. Last year, for chic new perfume boutique Phaon, she created delicate pinched gold candlesticks each on three twiggy legs, which she’s since made available to purchase upon request.

At a warehouse in Piraeus port district (previously used for plates designed to be broken at Greek weddings…) she collaborated with curator Alix Janta on an exhibition with fourteen artists from across Europe to install a series of object dialogues riffing on ideas of fantasy and metamorphosis. Faye Wei Wei made ceramics, Zoe Paul sculpted marble, and Matilde Cerruti Quara performed a poem, each adorned in Vasiliki. Karayiannis got a First in Fine Art and History of Art at London’s aptly titled Goldsmiths before coming to Athens on a trip in 2019 and deciding to stay. Besides being quite the aesthete, she’s a complex, detailed, ideas-led person, which lends her jewellery its variety and depth.

How does the designer feel about the way the Greek capital has changed in the years since she arrived? 'It used to feel like my hideout, like some kind of dreamworld bubble of ancient and urban ruins where I could work on my designs. Now it’s much more social, more collaborative, there’s so much happening.'

One of the things that’s very much happening is Vasiliki. The studio launch was heaving like a house party and private commissions keep coming in for clients ranging from the household names of fashion celebrity to grandes dames of arts patronage. So what does the future hold for this shapeshifting designer? 'I want to expand the Vasiliki universe, I like bringing its sensibilities into everyday life. We now have butter knives, ashtrays and hors d’oeuvres spoons – it might be time to start filling the room!'

vasiliki.studio

In the 1950s and 60s, Athens’ society swans gathered in a club in the old-moneyed Kifisia quarter, their pastime of choice, endless rounds of koum kan, a devilish Greek version of rummy. At the turn of this century, the venue was absorbed into the Karim Rashid-designed Semiramis Hotel as a restaurant and bar, from which it recently emerged from a tip-to-toe refurbishment by New York-based design studio, Manhattan Projects.

Koumkan, Athens

The makeover breathes new life into Koumkan by creating dramatically staged room sets. Each space is dressed to the nines in a palette that is at turns expensively moody and at others stylishly whimsical, its entirety, the designers say, is meant to evoke the vibe of an inter-war bar in Milan or Vienna. The tone is set at the entrance where a staircase encased in travertine descends from the street level into a pink-hued foyer, its bijou proportions cleverly disguised by floor-to-ceiling mirrored walls.

From this relatively austere entry, Manhattan Projects turn up the dial as it unfolds a sequence of spaces saturated in colour and textures. A darkly moody bar with all the feels of Batman’s lair is swathed in green marble from Tinos, 1960s stainless steel sconces and a futuristic, horizontal chandelier.

This opens out into a vast, cave-like space, its soaring ceiling exaggerated by four metre-high chandeliers of glass rods and mirrored panels that cast dizzying reflections and light – an effect Manhattan Projects describes as an ‘inside-out disco ball’. Framed by Iranian pink travertine, the elongated banana-shaped banquettes, meanwhile, are swathed in a light pink fabric produced by a local artisan who also supplies material to the Vatican and local Orthodox churches.

Against such an exuberant setting, the kitchen works hard to keep up with an eclectic menu touched with French, American, Italian and Japanese influences. Current crowdpleasers include buttermilk fried chicken served up with lime mayonnaise and Oscietra, Petrossian salmon crudo, a brioche of truffled grilled cheese, and a juicy slab of Chateaubriand draped with a yakiniku sauce.

Post-prandial treats range from a knickerbocker of ice cream and marshmallow, and Sacher torte, to lavish cocktails – think Negronis arriving at the table with buttered caramel popcorn, and spritzes with cherry soda – the latter best enjoyed either by the pool just beyond the restaurant, or back in the bar where live DJs obligingly keep the good times spinning till dawn.

Koumkan is located at Semiramis Hotel, Char. Trikoupi 48, Kifisia 145 62, Athen, Greece; koumkan.com

It’s not exactly easy to pinpoint where the Wallpaper* editors will be. From design festivals to fashion weeks and OOO adventures, there’s always something exciting on our team’s calendars. Keep reading to find out where the magazine’s staff members will be heading in the new year.

Wallpaper* editors’ 2025 getaway plans

LA: Charlotte Gunn, Director of Digital Content

‘I will look forward to my annual trip to Los Angeles to visit friends and family. I spend the year diligently plotting all the new openings I want to try on a Google Map so I am fully prepped by the time we arrive. I’m already itching to try Camelia, a French fusion restaurant which opened in Echo Park at the end of the summer. I’m also keen to see how the development of Melrose Hill has progressed since my last visit – a couple of notable galleries had moved into the area and there was a pledge to redevelop a disused retail block with new independent shops and restaurants. To get me through the long British winter, I shall be dreaming of fresh seafood at sundown from The Jolly Oyster on Ventura beach.’

Venice & Helsinki: Ellie Stathaki, Architecture & Environment Director

‘The Venice Architecture Biennale always causes a stir of excitement at the architecture desk, so my biannual visit to the Italian city in May for the vernissage is at the top of my list for 2025. I am also dreaming of a winter trip to Helsinki. I’ve always felt there’s lots to see and enjoy in the Nordic capital, and I have only scratched the surface. I have only ever been for work, so going on a long weekend in a private capacity is also on my list. The reopening of Alvar Aalto’s Finlandia Hall in January just adds to the reasons why.’

Switzerland & Budapest: Hannah Tindle, Beauty & Grooming Editor

‘I’m hoping to travel to Clinique La Prairie in Switzerland in 2025, a spa and clinic that has been running since 1931. (Previous devotees to its ‘CLP method’ include Marlene Dietrich and Greta Garbo). I also want to visit the Omorovicza spa in Budapest, another institution with a storied past, built on the Rác Thermal Bath, which dates back to the 16th century.’

Naoshima: Jason Hughes, Creative Director

‘In 2025, I’m heading back to Japan, more specifically to visit the islands of Naoshima and Teshima, which sit in the Seto Inland Sea and are easily accessible by ferry from Osaka. Famous for their art and architecture, I look forward to exploring both islands on a bicycle and seeing the works of artists Yayoi Kusama, James Turrell, Walter De Maria and Lee Ufan. I’m planning to stay at Benesse House, a museum and hotel concept, designed by renowned Japanese architect Tadao Ando.’

Australia, Uzbekistan and beyond: Lauren Ho, Travel Director

‘As I live my life constantly on the road, it’s important for me to plan my trips so that I make the most of each region or destination I am in. For 2025, I will be ringing in the new year in Sydney, followed by a few weeks of checking out new hotels in Australia. In late January, I will be heading to Beijing to see the newly opened Mandarin Oriental Qianmen, the group’s newest property, which unfolds within a 600-year-old hutong complex. This will be followed by a trip to Tashkent, Uzbekistan, which I am particularly excited about, and then, I will make my way to Europe, where I plan to explore Greece’s new hotel openings, and will head from Lisbon to the islands of São Tomé and Príncipe. While luxury hotels are my passion, at least once a year I like to visit a random destination I have never been to and that most people might not have access to. Finally, by June, I hope to make my annual pilgrimage to Africa to get my safari fix.’

Malaysia: Melina Keays, Entertaining Director

‘In February, I am travelling to The Datai beach resort in Langkawi - one of my favourite destinations in the world. Langkawi is the largest of a cluster of islands off the coast of northwestern Malaysia, separated from the mainland by the Strait of Malacca. I’ve been visiting this wonderful place for decades, and it never loses its allure. Langkawi is a proper tropical paradise; awarded Geopark status by UNESCO, it offers lush rainforests, stunning mountain ranges and white sand beaches.

There are fantastic things to see and do all over the island, which is rich in history and culture, but I could easily spend all my time at The Datai resort itself. It was designed by visionary architect Kerry Hill, who was determined to honour its environment, and set high over Datai Bay. The hotel is melded into its jungle setting, and its beautiful rooms and spaces float amidst the rainforest canopy, with breathtaking views of the Andaman Sea. The food at the Datai is superb, and I am particularly looking forward to the delicious Malaysian cuisine at The Gulai House, which is to be found at the end of a candle-lit jungle trail.’

Geneva: Tianna Williams, Editorial Executive

‘For the first week of spring, I will be heading to Geneva, Switzerland, to reunite with my cousin and sister. The location of this annual reunion varies from year to year, from the rolling hills of Shropshire, the coastline of the Gower Peninsula to London’s Hyde Park. I am excited to trade the London smog for crisp Mont Blanc mountain air, warm up with soothing mugs of hot chocolate, and, if feeling brave, take a plunge in Lake Geneva.’

Madrid, Rome, Paris: Sofia de la Cruz, Travel Editor

‘I tend to be quite spontaneous with the locations I travel to, often booking trips or accepting invitations at the last minute. That said, I will begin the new year in Madrid, and a few weeks later, I have a trip planned to Rome to explore the upcoming Hotel Romeo Roma, one of Zaha Hadid’s final projects before she died in 2016. I also have a weekend in Paris scheduled, which is something I make a point to do every year. As for the rest of the year, I hope to fulfil my lifelong dream of visiting Japan.’

Shanghai: Smilian Cibic, Editorial Assistant

‘I’m travelling to Shanghai to visit my dad, who has been working there for the past five years. I’m looking forward to seeing what he’s been up to. He’s designed his own micro home apartment, which has had quite a stir in the Chinese press. We will then travel together to Jingdezhen, the porcelain capital of China and then Shenzhen, the tech capital of the world.’

For more Travel content, visit Wallpaper*’s dedicated channel

Summer is in full swing – which means you’re either on holiday or coveting the posts of friends who are. The latest crop of design-driven new hotels is tailor-made for escapism – from Fouquet’s opening a Cycladic sanctuary to reset in between (or instead of) partying hard on the island of Mykonos to a fresh-faced boutique stay with unmistakable New England charm on Cape Cod. Also on our radar this month: Annua Signature expands its glorious grip on Mallorca, a storied Montréal stay debuts a decadent new look and a San Sebastian landmark stars in a cinematic next act.

The world’s best new hotel openings

July 2026

Fouquet’s Mykonos, Greece

Fouquet’s Mykonos expands the brand’s reach beyond its exclusive addresses in Paris, New York City, Courchevel, and Saint-Barthélemy to a Grecian jetset hotspot. Set on Paraga Beach, on the southern coast of Mykonos, the sanctuary, designed by Divercity Architects, trades clubbing for calm. Embracing a contemporary take on traditional Cycladic aesthetics, it offers sweeping views of sparkling azure waters of the Aegean Sea from its 61 breezy suites and three villas, imbued with the serenity of sun-faded neutrals, clean lines and natural materials like stone. Embracing restoration, the wellness-focused amenities include indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a spa sanctuary in partnership with Dr Barbara Sturm (think hyperbaric oxygen therapy, a flotation tank and an ice bath) and a basketball court carved directly into the rock.

Fouquet’s Mykonos is located at Paraga 0, Mykonos 846 00, Greece

Gran Hotel Margalida, Banyalbufar, Spain

Annua Signature builds on its Spanish presence with the debut of Gran Hotel Margalida, located in the village of Banyalbufar on the quieter western coast of Mallorca. Madrid-based architect Álvaro Onieva and interior designer Virginia Nieto reinvented a historic building into a contemporary escape that captures the elemental beauty and ease of the Balearics. Local materials – notably stone references the Tramuntana mountain range – hues inspired by the Mallorcan glow and vast water views set the tone for an unhurried Mediterranean holiday. Guests can float between the terraces planted with indigenous wild olive and 29 sea-facing rooms, warmed with sunny yellow accents. For an added dose of relaxation, the wellness area has an indoor pool and a light-washed wood gym that may be the chicest of all.

Gran Hotel Margalida is located at Carrer Major, 49, 07191 Banyalbufar, Illes Balears, Spain

Hoshinoya Nara Prison

Working with longtime collaborator and architect Rie Azuma, Hoshinoya Resorts has transformed the former Nara Prison – the sole survivor of architect Keijiro Yamashita's Five Great Meiji Prisons, built in 1908 by inmates – into 48 soigné suites. Each merges nine to eleven former cells, contrasting century-old red-brick masonry with contemporary finishes. The hotel’s layout mimics a hand: five cell wings radiate from a central watchtower where guards once surveyed prisoners. The former detention block now houses a Japanese-French restaurant, whilst an adjoining museum, provocatively titled ‘An Eternal Question Posed by an Iconic Prison’, asks visitors to meditate on liberty inside spaces built to deny it.

