The Island Concept

Style

Sound of silence

Setting

Aegean edge

It may be a breezy boutique hotel, but The Island Concept will feel more like your own private villa paradise – one handily located close to the picturesque port town of Agios Nikolaos, the goddess-frequented shores of Lake Voulismeni (approved for dips by Artemis and Athena) and the wine routes of Heraklion. In most suites, you won’t even have to get out of bed for views of the sparkly Aegean Sea, but if you do make it as far as Blue Fish, you’ll get more of the same but with added creative Cretan food – which may be known for being life-extending, but it’s delicious, too.

Facilities

Rooms

15, including six suites.

Checkout

Noon, but flexible, subject to availability. Earliest check-in, 2pm.

More Details

Rates usually include breakfast.

Also

The pool and restaurant are accessible for wheelchair users, and one of the rooms has been adapted.

Hotel Closed

The season ends in early November and starts up again at the beginning of April.

Fitness Center

Free Internet Access

Laundry

Pool

On-Site Restaurant

Spa

At the Hotel

Free WiFi throughout, gardens, private sandy beach, outdoor gym. In rooms: coffee machine, free bottled water, hairdryer, luxury bath products.

Our Favourite Rooms

Only one room is lacking on the sea-view front, though it does have a garden to make up for it – the rest all have glimpses of the Aegean served straight to your bed. For the most outdoor space, go for a Grand Suite Front Sea View or a Sea View Aegean Suite, both of which have plunge pools (with more of coastal Crete on show, obviously).

Poolside

There’s no shortage of swimming potential: the hotel has a main pool, several of the suites have their own Jacuzzi and there’s a private beach, too.

Spa

Treatments are available at the spa and in your room, and there’s an outdoor area for yoga and Pilates.

Packing Tips

Goddess-worthy swimwear to take the waters of nearby Lake Voulismeni and foraging-friendly footwear to go in search of Crete’s superfood wild herbs.

Also

If you’re heading out sailing or hiking, don’t set off without a picnic basket, lovingly packed by the team to ensure more-stylish-than-average sustenance.

Children

Families are welcome, but the hotel is more suited to couples and older children.

Gallery

Food & Drink

Top Table

All of the tables at Blue Fish make the most of their breezy, beachy setting, but for the ultimate sea-facing private-dining space, book the secluded seating area for up to six.

Dress Code

The life aquatic.

Hotel Restaurant

Blue Fish is right by the pool with more spectacular sea views in case you weren’t feeling maritime enough. The island’s produce (and amazing wine) is showcased, with most ingredients coming from sustainable local suppliers. The Cretan cuisine served includes fish with okra, prawn ceviche with prosciutto powder and plenty of homegrown wild herbs. Breakfast is served daily here, with lots of options for vegans and vegetarians.

Hotel Bar

In keeping with the marine-life monikers, White Seal has stiff sundowners, a crashing-wave soundtrack and impeccable pastel sunsets.

Last Orders

Breakfast is from 8am until 11am; lunch service is between 12.30pm and 4pm; and dinner hours are 7pm to 11pm.

Room Service

Available 24/7 – the restaurant menu can be ordered to your room during service, with a lighter selection on offer between 11pm and 7am.

Planes

The island’s main airport is in Heraklion, a 50-minute drive from the hotel. The team can arrange transfers, or guests can pick up a hire car at the airport.

Automobiles

Crete is the biggest of all of Greece’s islands and one of the vastest in the Med – if you want to do it (and all of its antiquities) justice, a car will come in handy. There’s free parking at the hotel.

Worth Getting Out of Bed For

The round-the-clock (and night-owl-friendly) concierge can arrange private boat trips, journeys to Spinalonga Island, tastings at neighbouring wineries, bicycle hire and days out at the Theriso Gorge. They’ll also guide you to the best hiking trails and pretty local villages, such as Kritsa. For something a little more high-brow than your average sunlounger-based day, visit the Minoan Palace of Knossos, the Heraklion Archaeological Museum or Agios Nikoloas’s many churches and its own pot-packed museum on prehistory. There’s a beach at the hotel, but for watersports, head down to the shore at Almyros and take your pick of jet-skis and inflatables. Look for Athena and Artemis bathing in Lake Voulismeni (if that doesn’t sound too depraved), which, as with much of Greece, has a myth attached.

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. .