Sleek, slick and minimalist, this Ornos Beach pad is a favourite
with the Emirati crowd, thanks (in part) to a new direct
Doha-to-Mykonos flight launched this summer. Bedrooms are polished,
with a calming colour palette of seashell neutrals, poured concrete
floors and rose gold accents throughout, while private plunge pools
in some suites offer marina views. It’s just 10 minutes from
Mykonos Town, so expect to meet the party crowd. We spotted a
certain Victoria’s Secret model tucking into a health-boosting
breakfast of fresh fruit on our visit (and no, we can’t confirm if
watermelon is a successful remedy for a sore head).

Tired of Scorpios’ faux-rugged feel? Think Soho House’s
aesthetic is so 2009? Can we suggest you base yourselves at Kalesma
on your next island adventure? Located far from the up-for-it
crowds in Mykonos’ south-west, this low-slung cluster of
one-bedroom suites and villas offers a paired-back approach to
palatial living; all whitewashed walls, rounded corners and acres
of space. So far, so normal, but it’s the ultra-luxe amenities that
had us wishing we could move in permanently: Olympic-sized
bathtubs, in-room gym kits, private pools, outdoor showers and
impressive mirrors that double up as TVs (allegedly the most
expensive piece of kit in the rooms). The restaurant gives serious
White Isle-Casa Maca vibes, with an outdoor grill and barbecue
manned by a team of chefs putting fresh fish into the flames.

Mykonos’ newest kid on the block is the luxurious Cali. Claiming
the longest pool on the island – a stretching, seawater oasis that
overlooks the hotel’s private beach – this is not a stay that does
things by halves. Vast suites, dressed in various marbles, feel
like luxurious emporiums fit for the (Greek) gods: our room had a
buttermilk-cream stone embellished with dusky pink veins (think
sunset vibes). With a Pilates and yoga studio, gym and spa all on
the horizon, this is one to watch.

Originally built in the 60s, Theoxenia is one of the oldest
hotels on the island and, back in the day, was responsible for
attracting the Studio 54 crowd seeking free-love-fuelled summers.
Jackie O, Mick Jagger, Barbra Streisand: the guest list for this
hedonistic hideaway is long and fabulous. No wonder, given the easy
access to Mykonos Town’s gilded nightlife (no fighting for cabs
come 5am around here). A recent refurbishment has switched Swinging
Sixties for sand-hued minimalism, with bang-on-trend bouclé and
warm neutrals taking centre stage. But the crowd remains the cool
gang (and even some of the old guard).

Split across two paradisiacal Mykonos locations, Bill &
Coo’s luxurious take on island life offers the kind of living we
visualise ourselves enjoying full-time if we were to embrace an
opulent early retirement (read: in our dreams). The original hotel
is now Bill & Coo Suites and Lounge – a masterclass in Mykonos
minimalism situated a short walk from the old town and an even
shorter stroll from the nearest beach. Head here if you want to
flirt with the local nightlife but enjoy plenty of daytime R&R,
with spa visits, pool days and nourishing meals at the
award-winning restaurant. The adults-only Coast Suites, meanwhile,
sit a little further away from the hedonistic old town, along the
sun-bleached sands of Agios Ioannis’ beach. Whitewashed, airy and
elegant, it’s a place to retreat to and escape the excesses of
Mykonos’ wilder side.

Hilltop hotels (particularly those with views of Mykonos Town
and the Aegean Sea) take top billing in our book, and this secluded
island pad offers both a spectacular vantage point and indulgent
amenities. The 35 rooms at the Belvedere are all about white
surrounds, clean lines, natural materials – and breathtaking views
out across the Hellenic waves. Facilities are as high-flying as the
location, with a Six Senses spa, an outdoor sushi restaurant and a
cocktail bar manned by the island’s hottest mixologists.

A few minutes’ walk from Kalo Livadi Beach (one of the longest stretches of sand on Mykonos), this low-key sanctuary is an antidote to the thumping party-scene hangouts peppered across other parts of the island. Rooms are brightly decorated in shades of white, grey and blue, with accents of yellow and earthly orange, and all have either a private Jacuzzi or plunge pool.

You’ll want to spend all your time by the pool at this design-driven stay. Fringed by indienous grasses, and seemingly an extension of the glassy Aegean waters beyond its infinity drop, it’s the kind of pool that has fervent sun-worshippers heading down at daybreak to secure a palm-roofed cabana by its edge. If you’re too busy scoffing down the hotel’s fruit-filled Greek breakfast to bagsie your bed, don’t worry: the no-nonsense spa offers an alternative oasis of indulgence for the day. Or, slope back to your pool suite for a private dip and spend the afternoon luxuriating in the free-spirit interiors – think woven fabrics, raffia rugs and softly worn wooden accents.