Hoshinoya Nara Prison is located at 18 Hannyajicho, Nara, 630-8102, Japan

Hôtel Nelligan, Montréal, Canada

Following a comprehensive transformation led by Corner Collection, a Montreal-based family-owned independent hospitality group, in collaboration with Atelier Zébulon Perron, the luxe redux of Hôtel Nelligan honours the heritage of existing architectural elements – including original stonework and exposed brick – while integrating refined materials to create a cohesive, elevated environment in lockstep with the past and present identity of Old Montréal. Fostering a deeper sense of place are partnerships with local artists and makers such as Lambert & Fils and St-Damase. The use of rich velvet sofas in elegantly curved shapes, deeply veined marble and warm wood infuses the interiors with character, from the 102 guest rooms to the atmospheric modern Greek restaurant and cocktail bar/music salon nestled within the old stone vaults.

Hôtel Nelligan is located at 106 Rue St-Paul Ouest, Montréal, QC H2Y 1Z3, Canada

Hotel Palacio Bellas Artes, Curio Collection by Hilton, San Sebastián, Spain

One of Spain’s earliest grand movie theatres just entered a second act as a striking hotel. Isabel López Vilalta recast the 1914 Beaux-Arts cinema as Hotel Palacio Bellas Artes, Curio Collection by Hilton, reawakening the building’s spirit and inviting an international audience to experience it anew. An audacious destination for design and gastronomy, the landmark hotel weaves rich colour, texture and subtle cinematic references into a tapestry of early film glamour and San Sebastián’s cultural heritage. The 81 rooms and suites are dressed in sumptuous shades of rose, with heavy drapery and velvet walls that nod to a theatrical past. This sense of drama carries through to the lobby bar and the highly anticipated Basque-influenced restaurant.

Hotel Palacio Bellas Artes, Curio Collection by Hilton is located at Urbieta Kalea, 61, 20006 Donostia / San Sebastián, Gipuzkoa, Spain

Shore Haven Inn, Falmouth, Massachusetts, USA

Cape Cod is one of New England’s most quintessential summer colonies, with an elite pedigree that spans the Kennedy clan and present-day polo-clad elites. But a younger, cooler, more accessible undercurrent is sweeping in. Riding this wave, Lark Hotels continues its commitment to reinvigorating tired stateside digs into hip haunts for modern-minded travellers. At the old Victorian hotel, formerly known as the Beach Breeze Inn, hydrangea-framed gardens, freshly cut lawns, white Adirondack chairs and a classic shingled exterior look like a postcard from the Cape. Boston-based Rachel Reider Interiors gave the hotel a fresh new look, anchored by a coastal palette of watery blues, soft greens and sand, complemented by textured wallcoverings, light wood and rattan accents.

Shore Haven Inn is located at 321 Shore St, Falmouth, MA 02540, United States

The Dean Munich

Irish lifestyle brand The Dean has arrived in Munich’s Westend. Set between the main station and Theresienwiese, the site of the annual Oktoberfest, the historic quarter trades its former factory past for creative studios and indie Java joints with Google and Apple offices nearby. Designer Tatjana von Stein, a Munich native, has reworked a 1970s hotel block into 281 rooms, fusing the city’s Art Nouveau roots with 1980s club culture. Glossy lacquer clashes with burr wood, velvet against polished chrome, whilst the lobby features an oversized eye motif channelling new-wave iconography. For sustenance, Ibasho opens with yellowtail hiramasa, slow-cooked pork shoulder temaco and Wagyu ribeye, and post-prandial treats are served up in four bars, including a hidden speakeasy.

The Dean Munich is located at Landsberger Str. 68, 80339 Munich, Germany

June 2026

Casa Cedo, Porto, Portugal

Porto is known for Port wine and the bridges across the Douro River, but it’s underrated when it comes to its boutique hotel scene. Casa Cedo has the potential to put the city on the design-driven hospitality map for a cohort of travellers who prioritise intimacy and curation over spectacle and scale. Daniela Franceschini, founder of Lisbon-based Quiet Studios, worked closely with local artisans and creatives – including Ayala Braidman, a ceramist based in Porto, and Portuguese visual artist Juliana Julieta – to imbue the property with character. The rich details carry from the eight rooms to the common areas: a lounge area, rooftop, private rear garden and a living/dining room that hosts special events with buzzed-about local chefs, as well as a hybrid reception and retail cabinet with ceramics, coffee, fresh flowers and Byredo fragrances.

Casa Cedo is located at R. de Cedofeita n. 334, 4050-174 Porto, Portugal

La Darbia, Chianti, Italy

A peaceful escape with access to wineries in Chianti and Florence (just a 25-minute drive away), La Darbia sits on a hilltop estate spanning 15 hectares of olive groves, meadows, and lavender fields. Restored by Studio Primatesta, the intimate retreat is the result of a meticulous renovation that preserves the 11th-century site’s original character and heritage. A contemporary spark comes through local materials – pietra serena, terracotta, travertine, and wood – and traditional craftsmanship techniques, such as intricate woodwork by Flavio Bettio, which ground its sense of place. Tucked into a trio of historic farmhouses, each of the 17 light-filled suites (four of which cater to families) is individually decorated with layered textures, while the windows frame the rolling countryside. The restaurant, led by Chef Sebastiano Pagliaro, serves seasonal Tuscan cuisine. All guests have access to two panoramic swimming pools.

La Darbia is located at Via Case Sparse (Greve), 16, 50022 Greve in Chianti, Italy

Eréma, Milos, Greece

Empiria Group arrived in Milos with the opening of Erema, a member of Design Hotels, located on the southeastern coast of the island near Provatas Beach. While the moon-like landscape may be hard to pull your gaze away from, the architecture and interiors by Athens-based ID Laboratorium, led by Stamos Hondrodimos, are equally arresting without pulling focus. The volcanic terrain lays the foundation for its sensibility and environmental consciousness. Minerals such as stone and marble, alongside sun-faded earth tones, contribute to a grounded feel. From the 41 suites, each with a private pool and panoramic terraces overlooking the Aegean Sea, to the two restaurants, the indoor and outdoor spaces flow together, an expression of the Cycladic lifestyle. The third location of Anthologist, a boutique curated by Andria Mitsakos, stocks global finds, Greek ceramics and vintage treasures.

Eréma is located at Cape Chalaka, Plaka 848 00, Greece

Faraway Sag Harbor, New York

Faraway, the hip, heritage-tinged brand from Blue Flag, with outposts in Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard, has expanded its reach out East. For Faraway Sag Harbor, Jenny Bukovec Studio, in collaboration with the in-house design team, gave the old Baron’s Cove a full facelift, reimagining the iconic hotel, located just a short walk from Havens Beach and Main Street, into a fresh-faced bolthole that draws on maritime history, merging a coastal palette and oceanic revival motifs. The 67 rooms and suites are clad in saturated hues and warm wood. The lobby lounge is envisioned as a hangout when not enjoying the outdoor spaces, including the covered porch, lush patio – conceived as the heart of the social scene – and outdoor pool. Guests also have access to Amalfi Coast–inspired dining at Zagara, a ground-floor bar and lounge and a gym.

Faraway Sag Harbor is located at 31 W. Water Street, Sag Harbor, NY 11963, United States

Kitirua Plains Lodge, Amboseli National Park, Kenya

Abercrombie & Kent’s return to Kenya, with the opening of Kitirua Plains Lodge, an A&K Sanctuary in Amboseli National Park, marks a full-circle moment informed by the legacy of having defined luxury safari travel in the 1960s and a clear vision for the future. Pivoting from archetypal tented camps to something more permanent, Luxury Frontiers created structures from quarried stone with sculptural roofs that nod to traditional mud-building forms and timber screening. Interiors draw directly from the surrounding dust, grasslands and wetlands. Earth tones come to life in textured clay plaster walls, green stucco, green onyx accents, locally sourced Mazeras stone and handwoven sisal ceilings. Kenyan-made furniture crafted from mango wood and African teak is complemented by woven grass artwork and raffia accessories. The sculptural spiral staircase in the main lodge, open-air boma for storytelling and meals under the stars and yoga deck are also calibrated to the landscape.

Kitirua Plains Lodge, an A&K Sanctuary is located at Amboseli National Park, Ol Tukai, Kenya

May 2026

The Baby Grand, Coronado, USA

For its second hotel venture, The Baby Grand, San Diego-based hospitality group CH Projects (the team behind the power-clash cult-favorite Lafayette Hotel in North Park) snapped up a prime perch along Orange Avenue. Once an asphalt parking lot, the 31-key boutique is poised to become Coronado’s coolest stay, steering away from the dulcet tones synonymous with SoCal style. Brooklyn studio Post Company crafted a lush aesthetic that toes the line between overgrown jungle and fantastical underwater oasis. The lobby roars with sculpted rock formations, swaying palms and private lagoons. The under-the-sea themes play out vividly in the rooms, with iridescent clamshell headboards and oversized mirrored minibars mashed up against custom leaf wallpaper and bold leopard prints. The flashy, sensorial feast carries over into dining concepts: an oyster-and-champagne bar with an ornate mosaic of sea creatures and a craggy, Greek-inspired taverna.

The Baby Grand is located at 1315 Orange Ave, Coronado, CA 92118, United States

Hotel Corduroy, Montauk, USA

Montauk, the easternmost point of Long Island and the furthest of the Hamptons towns from New York City, retains a more laid-back appeal than the buttoned-up, busier East Hampton. Hotel Corduroy – the latest venture from Blue Flag Capital, which also includes The Beachside on Nantucket – takes over the former Sunset Montauk. To convert the old motor court into a cool summer weekend escape, Ward + Gray drew on the area’s surfing heritage and its Atlantic coastal setting, grounding the project in a palette of deep green, sun-faded red and light oak. Conceived with mingling in mind, the 29-key hotel will feature outdoor gathering spaces for golden-hour cocktails and firepit stargazing, while the rooms act as sanctuaries with grasscloth wallpaper, reeded bamboo bedside tables and rattan-wrapped consoles.

Hotel Corduroy is located at 437 West Lake Drive, Montauk, NY 11954, United States

Nômade Temple Madrid, Spain

Mexican-owned Nômade brings its breezy, wellness-centric bohemian ethos to Spain’s largest city with Nômade Temple Madrid, a creativity-driven urban destination for design, culture and healing. Housed within the restored Las Letras building on Gran Vía, the hotel’s layered aesthetic, the work of Oneness, is a visual expression of its eclectic vibe – sun-faded reds, geometric prints, modular seating, bold lighting. There's a deeply entrenched spirituality, yet it’s still very socialable. The 93 rooms and two penthouses are tailored for rest; likewise, GÖN House of Healing focuses on restoration. The scene beyond the guests' quarters and wellness wing is far more happening: a 112-seat restaurant draped in natural stone, aged brass and dramatic drapery; a communal cafe softly lit with vintage-style lamps; a speakeasy and nightclub for vinyl and vivid photo opps and a lush, romantic rooftop.

Nômade Temple Madrid is located at Calle Gran Vía, 11, 28013 Madrid, Spain

Sublime Sand, Comporta, Portugal

Following the well-laid roadmap of its destination-defining older sibling, Sublime Sand captures the wild, natural ethos of Portugal’s chicest coastal enclave. The architecture by Lisbon-based Fragmentos in collaboration with Sublime Comporta’s original architect, José Charrua, harmonises with the rugged, windswept landscape of Alentejo, where umbrella pines and cork trees perfume the air and rice paddies stretch as far as the eye can see. The indoor-outdoor spaces, created by Andringa Studio, take a similar approach – drawing from the sun-faded palette of the surrounding landscape and incorporating minimalist textures, local materials like wood and stone and sculptural forms. These elements come together across the multi-bedroom villas, Beefbar, Davvero – the crowd-pleasing Italian restaurant from Sublime Lisboa – as well as the wellness facility and kids’ club.

Sublime Sand is located at Estrada Nacional (EN) 261-1, 7570-337 Muda, CCI 3954 Grândola, Portugal

Tierras Villas, Crete, Greece

A quiet departure from the thumping beats of Mykonos and the hordes swarming Santorini, Crete’s newest refuge, part of the family-owned Omicron Hotels group, focuses on heritage and halcyon. Designed by Manos Kipritidis, Tierras Villas embraces a peacefulness that’s both visual and visceral, signalling a shift in how the island is being discovered – slower, more intentionally, with a stronger orientation toward nature and an eye for aesthetics. Set against the sweeping backdrop of the Mediterranean, each of the five minimally designed villas features calming hues and organic materials such as stone and wood, along with a private pool and expansive terraces for sipping a crisp, chilled glass of Vidiano while soaking in sweeping views of the sparkling sea and blue sky.

