Poseidonion Grand Hotel

Modelled explicitly on the grand hotels of the Côte d'Azur and opened in 1914 on the island of Spetses (car-free, reached only by hydrofoil from Piraeus), the Poseidonion imported the Belle Époque architecture, the palm-lined gardens, and the seafront terrace of its French inspiration wholesale, then set them down on a Greek island where cars have never been permitted to spoil the effect. 52 rooms, and a pace of life so unhurried compared to Athens that arriving feels like stepping into a different century, one where the loudest sound on the terrace is ice against glass.