Best Hotels in Greece: Top Stays for Every Budget and Island

Greece has some of the finest hotels in the world — cave hotels carved into volcanic cliffs above Santorini’s caldera, whitewashed Cycladic villas with private pools overlooking the Aegean, restored Venetian mansions in Chania’s old town, and sleek boutique properties in central Athens with Acropolis views. The challenge is that Greece also has an enormous quantity of mediocre tourist accommodation, and knowing how to find the genuinely exceptional properties changes the entire character of your trip.

This guide covers the best hotels in Greece by destination and price point — the properties that actually deliver on their promise and that we can recommend with confidence. For Athens-specific hotel advice, see our dedicated Athens hotels guide. For choosing the right Greek island for your trip, our best Greek islands guide covers every major destination honestly.

What Makes a Great Greek Hotel

Greece’s best hotels share certain qualities that distinguish them from the adequate majority. Location is primary — being in the right part of the right destination transforms a hotel stay from accommodation into experience. The best Santorini hotels have genuine caldera views and access to the cliff paths; the best Crete hotels are in or near the Venetian old towns; the best Athens hotels put you in walking distance of the Acropolis with rooftop views.

Character matters more in Greece than in most destinations. The converted Venetian mansion in Chania that has been a family guesthouse for three generations offers something fundamentally different from a purpose-built tourist hotel of equivalent stars. The cave hotel carved into Santorini’s pumice cliff by craftsmen whose families have been doing this work for centuries is worth more than its star rating suggests. When searching through Booking.com, prioritize guest ratings and read recent reviews carefully — Greece’s best hotels are loved by their guests in ways that show consistently in feedback.

Best Hotels in Athens

Athens has an exceptional hotel market across every price range. At the luxury end, the Hotel Grande Bretagne on Syntagma Square — a 19th-century neoclassical palace that has hosted royalty and heads of state since 1874 — is one of the great European grand hotels. The rooftop pool and restaurant with Acropolis views are extraordinary. The NEW Hotel offers avant-garde design by the Campana Brothers in a neoclassical building — every room a design statement, genuinely one of the most interesting hotel interiors in Europe.

For mid-range excellence in Athens, the best properties are boutique conversions in Plaka and Monastiraki — neoclassical buildings with exposed stone walls, private terraces, and rooftop access with direct Acropolis views. These properties consistently outperform chain hotels of equivalent price because they offer genuine character and personal service. In Koukaki, the neighbourhood south of the Acropolis Museum, you find the best value in central Athens — excellent boutique properties at 30-40% lower prices than equivalent quality in Plaka. See our full Athens hotel guide for neighbourhood-by-neighbourhood recommendations.

Best Hotels in Santorini

Santorini’s hotel scene is built around one defining feature: the caldera view. The best hotels are those carved into the volcanic cliff with private terraces overlooking the drowned crater, offering the extraordinary experience of watching the Aegean sunrise from a plunge pool suspended above the caldera. These cave hotels — in Oia, Imerovigli, and Fira — represent some of the most dramatic accommodation experiences anywhere in the world.

Oia has the most iconic addresses — boutique cave hotels with infinity pools and caldera terraces that appear on every Greece travel magazine cover. Book months in advance for summer. Prices are the highest on the island and worth it for a special occasion. Imerovigli offers equally extraordinary caldera views at slightly lower prices and a quieter, more residential atmosphere — arguably the best overall value in Santorini for luxury accommodation. Fira has good caldera-view properties at more accessible prices and the advantage of the island’s most lively restaurant and bar scene on your doorstep.

Always filter by “caldera view” when searching Santorini on Booking.com — the view is the defining experience of staying on the island. Book early for summer: the best properties fill 3-4 months in advance in July and August. For getting to Santorini from Athens, see our Athens to Santorini guide.

Best Hotels in Mykonos

Mykonos hotels divide into two distinct categories: properties in and around Mykonos Town (Chora) with access to the island’s architectural beauty and dining scene, and south coast properties near the beach clubs for those who came specifically for the beach and party culture. The best hotels in town are boutique conversions of traditional Cycladic buildings — whitewashed stone walls, wooden ceilings, private terraces. The best south coast properties offer direct beach access and proximity to the island’s famous clubs.

For most visitors, staying in or near Mykonos Town is the better choice — you’re in the most beautiful part of the island, walkable to the windmills and Little Venice, and able to reach any beach by taxi in under 15 minutes. The town’s boutique hotel scene has expanded significantly in recent years with genuinely excellent properties at a range of price points. See our complete Mykonos guide for neighbourhood recommendations. For getting to Mykonos, our Athens to Mykonos guide covers every transport option.

Best Hotels in Crete

Crete’s best hotels cluster around Chania’s Venetian old town — the most beautiful base in Crete and the island’s finest accommodation area. Converted Venetian mansions within the medieval walls offer stone-vaulted rooms, private courtyards, and the extraordinary experience of waking up inside one of the best-preserved Venetian harbor towns in the Mediterranean. These properties combine genuine historical character with modern comfort in a way that purpose-built resort hotels cannot approach.

For beach resort accommodation, the Elounda area in eastern Crete has the island’s most prestigious luxury properties — large resort hotels with private beaches, multiple pools, and the full luxury resort experience. For those who want a quieter, more authentic base, Rethymno’s old town offers similar historic character to Chania at slightly lower prices and fewer tourists. The south coast villages — Plakias, Paleochora, Loutro — have simple but characterful accommodation for travelers who want the most authentic Cretan experience. See our complete Crete guide for the full picture, and our Athens to Crete guide for getting there.

