18 Best Hotels in The Saronic Gulf Islands, Greece

About 9 km (5½ miles) from Aegina Town, at the small port of Souvala, this modern bed-and-breakfast is popular with Athenians seeking relaxing weekends away from the city, and its studios (including one larger suite) can accommodate two to five people each. Every one has been decorated in a unique and colorful style. The overall effect is reminiscent of a modern dollhouse, with pistachio-color cupboards and hand-painted tables in the common kitchen and cast-iron furniture outdoors.

A three-minute walk from Hydra's bustling port, this alluring place is composed of two villas in Hydra stone, with red barrel-tile roofs and garden areas; both have been restored and renovated to a high standard. Streamlined wood furniture and soft neutral colors predominate in the spacious guest rooms, with names like Sappho and Amazon, each with unique decor. Perks include hot tubs, plasma TVs, a wonderful terrace overlooking the street, perfect for relaxation, and Korres beauty products.

An 1860 sponge factory was transformed into this charming character hotel (doors made out of old packing crates still bearing the "Piraeus sponge" stamp, etc.), which has a bevy of alluring delights, including guest-room decor accented with framed portraits, old engravings, four-poster ironwork beds, and cozy natural wood lofts, and the hotel restaurant—considered one of the island's best—which is set in the oleander-and-bougainvillea-graced courtyard. Recently spruced-up in 2019, hints of the building's rustic past are visible in the Hydriot gray stonework, exposed-timber ceilings, and wide-plank floors. The bar-restaurant tables spill out poolside, dishing out mouth-watering gourmet Mediterranean fare. Not surprisingly, regulars return year after year.

This old mansion has been refurbished into a lovely boutique hotel by a descendant of the original owners, a wealthy and well-known Hydriot shipping family, without losing its original charm. You can choose from one of seven stylish rooms or suites with names like Sponges, Pigeon House, or Icons. The Pigeon House suite has a private Jacuzzi, but all have soft and welcoming beds, warm-brown wooden antiques and sections of exposed stone walls showing off the well-crafted original masonry work. The breakfast includes freshly squeezed orange juice, warm cheese pies, and homemade jams—served in the shady Mediterranean garden.

No, this is not one of the famous chain's hotels but rather a tiny hotel inspired by the magical colors of the four seasons (the Sun Suite is the cream of the crop) sweetly set in an atmospheric, fully renovated 150-year-old stone mansion. The location is a 35-minute walk from the port, or 5 minutes via water taxi or boat, right next to the pebbled Vlichos Beach (also called Plakes Vlichou in Greek). Rooms are uncluttered, with functional, solid furniture and kitchenettes, satellite flat-screen TVs, Wi-Fi, and other amenities. A plus is the hotel's beachfront restaurant, renowned throughout the island for its refined seafood. Ask for the hotel's private boat to pick you up from the port upon arrival (and departure) at only €3 per trip.

Take advantage of this hotel's beautiful hillside location over a beach by relaxing on the restaurant terrace or renting a boat to water-ski in the clear blue waters; not surprisingly, guest rooms at this gracefully aging hotel, built in a typical 1970s style, have balconies and most of them sea views. The town center of slightly overdeveloped but lively Ayia Marina is a 10-minute walk from the hotel; a bus stop is 750 feet from the hotel, while the Temple of Aphaia is a healthy 30-minute hike away. The staff is friendly and the rooms are spotlessly clean in this family-run hotel, which is, officially, the highest rated (3 stars) on the island.

In an idyllic setting, this boutique hotel with eight relaxing, modern, and beautifully decorated guest suites offers panoramic views of the port and separate living and bedroom areas (as well as a small kitchenette). Serene whitewashed interiors predominate, and the pale hues are enhanced by colorful pillows and striped rugs designed by such well-known contemporary Greek artists as Diamantis Aidinis. The location provides great views from some rooms, but you may need to hire a mule to carry your luggage up the steep slope. The Maisonette provides the most spacious living quarters, accommodating up to four people. Clean beach towels are provided daily; bathroom toiletries are by Apivita, the trendy green Greek line.

Right in the middle of Hydra Town, this small upscale hotel has sparkling interiors with an elegant "old Greece" touch provided by an array of antique Hydriot rugs, mirrors, and lanterns—and some modern artworks by well-known Greek painters (Papanikolaou and Akrithakis to name two) thrown in to liven things up. Guest rooms are spacious and cool, with hardwood floors, classic wood furniture, and wonderful marble bathrooms; downstairs, look for a tiny patio and a comfortable breakfast room (where a buffet breakfast is served until 11 am daily). A spa faciltiy is available.