Tierras Villas is located at Mononaftis, Ag.Pelagia, 715 00 Crete, Heraklion 715 00, Greece

April 2026

Airelles Palladio, Venezia, Italy

The first project outside France for Airelles reaffirms the French hotel group’s knack for transforming historic landmarks into richly appointed luxury retreats. Spread across impeccably restored buildings – including the church of Santa Maria della Presentazione – the property occupies the site of the late-16th-century Bauer Palladio. Architect and interior designer Christophe Tollemer conjures a Venetian fantasy, steeped in heritage and the serenity of Giudecca. A warm palette of ambers, mahogany and deep blues, along with terrazzo and marble floors, custom Fortuny chandeliers, delicate Murano glass pieces, Rubelli wall coverings and hand-selected antiques gives the impression of staying at a noble villa. The elegant effect carries through the 45 rooms and suites, three restaurants, five bars, a spa and wellness area and swimming pools.

Airelles Palladio, Venezia is located at Fondamenta Zitelle, 33, 30133 Venice, Italy

Conrad Athens The Ilisian, Greece

Like the phoenix, the regenerative bird that rises from the ashes in Greek mythology, Conrad Athens The Ilisian emerges from the remains of its predecessor: the former Hilton Athens. Occupying the redeveloped mid-century modernist landmark on Vasilissis Sofias Avenue, the 307-key hotel commemorates the building’s legacy, incorporating the original 620-square-meter marble façades by 20th-century Greek artist Yannis Moralis and exterior illumination by Eleftheria Deko, the Emmy Award-winning lighting designer behind the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. The interiors by AvroKO pay tribute to the past through original furnishings pulled from the archives, which contrast with the sleek finishes and pop art of its modern revival. There are tonal rooms and suites with skyline views, nine restaurants and bars – including Athens’s first rooftop bar, reborn as Galaxy Dispensary – a spa and the largest outdoor pool in the city.

Conrad Athens The Ilisian is located at Vasilissis Sofias 46, Athina 115 28, Greece

Delano Miami Beach, USA

Delano Miami Beach isn’t a new build – the landmark property dates back to 1948, when its 14‑story tower was the tallest on the strip. Yet if you weren’t aware of its past, the slick surfaces and gleaming fixtures might belie its age. The transformation, led by Elastic, celebrates the spirit and sun-dappled lifestyle of Miami, while honouring the hotel’s legacy. The glossy pool area is flanked by umbrellas, accented with playful fringe. Rooms are bright and airy with crisp linens, light chevron wood flooring, rugs that evoke the soft sands below and large, ocean-facing windows. Gigi Rigolatto, the first-floor Italian concept designed by Hugo Toro, is a soaring oasis of striped plaster walls, intricately carved wooden panels and yellow Sienna marble.

Delano Miami Beach is located at 1685 Collins Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33139, United States

Read our full hotel review of Delano Miami Beach

Four Seasons Cartagena, Colombia

Located in Getsemaní, a vibrant neighbourhood steps from the Walled City, Four Seasons Cartagena captures the rhythm, romance and Caribbean charisma of Colombia’s most seductive city while also offering a sense of tranquillity and resort-style amenities. WATG breathed new life into a collection of historic buildings, restoring the Cloister of Saint Francis, timeworn façades, courtyards and the original Club Cartagena grand staircase. French designer François Catroux, in collaboration with Wimberly Interiors and AvroKO, shaped the interiors, which unfold in a warm embrace of old-world charm: intricate woodwork, sun-baked hues, and furnishings and textiles created by Colombian artisan Poli Mallarino. Guests can choose between colonial-style or contemporary rooms, each infused with timeless character. French studio SBM Interior Design extends the visual identity across the eight food and beverage venues, including the cocktail bar dedicated to architect Gastón Lelarge.

Four Seasons Cartagena is located at Calle 30 Media Luna 8B #8B-44, Getsemani, Cartagena 130001, Colombia

Read our full hotel review of Four Seasons Cartagena

Vestige Binidufà, Menorca, Spain

The buzz of Ibiza (thankfully) hasn’t yet reached Menorca. Nestled within an 800-hectare private estate on the island’s unspoiled northern coast, where native Minorcan cattle roam the untouched countryside, Vestige Binidufà preserves the bucolic side of the Balearics, sharing its sprawling grounds and amenities – including two restaurants, swimming pools and wellness facilities – with its hilltop sister, Vestige Son Ermità, which opened in June 2025. Shaped by the land and its history as a working farm, the in-house design studio, Vestige Estudio, restored a red-colored finca into an 11-bedroom, valley-ringed hideout that harmonises rustic farmhouse charm and serene sophistication, expressed through earthy hues, exposed wood beam ceilings, terracotta tile flooring, stone soaking tubs and antiques from the family’s collection.

Vestige Binidufà is located at Diseminado Binideufa, 18, 07750 Ferreries, Illes Balears, Spain

March 2026

1 Hotel Tokyo, Japan

Adding to Tokyo’s striking skyline, 1 Hotel Tokyo, the brand’s first seedling in Japan, is a masterclass in sustainable luxury within an urban setting, rising atop Akasaka Trust Tower. To create a biophilic oasis in one of Asia’s largest cities, Creme, in collaboration with 1 Hotel’s in-house design team, turned to nature, bringing the outdoors in through the thoughtful use of natural materials, a practice deeply rooted in both 1 Hotels’ philosophy and Japanese design. A vertical botanical installation, Oya stone and recycled timber panels greet guests in the 38th-floor lobby. Rooms are adorned with muted earthy hues, abundant greenery and floor-to-ceiling windows that flood in sunlight. The spaces feel like a breath of fresh air: a visual reset, a place to unwind above the bustle of the city.

1 Hotel Tokyo is located at 2 Chome-17-22 Akasaka, Minato City, Tokyo 107-0052, Japan

Read our full hotel review of 1 Hotel Tokyo

Fairmont Hanoi, Vietnam

Fairmont Hanoi, the brand’s first debut in Vietnam, adds a splash of modern luxury to the city’s Old Quarter. Glimmering gold and dripping in glamour, the 241-key hotel is a contemporary take on the opulence of Vietnamese tradition, poised to become a landmark in its own right. Influenced by French Colonial and Indochinese architecture, the sculpted, articulated façade, with collonaded podiums and balconies, punctuates the ever-changing cityscape. The interiors by Aston Design extend the aesthetic, while layering in elements that echo Vietnamese symbolism and the surrounding landscape, from a large-scale floral installation in the lobby to the vertical tapestry of vegetation in the courtyard. The clutch restaurants, bars and lounges serve as the social hubs, while the 3,500-square-meter spa and light wood-accented rooms channel artistry into relaxation.

Fairmont Hanoi is located at 10 Tran Nguyen Han Street, Hanoi, Vietnam

Read our full hotel review of Fairmont Hanoi

The Huntington Hotel, San Francisco, USA

San Francisco is in the midst of a renaissance, driven by new culinary and hospitality happenings, most notably the return of the Huntington Hotel. Once frequented by luminaries like Truman Capote, the storied Georgian estate helped put the city on the map. The redux – now part of Leading Hotels of the World – seeks to reclaim its cultural legacy. For hometown designer Ken Fulk, returning Nob Hill’s crown jewel to its ivy-clad glory required a grand reimagining of its accommodations, restaurant and wellness facilities, alongside a careful polishing of original plasterwork ceilings and boiserie panels. The 143 rooms and suites capture the elegance of the hotel’s heyday, enhanced by the allure of warm, muted hues and bold art. The Big Four benefited from a gracious upgrade without compromising its character, while the emblematic Nob Hill Spa once again beckons with an atrium crowned by Moorish fretwork and a heated indoor swimming pool.

The Huntington Hotel is located at 1075 California St, San Francisco, CA 94108, United States

The Lake Como Edition, Italy

Situated on Lake Como’s western shore in Cadenabbia, The Lake Como Edition balances heritage and hip, standing out among the historic landmarks of Italy’s most legendary lakeside destination. The Edition’s creative directors, Kirstin Bailey and Paul Haslhofer, in collaboration with Neri&Hu and architectural partner De.Tales, transformed a 19th-century palazzo into a modern interpretation of Italian glamour, translating the landscape – lush flora, turquoise water, pink sunsets – into a colour palette complemented by marble-faced archways and terrazzo floors. The lobby lounge is punctuated by a celadon green Sekoya marble bar and a custom Neri + Hu bauble chandelier, while the lakefront pool deck, dotted with striped umbrellas, looks ready to splash across postcards. Walnut furnishings and arched windows add character to the 148 rooms. True to the hotel’s forward-thinking ethos, there’s a state-of-the-art longevity spa for high-tech biohacking treatments and cryotherapy.

The Lake Como Edition is located at Via Regina, 41, 22011 Cadenabbia, Italy

Read our full hotel review of The Lake Como Edition

Six Senses London, UK

While most of London’s luxury hotels cluster around Mayfair and Belgravia, Six Senses London plants its flag in the heart of Bayswater. Taking cues from the building’s origins as the city’s first major department store, AvroKO looked to the heritage façade, the Great Exhibition and the streamliners of that era, weaving in modern, streamlined thinking and a soft palette that shifts the mood from retail to retreat. The residential-style rooms and suites unfold in a serene sweep of rounded forms, inky blues and warm woods. Some feature soaking tubs or glass stall showers that resemble old-school phone booths. Works by contemporary British artists complement a sculptural green bar, curved velvet seating and orb-like lighting in Whiteley’s Bar. Follow the restored circular staircase down to the basement spa, replete with a handmade porcelain petal sculpture by Ula Saniawa, a vaulted swimming pool and a biohacking recovery lounge.

Six Senses London is located at 1 Redan Pl, London W2 4SA, United Kingdom

Read our full hotel review of Six Senses London

February 2026

Alila Mayakoba, Riviera Maya, Mexico

Far removed from nightclubs and co-eds in Cancun, Alila Mayakoba shows off a more tranquil, down-to-earth side of the Riviera Maya. Huber Design Studio took a biophilic approach, celebrating the ecological beauty and deep cultural roots of the Yucatán Peninsula. Situated at the intersection of nature and culture, the five-star, adult-centric resort unfolds across mangrove-framed waterways, cenotes and the Caribbean coastline. Native, locally sourced materials – including tropical hardwoods such as tzalam, parota and rosa morada, along with stone ranging from hand-chiselled Mérida limestone to travertine – ground the design. Furniture, ceramics and henequén textiles handcrafted by Mexican artisans reinforce a sense of proximity and purpose, resulting in a retreat that feels deeply rooted in place while thoughtfully reducing its environmental footprint.

Alila Mayakoba is located at Carretera Federal Cancún-Playa del Carmen KM 298, Mexico

Ayan Zalaat, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Set on a 34-acre estate just outside Ulaanbaatar, Ayan Zalaat gives visitors a visually stunning and immersive introduction to Mongolian heritage. The combination of architecture led by the Mabetex Group and interior design by Fabio Friso reflect the country’s rich roots, while introducing a new echelon of glamour and grandeur to contrast its rugged surroundings. From the opulent double staircase and chandelier-studded reception to the 10 dazzling F&B concepts, it’s lavish on a considerably large-scale – but its sumptuous scene never overshadows its spirituality. The 32 rooms and suites show off bespoke furnishings, premium Mongolian wool carpets, marble bathrooms and expansive windows for soaking in the panoramic views. The property is also home to the Soma Temple and an ornately decorated Mongolian theatre, adorned with bright colours and intricate motifs, that hosts traditional throat singing (khöömii).

Ayan Zalaat is located at BZD - 11 khoroo, Ulaanbaatar 13241, Mongolia

The Newman, London, UK

Designed by the London-based studio Lind + Almond, The Newman is a new independent hotel that strikes a balance between a modern creative vision and nods to Fitzrovia's decades-long bohemian and literary heritage. Drawing inspiration from Art Deco design and the vibrant, creative spirit of the neighbourhood itself, the 81 rooms, including 16 suites, mix a soft yet warm neutral palette and geometric shapes with scene-setting art and a curated selection of books. Guests will also notice references to iconic figures such as the curves of the wood on the headboards, which recall the oversized bangles worn by British writer, heiress and political activist Nancy Cunard. Bathrooms feature bespoke tiling that echoes the façade of Gem Langham Court Hotel and sinks influenced by Shropshire House.

