Oku Kos
Healing property
By-the-sea Marmari
Oku Kos is an adults-only boutique hotel in the Greek isles that uses a holism-with-a-wink approach to give guests a sense of wellbeing – perhaps unsurprising considering Kos’s historically alleviating tendencies (Hippocrates’ stomping ground and the world’s first hospital lie close by). There’s no calorie-counting or stringent soul-searching; simply beachy afternoons, rubdowns with fragrant herbs and olive oil in the spa, nourishing farm-to-fork meals (including vegan options) and a heck of a sunset to take with your digestif. And, the hotel’s eye for elevated rustic style (warm woods, rattan and wicker, stoneware), is yet another mood-lifting reason to stay.
Facilities
Rooms
100, including 50 suites.
Checkout
11am but flexible, subject to availability. Earliest check-in, 3pm.
More Details
Rates usually include a choice of generous breakfast spreads, morning yoga lessons and entry to the gym.
Also
So, we can’t all flee to a Grecian isle for good – life isn’t Mamma Mia, ya know? But, with the right stoneware pot, straw basket and stylishly whittled footstool, you can maintain the illusion of an elongated getaway. The hotel’s concept store has all you need to recreate its look.
Hotel Closed
The hotel closes annually from 3 November to 5 April.
Fitness Center
Free Internet Access
Laundry
Pool
On-Site Restaurant
Room Service
Spa
At the Hotel
Beach, spa with a hammam and sauna, gym, concept shop, small library, laundry services, free WiFi. In rooms: flatscreen TV, wireless Marshall speakers, a minibar, coffee- and tea-making kit, free bottled water, bathrobes and slippers and free WiFi.
Our Favourite Rooms
For the full this-is-my-life-now experience, choose one of Oku’s three villas. They have the same stylish look as all the rooms, but come with a private pool, a terrace a group can spread out on, and a separate lounge, too. There are two bedrooms, but a solitude-seeking couple would be equally comfy. Alternatively, plump for the more intimate Suite with a Private Pool.
Poolside
There are two. The open-air, unheated freshwater pool has beckoning turquoise waters, pillowy day-beds lining the deck and frilly thatch parasols and a pavilion to provide shade – you’ll need to move fast to secure your lounging spot, but if you miss out you can decamp to those laid out on the beach. If temperatures lower, the indoor spa pool is bath-tub warm.
Spa
The spa may be petite, but it’s central to the hotel’s soul-restoring philosophy and it’s as stylish as the rest of the stay: the hammam has dove-grey tadelakt walls, perfumed plants grow around the entrance and attractive stone and wood elements abound throughout. Treatments use all-natural treatments, including those grown onsite and approved by the resident herbalist, and are designed to leave you feeling floaty and serene after. Try the signature Hippocratic anatripsis massage that uses a rhythmic ancient technique, or the Aegean scrub for silky smooth skin. Yoga and Pilates classes are held daily on the beach too, and personal trainers are on hand to motivate – the gym is probably one of the most chic we’ve seen with its mid-century-esque NOHrD work-out equipment.
Packing Tips
Both active and less-active wear will come in handy during your stay.
Also
Some ground-floor rooms are suitable for guests with mobility issues and have adapted bathrooms.
Children
The patter of tiny feet is antithetical to Oku’s ‘hey, sit down, relax’ ambience, so this stay is just for adults – sorry kids.
Gallery
Food & Drink
Top Table
The sunset view is first-prize here – tables are first come, first served, but fairly well spaced out on the terrace to allow everyone a gander.
Dress Code
No need to dress to the nines – you could even go as low as a three or four – but do bring a cover-up for after dark when temperatures drop.
