Stay Here: The Avaton Hotel, MykonosBy Gemma Perlin

Mykonos has always had a certain pull, and is known as one of the glitziest destinations to go to during the summer months. I envisaged stunning cliff drops, white-washed buildings and endless amount of bejewelled sandals and sunshine. And boy it did not disappoint, even the Starbucks is white-washed. Yet it isn’t all wholesome fun, there is a hedonistic side to this saucy island. There is nothing worse than being near the happening bit, but not quite in it. Near the fun, but not quite near enough. If you want to be in the heart of it, we suggest staying at The Avaton Hotel, overlooking the infamous Elia Beach. Here’s all the important details:

The Myconian Avaton: The Lowdown

The Myconian Avaton is part of the Myconian collection, founded by George Daktylides, now run by his sons,  four charming brothers. But don’t mistake this for a chain, each hotel has its own unique spirit (oh and 5*); some are more family orientated, others for a quiet couple break and others for a group of friends wanting to party. The decor varies, but the interior is just so fierce, every area belongs in a design catalogue, with a real boutique feel. Luxury without the stuffiness.

Located on the Elia Beach, Avaton feels like the hip, younger sister to the other glamorous family members. Funky music plays by the pool all-day curated by an endless stream of attractive DJs (they do like their house music here). The staff are so glamorous, dressed in outfits dependent on the time of the day. So chic.

The infinity swimming pools are filled with bracing seawater, which provided the perfect spot if you want to take that cliched Insta pic. There are endless places to sit and engross yourself in a book or have some champers; from the beanbags down by the pool to the hanging chair in reception. When the sun goes down, we suggest heading to the hotel’s Sanctuary Spa with luxurious treatments by seriously experienced staff using Elemis products. We opted for the massage, and were whipped into relaxation (a surprising paradox) immediately. It’s worth following on any treatment with a visit to the thalassotherapy pools, which vary from shooting jets to a pool as salty as the Dead Spa, then read your book on one of the cavernous sofas, and munch on dried papaya and figs. If you are a fitness fiend, you will ever be so pleased with the view from the cross trainer of the sea in the small, but useful gym.

You are 30 minutes from Mykonos town, which the hotel is more than happy to organise free transfers to. There’s also a free bus shuttle service, which will take you around the different hotels of the Myconian Collection and the beach.

The Myconian Avaton: The Food

Breakfast is served in the colourful Avaton Restaurant overlooking the ocean. There is a real young vibe to the guests that stay here, and the breakfast room felt like a fun place to start the day. Stay traditional and have some Greek yoghurt and honey to start the day, or stay true to your British roots and have some bacon and poached eggs.

We recommend travelling to other parts of the Myconian Collection – over our three days we tried a variety of the restaurants which draw heavily on locally sourced ingredients prepared in an imaginative and ambitious way. If you fancy mixing up your cuisine, we strongly advice a trip to the open air Japanese Sishu Bar at the Myconian Collection. Often Japanese food in Europe can be quite slack, but this was absolutely primetime gold. Our favourites were the moreish seaweed salad, the tangy tuna tartare and the huge sushi rolls packed full of fresh shrimp tempura and avocado.

The Myconian Avaton: The Rooms

I’m going to start with the toiletries, an unusual place to start, surely you just use those that you lugged through Gatwick in your classy plastic bag. They have three different brands of all the body lotions and shampoos that you may want (read: three brands). This hotel just wants to go over and above. We suggest a room which comes with a jacuzzi or outdoor pool, many do. There is nothing that expresses the saucy island spirit than a sunset skinny dip, even if you are alone, like myself! The rooms are beautifully designed with a lit up headboard where you can stare at your picture postcard view of the Aegean sea.

The Myconian Avaton: The Verdict

This island has mystical, special energy. Not only is the old town and incomparable night scene and beach club special, but a short boat trip away is Delos, a time capsule of a ancient period with an amphitheatre which takes you back to the bloodthirsty entertainment the Greeks u put on. Mykonos has a surprisingly long season, if you don’t fancy the mosh pit of the summer, head down in October for a quiet hit of sunshine before the winter months for a more restorative break. The Avaton Hotel is the ultimate expression of Greek style, chic, glamorous but oh-so0comfortable with a real easygoing vibe, only 3.5 hours from the UK. We recommend fleeing to this cosmopolitan haven asap.

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