Best Hotels in Rhodes

Rhodes offers two distinct hotel experiences: staying inside the UNESCO-protected Medieval Old Town — one of the best-preserved medieval cities in Europe, with hotels in buildings that have stood since the Crusades — or staying in the beach resort areas along the east coast. The Old Town boutique hotels are the more interesting choice for most visitors, putting you inside extraordinary living history with atmospheric cobblestone streets outside your door. The east coast resorts offer standard beach holiday infrastructure in beautiful natural settings.

Best Hotels in Naxos

Naxos Town has excellent accommodation centred on the harbour area and the old kastro district. Boutique hotels in the kastro — the medieval Venetian fortification above the harbour — offer the most atmospheric stays on the island, with stone-vaulted rooms, sea views, and access to the island’s most beautiful architecture. Harbour-front properties are convenient and lively. For beach proximity, several excellent small hotels operate along the coast south of town near Agios Prokopios and Plaka beaches. See our complete Naxos guide for full accommodation advice.

Best Hotels in Corfu

Corfu Town’s UNESCO-listed old town — a Venetian urban masterpiece — has excellent boutique hotel options in converted townhouses. These properties offer the most characterful stays on the island: tall narrow buildings with shuttered windows, private terraces over old town streets, and the extraordinary experience of Corfu Town’s evening atmosphere right outside your door. The island also has excellent villa rentals and beach resorts in the northern villages for those prioritizing beach access. See our complete Corfu guide for the full picture.

Booking Strategy: Getting the Best Greek Hotels

Book early for summer travel — this applies everywhere in Greece but especially to the most desirable properties in Santorini, Mykonos, and Athens. The best cave hotels in Santorini and boutique properties in Plaka can book out 3-4 months in advance in July and August. Always book with free cancellation through Booking.com — Greek travel plans change and flexibility is valuable.

Read recent reviews rather than relying on star ratings — Greece’s star system is notoriously inconsistent and a 4-star property can range from excellent to deeply disappointing. A boutique guesthouse with 500 reviews averaging 9.2 on Booking.com is a significantly more reliable choice than a 5-star hotel with fewer reviews. Look specifically at reviews mentioning the view (if view is important), the breakfast (which varies enormously), and the staff responsiveness.

Consider shoulder season for the best combination of availability and price. May, September, and October offer hotel prices 30-50% below August peaks at identical quality. The weather in these months is genuinely excellent — warm, clear, and comfortable for all-day sightseeing. For the best time to visit Greece by month including hotel pricing patterns, our dedicated guide covers every destination.

Best Budget Hotels and Guesthouses in Greece

Greece’s best budget accommodation is found in family-run guesthouses, traditional pensions, and small hotels that have operated for generations — often in buildings with genuine historical character at prices that reflect local rather than tourist economics. In Athens, Koukaki neighbourhood has the best concentration of excellent value properties within 15 minutes of the Acropolis. In Crete, the villages of the south coast (Plakias, Paleochora) have simple but well-run guesthouses at prices that allow extended stays without budget stress. In the Cyclades, Naxos and Paros consistently offer better value than Santorini and Mykonos for equivalent accommodation quality.

The best budget strategy across Greece: book accommodation that’s slightly off the main tourist circuit in each destination. The guesthouse two streets back from Chania’s famous harbour is 30% cheaper than the harbour-front hotel and equally well-located. The Naxos Town boutique room uphill from the port has better views and lower prices than the harbour-adjacent options. Greece rewards travelers who look slightly beyond the obvious choices. Search across all options with Booking.com and use the map view to assess location relative to what matters to you specifically. For the complete guide to visiting Athens on a budget, our dedicated guide covers accommodation, food, and transport strategies.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most luxurious hotel in Greece?

Santorini’s caldera cave hotels in Oia represent Greece’s most exclusive accommodation. The Hotel Grande Bretagne in Athens is the most historic grand hotel. The Amanzoe resort in the Peloponnese is among the most architecturally extraordinary luxury properties in the world.

What is the best hotel location in Santorini?

Imerovigli for the best combination of caldera views, quieter atmosphere, and slightly lower prices than Oia. Oia for the most iconic experience at the highest price. Fira for caldera views with more lively surroundings. See our complete Santorini guide for detailed neighbourhood advice.

Are Greek hotels good value?

Very good value compared to equivalent quality in Western European capitals — particularly in shoulder season. Athens boutique hotels in May or October offer experiences comparable to Paris or Rome boutique hotels at 40-60% of the price. Island accommodation in peak summer is priced at international resort levels but offers settings that are genuinely unique.

Should I book hotels in Greece in advance?

Yes — especially for summer visits. The best properties in the most popular destinations fill early. For July and August, book 2-3 months ahead for Santorini and Mykonos, 6-8 weeks for Athens and Crete. For shoulder season, 3-4 weeks ahead is usually sufficient.

Related Guides

For destination-specific hotel advice: our Athens hotels guide, Santorini travel guide, Mykonos travel guide, and Crete travel guide all include detailed accommodation sections. For planning your overall Greece trip, our 10-day Greece itinerary covers accommodation decisions alongside routing and timing.

Ready to Book?

Search all Greek hotel options with real-time availability and free cancellation through Booking.com. For more Greece travel guides covering every island, Athens, and practical travel information, explore athensglance.com.