Irides Luxury Studios is housed in a slightly quirky building, just 100 feet from the seafront, so all guest rooms and studios here get a sea view. Enjoy breakfast on the terrace next to the asymmetric pool overlooking the Saronic Gulf. In the well-kept garden there is an outdoor chess board and nearby is a beach volleyball court that hosts a popular tournament every summer; the owners also host classical music evenings and Greek cooking workshops.

Antiques lovers might feel right at home among the 18th- and 19th-century furniture and decor (Oriental rugs, wooden chests, nautical engravings, ceilings painted in detailed Venetian motifs) decorating this traditional Hydriot home, now a gracious small hotel. Built around 1810 for a Captain Danavasis—and now classified by the Ministry of Culture as a national monument—the hotel celebrated its 50th anniversary as a hotel in 2011 with a special book about its rich history. For a change of pace guests can head to the main salon, whose walls are hung with giant black-and-white photographs, or go outside to a garden lush with pink and red blossoms. The two suites on the top floor—numbers 2 and 3—have balconies, sea views, and graceful ceiling frescoes done by Venetian painters. The Continental breakfast is served in the interior courtyard.

With cheerful, renovated exteriors surrounded by myriad flowers, this charming boutique-style B&B is only a few minutes' walk from the main harbor and offers decent value, especially in the off-season. The interiors, too, will charm guests with their old-fashioned wooden shutters and beds with wrought-iron frames—just the right accents to set off the cool white, minimalist rooms. And it's open year-round. During less busy periods, rates can be negotiable, and late checkout may be available for free.

Commissioned in 1796 by Catherine the Great for her lover Count Orloff—who came to Greece with a Russian fleet to try to dislodge the Turks—this archontiko mansion regained its former splendor when it was turned into a small boutique hotel. Antiques in the public (and some private) rooms have been carefully chosen—curvaceous walnut sofas, chairs, dining sets, and highboys; old paintings and lithographs; and gilt mirrors—and are beautifully offset by thick white walls and cornflower-blue window wells. Both the classic double and superior rooms have views of the town or the courtyard shaded by a mulberry tree, where the buffet breakfast is served every morning.

Set with fin-de-siècle cupolas, an imposing mansard roof, and elegant neoclassical facade, this iconic mansion was acclaimed as the Saronic gulf's own Hotel Negrescu in 1914—like that Nice landmark, this hotel was built to attract the cosmopolitan ocean-liner set and, today, the Poseidonion has been hailed as the most elegant hotel in all the Greek islands. While restoration has preserved its aristocratic aura, it also brought everything into the 21st century, replete with minimal mod furniture and loads of classy five-star hotel luxuries. There is a renovated historic wing and a new wing (done in the original style) next to the main pool. The Verandah Restaurant offers a high-style menu of Mediterranean delicacies, while the Library Brasserie offers delicious Athenian cuisine lit up with flashes of local Spetses flavors. In collaboration with Baba Au Rum, one of Athens' finest cocktail bars, Palms shakes and stirs cool and colorful potions on the hotel's large terrace overlooking the cyan-blue Saronic Gulf. Treat yourself at the excellent Asian Spa with one of the many Ayurvedic therapies complementing the better-known massages and treatments.

Quiet and secluded, this boutique hotel's peaceful quality is heightened by the landscaped mature Mediterranean garden filled with aromatic herbs, wild flowers, and pistachio trees. Wood pergolas, benches, and rattan armchairs, where you can curl up with a book or just spend the day staring out to sea, are inconspicuously placed throughout. Guest rooms have a sleek, minimalist feel; a sense of space and reliance on Asian wood trims and furniture adds to the Zen appeal. Many of them are designed to cater to families (special rates apply). The views from Rastoni are what people visit Greece for, a solitary ancient column of the temple of Apollo standing proudly, white against the backdrop of the sparkling blues of sea and sky. The latest attraction is the oldest: the owners have lovingly preserved the ancient ruins that came to light during construction in the lobby.

Enjoy both privacy—surrounded by greenery, beach, and water—and proximity (about a 20-minute walk) to town at this spot, which dates back to the 1970s. Waiters can bring drinks to your lounge chair on the small private beach, and breakfast can be taken in bed, on your balcony, or in the terrace restaurant. Blue-carpeted guest rooms have wood-veneer beds covered in plaid spreads, and balconies with either a stunning sea or a town view. The helpful staff can help you arrange excursions to mainland sights, and the hotel provides transportation on arrival and departure.