20 Best Hotels in Epirus and Thessaly, Greece

At this low-lying, clay-color complex just outside Kalambaka on the road to Trikala, guests can relax in the sitting room with striking antiques, floral murals, and a fireplace—you can also enjoy fireplaces in the bar and restaurant—or chill out at the poolside bar, with glistening blue tiles and rustic rafters. Grounds are beautifully landscaped and blissfully quiet. Guest rooms are done in soothing colors and have large beds and prints; some also have balconies. Kids will enjoy the play area.

An imposing stone mansion lovingly restored, with a beautiful garden, Ameliko is an ideal place to stay for those exploring Zagorohoria. The owners, who collect wild mushrooms and make a unique aged raki, are a mine of information about things to do in the area, and, with years of experience as small hoteliers, they will ensure that your stay is memorable. The guest rooms are bright and spacious, with oak floors and ceilings, and they have handmade wooden furnishings and large colorful fireplaces.

Family-run and centrally located, looking out on the Pindos mountain range, Apollon is built in traditional style, topped by picturesque coves, and offers comfortable, modern amenities along with old-world accents. For a true rustic feel plus great views, opt for one of the 10 charming and spacious attic rooms with Jacuzzis. Conveniently, Apollon organizes minibus tours to Aoos Lake and the river springs, the Valia Calda valley, and Anilio village.

The old Bourazani hunting lodge has been revamped into this accommodating resort (more of a hotel/lodge actually), one of the few places to stay in this immediate region, which has been given over to nature; the only noises to be heard at night are the distant rustling of the river Aoos and the song of nightingales. The guest rooms are simple and cleanly finished in wood and stone. The owners can suggest plenty of interesting hikes, making this inn an ideal base to explore the area's treasures (such as the wildlife reserve and natural history museum). Fittingly, the restaurant showcases local foods; great dishes include a delicious carpaccio of venison, served with pear and Gruyere, and the interesting venison moussaka.

A few minutes from the center of town, this modern hotel has optimal views of the Meteora rocks from the rooms' balconies, and its large well-designed open spaces, quiet corners, and private garden encourage relaxation. The exterior is plain, but the rooms are warmly welcoming, with wooden parquet floors, soft dulcet orange/beige shades on the walls, and light brown pine beds and furnishings. As one would expect in a Divani-run hotel, the staff are extremely professional and work to a high standard. They will arrange and negotiate a price for a leisurely tour of the monasteries.

A stay here means residing in a traditional stone-and-wood hotel set amid vineyards in the upper reaches of the idyllic village of Kastraki, where each room—with a luxurious carved double bed, oak floors, and closets—has a balcony with panoramic views of both Meteora and Kastraki. Vivacious owner Toula Nakis serves breakfast (local produce including homemade condiments) around the pergola in the large garden, which is perfumed with the scent of roses, jasmine, and honeysuckle. If you have enough stamina, you can walk to the monasteries from here; the hotel staff can put you in touch with co-owner Thanassis Nakis, if he is not around, and he will happily provide you with his excellent hand-drawn area hiking maps. For what's on offer here it's real value for money.

Indulging oneself in the city of that sybarite Ali Pasha seems entirely fitting, and you can do so in style at this stunning and lavish hotel, which was opened in 1999 by the innovative brothers Natsis. Some of the exquisite furniture, highlighted with gold and silver, was handmade for the hotel. Guest rooms are spacious, and the marble bathrooms are luxurious. For a more international taste of Greece, dine at the sophisticated à la carte hotel restaurant, created by a Michelin star chef, which prides itself on its loukoulia gevmata (sumptuous feast). The hotel offers a babysitting service, has a kids' pool and a fun playroom.

A comfortable, elegant, and well-designed guesthouse, Gaia rose from the ruins of an 1862 mansion thanks to the efforts of devoted owners, architect Yiannis Anastasakis and his wife, Thomais, who literally built Gaia with their own hands after buying it on a passionate whim because they fell in love with the area on a trip. They have designed the spaces so that they really feel like home—with board games, artsy magazines, a mini library, and a fireplace in the living room; a cute breakfast area serving items the owners have produced themselves; and a refreshing stone courtyard perfect for an evening meze. Upstairs guest rooms are in an understated modern style. Just five minutes' walk away are two very decent tavernas.

If you're looking for bombastic decor and over-the-top opulence, this luxurious hotel is the place for you—the lobby's vast chandeliers and heavy brocaded armchairs may not be to everyone's taste, but the guest rooms are more subdued, with giltwood trimmings and modern marble bathrooms. The staff is very professional and helpful, the dining is quite good, and the hotel is well located only a few minutes' walk from the center of town.

Local craftsmen created the elegantly carved wooden ceilings in this traditional-style Metsovo mansion—at its heart a large fireplace in the main reception room nicely warms the cozy hotel. Six suites have panoramic views of the surrounding mountains. Soothe your weary traveler's muscles in the on-site sauna. The Bitouni brothers, fluent in English, run this friendly establishment, and three times a week Mother Bitouni makes a mean vegetable pie.

A great place to rest your mountain-weary feet, this small hotel has guest rooms designed in typical Metsovo style: simple, with a splash of color on a kourelou, or traditional rug. Some bathrooms have tubs, others showers; still others have their own fireplaces. Happily, a garden restaurant is right next door—enjoy local specialties such as leek pie with a corn pastry, veal with noodles from Metsovo, or boiled goat. Start with half a kilo of house barrel wine, miso kilo hima.

This is one of the last hotels on the road to the Meteora monasteries. Step out on your room's balcony and bid good morning to the massive rocks that seem to loom over this good-value hotel just outside the village of the same name. The rooms are simple and impersonal but clean, either with two single pine beds or one queen-size double. The lovely buffet breakfast, which includes yogurt, homemade cake, and fruit compotes, is a good energizer for the day's exploration.

The stylish vibe of old aristocracy coupled with minimalist good taste infuses this neoclassical mansion, which features delightful wood beams, painted wooden ceilings, and fireplaces in the sitting and breakfast rooms—and it's one of the few options within the walls of the historic citadel. No wonder it is often booked so far in advance. Lavished with flowers and herbs, the lovely courtyard looks onto the Its Kale fortress, making this a great place to enjoy an evening drink. Breakfast (€4 if not included in the room rate) comprises homemade jams, ham, cheese, fruit, fresh bread, and local honey.

Offering an elegant combination of cozy rural allure and modern comforts, this luxurious but not over-the-top hotel gives a sense of a prestigious country home. Surrounded by wonderful natural landscapes, including sprawling vineyards, and close to some of Metsovo’s nicest sites and restaurants, the traditionally built hotel is also a winery. The Averoff label has gained global recognition for its quality labels, which wine lovers can enjoy the pleasure of sampling in-house, as part of hi-tech audio-visual tour of the winery.

Located in Ioannina's city center, this renovated mansion offers modern comforts in a beautiful old building. The wood-and-stone facade, the simple but quaintly classic and traditional decor, the friendly service, and the light-filled rooms all make this a comfortable and cozy place to stay. Guests and visitors alike can enjoy mezedes and tsipouro (a liquor distilled purely from grapes) in the pretty yard in summer.

Most of the guest rooms in this pension in the heart of the picturesque village of Monodendri have fireplaces—an essential luxury during the long and cold winter nights—and three rooms have saunas, while another seven have hot tubs. With the addition of a heated outdoor swimming pool, most aquatic needs are satisfied at this inland mountainous retreat. The inn happily comes with its own taverna, just the place to enjoy sumptuous, local savory pies and roasted meats. Friendly Mr. Zarkada is more than happy to help you arrange outdoor activities.