Summer Spotlight: News from the Top Greek Hotels

Summer 2025 marks a milestone for travel to Greece, with more direct flights to Athens from the U.S. than ever before. Amid soaring interest in the Greek capital—reflected in a sharp rise in Google searches—now is the perfect time to plan your warm-weather escape. ampr is proud to showcase properties spanning the Peloponnese, Athens, and the Cyclades (pictured above: Kalesma Mykonos).

Read on to find out:

• What’s New for the 2025 Season
• Wellness News
• What’s Happening in Athens

Gundari

This summer, the lesser-known Cycladic island of Folegandros takes center stage with the grand opening of Gundari, the island’s first luxury boutique hotel. Set within a protected wildlife reserve on the rugged southeastern coast, Gundari—meaning “rocky place”—draws inspiration from the island’s ancient soul and wind-sculpted landscapes. The hotel’s 30 bioclimatic, Cycladic-style suites and villas blend seamlessly into the copper-hued clifftops, each featuring a private, solar-powered heated infinity pool that appears to flow into the Aegean Sea. Summer 2025 sees the completion of Gundari’s second phase (after a soft opening in 2024), introducing three clifftop villas and a cozy wine bar housed in a restored farmhouse. These new offerings complement existing amenities, including a restaurant helmed by Lefteris Lazarou, Greece’s first Michelin-starred chef; an organic garden hosting farm-to-fork dinners; a sunken swim-up bar; a Japanese-style high-fi listening lounge; and a subterranean spa offering energy treatments. Guests have access to a fleet of eco-friendly toys (think: electric bikes and Fiat 500e Cabrios) for discovering the island’s pebbly coves and traditional villages; alternatively, they can join guided experiences such as scuba and snorkeling trips, speedboat rides to nearby islands for cliffside dinners and wine-tasting adventures, and a private cooking class with Folegandros’s culinary legend “Yia Yia” Irene.

Kalesma Mykonos

Since being launched by an all-Greek team in 2021, Kalesma Mykonos has been a magnet for discerning travelers who seek to discover the island’s other side — hidden coves, family-owned farms, rugged horseback trails. This summer 2025, the boutique hideaway will nearly double in size, with the addition of 19 new rooms, including sea view deluxe rooms and junior suites, bringing the total count to 44 rooms and two villas. Also new: a sparkling pool and a traditional all-day Greek taverna offering classic Greek mezedes such as dolmades, saganaki, and dakos salad — with panoramic views of Ornos Bay. Off-property, guests can embark on a guided tour of Delos (home to a newly reopened archeological museum) or visit a local farm to learn authentic Greek recipes, before ending the day with a hammam experience and brightening facial at the on-site Dr. Barbara Sturm spa. Don’t miss the new partnership with expert weaver Faye Chatzi who will be creating shawls, caftans, bags, scarves, and hats on her traditional loom using Myconian lambswool, Greek cotton, and silk. (Guests will be able to see her at work in the shop and can even commission custom items.)

Euphoria Retreat

Located in the heart of the Peloponnese, just a 2.5-hour drive from Athens, Euphoria Retreat is a holistic-wellbeing destination spa that seamlessly blends cutting-edge science with ancient wisdom. At the end of 2024, the wellness hotel launched its 360-degree Euphoria Methodos Advanced Medical Programs—the world’s first scientifically proven cellular therapy for comprehensive health management using natural methods. The patented methodology has been tested on more than 10,000 users, offering a unique and trusted path to transforming health naturally while increasing longevity. A combination of at-home testing, on-site diagnostics, hyper-personalized interventions (using cutting-edge devices such as the German-made Human Regenerator Power.Jet, powered by Cold Atmospheric Plasma (CAP) technology) and a comprehensive two-month aftercare program will help guests feel empowered throughout their health journey and aid in the body’s natural ability to restore cellular metabolic health.

This year, Euphoria is also bringing back some of the most popular retreats from the 2024 season. All are designed by Euphoria founder Marina Efraimoglou, whose personal story of transformation informs Euphoria’s globe-spanning healing philosophy. Highlights include:

• Feel Alive Again Retreat (March 13-16, 2025) – A three-day program for releasing negative emotions, tension, and anxiety while reimagining your life’s purpose. Activities include journaling, breathwork, and bodywork.
• Odysseus Journey Retreat (April 29 – May 4, 2025) – A five-day immersive experience designed around Homer’s “The Odyssey” and incorporating text discussions, meditation, dance therapy, spa treatments and energy movement. It’s a profoundly creative blend of Greek mythology and world healing.
• Leadership Retreat (June 18-22, 2025) – Rethink traditional male-oriented leadership patterns during a four-day program, during which participants explore the power of yin (feminine) energy and learn about the role of intuition, cooperation, and compassion in decision making.

NOUS

In time for the property’s seasonal reopening on April 28, NOUS Santorini—home to the largest spa in the Cycladic islands—will debut a trio of three-day wellness programs, below:

• Total Detox Journey – The experience starts with a full body exfoliation to renew and hydrate using antioxidant-rich scrubs, followed by a tension-melting back massage. Day two’s body wrap and facial focus on toning and nourishing the skin with the power of Santorini Grape Extract (rich in polyphenols, resveratrol and higher elements). Day three will recharge your body with a massage and detox smoothie, boosting circulation and relieving muscle tension with powerful detoxifying essential oils.
• Total Relaxing Experience – This blissful spa journey starts with a body scrub followed by a moisturizing cocoon wrap (complete with a relaxing hand and foot massage). The second stage includes a signature massage with a lavender oil application to soothe your energy and re-align your spirits. The experience ends with a back and head massage, followed by a mini facial. Throughout the treatments, guests are invited to use facilities including the cold-plunge pool, sauna, and steam bath.
• Total Beauty Booster – Look and feel your very best with this beauty-boosting spa journey, which pampers from the head to the toe, starting with a full spa manicure or pedicure on day one; a scalp massage and hair mask, followed by an eye-revival treatment on day two; and finally, a beauty-booster facial and décolleté massage on day three.

Athens is gearing up for a bustling summer, with a 50% surge in interest based on Google searches. For a stay in the heart of the action, consider NEW Athens, an art-filled boutique hotel founded by contemporary art collector Dakis Joannou. Located on Filellinon Street near Constitution Square and the National Gardens, the hotel features interiors by the Campana Brothers and artwork by art stars like Jenny Holzer. NEW Athens also launched a temporary art installation series to celebrate the city’s thriving art scene, with the next installment debuting in spring 2025.

Joannou’s hospitality group, DONKEY Hotels & Resorts, debuted one of the city’s most anticipated new eateries: Koumkan restaurant by Manhattan Projects, located inside Semiramis Hotel (30-minute drive from central Athens). Offering a menu inspired by French, American, Italian, and Japanese cuisines, the restaurant’s design incorporates green marble, mirrored panels, and sumptuous fabrics sourced by a local artisan who also supplies materials to the Vatican.