Mykonos has a reputation, and it usually involves cocktails at 2am. But the island that kick-started its luxury hotel scene back in the 1980s — when the Myconian Ambassador opened on the south coast — has quietly grown into something more rounded. The late-night bars are largely packed into a small corner of Mykonos Town, and more travellers are heading the other way, chasing wild, quieter stretches of coast.
Hoteliers have noticed. A wave of new openings has hit the island's south-east, from Kalafati beach — where the secluded Cali Mykonos sits in its own private-feeling village — to Elia beach, where a Four Seasons is on the way, only the brand's second property in Greece after its 2019 Athens Riviera debut.
Condé Nast Traveller UK has rounded up 21 of the island's best hotels, sorted by the kind of trip you're taking. Four Seasons Mykonos takes the luxury crown, while Amyth of Mykonos is their honeymoon pick. If the beach is the whole point, the Myconian Sunrise Relais & Chateaux Hotel wins on location; Fouquet's Mykonos is the call for a girls' trip; Deos Mykonos is the boutique option; and families are pointed towards Santa Marina, a Luxury Collection Resort.
Where to base yourself matters less than you'd think — the island is only about 10 kilometres across, so nothing is far. That said, each area has a mood. Ornos Beach on the southwest is the convenient all-rounder, ringed with shops, restaurants and bars. Want the nightlife on your doorstep? Mykonos Theoxenia and Bohème put you right in town. And if you'd rather pretend the party doesn't exist, Cali Mykonos at Kalafati is about as removed as the island gets.
Timing makes a real difference here. July and August are peak season — hot, busy, expensive. May and September are the smarter bets: warm enough for swimming, cooler for exploring, noticeably quieter, and early summer brings better fresh produce too.
Getting there is straightforward. There are direct UK flights (easyJet flies the route), while Olympic Air and Aegean Airlines connect through Athens. Alternatively, ferries run from Athens' two ports, Piraeus and Rafina. Car ferries take roughly seven hours — comfortable but slow — while high-speed catamarans and SeaJets cut the trip to well under half that, at the cost of a bumpier ride in rough weather. Mykonos also slots neatly into an island-hopping route from other Cycladic islands.
Who is this for? Anyone who's written Mykonos off as a stag-do island, mostly. The hotel scene now covers slick design-led boutiques, family resorts and genuinely remote coastal retreats, so whether you're planning a honeymoon, a group trip or a slow week by the sea, there's a fit — you just might want to look east of Mykonos Town to find it.