Koia All-Suite Wellbeing Resort

Style

Vitamin sea

Setting

Aegean-lapped east coast

If living well is the best revenge, get yours at Koia All-Suites Wellbeing Resort. This sun-soaked adults-only Aegean hideout is founded on the principles of ancient-Greek physician and philosopher Hippocrates of Kos, who taught that wellbeing is only gifted when one is in balance with the natural environment. Here you can practice your own version of holistic wellness: take a cliffside yoga class amid a shore-facing olive grove, a dip in the nearby beach, a nap in the sun, and then savour a six-course degustation (perhaps by the poolside fire pit). And, testament to Hippocratic staying-power, Koans still enjoy an above-average life expectancy to this day, so book here to give yours a boost.

Facilities

Rooms

Koia Wellbeing Resort is an all-suite property. There are just 51, and most have private pools.

Checkout

11am. Check-in is from 3pm. Late check-out is usually available on request (with two days’ notice), subject to availability.

More Details

Rates include a Continental or buffet breakfast and yoga and pilates classes (three times a week).

Also

The Classic Sea View rooms are best for restricted mobility, and several have accessible bathrooms.

Fitness Center

Free Internet Access

Laundry

Pool

On-Site Restaurant

Room Service

Spa

At the Hotel

Beach nearby, spa, sauna, gym, charged laundry service, and free WiFi. In rooms: smart TV, air-conditioning, minibar, workspace, Nespresso coffee machine, beach towels, and black-out curtains. Most suites have a wine cooler stocked with local bottles, too.

Our Favourite Rooms

Pick any of the suites with a private pool.

Poolside

The opportunity for a cleansing dip is always near, and with the majority of suites having a private pool, the water need never be crowded. The main infinity pool, which blends into the Aegean over the horizon, is conveniently close to the restaurant and bar, with all-day service. There’s also a smaller indoor heated pool with a sea view at the spa. The resort has use of a nearby beach, accessed via a short walk across a provincial road, where there are free-to-use sunloungers for guests. Nearby, hot thermal springs flow into the sea at the pebbled Agios Fokas beach, creating therapeutic tidal pools with pockets often as warm as 40 degrees. Too toasty? Just jump into the sea to cool off.

Spa

The ancient Greek word for water is ‘ydor’, and its presence is an edifying influence at Koia’s Ydor Spa. The treatments are rooted in Hippocratic philosophy, and although he probably never received a wild-rose anti-ageing facial massage himself, he’d surely be awed to see such an extensive spa menu today. There is a gym and an in-house beauty salon, and guests can book a private spa suite for up to six, which comes with its own sauna, steam bath and a Himalayan salt wall. The resort boasts a weekly schedule of free yoga and Pilates classes, too, which are held in a cliffside olive grove, with private lessons available for an additional charge.

Packing Tips

An open mind, ready to absorb the Hippocratic principles for healthy living, and a plan to reform your life. Even if you ditch them when you get home, and your mates are already at the pub.

Children

Sorry kids, only over-16s can stay.

Gallery

Food & Drink

Top Table

Sit fireside in the Hidden Garden, sipping a negroni as you wait for the exact moment when the final tip of the sun dips lazily into the horizon.

Dress Code

Nattily nautical.

Hotel Restaurant

Chef Savvas Lykidis heads the kitchen at the in-house Thyme Restaurant, a fine – yet laidback – dining affair serving a menu packed full of site-grown greens and locally sourced produce. His dishes blend the best of wider contemporary Greek gastronomy with proud Koan culinary traditions, heavy in the use of the endemic herbs that Hippocrates advocated. Breakfast is a blend of traditional buffet (with a dedicated olive-oil station) and á la carte options which can be served in-suite, or for those with a private pool and a penchant for jeopardy, on a small floating pontoon. Lunch has a communal mezze theme, and at the Pool Bar and Restaurant these Greek favourites can be served right to your sunlounger. For an – even more – magical setting, dine by the light of the fire pit.

Hotel Bar

The beating heart of Koia All-Suites Wellbeing Resort is unquestionably the Elixir Bar. Sitting as the focal meeting point of the resort, Elixir has commanding sea views and a concept that extends beyond simple drinks. Of course, there is an amply stocked cellar full of Greek wines as you’d expect. But more notably, barkeeps mix natural flavourings, homemade liqueurs and booze of all varieties into creative cocktails. The signature drink is the Pink Grapefruit and Thyme Paloma (tequila, pink grapefruit soda, freshly squeezed lime juice, and a special grapefruit-thyme-chilli syrup), but the menu is just as strong for those abstaining. Herbal drinks, speciality tea blends, mocktails, fruit juices, and smoothies are all perfected. Wellness tonight or wellness in the morning – the decision is yours.

Last Orders

The Continental breakfast runs from 7am till 8am, when it’s joined by the buffet till 11am. Lunch is from 1pm till 5pm and dinner from 6.30pm till 10.30pm.

Room Service

There are in-room dining options from breakfast till bedtime, serving from 8am to 10.30pm.

Planes

Kos International Airport is 45 minutes from the resort by car and is directly connected to several major hubs in the UK and Europe, with an increased service during the peak summer months. The resort offers bookable transfers, priced from €70 one-way for up to four passengers. Or, touch down at Milas-Bodrum - from this ancient seaside resort city the ferry to Kos Town takes a little over an hour, and the resort is a further 15-minute drive from there.

Trains

Time-conscious travellers should fly in, but Kos can also be reached by land and sea. From Milan, take the scenic train down Italy’s Adriatic Coast to Bari. Catch the overnight ferry to Patras on the mainland, hop on the local train to Athens, then sling your bags aboard another ferry threading through the islands to Kos.

Automobiles

Unless you have no intention of leaving your private pool (that’s the general mood here), hiring a car in Kos Town adds flexibility to explore the island, and parking at the resort is free.

Worth Getting Out of Bed For

There is no better alarm clock than sunrise in the Greek islands, and since every suite at Koia All-Suites Wellbeing Resort has commanding views out to the horizon beyond, the purple-pink hues will have you on your terrace at day-break, coffee in hand. The resort runs a packed weekly schedule of activities which give context to the world that Hippocrates lived in and heavily involve the natural plants that inspired his work. There are tasting classes (some for an additional cost) in Koan wine, honey, and olive oil, led by visiting local sommeliers and producers. To get your heart rate pumping, ask reception for directions to the nearby hiking trails. Palio Pyli traverses a forest to the mediaeval ruins of the fortified Byzantine settlement of Old Pyli; or make the slightly longer (a two-hour return trip) hike to the summit of Mount Díkaios. There are broad views from the island’s tallest peak and the chance to visit the small chapel at its summit – be sure to stay for sunset. Further afield, Kos is littered with Roman ruins. The second-century Odeon of Kos is a remarkably well-preserved open-air theatre. The restored Casa Romana, built in a grand Pompeian style, houses a notable collection of mosaics, frescoes, and sculptures.

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. .