Anemi Hotel

Class: First

Style: Minimalist

Rooms: 44

Combining local Cycladic architecture with a contemporary take on the traditional Greek aesthetic, architect Stavros Papagiannis has built a design-focused hotel on the still largely undeveloped island of Folegandros, which lies approximately four hours, by high speed boat, south of Athens. The 44-room Anemi Hotel comprises two-story, whitewashed buildings overlooking Karavostassis Bay. These umembellished double-decker cubes have the barely-there windows and gently curved edges typical of the local style, but Papagiannis has added subtle refinements, such as using a teal-grey patina for the balconies and canopies, rather than standard issue Mediterranean blue. Every detail, from the schematics to the soap dishes, has been overseen by the architect, so updated twists on the traditional continue on the inside, with a recycled cotton version of the Greek flag 'flokati' rug in the living areas, and feta cheese tins refashioned as planters, Chocolate-hued towels by French linen house Frette reference the rocky arid landscape and, adding a splash of colour to the resort's well-edited spectrum, vibrant lime-green dresses are worn by the female staff members. No two guestrooms are the same, although they all feature neutral bath tiles, lacquered wood finishes and an irrelevant photographic commentary on Aegean island life. No one should leave without their complimentary stash of Korres natural bath products, for which the hyper-productive Papagiannis designed the packaging. Even mood-enhancing scents have been considered, with traces of the planted lavender wafting through the property. In the kitchen, chef Themis Papadopoulos bakes fluffy bread - served at shaded outdoor tables with homemade fig, starwberry and peach jams - and offers a lunch menu of, for instance, octopus carapaccio, then homemade sorbet served in a hollowed sea urchin shell. Head into the hilltop village, five minutes inland by car, for a sunset round of raki, a locally distilled tipple, but return to Anemi's star-lit tables for dinner - homely dishes like 'briam', similar to ratatouille but presented here in a martini glass, and a generous dollop of feta ice cream.