The Newman is located at 50 Newman St, London W1T 3EB, UK

Read our full hotel review of The Newman

The Vineta Hotel, Palm Beach, USA

The newest entrant to the posh Palm Beach scene, The Vineta Hotel, marks the first US opening for Oetker Hotels (the luxury hospitality brand behind Hotel du Cap Eden-Roc and Eden Rock - St Barths). Set on Cocoanut Row, just two blocks from Worth Avenue shopping, the elegant property revives what was previously The Chesterfield, a beloved Palm Beach hotel. Paris-based interior designer Tino Zervudachi headed the top-to-bottom renovation of the 1926 landmark, restoring iconic elements such as the distinctive Mediterranean Revival façade and leaning into its 100-year-old legacy with signature Palm Beach pastels and details like scalloped pendant lights that ooze coastal glamour. Snowbirds can expect 41 light-filled rooms, a flower-framed courtyard restaurant called Coco’s, a cocktail bar and a pool flanked by sun loungers.

The Vineta Hotel is located at 363 Cocoanut Row, Palm Beach, FL 33480, United States

White Elephant Aspen, USA

Colorado’s chicest winter hotspot welcomes a new stay aimed at the well-dressed coteries. White Elephant Aspen – the brand’s first Western outpost, joining properties in Nantucket and Palm Beach – introduces a contemporary, alpine-chic aesthetic to Aspen. The brainchild of Boston-based architectural firm EMBARC, the 54-key hotel showcases a mountainside colourway of white, cognac and charcoal, complemented by the natural textures of leather, wood and stone. Rooms and suites (some of which have crackling fireplaces) are kitted with porcelain tile, embossed headboards and oil-rubbed bronze light fixtures. The art collection boasts 125 original works, including landscapes by Alex Katz and rotating photography of nearby Maroon Bells by Bob Tabor. Guests familiar with the portfolio will appreciate the playful details, such as elephant door knockers.

White Elephant Aspen is located at 110 W Main St, Aspen, CO 81611, United States

January 2026

Andaz One Bangkok, Bangkok, Thailand

For Andaz One Bangkok, a new lifestyle hotel on historic Wireless Road, Thailand interior design firm PIA drew inspiration from the pulse of the city, from the motorbike-jammed bustling streets to the hidden alleys. Envisioned as a base for ‘curious urban travellers,’ the design and energy aim to match the exuberance of the Thai capital. Colour and texture play an important role in expressing a sense of evolution. Arches – in mirrors, hallways and windows – nod to the curved lines of the Thai mid-century movement, while pops of sunny yellow and orange, bold works by Thai female artists and traditional window grills inject character and personality. As much a place to unwind as to sip cocktails at the swank lounge or swim in the outdoor infinity pool overlooking Lumphini Park, the 244 rooms are quiet with peaceful, leafy views.

Andaz One Bangkok is located at 201 Wireless Road, Lumphini, Patumwan, 10330 Bangkok, Thailand

Chesa Marchetta, Engadin Valley, Switzerland

In 2014, Iwan and Manuela Wirth, co-founders of the international gallery Hauser & Wirth, expanded into hospitality with the creation of Artfarm and, four years later, opened The Fife Arms in Scotland. The creative powerhouse couple has done it again with Chesa Marchetta, a cosy 13-bedroom retreat in Sils Maria, a small village in Switzerland’s Engadin Valley. Reimagined by the design-oriented duo and frequent collaborator Luis Laplace, of the Paris-based interior architecture firm Laplace, the seasonal refuge comprises four historic buildings dating back to the 16th century, decorated with arven wood panelling, traditional Engadin furniture and blankets from a nearby weaving collective. As to be expected, the art collection is exceptional: a mix of works by Old Masters and local artists, alongside murals by Corin Sands. There’s also a former barn turned 46-seat restaurant, adorned with stone and an exposed wood-beam ceiling.

Chesa Marchetta is located at Via da Marias 88, 7514 Sils im Engadin/Segl, Switzerland

Read our full hotel review of Chesa Marchetta

Oculto, Mexico City, Mexico

Oculto, the latest venture from Vida Lenta – the hospitality group behind Hotel Dama in Condesa and Hotel Parián in Roma Norte – is an intimate boutique gem in Mexico City’s trendy Juárez neighbourhood. Fernanda Diaz, of Mexico City-based interior design studio Eran, conceived the hotel as both an intentional hideaway for travellers and a tribute to Mexican craftsmanship and creativity. Tucked behind an unassuming façade on Calle Versailles, the 21-room bolthole veers toward minimalism with polished concrete floors and clean lines, yet the interiors are anything but sterile. The palpable warmth comes from the thoughtful layering of locally sourced antiques and contemporary art, creating an authentic atmosphere that encourages slowing down while remaining unmistakably spirited, like CDMX itself.

Oculto is located at Calle Versalles 80, 06600 Mexico City, Mexico

Soori Penang, George Town, Malaysia

​For Soo K. Chan, ​the founder of award-winning firm​ SCDA Architects, Soori Penang​ – the follow-up to the flagship Soori Bali – is deeply personal. ​Situated in the oldest part​ of George Town, the UNESCO-designated historic heart of Penang, ​the extraordinary undertaking reinvents a​ collection of Khoo clan​ shophouses​, where the architect was born and raised, into an intimate 15-key ​luxury boutique hotel. Centuries-old craftsmanship shines, reflecting an unwavering reverence for the past, thoughtfully reinterpreted through a contemporary mindset. The generously proportioned one- to three-bedroom ​suites are imbued with heritage details, from motifs inspired by the ornate Khoo Kongsi temple to carved stone and onyx lanterns, complemented by custom-designed furniture and latticed shutters. Inner courtyards, with reflective pools and bespoke stone fountains, provide a tranquil place to unwind between excursions.

Soori Penang is located at 48 Lebuh Aceh, George Town, Penang, 10300, Malaysia

Read our full hotel review of Soori Penang

V Villas Maldives at Mirihi

International architecture and design firm Studio Gronda transformed an older resort in the South Ari Atoll into a stylish vacation paradise where tropical escapism is elevated with sun-dappled sophistication. The newly unveiled V Villas Maldives at Mirihi, debuting as part of Accor’s MGallery Collection, echoes the barefoot luxury essence of Maldivian holidays. In tune with the rhythms of island living, each of the 42 villas showcases contemporary open-air architecture, seamlessly integrating indoor and outdoor spaces. Throughout the property, guest sanctuaries are accented with timber floors, vaulted ceilings, natural textures and handcrafted furnishings. Accommodations range from overwater villas with private sun decks suspended above the lagoon to beachfront abodes shrouded by lush greenery, as well as multi-bedroom suites complete with private pools.

V Villas Maldives at Mirihi - MGallery Collection is located at Mirihi Island, 00190, Maldives

British architect Piers Taylor has been visiting Corfu since the early 1970s, and knew the island and its culture inside out when he eventually decided to build a holiday retreat for his family there, in a beautiful olive grove on a hillside. ‘I’ve been coming here all my life,’ he says. ‘The place is deep into my subconscious, so when I started to design this house I didn’t have to look around, it felt instinctive.’

Discover Piers Taylor's bespoke island retreat

The rural plot and its olive trees were key to the design: Taylor lives in an off-grid home near Bath, Somerset and is the founder of Invisible Studio, an innovative practice focusing on experimentation, research and education and operating from a self-built workspace in a working woodland. The ancient olive grove was the perfect Mediterranean pendant to his secluded, tree-filled British bases.

Taylor likens his House in an Olive Grove to ‘a kind of campsite’, as the concrete building features a minimalist, sometimes rough, aesthetic – a deliberate choice to create an architecture that is flexible and respectful of the local environment and resources.

‘The greatest luxury in this environment is to be able to be outside,’ says Taylor. ‘I didn’t want to make this olive grove into a domestic environment, I just wanted the breeze.’ His new retreat draws inspiration from the island’s rudimentary structures and small agricultural buildings, as well as the work of architects such as Glenn Murcutt, who pioneered a type of climate-responsive design that is heavily influenced by the landscape that surrounds it.

The top-floor shaded living space, complete with a concrete kitchen and built-in seating, is a terrace opened to the elements on the sides and sheltered by a corrugated roof. Below are four bedrooms and two shower rooms spread over two floors, with concrete steps running down the hillside. There are no windows here – only galvanised weldmesh sliding screens, separate sliding insect screens and plastic curtains.

As the house is located in an earthquake zone and fire danger zone, there were limited materials to build with. The team of local builders chose materials that were readily available from the village’s hardware store and used reinforced concrete using local limestone aggregate.

Making formwork is a key local skill, and they were given free rein on how to use it in the construction, employing either vertical or horizontal planks. The resulting patchwork ‘tells the workers’ story, not my story’, explains Taylor.

‘I wanted to create a building whereby all of the “mistakes” are made evident, meaning the processes and decisions made by the locals who built the house,’ he continues. ‘The organisation of the formwork is eccentric but has a logic and a language based around the materials they had to hand, and the sequence in which they worked.

‘With House in an Olive Grove, I had an increasing sense that there was an opportunity to develop an architecture from the ordinary, the everyday and the local that is overlooked in the pursuit of the absolutely generic Mediterranean tile-roofed, cream-rendered, marble-floored villa, in a context where the local has an extraordinary specificity and richness.’

invisiblestudio.org

A new Corfu house, designed as a holiday home by architects Tony Wynbourne, Georgios Apostolopoulos and engineer Makis Gisdakis, balances the tightrope between the Greek island's local vernacular forms and materials, and a sense of 21st-century minimalist architecture. The newly completed project, located on a hill facing the calm waters of the surrounding blue sea, was conceived to make the most of its 180-degree vistas and natural environment.

Explore this Corfu house

The architecture team worked on embedding the home into its land – taking into account the plot's rocky outcrops, which have been incorporated in the design, and preserving a mature olive tree found on site. The plant now serves as an important 'anchor' to the ancient grounds around the villa.

The main body of the home is made out of hand-shaped, locally sourced stone, which has been crafted by local specialist technicians and craftspeople. It frames swathes of glazing which ensure the views – available from every bedroom and main room in the house – become a protagonist throughout.

The internal arrangement is spread across three levels – a main ground floor and mezzanine, and a lower ground that has been tucked into the site's slope. A primary bedroom is located in the home's west wing, while living spaces are placed in the east. Further guest bedrooms are on the level below, which also contains a cave-like space for contemplation.

The interior approach was led by a minimalist sensibility, with the spaces featuring clean, neutrally coloured surfaces and simple, geometric compositions. Bespoke, understated joinery and fixtures elevate the interior through attention to detail.

The architecture team writes in its statement: 'This quiet elegance allows the views to become the main focal point. The simplicity of the interiors creates a calm, neutral backdrop that highlights the home’s natural surroundings and views.'

georgiosapostolopoulos.com

metrondesign.gr

For decades, Glyfada on the Athens Riviera has been synonymous with the glamour of its 1960s golden age, when glitterati from Brigitte Bardot to Jackie Onassis lounged in exclusive hideaways on sandy beaches. Now, the profile of the scenic coastal neighbourhood – just a short drive from the city centre and still popular among Athenians for its luxury resorts – is being sharpened further with the arrival of Ace Hotel & Swim Club Athens.

Ace Hotel & Swim Club Athens

The hip New York hotel brand’s newest location spans an iconic 1970s hotel structure, renovated by French architectural and design studio Ciguë, with the area’s famed resort heritage still echoed in its brutalist façade of geometric white cube balconies. The hotel – home to Ace’s second Swim Club after Ace Palm Springs – aims to attract fresh creative crowds to Glyfada, with its 120 guest rooms, a layered lobby, a coffee counter and gallery, a restaurant and a pool.

A bold atmosphere is set immediately upon arrival, reflected in the four-storey property’s rhythmic white façade, with cantilevered balconies sitting alongside a large David Hockney-inspired mural in shades of blue by Claire Manent, an Athens-based artist from France. ‘The exterior is designed to stand as a landmark that bridges the past and the future,’ explains Alphonse Sarthout, co-founder of Ciguë. ‘The building was stripped down to its concrete skeleton to reinforce it without destroying it and to enhance its geometric purity.’

