La Residence Mykonos Hotel Suites

Like many hotels on Mykonos, La Residence Mykonos Hotel Suites mixes traditional architecture and modern design, with glitzy lamps and mirrored tables popping off a backdrop of rough exposed stone and whitewashed walls. The lobby looks like a design showroom, with a dangling chandelier featuring gold lampshades, and trendy objets d'art on the tables. There's a pleasantly relaxed atmosphere around the pools and their teak sundecks. From the property, a few horses can be spotted roaming across a small farm, and a traditional village spreads out toward the beachfront below. 

In 2016, there were some service hiccoughs -- a handful of new staff members were in training, and were let go, and a new chef was introduced  -- but most guests report high-quality service overall. 

The hotel is located on the southeastern side of Mykonos Island, and shares the area with a few mid-range resorts, but its hilltop perch is a quiet spot, secluded from the more inhabited west coast of the island. Most guests will need a car as the town center of Mykonos is a 20- to 25-minute drive away depending on the season and traffic, and taxis are hard to come by -- though the hotel can help guests rent a car. It's a three-minute walk down to Kalafatis Beach where there are a handful of small restaurants. Mykonos Island National Airport is 20 minutes away by car.

The hotel has 24 rooms and suites, all with furnished balconies or terraces that have sea views. The style is elegant, with tiled floors and white walls that are common to the island, as well as white wood furniture, and mirrored accents that increase with each room tier. Bedding is either white or a regal patterned (some might say gaudy) brocade. Standard rooms are called Sea View Suites, but consist only of one room. Sitting areas have chaise lounges, and small tables with white chairs that have red velvet seats. Upgraded rooms and suites have better sea views and have shared access to small outdoor pools (there are three in all, not including the main common pool). In most rooms, small desks double as TV stands for tiny flat-screens. Even the two-bedroom Sea View Suite, which has a private pool, only has a 20-inch flat-screen that looks more like a dated computer monitor than something one would find at an upscale hotel. 

The bathrooms have colorful mosaic tiles, designer pod-like toilets, and large walk-in rainfall showers. Some suites have private hot tubs, and there's also a Honeymoon Suite that adds a whirlpool tub. 

In addition to the hotel's smaller pools with teak sundecks for guests in upgraded rooms, everyone has access to a main pool and sundeck facing the sea, with plenty of cushioned wicker sun loungers and shade umbrellas. The small lobby opens into a cocktail bar and restaurant with extra seating on a small outdoor terrace that's adjacent to the pool. A free American breakfast buffet is included and extensive; it may have yogurt, nuts, breads, fruit, and numerous cooked-to-order egg dishes. The lunch and dinner menus are a mix of regional Greek and international cuisine; the food itself gets mostly positive reviews, though some guests complain of limited, repetitive options and slow service.

The full spa has the usual treatments, along with a Turkish bath, and a jetted pool set in a mosaic-tiled room. At the nearby beach, the hotel offers umbrellas and sunbeds for guests. Free parking is available.