Ios Palace Hotel & Spa

Stepping down the hillside directly above Mylopotas Beach, Ios Palace Hotel & Spa pairs one of the island’s great Aegean views with three pools, a hilltop spa and the golden sands of the bay waiting immediately below.

Its position is superb. Whitewashed terraces follow the contours of the hillside, opening the hotel towards the broad curve of Mylopotas and keeping the sea present as you move between its different levels. The familiar forms of Cycladic architecture are given a more playful edge with transparent Kartell pieces, coloured glass, flashes of red geranium and details that catch the extraordinary island light.

There is personality inside too. Lines from Greek poets appear on the walls, alongside timber, stone and contemporary furnishings, giving the interiors something more individual than a conventional blue and white island aesthetic. It feels unmistakably connected to Ios, but with enough character of its own to be memorable.

Rooms & Suites

The rooms and suites are arranged across the hillside, with private balconies extending the living space outdoors and sea views accompanying almost every category. Even the Classic Rooms face Mylopotas, while Junior, Deluxe and Family Suites provide progressively more space for longer stays.

Private pools transform the upper categories. The Master Suite and Family Suite combine their sea views with a pool of their own, giving you somewhere completely private to cool off while still feeling connected to the bay below. For more space, the Panoramic and Grand Three Bedroom Suites take the same idea further with larger layouts designed around outdoor living.

Whichever category you choose, it is worth making the most of the balcony. Mylopotas changes beautifully through the day, from the bright turquoise of late morning to the deeper blue that settles across the bay as the afternoon begins to soften.

Dining

Tomatini sits beside the main swimming pool and keeps the food firmly rooted in Greece and the Cyclades, drawing on the flavours of Ios and its neighbouring islands. Breakfast is served beside the pool with Mylopotas below, while lunch can remain relaxed enough to fit naturally around a day spent swimming.

Tomatini Bar has a livelier personality, with cocktails and themed events bringing more energy to the main pool as the day progresses. Its famously extensive margarita selection is worth investigating, particularly when the alternative plan for the afternoon involves little more than another swim and watching the bay from a sunbed.

Experience

The three swimming pools occupy different levels of the hillside, allowing the mood to change as you move through the hotel. The renovated main pool is the sociable heart, complete with underwater music, while the two pools higher up provide quieter places to stretch out with the Aegean filling the view.

Mylopotas Beach is right below, putting swimming, snorkelling, diving, canoeing and windsurfing within easy reach. It is one of those locations where the hotel and beach naturally become part of the same day, with no real need to decide between staying by the pool or heading down to the sand.

Ios Chora provides the contrast after dark. Its whitewashed lanes, restaurants and bars are close enough to become a regular part of the stay, allowing evenings to begin quietly at the hotel and continue in town whenever the mood takes you.

Wellness

The spa claims one of the hotel’s finest positions at the upper levels of the hillside, where the outlook across Ios and the Aegean immediately sets the tone. Treatments are joined by a sauna, hammam, steam room, hot tub and dedicated relaxation areas, with a fitness centre for more active mornings.

Its location makes a visit feel particularly worthwhile towards the end of the day. After hours on Mylopotas, heading uphill for a massage before watching the light change across the island is a lovely way to reset before dinner.

Where

Ios Palace Hotel & Spa occupies the hillside immediately above Mylopotas Beach, with direct access to the bay and Ios Chora within walking distance, placing two of the island’s essential experiences comfortably within the same stay.

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