Inside, touches of Greek midcentury modernism are expressed through clean interior lines and curves, a curation of vintage furniture and the warm textures of a local material palette (sun-reflecting whites, stones, marbles and terrazzos). The raw energy of Greece’s rising contemporary creative scene is another key ingredient, with a variety of artworks, from bed textiles to paintings, by more than a dozen artists and artisans from across the country – a reflection of Athens’ ongoing cultural renaissance post-economic crisis.

Ace’s idea of creating community is a defining quality in all its hotels – and Athens is no exception. An atmosphere of relaxed modernism flows through two connected communal spaces, where bespoke furniture and vintage gems sourced by Athens’ Back to the Future sit alongside a 5m communal table with curated chairs (from Carlo Scarpa for Cassina to Sedie) and a rare pair of Harvey Guzzini table lamps. Threaded throughout is a showcase of contemporary Greek art: dynamic paintings by Eleni Psyllaki, sculptural objects by Despina Charitonidi and paper collages by Theo Michael (among 18 local artists in the hotel’s art programme).

The art of coffee, always taken seriously at Ace hotels, comes to life at Good Chemistry, a coffee shop with a sage green and black tiled counter, overlooking a small gallery space, which leads into Sebastian, a ground-floor restaurant. Here, sunlight filters through rotating wood panelling onto blue tiles, vintage Vaarni 1003 Hans Pendant lamps and curved banquettes, where guests are served bistro-style cuisine and natural wines, curated by Wine is Fine in Athens (a second restaurant will open on the rooftop in March 2025).

Playful modern dishes inspired by French and US cuisine are expressed through local Greek and Mediterranean ingredients – with creations ranging from Green Goddess Caesar salad and Sardines Kalonis on toast to chargrilled lamb burger and local market fish, served with wild green fricassee and chervil with drizzles of lemon and olive oil.

Signage – bold black font on raw-edged travertine by Athens’ studio Ogust – guides guests to their rooms, whose numbers are woven into traditional Greek linen textiles. A compact homage to contemporary Greek creativity, rooms have bright abstract bed covers by Greek-Egyptian Salma Barakat, green marble vanities, wall sconces in the form of half-bird half-women ‘harpies’ by Panos Profitis and framed works by a medley of artists (from Alekos Fassianos to Aristeidis Lappas) – plus, the Ace touch, turntables with vinyl collections curated by cultural archivists Greek Visions. ‘We wanted the guest rooms to reflect this idea of an urban hideaway,’ says Sarthout.

The heartbeat of the hotel is the Swim Club. Blue waters are theatrically fringed with tiered wooden platforms, playful yellow-striped sun umbrellas, Eero Aarnio’s Rattan Mushrooms and a time-weathered Greek amphora. Here, Ace’s playfulness is reflected in the DJ sessions, pool bar and another mural overlooking the entire scene, by artist Profitis, capturing purple seabirds. Sarthout explains: ‘The pool area is like an open-air theatre, surrounded by the balconies and the platforms to enjoy afternoon sunlight in custom sun loungers, draped in shades of pale olive green and graphic stripes, echoing the 1960s and 70s poolside mood pictured in Slim Aarons’ photos.’

Ace Hotel & Swim Club Athens is located at Artemisiou 1, Glifada 166 75, Greece, acehotel.com

In partnership with One&Only

The One&Only group has long been a pioneer in resort design and luxury travel. Created in 2002 by South African hotelier and entrepreneur Sol Kerzner, it was born of an original and independent spirit, and has been raising the bar for resort experiences around the world for over 20 years.

Back in 2005, One&Only Reethi Rah in the Maldives, the company’s first purpose-built property, redefined hospitality in the Indian Ocean, changing the perception of the Maldives from a hub for scuba divers to a gold standard-setting destination for ultra-luxury travellers.

Bringing the best of each destination to life – with curated cultural experiences, award-winning dining from the world’s best chefs, and revitalising spas that harness ancient healing rituals and cutting-edge techniques – One&Only’s expansion has continued apace.

One&Only now redefining city and alpine escapes

Now, the brand is setting new benchmarks for ultra-luxury stays in urban and alpine destinations. One&Only’s first city experience, the Nikken Sekkei-designed One&Only One Za’abeel in Dubai, opened earlier this year and a first foray into the ski fields – and the United States – One&Only Moonlight Basin will welcome guests to the spectacular landscape of Big Sky, Montana, in 2025.

Designed by architect Tom Kundig of Seattle-based practice Olson Kundig, the One&Only Moonlight Basin, Montana resort promises to be deeply in tune with its surroundings, prioritising space and seclusion – with 360-degree views of Lone Peak and Spanish Peaks – and using local materials where possible.

‘To come into a landscape like this is almost like an invitation to a sacred situation, where it’s beautiful the way it is,’ says Kundig. ‘How do you make an architecture that actually unfolds itself into that landscape, but also doesn’t detract from that landscape? I could not imagine a higher honour at this point in my career, to help create a place like this with clients who are sensitive to maintaining the spirit of a landscape and the spirit of a local culture.’

One&Only also brings its exceptional design, personalised service and ultra-luxury amenities to the residential space, with One&Only Private Homes now available to purchase in Montana, as well as at a number of the brand’s other locations – Kéa Island in Greece, Portonovi in Montenegro, Le Saint Géran in Mauritius, and Mandarina in Mexico – with access to a One&Only resort right on their doorstep.

oneandonlyresorts.com

Each summer, a plethora of new Greek island getaways emerge, making it challenging to discern which ones are truly worth a visit. Whether you’re drawn to the popular island-hopping destinations of Mykonos and Santorini or lesser-known gems like Syros and Rhodes, here’s a selection of the freshest openings to daydream about.

Stellar new Greek island getaways

Argini Hotel

The neoclassical municipality of Ermoupolis on Syros Island is home to the new Argini Hotel, a property originally built in 1853 for the family of Grigoris Paikos, a prominent figure during the Greek Revolution. As such, the current hotel owners, the local Polykretis family, have honoured the property’s storied past, elevating it with modern comforts and contemporary design touches from international brands like Gessi, Flos, Artemide, Panzeri, Tooy, Astro, Poltrona Frau and Buster + Punch.

Beautiful ceiling and wall frescoes grace the property’s 11 rooms; an experience guests have already mentioned is like ‘sleeping in history.’ ‘The Renaissance influences, mythical creatures and portraits of notable Greek Revolution personalities seen are the byproducts of collective efforts by 19th-century artists,’ the Polyktretis family explain. Spend the morning in the temple-like indoor pool – where there is also a Jacuzzi and hammam - or on the rooftop sipping cocktails by the plunge pool. Follow this with a bite to eat at Elexis, which serves a menu of traditional Greek plates with a modern twist, alongside rare labels from both local and international wineries.

Argini Hotel is located at Apollonos 11, Ermoupoli 841 00, Greece, arginisyros.gr

Deos Mykonos

A member of The Set Collection and established by the family-owned brand, Myconian Collection, the recently opened Deos hotel sits perched on a hilltop above Mykonos town that overlooks the Aegean Sea and the neighbouring islands of Delos, Syros and Tinos. Designed by GM Architects, the property slots into its surroundings with a contemporary Cycladic look; its sun-drenched white facades are complemented by lush indigenous landscaping and rustic stone walls made from locally sourced materials. Inside, a warm minimalist design showcases artisanal craftsmanship through natural textures and bespoke elements.

Each of the 42 rooms opens onto large scenic terraces with hot tubs or plunge pools – the perfect retreat after a long lunch at Epico, where chef Ilias Maslaris sends out dishes like Greek mezze platters or grilled octopus using the best homegrown, seasonal produce. While Mykonos town is just a 20-minute walk away, you will likely find yourself at the hotel bar, which overlooks the infinity pool, or the spa, which has an indoor pool, two treatment rooms and a menu of therapies using products infused with local botanicals.

Deos Mykonos is located in Mykonos 846 00, Greece, deosmykonos.gr

Lindian Village Beach Resort Rhodes

From its home on the southern coast of Rhodes, near the picturesque town of Lindos, the 188-room Lindian Village Beach Resort has just emerged from a top-to-toe makeover. The work of Greek architecture studio Makridis Associates, who took its cues from the nearby Butterflies Valley, a 600-acre nature park, the understated design, like a calming cocoon, is revealed through layers of natural textures, like linen and rattan, in earthy mushroom tones.

With a clutch of freshwater pools, a spa and its own private beach – not to mention a host of activities from water sports to cooking classes – you’re bound to build up an appetite for one of the eight drinking and dining spots, which covers everything from an elevated Greek restaurant to thin-crust pizzas at Era Ora Trattoria. We suggest dinner at Niku, which serves a Japanese-Peruvian menu, which can be washed down with cocktails crafted with pisco, sake, fresh ginger, and yuzu. Alongside all this is the hotel’s new Bee Revived initiative, an ambitious environmental restoration project that includes the adoption of beehives to revitalise the island’s ecosystem following last summer’s devastating wildfires.

Lindian Village Beach Resort Rhodes is located at Beach, Lardos 851 09, Greece, lindianvillage.gr

Numo Mykonos

Following its debut opening in Crete three years ago, Numo Hotels & Resorts has now launched its much-awaited sophomore property in Mykonos. Located to the east of the island, at Kalafati Beach, the 27-room property has been outfitted by design studio Hotel IM together with Amsterdam-based firm What The Studio, who captured Mykonos’ carefree energy from the 1960s and 70s. As a result, a minimalist Cycladic design, with its elegant curves and arches, serves as a canvas for modern materials like plaster and granite dust and bold elements from striped marble floors to brass accents.

This is elevated by details like artisanal lighting fixtures from Crete and handmade Chamotte tiles by Patricia Urquiola for Mutina, all brought together by vibrant pops of colour that pull from the surrounding landscape. A small treatment room offers massages, reflexology and facials using organic ingredients and herbs and, like its sister hotel, the all-day restaurant at Numo Mykonos is helmed by chef Nikos Kourkoutas, who serves up a Mediterranean menu flecked with Mykonian influences – all against views of the island’s rugged landscape and the blues of the Aegean Sea.

Numo Mykonos is located at Kalafatis Mykonos 84600, Greece, numomykonos.com

Sandblu

Unravelling at the base of Thira Mountain on the southeastern coast of Santorini, Sandblu has finally opened its doors. A short five-minute stroll from the black volcanic sands of Kamari Beach, the resort’s 51 rooms and suites, each with balconies and some with their own pools, all have sweeping Aegean Sea views. New York-based firm Rockwell Group brought the outside into the pared-back light-filled interiors with a simple, clean-lined design featuring natural timbers in a neutral palette of white and sandy tones with hints of blue.

With four drinking and dining outlets, including a bakery with a selection of the flakiest pastries, as well as a wine bar that offers wine tastings and a speciality restaurant that serves modern Greek food, you definitely won’t go hungry at Sandblu. This along with three pools, including an indoor one at the spa - which also offers yoga and meditation classes - you’ll easily find yourself eating, sleeping and relaxing on repeat.

Sandblu is located at Kamari 847 00, Greece, sandblu.com

Santo Mine

Carved into the photo-perfect cliffs of Oia, Santorini, an old stone mine overlooking Ammoudi Bay, the resort, has found new life as Santo Mine, a stellar all-suite hotel. The latest to join local group Santo Collection’s growing portfolio, the property has been designed by Cretan firm Straight Line Architecture, which encompassed the region’s natural landscape throughout. As such, the simple soft lines and curves of the Cycladic architecture have been dressed with a palette of natural stones, ceramics and timbers inspired by the region’s volcanic soil.

Each of the 37 suites has its own private terraces, some with individual pools or Jacuzzis and all with dazzling Aegean Sea views. If you’re not lazing by the pool or indulging in a treatment at the spa, activities range from yachting and kayaking to helicopter tours –this all comes together as the perfect way to build up an appetite to eat at the hotel’s collection of restaurants. Start off with a sunset cocktail at Rhoē, which offers an all-day menu alongside bar snacks, followed by dinner at Ālme; a fine fish experience, where locally caught seafood is served with herbs and vegetables from the property’s onsite garden. The wine list is extensive too, given the hotel has its own wine cellar, where tastings can be organised on request.

Santo Mine is located in Oia 847 02, Greece, santocollection.gr

When we last visited Piraeus Tower on the Greek capital's coast in 2022 for our trip to explore the thriving Athens architecture and culture scene, the 1972 port icon was in the midst of a highly anticipated renovation.

