Belvedere Mykonos

The Belvedere has been one of the fixed points of Mykonos luxury for more than two decades, spread across a cluster of whitewashed buildings on the slope just above Chora. The location is the main argument for it: the windmills and Little Venice are a short walk downhill, but the hotel itself sits far enough up the hill to keep the noise at a distance and hand you an uninterrupted view over the town roofs to the Aegean.

Rooms range from compact doubles in the original 1850s house to larger suites with private pools, and the aesthetic is classic Cycladic rather than the harder-edged minimalism now fashionable on the island. The pool terrace is the social heart of the place and has a real scene to it in high summer, which is either the appeal or the thing to avoid depending on your temperament.

Food is a serious draw. Matsuhisa Mykonos, the Nobu Matsuhisa collaboration, has been on site for years and remains one of the island's better tables, and the hotel also runs a more relaxed poolside operation and a sushi bar. There is a small spa and a gym, but this is a town hotel rather than a beach resort, so expect to be driven to the sand.