Hotel Restaurant
We like the as-you-like-it attitude of To Kima Beach Club, the hotel’s indoor-outdoor dining hub by the pool with a bar and lounging areas. Chef Michalis Chondrobilas (Mike to his friends) is passionately involved with local farms, whose produce he turns into delightful Med dishes in his open kitchen. There are Grecian classics and the sort of excellent fresh fish, country-reared meats, moreish dips, elegantly composed salads and fresh-as-can-be veggies you’d expect in this part of the world. We’d plump for the swordfish souvlaki, linguini pomodoro with three kinds of tomato, or the pork tenderloin with fava mousse. And, Asian flavours are infused through the menu too; nods to the hotel's Japanese name include sushi, sahsimi and ddishes from further afield. The degustation menu changes by the day, there’s a dedicated vegan menu (and gluten-free choices) and desserts, such as baklawa cheesecake, will thrill.
Hotel Bar
Surrounded by squishy sofas, the poolside bar sits in a pavilion with sea views. It’s as easy-breezy as the restaurant; just waft in when you get thirsty. Barkeeps have a range of potent sippers in their repertoire: say, the Highball Oaxaca Tribe with mezcal, lime and ginger beer; or the Sea Breeze with rum, rhubarb bitters and cranberry juice. However, they’re happy to work on the fly and whip you up something bespoke – we very much enjoyed our refreshing mix of vodka, basil and lime.
Last Orders
Breakfast runs from 7am to 11am, lunch from 12 noon to 6pm and dinner from 7pm to 11pm, but staff are fairly free with timings. The bar is open from 7am to 1am.
Room Service
You can pick and choose your in-room feast from the full menu during restaurant hours.
Planes
The hotel is just a 20-minute drive through a picturesque cross-section of the island from Kos International Airport. Transfers can be arranged for €60 each way.
Automobiles
You can drive the length of Kos in around an hour and conditions are good, so it’s worth hiring a car if you need entertainment beyond flopping and dropping. There’s free parking at the hotel.
Worth Getting Out of Bed For
The hotel went to a lot of trouble to make its wellness area as aesthetically pleasing as its rooms, we love the hammam and the gym’s Scandi-style NOHrD equipment and the spa is the kind of spot where you’ll wonder where they got, say, that bronze bowl or woven hanging as you’re pampered. When you’re done head on over to the concept store to lay down some serious Euros on homewares. The bar and restaurant’s open-plan layout make it a good watch-the-world-go-by spot, and the terrace is in prime position for sunset-watching. Kos isn’t as party-hard as some of its Ioanian and Cycladic cousins, but it’s certainly where you’d want to come when you’re looking to rest and recuperate. Wellness is embedded in its bedrock – a vast healing site, the world’s first hospital, was erected here in honour of the god of healing and medicine Asclepius, and the island was home to Hippocrates, the legendary doctor whose do-no-evil oath is still sworn to. The ruins of Asklepion are some of Kos’s most impressive with colonnaded temples, former hydrotherapy baths and the medical school. But, those aren’t the only rows of weathered columns you’ll see while you’re here. Paleo Pyli’s crumbling Byzantine churches, the well-preserved steps of the Roman Odeon theatre and the ancient shrines and basilicas of the Agora are just a handful of the ancient sites giving dramatic historical context to an even more dramatic landscape. The hotel has a beach almost all to itself, but stretches of heavenly coastline are the sort of thing Kos does very well, and they don’t have names like Paradise and Magic beach for nothing. Inland, the salt lakes at Alykes and Plaka Forest with its preening peacocks are wonderfully diverting. Next door to the hotel, Erika’s Horse Farm organises unique ‘ride-and-swim’ excursions where you’ll trot along the beach and wade out flank-deep into the surf. And if you prefer a more traditional restorative, wallow in Therma Hot Springs on the south coast. Of the dinky isles orbiting Kos, Kastri is worth visiting to pose by its pretty blue-and-white church – it’s close enough to swim to – and further afield, volcanic island Nisyros has mighty hilltop monuments and intriguing regional delicacies: try chickpea meatballs, a stiff shot of koukouzina spirit, or cherry-tomato spoon sweets.
Earn or Redeem Points with World of Hyatt
This Mr & Mrs Smith hotel participates in the World of Hyatt loyalty program. As a member, you can earn and redeem points and enjoy exclusive benefits for qualifying nights. .
