Choosing where to stay in Mykonos is mostly a choice between being in or beside Chora, Mykonos Town, or being on a beach. Most first-time visitors are happiest in or beside the town: you can walk to Little Venice, the windmills, the Old Port and the Delos boats, restaurants are on the doorstep and you need no car. The beach areas are better as a second stay, or for people who have been before. Whatever you choose, remember that this is a seasonal island, and check each hotel’s dates before you book.
Tagoo, the cliffside splurge
Just north of the Old Port, Tagoo clings to the rocks above the sea. Cavo Tagoo Mykonos is the luxury pick: a five-star resort with ninety-four rooms and suites, a saltwater infinity pool, heated pools, a spa, two restaurants and many suites with private pools. It is about a ten-minute walk from the centre of town, with a free shuttle, and the views over the bay are the point. Expect it to be open from about May to October, and confirm the dates.
Fabrica and the hillside, the walkable luxury choice
Belvedere Hotel is a five-star hotel on the hill above the old town, two minutes from Fabrica Square and a short walk from Matoyianni Street and the windmills, with a seasonal pool, a spa, a Japanese restaurant and free parking. The airport is only a few minutes away by car. Confirm its opening dates, because the pool is open only in the warm months.
Rochari, the calm upper town
The hill just above the centre is a quieter alternative. Semeli Hotel is a five-star hotel built around a garden, with a heated garden pool, a hydrospa, a full spa, two restaurants, breakfast included in every rate and valet parking, a short walk downhill from the lanes of Chora. It stays open longer than most luxury hotels, running from late winter into late autumn, though it takes a midwinter break and the exact dates vary by source.
The Old Port, the walkable middle
For a mid-range base, Porto Mykonos Hotel is about five minutes on foot from the Old Port, with sea views, a pool, a restaurant, free parking and fifty-nine rooms and suites, some with private pools. It is closed from 16 October to 31 March. Staying near the Old Port also puts you beside the Archaeological Museum and the Delos boats.
Drafaki, the adults-only boutique choice
On the south edge of town near the windmills, Livin Mykonos Hotel is an adults-only boutique hotel with a seasonal pool, a poolside bar, sea-view suites and very good guest ratings. The airport is two minutes by car and the centre of Chora is a walk of fifteen to twenty minutes, so it suits couples who do not mind a taxi after dinner. Confirm its season before you plan a trip outside summer.
Apollonos street, the budget base
Hotel Lefteris is a small eleven-room hotel in the old town, a one-minute walk from Matoyianni Street, with a rooftop terrace and simple rooms. Taxis cannot reach the door and there are stairs, but nowhere else at this price is so central. It has no parking and no breakfast listed, so eat at the local bakeries.
The beach areas
Ornos, Platis Gialos, Psarou, Agios Ioannis and the party beaches of the south coast are summer bases, and most hotels there close from autumn to spring. Myconian Ambassador Hotel is the classic five-star beach choice at Platis Gialos, a five-minute walk from the sand, with a Thalasso spa, a seasonal pool, fine dining and free breakfast. San Marco Hotel at Houlakia Bay is a larger, quieter resort with two pools and a children’s pool, a spa with a Turkish bath, free breakfast and a free beach shuttle, good for families who do not need to walk to town. Both are a bus or taxi ride from Chora. Come in the main season if a beachfront stay is your dream, book early and check transfer times to town.
Practical tips
Book early for July, August and the weekends around Easter and the major Greek holidays. Ask about breakfast, parking and the walk from the nearest taxi drop-off, because lanes in Chora are narrow. If you arrive by ferry, arrange a transfer, and keep a buffer day before an onward flight, because strong wind can cancel boats.
