Labyrinth cobblestone streets lined up with bougainvillea clad, sugar-cube houses, built next or on top of each other. Red and blue-roofed little churches dotting the rugged, dramatic landscape. Rows of thatched old windmills towering above the waves, glistening under the bright Aegean sun…
“Unless you have seen the houses of Mykonos, you can’t pretend to be an architect… Whatever architecture had to say, it is said here” declared Le Corbusier, the grand Modernist master, when he visited the island of the winds back in the 1930s. His enthusiasm was likewise shared by royalty, intellectuals, jet setters, artists, politicians and mere mortals in the years to come.
Indeed, ever since its “discovery” in the first decades of the 20th century thanks to the archaeological excavations to neighbouring Delos, the humble, albeit harmoniously balanced, whitewashed Mykonian settlement -Chora- has managed to capture the imagination of the world.
A lot has changed thenceforth, but Mykonos town’s archetypically Cycladic form thankfully remains largely intact. And it is this eye-catching, uber-famous image circulating the globe many times over, that continues to lend Mykonos a reputation which exceeds the Greek borders.
Why you should stay in Chora, in one of Mykonos City Hotels:
Travelers from the four corners of the planet are of course drawn to Mykonos for other reasons too: Apart from its trademark, photogenic main town, the island of the winds boasts multiple charms, like its blue and gold beaches with their glitzy beach bars and clubs. But it is the iconic Chora that amasses the lion’s share of attractions. In a nutshell, it is like living in a cinematic set, but with tons of delightful -and very real- action: Amazing nightlife, top tier boutiques, gourmet restaurants, world-class museums, avant-garde galleries, a parade of beautiful people and an impossibly cute former pirates’ neighborhood, uncannily resembling -and thus named after- Venice, that is nowadays party central.
Staying in Chora is, therefore, your best bet when visiting Mykonos. But where exactly? Choices abound among luxurious or more modest Mykonos City Hotels and other accommodation options. But you may easily end up disappointed -frustrated even- if you make the wrong pick: Not all that shines is actually gold. Plus with the latest hits blasting and merrymakers roaming about all over Chora, you have to bear in mind that there is quite a lot of intolerable noise in various areas of the town.
Mykonos City Hotels: Why choose the Semeli?
If it is a combination of luxury, privacy, serenity, and proximity to the action that you’re looking for, then you should opt for the Semeli, the only 5* among Mykonos City Hotels.
For starters, as the old, sage adage goes, location is everything: Perched on a slight slope with panoramic vistas over the island’s signature whitewashed Chora, its rocky, wild landscape and the Aegean sea beyond, the Semeli boasts arguably the most privileged position among Mykonos City Hotels. Within a few minutes’ walk from all the famous sites and the whole buzz and hubbub, it simultaneously affords peace and calm -certainly needed after your frenzied Mykonian days and nights, whilst comes with a to-die-for view, which you may bountifully enjoy, at will: From the privacy of your room or suite, or while mingling with the beau monde at the uber fashionable renovated pool area; with a signature cocktail or two.
You might even be tempted to stay within the Semeli’s cocooned premisses: From its soothing, rejuvenating Aegeo Spa to the renowned Thioni and Krama restaurants with Michelin starred chef Ioannis Parikos on the helm, or your pampering, luxurious room or suite, expect no less than to be enveloped in a cool world of comfort and bliss. Yet venturing out to explore the island’s manifold beauties is very easy too. Which is not always the case for visitors staying elsewhere.
As the island’s main center for shopping, sightseeing and partying, Chora is super popular and that means that parking is prohibited for most. Luckily the Semeli is one of the very few among Mykonos City Hotels that boast their own valet parking, so that you may come and go as you please: Stress-free, in your vehicle, safe in the knowledge that you won’t have to make endless circles to park, wait for an impossible to find taxi or juggle with unsavory public buses.
Simply put, staying at the Semeli offers the best of all worlds: You may easily visit the famous beaches, and you may equally easily walk to town, get lost in the maze-like alleyways, shop till you drop and then head towards Little Venice to dance your worries away along with the glitterati at Semeli the Bar, Bao’s Cocktail bar, or Toy Room. Plus you won’t have to worry about drinking one too many, as your room will be just around the corner, within a short lovely stroll, yet safely removed from the commotion!
