Liostasi

Style

Artful escapism

Setting

Watching the wine-coloured sea

Homespun Greek hospitality and superlative Med island style combine harmoniously at Liostasi, on the laidback Cycladean island of Ios. Perched by the Aegean Sea and with sweeping views of Ios’ charming port, here’s where days pass languidly by as you watch the comings and goings of the harbour, under olive-tree shade at the cocktail bar, pool, or your suite’s private terrace. Savour the contemporary fusion flavours at Grandma’s Restaurant, one of the hottest spots on the island, or rejuvenate with one of the many nature-infused treatments in the Liostasi Lifestyle Spa. It’s unlikely a more aesthetically pleasing hideaway to be found in all of the Greek Islands.

Facilities

Номера

The hotel has 22 suites and six rooms – all have ocean views and are uniquely decorated.

Checkout

Check-out time is 11am, and guests can check-in from 3pm. Flexible arrival and departure requests will be accommodated where possible, and waiting guests have free access to the hotel’s facilities and a shower.

Больше сведений

Rates include a welcome drink on arrival.

Also

Proprietor Despina Denaxa is a Cycladian by birth, and she leads Greek cooking lessons where she shares her family recipes and the flavours of the island – enquire when booking.

Hotel Closed

The hotel is closed during the winter and shoulder seasons, from mid-October to early May each year.

Фитнес-центр

Бесплатный доступ в интернет

Прачечная

Бассейн

Рестораны на территории

Обслуживание в номерах

Спа

At the Hotel

Cocktail lounge, open-air cinema, swimming pool with sunloungers and sea views, spa with Jacuzzi and steam room, fitness room. In rooms: All rooms have a private balcony or terrace with Aegean sea views, television with satellite channels, free WiFi, Nespresso coffee machine, air-conditioning, Olive Era biological bath products, free bottled water, black-out curtains.

Our Favourite Rooms

When the vivacious hotelier Despina Denaxa teamed up with interior designer and theatre director Antonis Kalogridis, he devised ways to add intrigue to Greece’s traditionally white decor in suites, with whimsical details. For Mrs Smith, however, the Liostasi Sea View Suite’s aquarium infinity pool made it a true stand-out.

Poolside

While you’re gently lapping Liostasi’s main pool, before you unfurls a palette of bright blues: the pool, the sea beyond, and the sky above. A crimson sculpture by Greek artist Kostas Georgiou flawlessly frames Ios port below for your Instagram shots, and the customary Mediterranean tones of dusty stone, whitewash and olive meld with the arid Cycladic landscape. The Bar is a self-titled ‘ode to slow living’ and has your poolside cocktail needs attended to, and there’s a sequestered Jacuzzi in the Spa, too. Six of the suites also have access to their own exclusive sharing pool, and shaded Yialos Beach is a 15-minute walk from the hotel.

Spa

Down a narrow sunlit path and through a pair of traditional kamaras (stone arches) you’ll find the intimate Liostasi Lifestyle Spa, a sanctuary of organic wellness founded on traditional treatment principles and using only local, organic spa products from Greek brand Ariadne. The two naturally-lit treatment rooms give you plenty of opportunity to contemplate that signature ocean view, and can accommodate couples and special honeymoon treatments. Full body rituals zhuzh up the skin using natural elements from the nearby island to renew, tighten, massage and hydrate. There is also a steam room for hammam rituals, a beauty salon and access to the spa’s own outdoor Jacuzzi. For an extra charge, treatments can be made off site, including in the hotel’s suites or on private yachts.

Packing Tips

Bring your copy of Homer’s Odyssey – the influential poet is reputedly buried on Ios, and the opening verse of the famous epic is translated and inscribed in stone around the pool, running through into Grandma’s Restaurant. Once you’ve begun reading, you’ll have no choice but to see the full tale through.

Дети

Welcome; there's a babysitting service available on request for €20 an hour (48-hours’ notice is required).

Галерея

Food & Drink

Top Table

The sofa benches near the poolside afford the best views across port Ios at sunset.

Дресс-код

A pressed shirt thrown over some drying swimmers will suffice.

Hotel Restaurant

As is the case in any traditional Greek home, Grandma’s Restaurant is the focal point at Liostasi, and it is known as one of the best on the entire island. It’s sited behind the pool and with those same bombastic views, has been awarded the prestigious Toques d’ Or award in the modern cuisine category for three years running. The menu is the result of the combined creative force of proprietor Artemis – who can sometimes be surreptitiously found practising ancestral recipes in the kitchen for the fun of it – executive chef Theodore Kyriakides, and consulting chef Sotiris Evaggelou, a leading ambassador for the new Greek cuisine movement. The menu is full of new recipes based on the region’s rich gastronomic traditions using its locally produced cheeses, wines, thyme, honey and meats. The beneficiaries are the guests, who dine on hybrids such as the green salad with fruit and Cycladic mizithra cheese, and a locally-adapted version of the classic French coq au vin.

Hotel Bar

Appropriately named the Bar, Liostasi’s poolside haunt has all of your holiday favourites on speed-dial, with an extensive list of classics and bespoke creations alongside a host of local wines and ice-cool beers.

Last Orders

Lunch is served from noon to 6.30pm; dinner is from 7pm until 11.30pm.

Room Service

The hotel offers a room service menu until midnight.

Planes

The nearest international airport is on the island of Santorini and is well connected within Europe. Athens International Airport Eleftherios Venizelos is easily reached via any number of short and long-haul routes globally, but is four hours further away from Ios by ferry. Shared transfers to and from the hotel are included in your room rate. Helicopter transfers are available to Ios; the flight from Santorini takes just 15-minutes, can accommodate four passengers, and costs €1,700. Take it for the captivating aerial views of the islands alone.

Automobiles

The hotel offers free parking but Ios is a small island, making a rental car redundant in Mr Smith’s eyes. Liostasi offers free transfers to and from Ios’ charming port, and can arrange island tours and transfers for those looking to go further afield. The adventurous may want to rent a scooter or quad bike from nearby Chora.

Worth Getting Out of Bed For

If you were to arrange the Greek Islands on a scale of activity, Ios is certainly nearer the axis of serenity. That it doesn’t have an airport puts an extra step in the journey for most travellers, which goes a long way towards protecting its nonchalant atmosphere. The party-round-the-clock reputation that it once had has evolved to a more cultured one of terroir-driven dining in boutique restaurants, although nightlife can still be found. Following the same path that runs from Port Ios, head 10 minutes uphill to the town of Chora, the largest settlement on the island. Its buildings are uniformly whitewashed and finished with sea-blue highlights, and among its labyrinth of alleyways are hidden a great selection of bars and eateries. Landmarks in the town include the hilltop church Panagia Gremiotissa, worth the trek for panoramic views of the town, the Theatre Odysseas Elytis, and the famous 13th-century windmills. The island’s arid wilderness is traversed by a network of lightly-trafficked roads and hiking trails, covering mountain, countryside and beach (request a map and customised route from reception). A popular hiking destination is Homer’s Tomb in the ruins of the ancient Hellenistic town of Plakotos, where legend says that the Father of Greek literature rests. Ios is famous for its long stretches of golden-sandy beaches, and with 32 of them totalling 75km in length, you’ll have no problems matching the right beach to your mood. Yialos, Mylopotas and Manganari are organised beaches with bars, restaurants and watersports, whereas you’ll find seclusion at Agia Theodoti and Psathi.

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. .