Katikies Villas
Our first stay on Mykonos! Right away we were greeted with a warm hug and big smile by Samar, the manager at the Villas. The grounds were peaceful and quiet, perfectly manicured with Bougainvillea flowers every where you turn. The linen curtains blowing gently in the doorway, the white wash, the quiet.
- Pros: Luxury accommodations, magically private and secluded! My brain knew there were other people there, but besides the occasional employee taking care of the property or the wonderful staff that brought us breakfast, we never saw or heard another soul. The downside to a vacation full of awesome activities is you don’t get to actually spend any time at your incredible accommodations. If we had more time on Mykonos I would have loved to stay here longer and just enjoy the quiet and peace.
- Cons: Big massive hill, sharp hidden turn. As great as it was to have our own wheels, driving in a foreign country is still a little nerve wracking. We had transportation to the Villas (we didn’t pick up our rental car until our 3rd day on the island) and we were glad to not be navigating that drive on our own. Driving on Mykonos includes a lot of narrow roads, blind spots and “I hope no one is coming!!!!” The only way into the villa is up a very steep hill with a very sharp, blind right hand turn. During our stay there were shuttles to take us around but even as a passenger we were a little cringy.
- Pros: The Villa was unbelievable. Two stories was way more space than the two of us needed, we could thoroughly spread out! Large private pool and deck overlooking the hillside and Elia beach. As I’ve mentioned, it was pretty windy. So Michael’s dip in our pool was very chilly! But although the wind is crisp the sun is still hot so I was still comfortable laying out for the afternoon enjoying a glass of Rose. The covered outdoor seating area is where we spent our mornings: espresso side by side as the sun comes up, or the glorious breakfast that they bring right to our patio. The Villa also includes a fun treat, an outdoor shower! Which is exhilarating!
- Cons: NO On-Site Dining. The breakfast is fantastic. And they have complimentary transportation to the restaurant in their partner hotel (where we would be spending two nights later in the week). But there is something really convenient about being able to just enjoy dinner at your hotel after a long day of exploring. If we had had our own car at this point this wouldn’t have been as much of an issue- we would have either picked up groceries to keep in the kitchen or we would have been out for dinner anyways. So if we were to stay here again that would be something I’d consider.
Katikies Hotel
Switching from one to the other, it’s hard to evaluate one without a lense of comparison. We had a couple hurtles at the beginning of our stay and actually considered returning to the villas. But in the end what kept us at the Hotel was the staff. Specifically the hostess and a couple waiters that we would get to know over our couple days there. The hostess remembered us and called us by name every time she saw us, the warm and goofy waiter would respond with a soft “Welcome” after any “thank you”. Although the two accommodations are very different the people who hosted us in both locations were top notch.
- Pros: Location. Moving to the Hotel from the Villas we traded the tranquility for a more centralized location. We picked up our rental car when we made the switch so we had more freedom getting around. From here we went into town to explore Little Venice multiple times for shopping and dining. From our couch at home as we were planning we thought this would save us so much travel time. As it turns out, the island is a lot smaller than you might think. The move was only about 10 minutes closer to Little Venice. But this did give us the opportunity to experience two sides to Mykonos: the calm and peaceful versus the touristy and busy.
- Cons: Less luxury, a jarring change from the Villas. This feels much more like being at a Hotel. Which is not a bad thing, it was still a very nice hotel and there are a lot of benefits to that. But consider what you want for YOUR vacation. A lot of foot traffic on the street outside the hotel, a lot more guests at the pool and resturants.
- Pros: On-Site Dining. Breakfast was a massive spread! Café Fredo overlooking the blue waters of the Aegean Sea with a basket full of pastries, choices of traditional Greek breakfasts like spanakopita and koulouri, and fresh fruit juices. The restaurant, open for both lunch and dinner, serves a variety of options covering a variety of price ranges: from burgers and souvlaki to steak and lobster. The upper pool at the very top of the property is your reward for climbing all the stairs. Beach style Infinity pool complete with sand, comfortable pool chairs and a great pool side bar. Order a cocktail and enjoy the sunshine with your feet in the sand! We particularly enjoyed sitting in the lower deck restaurant in the evening with a glass of wine editing the pictures we’d taken during the day. We’d reminisce over the day, make plans for tomorrow, and enjoy making memories together.
- Cons: Layout. This is a bit nit-picky, but may be a factor for some people. The hotel is kind of built up a hill. As in, the whole thing is stairs. Up stairs to the front desk, up stairs to your room, up more stairs to the pool. Bless those employees who carried my ridiculously heavy bag all over the place. Their “Honeymoon Suite” is the lowest point of the hotel property and unfortunately has power lines directly through the view from your room. It’s also the closest to the street, so when sitting at your private pool the people walking by on the street are very close, not a very private option. We’ve never done this before or since, but we actually changed rooms. *cringe* It’s embarrassing to say. Back up the stairs we moved to a room with more privacy.
All of these cons feel over critical, all these pros don’t feel like enough compliment. They were honestly both wonderful places to spend our honeymoon. We are so fortunate to have been able to experience both! Take all this with a grain of salt and pick what vibes most for YOU.
