This luxe stone tower retreat in Mani, one of AGGC's faves, was just awarded two Michelin Keys
The world gets better acquainted with the ethereal Tainaron Blue Retreat
You heard about that little movie with Matt Damon and Zendaya they’ve been filming down in the Peloponnese, right? Well, that for the most part has been happening on the fabled (and large) region’s western littoral. Farther to the east, plunging south into one of the remotest stretches of the Mediterranean, is that part of the Peloponnese called the Mani, an area that will bewitch you.
It is an area we have explored before, and it is home to a handful of truly remarkable small or boutique-style hotels. One of them, from a distance, doesn’t even look like a hotel. The Tainaron Blue Retreat stands like a stone sentinel near the tip of the mythic Cape Tainaron, at the end of the Mani peninsula, one of the southernmost points of Europe, and gateway to a sensory experience that is not easily found anymore on the Continent.
Tainaron Blue looks like something that rose up from the pages of a Walt Disney storybook, or from the recesses of your weary mind where dreams of how places in foreign lands were meant to be before modernity intruded. The first time I approached, via a good but narrow road high, high above a still-as-glass cobalt sea, I did a doubletake — not a good thing to do while driving, generally. Were there actually rooms in that enchanted tower?
Yes: more than one, actually, and suites is the more accurate description.
Would I be really be able to eat, and eat well, on these extraordinary premises?
Yes: and indulge in a locally-sourced Maniot feast is nearer the mark.
Would I really be able to use Wifi and connect to the world from this nearly antipodean locale?
Yes, and easily, but if ever there were a spot where it would be nice to just disconnect, this one’s it.
As we previously reported for Euronews, the Mani peninsula is like a trip back in time—it's famous for its stark landscapes and dramatic, mainly early 19th century defensive stone towers. What Tainaron Blue does is let you actually stay inside one one of them
The main three-story structure has actually been given a modern makeover on the inside: think luxurious beds and exposed stone walls paired with sleek bathroom fixtures and eco-friendly toiletries.
There are artworks by Greek sculptor Nikos Karalis and best of all, ravishing views of either the mountains or Mediterranean Sea.
There's also a restaurant serenely serving Maniot specialties such as local orzo pasta with sweet wine, capers, sun-dried tomatoes and smoked monastery cheese.
Tainaron Blue is the stone dream come to life of our friend, the Greek architecte hôtelier Kostas Zouvelas. Mr. Zouvelas is a perfectionist. At some great properties you have to fret about little details and such. Here, simply put, you don’t. He knows the region, he’s from it, and only the best will do.
We were saying this already a few years ago, in fancy magazines like Departures that are no longer published. C’est la vie. But like a fine wine, Tainaron Blue just keeps getting better with age, and the secret is out.
No wonder that in its first-ever selection of Michelin Keys for Greek hotels, which is essentially the travel industry rendition of the esteemed Michelin Stars rating system for restaurants, Tainaron Blue is one of only seven hotels in Greece to receive the distinction of not just one, but two Keys.
Greece is slowly emerging from a long winter and the engine of the summer travel season is warming up. The Mani is a wonderful region to explore by car and especially for those who do not wish to deal with ferry schedules and such. When Chris Nolan’s film comes out next year, it’s going to get a little more crowded: big movies have that effect. So now is sort of the sweet spot, before the Instagram brigades à la Game of Thrones and White Lotus arrive.
I’d recommend a three-night stay, and also, to make those reservations now.
Images courtesy Tainaron Blue Retreat
