The antidote to an overbooked life? Space to think, freedom to do what you want when you want, and a peaceful place to come back to your senses. Ekies is that magical place. Growing up, owner Alexandra Efstathiadou spent her summer holidays here, overlooking the crystal-clear Vourvourou Bay on the peninsula of Sithonia, Chalkidiki's 'second finger'. She jumped at the chance to buy the hotel for herself, and her whimsical reinvention layers various design styles, ranging from minimalist to high-design, along with legendary Greek hospitality. Each of the 76 rooms and suites are different; all are stunning.
Everything you need to restore your stress-battered psyche is within these grounds. Follow a path across the landscaped lawn to the peaceful swimming pool, before continuing to the open-air spa, where staff can prescribe personalised treatments for whatever's ailing you. Claim a sun lounger on the beach, where the shallow water is safe for small children, then sip cocktails on the deck as you marvel at sunsets that bathe the sea and pine-forested mountains in a silvery glow. Irresistible extras - a romantic tree house, a hammock dangling above the water - take you beyond relaxation to the carefree days you knew as a kid. True rejuvenation!
Highs
- Truly fantastic gourmet food in the waterfront restaurant, Bubo Greek Fine Dining (some of the best we've ever eaten), plus the option of intimate fine dining meals in the treehouse
- Impeccable design with iconic furnishings and fun details - Acapulco and Panton chairs, oversized light bulbs, parasols that resemble lampshades
- Wonderful staff - everything is done with big smiles
- A picture-perfect location close to magnificent beaches and only 90 minutes from Thessaloniki airport
- Ideal for memorable family holidays, and a good option for couples during the quieter shoulder months
Lows
- The hotel beach is narrow with murky water and a limited number of loungers, and can get noisy during summer; there are plenty of others beaches nearby (which are more beautiful)
- The smallest rooms have low ceilings and poor storage
- Several rooms have open-plan bathrooms, which won’t suit everyone (separate loos, though)
- Mosquitoes are around but the hotel provides natural insect repellent and tabs
Best time to go
The hotel is open from April to October. It’s busiest during the summer months, which are particularly popular with families. Spring (late April-May) and autumn (September-October) are perhaps the best times in terms of weather - warm but not too hot - and are popular with couples. It's wise to book early, especially for Easter, July and August.
Our top tips
The passage between the islands of Diaporos and Agios Isidoros is known as the 'blue lagoon' for its tranquil blue-green water. Rent a motorboat and spend the afternoon exploring and swimming. Further down the coast, there are secret coves - accessible only by water - tucked into the pine-covered slopes.
Location
Ekies All Senses Resort is located on secluded Vourvourou Bay on the peninsula of Sithonia, the 'second finger' of Chalkidiki (Halkidiki), mainland Greece. It’s about 80 minutes from Thessaloniki and its airport.
By Air:
Thessaloniki (110km away) is the nearest airport. It’s the hub for northern Greece and served by many international flights - click on the links below for a list of airlines. There’s also an airport at Kavala (211km away).
From the Airport
The hotel can arrange transfers or you can hire a car. The hotel has a small car park.
Detailed directions will be sent to you when you book through i-escape.com.
More on getting to Greece and getting around
Airports:
- Thessaloniki International 110.0 km SKG
- Kavala Alexander The Great International 211.0 km KVA
Other:
- Beach 0.1 km
- Shops 0.5 km
- Restaurant 0.5 km
Our guests' ratings...
Based on 9 independent reviews from i-escape guests
The rooms were comfortable and stylish. Each room is styled differently and has either a light scandi feel or a darker boutique hotel vibe. We stayed in two rooms over our stay and both had their own benefits. The food was outstanding, with multiple menus based at different price points. Even the basic entry level menu was impressive. Attentive service throughout.
The only thing that we felt was too pricey was the wine which starts at 40 euros. That aside everything else was fantastic value and we barely left the resort given how wonderful the facilities were, along with how busy it was outside the resort given it was August high season. A gorgeous oasis.
Wonderful hotel, laid-back vibe. A great place to relax. Excellent food. Rental car is recommended, although a small supermarket and a few other restaurants are in walking distance.
Wonderful spot! Room was very well designed for family of 4 to provide privacy for us all. Hotel design is fab. Teenage son stayed up in bed in alcoves and daughter had curtain round her bed/room as did we. Food was superb and there were other cheaper options with authentic Greek tavernas nearby as drinks/smoothies and food were quite pricey and cater to city tastes. Pool was fairly small and very deep for the most part with no seating so you either swim or only option is to stand in very small area where all the children are but hey its fine. Children aren't allowed to jump in and lifeguard is very liberal with his whistle blowing. Beautiful still bay with jetty. And amazing to be able to take boats out without skipper. Service in restaurant could be a little hit and miss with some staff but others totally on the ball. Overall def recommend!
I have just returned from a week’s stay at Ekies with my 6 year old son and our au pair. First, the hotel and setting are truly stunning. You can eat every meal overlooking the beautiful sea, watching the sun go down every evening. The sea is still warm at 9pm and we loved having a pre dinner dip off the jetty to snorkel with the fish. The food is amazing, especially the breakfast buffet.
We stayed in a family suite with its own private plunge pool. Although the room looked gorgeous in the master bedroom the aircon didn’t work properly and it was lacking any kind of practical detail - nowhere to hang a wet towel and the huge sunken bathtub wasn’t ideal with a young child. Everything was made of concrete with steps in the open plan bathroom in the bedroom - very stylish but not at all ideal with a young kid. The staff at the restaurant were lovely and really friendly. BUT they were clearly either understaffed or needed a different system as dinner took ages! The hotel had told me there would be a kids water sports club available but hadn’t made it clear this would only happen if there was enough interest from other families. I ended up having to pay for 1:1 sessions for my son - he did one kayak session, one pedalo and one sailing session and the guy taking him out was excellent. I’d also really recommend the boat trips. The hotel’s pool was perfect, the spa small but excellent. Overall I would definitely recommend Ekies as a stylish family resort for foodies, barefoot luxury as this site says is spot on!
We had a truly unique and wonderful week at Ekies. They had thought about everything to make our stay with the kids relaxing and easy. We loved the food, the interiors, the beach, the location with its stunning coastline, the pool, the service and people staying there. We all made so many friends. Really recommend the boat hire for the day and can’t recommend this place enough. We’ll be back!
Ekies is in a beautiful location and tries very hard to be chic. However our experience was severely impacted by being "upgraded" to a superior suite that overlooked a noisy machinery cabin and waste ground. The room was tatty with an unblinded sky light. We complained about the room and thanks to i-escape getting involved (Kate helped us, thankyou), on our last evening they offered to move us - but with an early departure the following morning it seemed rather pointless and disruptive.
Overall a lovely place that was once really nice but seems to have grown too large and has lost its way.
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