A long-abandoned modern ruin and the second tallest high rise in Greece, the tower has now been reimagined as a mixed-use scheme, aimed at redefining the busy, yet somewhat architecturally neglected, port district of Piraeus. Local developer Dimand worked on a special new façade for the scheme with young studio PILA (local studio Betaplan acted as the lead architect for the overall scheme), founded by architect Ilias Papageorgiou, who left a partner position at New York’s SO-IL in 2019 to return to Athens and set up shop on his own.

Piraeus Tower: an icon revived

‘After ten years of a harsh economic crisis, Greece is undergoing a rapid transformation on many fronts,’ Papageorgious said at the time. ‘This building is situated on a really important part of the wider city of Athens. We see the “awakening” of the abandoned structure of the tower as sparking a broader regeneration, allowing for the life of the city to move closer to the water.’

During the same trip, Dimand COO Olga Itsiou added: 'The Piraeus Tower was an unfinished building, a sleeping giant for more than 40 years. It has never operated except for minimal commercial uses on the ground and first two floors. It was not filled with people. [Now], offices, shops, a gym, an all-day restaurant, and a café will enable approximately 2,000 people to work there.’

Completed this summer, the main building has been transformed into sleek offices and retail space. A second phase, currently in the works, will include public landscaping, aiming to further revitalise the surrounding context and reframe the port’s pedestrian access and circulation via a new green footbridge.

For now, Piraeus Tower is up and running, flying the flag for sustainable architecture and retrofitting. The team was keen to implement a range of eco-friendly strategies; for example, its louvres, which reduce solar gain on the façade by 45 per cent; façade elements chosen following light pollution studies; the use of photovoltaic panels; and the recycling of more than 5,000 sq m of glass during construction, a proportion of which was installed as new glass in the project.

The project, hailed by its authors as the 'first green high rise in Greece', is nothing if not ambitious, awarded the first LEED Platinum certification for a building of its type in the country, while highlighting the potential of adaptive reuse.

'The rejuvenation of Piraeus Tower exemplifies adaptive reuse at its finest. By reimagining existing structures, we can transform our city into a more sustainable and livable environment,' said Papageorgiou and his partner at PILA Christina Papalexandri on the occasion of the opening.

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Odera, part of Marriott International’s Autograph Collection, is the first luxury boutique hotel on the unspoilt island of Tinos, and opened this summer, creating a new haven for the thinking traveller to Greece. Considered a spiritual island, many Greek Orthodox pilgrims journey, often on their knees up the hill, to the Evangelistria Church in Tinos town, just 15 minutes away from Odera. And beyond that, more than 800 chapels are dotted across the craggy island, punctuating the landscape alongside Tinos’ famous 1,300 white peristeriónes or dovecotes. The latter are elaborately decorated, with two storeys, and were introduced by the Venetians, who ruled here for five centuries.

Odera, Tinos

Respecting this rich heritage was crucial to the vision of Tethy’s, a Greek private equity fund, which partnered with TConstructions and architect Panos Nikolaidis to create Odera. Into this mix came interiors, courtesy of Studio Bonarchi (also responsible for Anandes, on Mykonos), known for its respect for context and tradition.

The result is an understated, low-key luxury that draws on exquisite materials. Sense of place is also evident throughout the resort due to the use of white stone, famous Tinian marble, wood, native vegetation that echoes the landscape, geometric patterns, and the building’s depth, enhanced by arches and the play of light, which nods to the Byzantine.

All the 77 rooms and suites overlook the sparkling Aegean Sea and have pools on their doorstep. Built on levels that are cut into the cliff, the top level offers rooms opening onto an impressive 75m swimming pool that runs the length of the terrace. Those who want the best rooms in the house should book one of the signature suites on the lower level, which run from number 101 to 111. These are huge and spread onto a terrace with a vast private pool that stretches out towards the distant horizon.

The main pool lies, as if hovering, between the sea and the restaurant. Beneath it, golden sands curve around the bay, and you can feast on a perfect Greek salad at Nǒsti Beach Bar. In restaurant Eos, where menus are curated by chef Dimitris Skarmoutsos, we recommend you try the fresh tagliolini with scallops and sea urchins. Then, head to the impressive spa for a local mineral-infused treatment.

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Beautiful swimming pools are a major draw for those hunting for their next vacation spot. This is something high-end hotels know all too well, bringing in expert architects to design aquatic marvels that reflect each property’s aesthetic and sit harmoniously in the surrounding environment. Amidst a plethora of stunning options around the world, we have put together some of our favourite outdoor hotel pools – jump in.

15 of the best outdoor hotel pools to book now

137 Pillars Suites Bangkok

137 Pillars House is one of Chiang Mai’s most awarded hotels; its city-slick sister, on the top eight floors of a sparkling skyscraper in Bangkok, follows suit. The brand’s 18th-century heritage is kept in rocking chairs on each of the 34 suites’ private balconies, the ground-level Bangkok Trading Post café, and the handsome Jack Bain’s bar named after one of the Company’s most distinguished managers. But this is a decidedly modern escape, with walk-in wardrobes and five-fixture marble bathrooms, a spa and wellness centre offering aerial yoga and Reiki classes. Not one but two sky-high infinity pools may feel far removed from the city, but a glass floor looks dizzyingly down to the private driving ranges on the sixth-floor terrace, cleverly linking the hotel to the world below.

137 Pillars Suites Bangkok is located at 59/1 Sukhumvit 39, Khlong Tan Nuea, Watthana, Bangkok 10110, Thailand

7132 Hotel

Therme Vals was completed in 1996. Almost three decades on, Peter Zumthor’s genre-defining spa in the Swiss canton of Graubünden remains a place of pilgrimage for architecture enthusiasts the world over. Half buried in the hillside and constructed using local Valser quartzite slabs, the hotel itself was renamed 7132 Hotel under new ownership in 2012, and while the property continues to undergo changes and developments, the baths remain blissfully untouched, as ageless and enduring as the mountains around them. Carefully positioned gaps in
the ceiling and walls flood the hotel’s indoor pool with shafts of light. Upstairs, a grass-roofed outdoor
pool is complete with a sunbathing terrace.

7132 Hotel is located at Poststrasse 560, 7132 Vals, Switzerland

Amangiri

Tucked within a canyon in Utah, Amangiri’s pool could be a glimmering mirage in the heat of the dust. Fortunately, its beauty is not a figment of imagination, and the mesa-embracing pool echoes the tranquillity of the canyons. Born from the collaboration between award-winning architects Marwan Al-Sayed, Wendell Burnette, and Rick Joy, Amangiri sits low within the untouched red-rock desert landscape and is blissfully at one with its native context. Its water pavilion also offers a steam room, sauna, plunge pool and heated step pool to cool off under the western sun. The resort offers 34 contemporary suites and has a camp of 10 tented pavilions to act as a base for any mountainous expeditions.

Amangiri is located at 1 Kayenta Rd, Canyon Point, UT 84741, United States

Amankila

Amankila, which translates to ‘peaceful hill’ in Sanskrit and is extraordinarily situated on a dense hillside beneath sacred Mount Agung, has been the go-to spirit-lifting sanctuary in Eastern Bali since its opening in 1992. The resort’s distinct tiered infinity swimming pool, also the work of the late American architect and furniture designer Ed Tuttle, sees three pools cascading down to one another, akin to Bali’s terraced rice fields, that blend with the vast expanse of the blue horizon that awaits in front. The design takes inspiration from the nearby Taman Ujung water palace, which sees three large ponds connected by elegant bridges and pathways. Amankila’s large 41-meter turquoise-tiled lap pool is equally alluring, found at the sun-kissed private black-sand Beach Club and nestled amidst tall coconut palms and frangipani trees.

Amankila is located at Manggis, Karangasem Regency, Bali 80871, Indonesia

Cali Mykonos

Situated on the serene cliff front that embraces Kalafatis Beach, far away from the bustling Old Town nightlife, the whitewashed hotel Cali Mykonos draws immediate attention with its 130-metre infinity pool, which elegantly winds around to mimic a neighbouring stream’s curvature. Filled with solar-powered heating panels and fresh seawater drawn directly from the Aegean Sea, Cali’s aquatic tour-de-force furthers the hotel’s integration into the landscape – its water being equally crystalline as the private port’s below. The pool, like the hotel’s main building and villas, is the work of Athens-based architectural firm STFN Lab and combines traditional Cycladic architecture with natural landscape features. As such, it boasts natural marble and stone sourced from the original property excavation. Guests can enjoy the most natural swim alongside the pool bars, which boast mythology-inspired cocktail menus.

Cali Mykonos is located at Mykonos 846 00, Greece

Capella Ubud

Inspired by the first European settlers in Bali in the early 1800s, Capella Ubud remains true to the concept of a rainforest camp by providing 22 one-bedroom tents and a two-bedroom lodge nestled within lush forest terrain with traditional sloping rice terraces. Famed American landscape architect Bill Bensley, the creative force behind the project, ensured that no trees were cut during construction, preserving the camp as a secluded sanctuary boasting maximised jungle views. Despite each guest space featuring individual saltwater pools, Capella Ubud’s crown jewel is The Cistern, a vast amenity presenting a 360-degree panoramic view of the Keliki Valley. The pool, shaped like a rainwater reservoir, comprises marine-grade steel plates, which had to be transported manually to the site due to their 100-kilo weight.

Capella Ubud is located at Jl. RY Dalem, Keliki, Kec. Tegallalang, Kabupaten Gianyar, Bali 80561, Indonesia

La Co(o)rniche

At La Co(o)rniche, the Atlantic does most of the talking. Philippe Starck’s 2010 renovation kept the bones of a 1930s neo-Basque hunting lodge – dark timber, frescoes, old Arcachon manners – then loosened it with cabins that borrow from Cap Ferret’s oyster huts. Set between pine forest, sand and the Dune du Pilat, the hotel’s pool frames the Arcachon basin, suspending guests between water and sky.

La Co(o)rniche is located at 46 Av. Louis Gaume, 33115 La Teste-de-Buch, France

Four Seasons Resort Tamarindo

At Four Seasons Resort Tamarindo, luxury comes with topography. Set within a 1,200-hectare private reserve on Mexico’s Pacific coast, the resort is arranged along jungle, cliffs and shorelines, with 157 rooms, three cascading infinity pools and an oceanfront golf course. Architects Victor Legorreta, Mauricio Rocha and Mario Schjetnan treated the land with discipline, placing architecture along the contours 300ft above the sea. In the spa, Oaxacan red clay, volcanic stone and a found boulder turn wellness into ritual.

Four Seasons Resort Tamarindo is located at La Huerta, K, México 200 Manzana 7.5, 48898 Barra de Navidad, Jal., Mexico

Mandarin Oriental, Lago di Como

The ethereal beauty of Mandarin Oriental, Lago di Como, has long been perceived as infinite, much like its recently introduced heated outdoor swimming pool and sun deck, which float over the lake’s cinematic southeast shores. Designed by Swiss architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron, the 40-meter pool elegantly sits against a lower vaulted stone colonnade, featuring a dark local Cardoso sandstone finish and prefabricated steel structure that reflects the water’s cobalt-blue surface. Here, the hotel’s casual dining venue, Nami Café, offers a laid-back poolside menu of classic Italian al fresco lunches, complemented by refreshing cocktails and freshly prepared juices – all set against the original 19th-century stone arches of the building, once the home of celebrated Italian opera singer Giuditta Pasta.

Mandarin Oriental, Lago di Como is located at Via E. Caronti, 69, 22020 Blevio CO, Italy

Miramonti Boutique Hotel

The panoramic view from the Miramonti Boutique Hotel’s outdoor infinity pool is among the region’s most spectacular. From its cliff-edge perch overlooking the sleepy town of Merano, mountain chains unfold in all directions. The pool is just the first in a sequence of alfresco wellness stops. A trail winds up the hill through the pine forest, and along it guests can find a plunge pool, sauna hut, lounge chairs and, at the top, a heated pool, each with a sweeping view of the valley. Recent architectural and interior redesigns, including the guest rooms, the Onsen Pool, and the ground-floor renovations, were led by Heike Pohl and Andreas Zanier of the Merano-based firm Tara Architects

Miramonti Boutique Hotel is located at Via S. Caterina, 14, 39010 Avelengo BZ, Italy

Nekajui Peninsula Papagayo, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve

Nekajui Peninsula Papagayo, the first Ritz-Carlton Reserve in Central America, and only the eighth in the world, stretches over 570 hectares of lush cliffside, but if you gaze up towards it from the sapphire waters below, you can barely tell it’s there at all. The development of Nekajui was led by The Athens Group, who worked with architects from Gensler and 10 Design to create a property that never looks out of place in its majestic surroundings. The 107 rooms and 37 residences spread across the property all face the ocean and are reliably spacious, with even the most modestly sized Ocean Reserve rooms measuring in at 872 square feet. The infinity pool at the Nimbu Spa offers panoramic ocean views and creates the sensation of swimming in the air.

