Review: Aristide Hotel, Syros, Greece

Why book?

The grand, neoclassical exterior – all pediments and Doric columns and ceremonial marble entrance – belie the relaxed, seductive vibe and intimate service here. Hotel Aristide can feel more like a club and a home, allowing you to connect to the artistic heartbeat and true creative spirit of the island. As a landmark building in the prosperous Vaporia district, it perches loftily overlooking the Aegean, close enough for a five-minute stroll down to a public swimming platform beside the sea. From the destination rooftop restaurant, it’s an exhilarating view over the coming and goings of the ferries, beyond the grit and glamour of the Cycladic capital of Hermoupolis, both the shiny new marina for superyachts and the oldest working shipyard in Greece.

Set the scene

Gleaming marble and pastel-tinted mansions rise along the natural amphitheatre of hills that dominate Hermoupolis, the city of the God of trade Hermes. There’s a wide, deep-water port and two iconic churches; the Roman Catholic Church of St George and the Orthodox Church of the Resurrection crowning each summit. The coexistence of two faiths and traditions in the Cycladic capital contributes to the liberal and cosmopolitan flavour of Syros’ flourishing arts and cultural scene. For the thinking traveller, Hotel Aristide is a find; a rose-tinted architectural jewel, a former shipowner’s mansion at the heart of what was once the most important crossroads and trading route in the Eastern Mediterranean. Aristide is a big-hearted, optimistic passion project; a showcase for a bold private art collection, and a platform for experiencing the best of what the island has to offer; hiking, cookery courses, visits to local producers, boat expeditions, and museums after hours. The dynamic comes from the art; of statement sculpture in neon colours and large shouty canvases by contemporary artists such as Igor Skaletshy, Christy Lee Rogers, and Riccardo Vecchio that subvert the classical aesthetic.

The backstory

The narrative of how this hotel came into existence reads like a novel. Becoming a hotelier on a remote Greek island was never part of the master plan for young London-based economist Oana Aristide or her sister Jasmin, a doctor who practices in Sweden, where they grew up. They were simply enthusiastic holidaymakers on Syros; an island they returned to and responded to. Historically, as Oana says, it was a magnet for refugees and outsiders, for dreamers and doers, thinkers and escapists. A place in which, as immigrants themselves, they felt at home. They were looking for a small and suitable bolthole to house their growing collection of contemporary art when they chanced upon the derelict former tax office. They fell for the original shipowner’s grand vision in plaster and stone; the five-metre-high ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows, original tiled floors, and elegant cornicing and views. That they bought and raised funds during a financial crisis, restored the hotel during a pandemic, and opened between lockdowns is a testament to Oana’s indomitable spirit and innate sense of optimism, a sense of resolve and determination inherited, she says from her Romanian, Greek and Yemeni forebears. That she managed to write and publish a dystopian novel in English, Under the Blue, at the same time as launching the hotel is frankly mind-boggling.

The neighbourhood

After the Fall of Constantinople in 1204 by Latin Crusaders, the island was ruled by the Venetian adventurer Marco Sanuda and the mostly Catholic population sheltered from pirate raids in the fortified town of Ano Syros. This enclave still dominates the hill above the town. The Greek War of Independence in 1822 against the Ottoman Turks, however, saw an influx of refugees from neighbouring islands and beyond to Syros, which maintained neutrality. Former merchants and shipowners set about creating a new life and fortune in the emerging city of Hermoupolis, vying for status and prestige in a fierce spate of mansion buildings on the seafront, over which Hotel Aristide presides. Greece, reborn, was rediscovering its heritage, and in a few short decades Vaporia, with its homogenous classical architecture style, became the hub of the industrial and mercantile city at the heart of the East Mediterranean. Elegant marble-clad avenues lead into alleys and stairwells that guide you invariably down to the seafront. A pontoon and the concrete platform allow access to deep clear water.

The rooms

Are no surprise when you hear that the owner finished renovations seven times over her initial budget. The Hotel Aristide certainly does not stint on comfort or the quality of its design. Bathrooms are kitted out with steam irons, hair straighteners, and curling tongs and stocked with organic eye creams, toners, lotions, and loofahs. Floors, where not originally tiled, are solid oak, and the subtle and theatrical adjustable lighting – with chandeliers and lamps by Tom Dixon, Sarfatti, and Michael Anastassiades – could be museum-worthy installations. Opulence is the name of the game, with acres of different marble used to give each of the nine suites an individual character according to the colour, patina, and provenance of the marble used. For example, the stunning tobacco-tinted Kapandriti stone, in the suite of the same name, is recognisable as the cladding on the Bank of Greece. The stormy dark marble that gives the Tinos suite its sense of drama is from the same quarry as the material used for the Louvre and Buckingham Palace. The three best suites have private terraces and plunge pools. A bold and sometimes unsettling design sense highlights trademark Aristide features, such as the Cocoon freestanding egg baths, gilded ceiling-high mirrors, and giant potted palms against a provocative palette of midnight blue, yellow, arsenic green, or pink and tangerine. Staying here feels like a journey of discovery.

Food and drink

Food is a highlight at the destination restaurant on the rooftop with views of the humped silhouettes of Mykonos and Tinos on the horizon. Petros Braikidis is a rockstar chef from northern Greece passionate about headlining the best produce of the Cyclades: mastic for ice cream, codfish in caper oil, and smoked beetroot from the hotel’s kitchen garden. Beware: tasting menus here are not dainty morsels to tickle the palate, but generous sharing plates. The venue changes for breakfast beneath the shades of olive trees in a courtyard garden or beside a feature stone wall down which water cascades. The cocktail bar with its Art Deco accents and oxblood walls is presided over by mixologist Konstantinos, a true artist and as cheeky as the spoof portrait of Trump that hangs above the bar.

Service

The tone of the place is set by owner-novelist Oana Aristide; a generous, calm, and intelligent presence at the helm, supported by empowered and engaged staff. Fontini and Chryssa at reception, chef Petros in the kitchen, and Konstantinos at the bar are as emotionally invested in the success of the hotel as the owner. It makes all the difference in the world.

Eco-effort

Sustainability, community, and locality are at the heart of the ethical business model for this hotel. You won’t find any single-use plastics, and a brand called Aegean Beauty uses locally sourced ingredients for the shampoos and lotions. Toothbrushes are a biodegradable bamboo brand from Sweden, food is local and organic with leftovers mostly composted and there is an ongoing interactive tree-planting project to offset guests’ carbon footprint.

For families

This cosmopolitan, peaceful retreat isn’t suitable for children under 12.

Anything else left to mention

An artists-in-residence program offers roving exhibitions of the works of artists invited to come and stay and use the in-house studio. Lavina Carnau, a travel and fashion photographer, is the artist in residence this summer.