Nekajui Peninsula Papagayo, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve is located at Peninsula Papagayo, End of the 253 National Route, Provincia de Guanacaste, Liberia, 50104, Costa Rica

Our Habitas AlUla

Waking up to an impressive view takes on a new meaning at Our Habitas AlUla. Being right at the centre of Ashar Valley in Saudi Arabia, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the property ensures the immense beauty of the natural world and the dramatic splendour of human creations from every angle – its swimming pool flaunting front-row views of the golden sand stretches and rocky outcrops that emerge from the desert’s expanse. Despite having been a hub of trade and cultural exchange for millennia, AlUla, often likened to an open-air museum, is a brand-new tourism destination. This is why the in-house Our Habitas design team (with the help of global firm Aedas) was tasked with creating Habitas’ distinctive social architecture, bringing guest experiences and human connections to life. Bathing in an ancient desert valley might not be on everyone’s bucket list, but after discovering this property, it certainly will be.

Our Habitas AlUla is located at QV65+RH3, Ashar Valley, AlUla 43511, Saudi Arabia

Reschio

Reschio, a 3,700-acre pastoral estate with a 1,000-year-old castle at its core, has long observed the twists and turns of history from the passage of pilgrims to world wars. Today, following a transformation by architect Count Benedikt Bolza and his wife Donna Nencia, it stands as a boutique hotel, known for its star-studded guestbook full of names of those seeking an escape from Hollywood. Located in the heart of Umbria, a region known as the ‘green heart’ of Italy, Reschio is well at home within its context. Its outdoor pool poses as a lake and seamlessly reflects the surrounding greenery, making it a tranquil spot to dip into. Opposite the old watch tower, it has been converted into a refreshing poolside bar offering tempting gelato and freshly made cocktails.

Reschio is located at Tabaccaia di Reschio, 06060 Lisciano Niccone PG, Italy

The Retreat at Blue Lagoon

Located on a private inlet of the titular lagoon, The Retreat at Blue Lagoon was designed by Basalt Architects and Design Group Italia as an extension of an earlier complex, creating a natural transition that blends a concrete superstructure the colour of dark grey lava with terrazzo, sand, water features and moss. The 62 guestrooms feature a quietly rugged mood of walnut and lava surfaces that are dressed with pieces by Antonio Citterio and Patricia Urquiola – though the marquee attraction has to be the private blue lagoon pools and spa, a subterranean pleasure dome of interlocking chambers cut into the volcanic rock that offers treatments based on the silica, algae and minerals of geothermal seawater.

The Retreat at Blue Lagoon is located at Norðurljósavegur 11, 241 Grindavík, Iceland

Le Sirenuse

The swimming pool at Le Sirenuse, a family-run boutique hotel in the beautiful coastal town of Positano, Italy, is akin to a swimming pool of dreams. In 2024, as part of the hotel’s ongoing site-specific commission series, art advisor Silka Rittson-Thomas asked Swiss artist Nicolas Party, best known for his abstract interpretations of familiar landscapes, portraits and still lifes that are both fluid and vibrant, to thoroughly transform the poolside terrace in time for the summer season. The result? An immersive and playful space where organic forms intertwine and dance underwater. Party’s work, a lively aquascape made of Bisazza mosaics – a choice instructed per the wishes of the hotel’s co-owners, Antonio and Carla Sersale, to honour Antonio’s late father’s vision – is a joyful reinterpretation of the location’s distinctive view of the sea and mountains.

Le Sirenuse is located at Via Cristoforo Colombo, 30, 84017 Positano SA, Italy

Any visitors to the off-grid Cycladic island of Antiparos last year may have discovered Bardot – a beautifully restored and realised bar and restaurant in the former home of a local shipbuilding family. Architects Andreas Kostopoulos and James McNally of Manhattan Projects worked with restaurateurs Thanasis Panourgias and Harry Spyrou to bring a breezy world of old charm and new spirit to life in cocktails, small plates, creative direction and atmosphere. We tend to think of Cycladic culture in the distant past – here it is laid bare in modern glory.

Maison Bardot, a new gallery on Antiparos

In 2024, the stellar team has spread their vision across the street, tackling a nondescript 1990s building, and transforming it into an interdisciplinary gallery space. Wryly described by the team as ‘a white box gallery gone native’, there is certainly nothing sterile about Maison Bardot.

Instead, it is a layered, textured, materially rich environment. A ridged stucco wall treatment brings a powerful tactility to the space. A large lightbox overhead translates the passage of the sun into an intriguing shadow play within. Terracotta tiles introduce a grounded, primal warmth.

The architectural and interior framework provides a rich, crafted canvas against which a series of furniture designs and objects become elegant vignettes rather than starker plinthed positionings. For the inaugural show, Maison Bardot has enlisted Antiqua – the celebrated Athens-based midcentury design gallery – to inhabit the space. Here we find an exceptional collection of furniture and objects by designers including Ettore Sottsass, Afra and Tobia Scarpa, Gaetano Pesce and Tito Agnoli. It is a riotous feast for even the most casual of design lovers.

Against the backdrop of mass tourism and the parasitic impact it can have on small communities, the team behind the Bardot family understands the significance of creating destinations rooted in local culture and craftsmanship. These are more than transient tourist offerings, they are sensitive cultural endeavours that bring together past and present to carefully establish a future, for local residents and visitors alike.

mpnyc.com

bardot.antiparos

Nestled in a corner on the Greek island of Mykonos, less than a 15-minute drive from the airport, Anandes Hotel perches above Mykonos old town, lapping up vast Aegean sea views and rolling Cycladic architecture. The luxury boutique hotel is an ode to the island’s timeless allure, with a sense of calm at the core of its design. The crisp white building lies low and unassuming, receiving a cooling breeze – much welcomed in the blazing sun.

Anandes Hotel, Mykonos

Anandes is the vision of Karim El Chiaty, vice chairman of Travco Group, a travel and tourism company based in Egypt. El Chiaty’s connection to Mykonos dates back to the 1970s, when he started vacationing there with his parents every summer. ‘It was always a place of vacation, never business,’ the hotelier tells Wallpaper*. ‘When [Travco Group acquired] the property, the seller wanted it to stay as authentic as possible and for us to bring back [a sense of the island’s] simple elegance. It is my duty to make a long-lasting contribution, not something that is going to cause more traffic or frustration.’

Studio Bonarchi took on the challenge of designing the property, blending traditional elements with a sophisticated Cycladic style. From the outside, Anandes offers a brutalist feel with its minimal white façade, but it is elegantly softened at the edges.

‘The theme throughout consists of blue and white, with bronze metal touches,’ says El Chiaty. ‘This might be considered a cliché, but it hasn’t been used as much recently.’ The interiors are far from a stereotype, with French furniture and bouclé sofas, and contemporary art, including large paintings, graphics and sculptures, carefully curated from El Chiaty’s personal collection, adorning the lobby space.

The hotel boasts 42 suites, all offering exceptional ocean views, and some with their own infinity pool, plunge pool or private balcony overlooking the town. The buildings are crafted from natural stone and embossed pine wood painted white to add texture.

Inside, custom-made travertine side tables are interchangeable for guests to make the space their own. The designers worked hard to elevate the ceilings, something rarely seen in buildings around the island but which adds a breezy and airy feel to the rooms. Other details include the deepest shade of navy accenting the end of wood beams and door frames; portable speakers; and hand-placed stones in the hallway, making for a mosaic runway.

After a day spent exploring the island, whether that be lounging at a secluded beach bar or venturing around the historic town, guests can rely on the hotel’s restaurant, La Petite Maison (LPM), for a pick-me-up meal or drink.

The LPM menu delivers signature French Riviera flair with Greek influences. Starters include sea bass ceviche with truffle ponzu, and burrata and tomato tartine, with mains encompassing an expansive list of fresh fish, lamb cutlets and grilled prawns. The dessert menu presents the creamiest crème brûlée, New York-style cheesecake, and Moorish French toast.

The restaurant caters to hotel guests during the day and is open to the public for dinner, creating a unique oasis before Mykonos’ vibrant nightlife commences. A live DJ adds to the laissez-faire scene.

Anandes Hotel is located at Street of Fine Arts, Mykonos, anandeshotel.com

Although only a 50-minute ferry ride from Santorini, the Greek island of Folegandros couldn’t be more different from its Cycladic counterpart. At just 12 square miles, it has just two towns, no arranged sun loungers on the beaches, and agricultural terraces for farming. Having flown relatively under the radar of all but the most discerning visitors, now it’s having its moment in the spotlight thanks to this summer’s game-changing new luxury hotel opening, Gundari.

Gundari, Folegandros

A couple of miles from Chora, on an 80-acre, southeast-coast, cliff-edge plot, Gundari is the vision of Australian advertising director-turned-hotelier Ricardo Larriera and Athens-based architecture and interior design studio Block722. The latter has form for creating serene, sanctuary-like spaces in harmony with the landscape (it is behind the Olea All Suite Hotel on Zakynthos and Casa Cook on Samos). Here, that translates to 25 suites (plus two villas), each with an infinity pool; seven of the accommodations are subterranean, and all built from stone excavated onsite and sand-coloured cement. Inside, the aesthetic centres around calming neutral hues and natural materials: marble floors, custom-made wooden furniture, linens and paper lampshades.

Sustainability was a consideration from the get-go, with eco-minded measures put in place, including solar panels, energy-efficient heat pumps, a water irrigation system and low-level exterior lighting at night. Plus, before construction began, over 600 seedlings (such as caper bushes, rock samphire, buckthorn and wild thyme) were collected and taken away to nurseries, which have now been replanted.

Upon arrival, guests enter the main, low-level building into the living room-like reception. There’s a check-in desk hewn from marble on one side and vintage tan leather armchairs, a glass coffee table and a wooden display unit to store vinyl on the other (top-end suites have Pioneer turntables). Other highlights include the main Orizon restaurant and bar, with a shady terrace facing the ocean and a 25m pool, and a festoon-light strung courtyard for sheltered suppers when the Meltemi winds blow.

A real boon is the collaborators bringing Athens’ buzz to the food and drink: Lefteris Lazarou, chef-owner of Michelin-star Varoulko restaurant, has dreamt up the seafood-centric menus, and Line Bar’s mixologists created the cocktail list. Equally important to the concept is the small spa, where Greek Olive Era oils are used for massages, and the offered experiences – cooking classes, a guided tour of Chora, and wine tasting – that celebrate the island’s traditions and culture.

gundari.com

Carved into the hills of the west side of Kea island, once known as the Water Island in Greek mythology, a new One&Only outpost emerges as a cove of serenity. Sprawling across 65 hectares, One&Only Kea Island, which offers one- and two-bedroom villas alongside branded residences available for purchase, takes direct inspiration from the region’s small villages, its elevated Aegean style and modern biophilic design principles. It is a second Greek property to open recently for the brand, following the One&Only Aesthesis, in Glyfada.

One&Only Kea Island

The Kea resort’s tiered layout is reminiscent of a traditional Greek amphitheatre, directly inspired by the nearby small hillside village of Ioulida. Acclaimed architect John Heah (of London-based Heah & Co, also behind The Connaught Grill) envisioned the 63 cliffside villas as boltholes of privacy and seclusion. Floor-to-ceiling windows lap onto a private terrace with infinity pools and unbound sea views of the Aegean and the dramatically rugged landscape of the island. Meanwhile, a colour palette of neutrals, beiges and subtle blues reflects the Aegean Sea’s calming presence. Each space breathes in natural light with high curved atriums and boasts locally sourced Volakas and Verde Rajasthan white marble panelling that flows seamlessly outdoors.

Perched atop the resort, the lobby and main building evoke the architectural spirit of the Acropolis with large pillars and an open-air square skylight allowing natural ventilation to flow throughout the property. On the lower floor, the main restaurant, Atria, offers a multi-tiered dining experience, wrapping gracefully around two sides of the hotel. Here, the island’s agrarian roots lie at the core, led by Dimitris Katsanos, who proudly showcases seasonal ingredients sourced from local Kea farms and producers alongside expert wine pairings from local sommelier Georgia Marouli. Guests can also head down to the Bond Beach Club, where canvas shades and midcentury furniture create a chic beach-side atmosphere.

One&Only Kea Island also beckons with its exceptional bars, including the sumptuous Èpicora Wine Bar, the refreshing Kaiki Pool Bar and the enigmatic Incognito Speakeasy Bar. The small in-house boutique, which supports local up-and-coming artists, currently stocks a recent collaboration with jewellery brand YSSO, whose exclusive collection draws inspiration from the region and its archaeological history.

The largest at any of the One&Only properties, the hotel’s spa is an architectural haven from the moment of entering. Guests walk through the three-storey waterfront spa, beneath a galvanised domed skylight, before reaching the pool. Through a partnership with Ayurvedic-led brand Subtle Energies, treatments embody ‘sophrosyne’, an ancient Greek concept of mind and body harmony using indigenous Kean botanicals.

oneandonlyresorts.com

Alexandros Tombazis heads a 60-strong office in Athens and leads about 20 realised and conceptual projects per year. With more than 800 projects under his belt – about 300 of them built – and at least 110 prizes gained in competitions, Tombazis is one of Greece’s most prominent and successful living architects, appreciated more by his peers, perhaps, than by the public.

Born in India in 1939, he spent his childhood in Karachi, Tunbridge Wells and London before his family settled in Athens. At the Architectural School of the National Technical University of Athens, he was taught by key figures of the Greek art and design scene – including Nikos Hatzikiriakos-Gikas and surrealist Nikos Engonopoulos – during the late 1950s and early 1960s. Coinciding with the peak of Greek modernist architecture, it was an exciting time. As a student, Tombazis witnessed the global rise of the International Style, and travelled all over Europe visiting innovative buildings such as Le Corbusier and Iannis Xenakis’ Philips Pavilion, a multimedia showcase, at Brussels’ 1958 World Fair. From this inspirational start, he developed a dedication that has fuelled his tireless productivity, along with a sense of optimism and a belief in the power of technology in architecture

He set up his own practice in Athens in 1963, while also beginning a three-year stint as a research assistant to Kostantinos Doxiadis, an architect known for his master plan for Islamabad. Tombazis’ interest in the architectural avant-garde surfaced immediately, channelled through a fascination with the Japanese Metabolist movement (which focused on adaptable, large scale housing projects and produced works such as Kisho Kurokawa’s Nakagin Capsule Tower in Ginza, Tokyo, and Kenzo Tange’s vision for a new master plan of the city).

When an open-minded client, whose Athens residence Tombazis had already designed, asked for a holiday house, the architect grasped the opportunity to put his ideas into action. Translating his Metabolist influences into a small-scale residential project, he started work on the house in the seaside village of Kineta in 1968. Revolutionary for its time and place, the house is an exposed concrete composition of closed and open boxes. A twist in its construction is elegantly thin yet perfectly insulated walls – achieved with the then-innovative use of recycled residue from the nearby Elefsina steel industry’s blast furnaces, which provides excellent yet cost-effective insulation. An extra ground floor pod was added as a later extension, against Tombazis’ wishes. ‘It is a pity,’ he reflects, ‘but on the other hand, for how long can an architect have a say for somebody else’s use?’

Tombazis’ Dhifros apartment block in north Athens, with its towering, stacked volumes, and the series of concrete boxes that form a cement company office in the capital’s Lykovrisi suburb, both designed in 1971 and completed in 1975, are key projects from the same period. And like the Kineta residence, they feature bare concrete volumes and compositions of smaller individual units.

It was the oil crisis in 1973 – turning energy efficiency and sustainability into hot issues – that marked a significant change in Tombazis’ work. Already a follower of technological advances in the field (perhaps still influenced by the technologically-minded Metabolists), he became one of the first architects, in Greece and internationally, to embrace bioclimatic design. ‘Beyond the practical advances and the fact that it is a necessity for the salvation of the planet, one of the most beautiful elements of the bioclimatic approach is that it does not dictate a specific type of design,’ says Tombazis. ‘It is a platform, a way of thinking where one can learn and adapt.’

The first project designed using his newfound philosophy was Helios 1, his own holiday house in the Peloponnese. It was also the first house in Greece to use active solar technology. Set on a steep slope, the L-shaped house, with an open plan kitchen, living and dining area, and children’s bedroom accessible by a set of playful wooden ladders, was designed around the north-facing sea views. The brick structure, half set into the slope, has a wooden frame and partial lead cladding. The materials were chosen for their easy maintenance, while the pine interior creates a homely feel.

Another example of Tombazis’ harnessing of alternative energy is his Lykovrisi Solar Village housing scheme from the late 1970s, featuring 435 low-cost apartments heated and supplied with hot water from a creative combination of active and passive solar technologies

More recently, on his Peloponnese plot, he built a second, larger house, Helios 4, for his daughter’s family. Although it adheres to similar eco-friendly principles to the first – featuring solar panels and a solar chimney that forms part of a natural air circulation system – it follows a markedly different aesthetic. The exposed concrete, geometric composition is dominated by cascading planted roofs. An advocate of a bespoke, site-specific design approach, Tombazis explains: ‘I didn’t intend for the two houses to look alike. I don’t think an architect should design instantly recognisable projects. Every work needs to start from a blank page, even though from building to building there may be natural similarities. One always learns and transfers elements from one project to the next.’

While Tombazis’ enthusiasm for eco-design remains central to his work, its application has become seamlessly embedded in his work as his career developed. He maintains that such an approach is key to a sustainable urban future. However, this should not imply a specific stylistic approach. ‘Perhaps it is a matter of maturing as a practice. The more one matures, the more confident one feels about standing on one’s own feet,’ he says.

And Tombazis’ influence stretches far beyond eco-centric architecture. He co-founded the Hellenic Institute of Architecture in 1995, the only independent body that promotes architecture in Greece and is an honorary fellow of The American Institute of Architects, as well as a regular contributor to international conferences. He was selected to design the Greek pavilion at Expo 2010 in Shanghai, and before that to build a church for 9,000 pilgrims at the Sanctuary of Fátima in Portugal, a prestigious commission completed in 2007 with local architect Paula Santos.

Religious buildings, he says, are among his favourite commissions. ‘Functionality in churches plays a role, of course, but much less so in other projects. One has to focus on the atmosphere.’ So what’s next? ‘I’d love to work on a big art museum,’ says Tombazis, himself a keen artist. With an impressive legacy and portfolio, including an important cultural commission, an archaeological museum in Vergina, northern Greece shortly to go on site, he may yet get his wish.

A version of this article originally featured in the September 2010 issue of Wallpaper* (W*138)

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House D began life in the 1960s. The Athenian dwelling was built for private clients in solid concrete in the northern neighbourhood of Holargos in the Greek capital – and it has now been transformed to suit modern needs through a creative redesign by Spain and Greece-based studio Cometa Architects. 

Step inside House D in Athens

Spanning 150 sq m, the new home's volume sits on the original structure's footprint and foundations, reusing its bones to fit the fresh design. Portions of the slabs were cut to create double-height spaces, while a new steel structure was added to ensure the house is suitably sturdy and safe in the context of the region's high seismic activity.  

The architects, led by founders Faidra Matziaraki and Victor Gonzalez Marti, explain: 'The house is a volumetric exercise of solid faces and punctual openings, nestled in a corner of a residential neighbourhood with diverse housing typologies and varying heights. The decision to keep a low-rising building with a garden in a dense urban context is an exercise that achieves minimum impact of the new, and reuse of the structural core of the old.'

Inside, the main double-height space is punctuated by a new bespoke staircase feature, which connects the living area and kitchen below with the bedrooms upstairs. This circulation core is painted in a peach hue that offers a vibrant colour accent to the otherwise fairly minimalist interiors.

Indeed, the staircase system's curved geometries can also be found elsewhere in the design – both externally, in its volume and entrance door, and internally in decor and fittings. This playfulness echoes throughout and marks the architecture's contemporary nature – still, it's a composition equally born out of practical needs. 

The architects add: 'The surrounding buildings to the northwest and southwest rise high with large balconies that compromise the privacy of the house. In response, the house becomes an opaque volume. To introduce light, the volume is cut at its west vertex, creating an exterior oasis at the intersection of two streets where distance to the building opposite is greater, also disrupted by tall trees.'

Outside, behind tall walls, a courtyard garden unfolds in three levels. It contains the site's original fruit trees, as well as new ones, which were added along with Mediterranean vegetation, to help cool the property during the region's hot summers.

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Grace Hotel Auberge, Santorini is that quintessential Aegean hotel that offers perfect-picture postcard views of the Greek island's iconic blue-and-white landscape. The hotel, part of the Auberge Resorts Collection, launched to wide acclaim over ten years ago to a design by Divercity Architects (also behind Hotel Grace La Margna St Moritz) and mplusm architects – but it has not rested on its laurels. The hospitality group has just announced the launch of two new infinity suites, added to the Grace campus offering and completed in spring, just in time for the island's busy summer season. 

Tour Grace Hotel Auberge, Santorini and its transportive infinity suites

The two suites, crafted by Athens architecture studio Lab11, are a unique proposition among Grace's other 21 accommodations on offer. They were designed with the complete freedom and romance their Santorini Island location inspires – featuring a private entrance and providing unparalleled views of the Aegean Sea and the local natural landmark, Skaros Rock.

Sleek lines effortlessly blend the well-known traditional Greek island architecture styles and contemporary minimalist architecture. Meanwhile, large openings bring the outside context in at every turn. 

During their stay, guests can enjoy the island's culinary delights at their private heated infinity pools, terraces with sun loungers, as well as private dining areas. Grace Hotel Santorini's food offering is prepared by Michelin-starred chef Lefteris Lazarou.

Meanwhile, king-sized bedrooms with luxury natural-fibre mattresses, a private bar and cocktail prep area, and spa-like marble bathrooms that include a steam room make for a restful and fun stay – whether the visitor's goal is relaxation, entertaining or anything in between. 

The intimate, adults-only hotel now totals 23 luxurious rooms, suites, and a villa. It was designed to blur the lines between indoor and outdoor living, using sculptural yet clean lines and natural materials that feel at home amid the local vernacular architecture. Set in Santorini’s popular Imerovigli village, just 15 minutes from famed Oía, the property is smartly located too.

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With each sunset painting a new scene over Santorini’s skyline, the Greek island seems to welcome yet another retreat, which can make finding true privacy the ultimate luxury. The new Domes Novos Santorini hotel seeks to offer an unhurried and understated design-led vacation experience that facilitates the enjoyment of the caldera landscape, picturesque villages and cobalt-blue waters without the crowds.

Luxury Greek hospitality brand Domes opens its debut Santorini hotel

Found on the island’s north-western corner, in the Tholos region, Domes Novos Santorini – the first Santorini hotel from the Greek hospitality group (other properties include Domes Miramare in Corfu) – sits away from typically trodden paths. Its 50 spacious suites and two villas, each with its own private pool and terrace, promise sweeping views across local vineyards and the Aegean Sea, encouraging exploration and connection with the landscape.

The exterior radiates an earthy atmosphere with its terracotta-hued, angular structure. Kiros Pagkalidis Architects sought to punctuate the landscape with heavier, local materials, including volcanic stone and blonde oak. The forms, the masses and the surfaces reflect and play with the light, while there’s an airiness to all indoor and outdoor spaces, comprising hints of fresh white and ashy grey.

Interior designer Olivia Siskou oversaw the resort’s interior spaces. ‘A subtle palette and minimal furniture playfully contrast with the building’s strong character while adding contemporary value,’ she notes. Meanwhile, the property’s landscaping, ‘utilises the island’s material elements, attributes, and existing vegetation as fundamental design principles', say the team behind it, Fytron Landscapes and George Petsagkourakis.

The on-site facilities at Domes Novos Santorini encompass well-thought-out culinary and wellness experiences. The hotel’s restaurant, Vatanee, led by head chef Dionysis Anastopoulos, brings the best of Greek cuisine – mezes, handmade alipastas (traditional appetisers), pickles, cured meats and seasonal dishes inspired by the land and the sea that are best shared. Vineyard tours and tastings, the chance to work alongside winemakers, and immersive cooking classes are also offered.

At Soma Spa, traditional Greek spa experiences combined with contemporary methods and volcanic-infused treatments are designed to recentre and ground guests. A state-of-the-art gym, underground pool, yoga and meditation sessions around the grapevine gardens round up the holistic offering.

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A version of this article appears in the June 2024 Travel Issue of Wallpaper*, available in print, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today.