Melenos, Lindos Boutique Hotel: A Collector’s Love Letter

On the island of Rhodes, Greece sits a luxurious boutique hotel. It rests beautifully beneath the ancient Byzantine temple Athena (circa 10^th century BC) overlooking the Aegean Sea.

Melenos is a collection of exclusive suites and villas where guests can experience serene sophistication lovingly conceptualized and meticulously curated by owner and collector Michalis Melenos. A collector of art and ancient artifacts, Michalis built Melenos to so guests from around the world could enjoy his pieces discovered during his many journeys of Greece, Turkey and the Middle East.

His vision was to create a place where visitors could understand the complex history of region and experience its craftsmanship in wood, stone, ceramics and paintwork. And he was serious about getting it right. The oasis of whitewashed cubes mimicking traditional Lindian geometric style took a staggering 15 years to build. The result is small group of layered buildings, containing the twelve suites and public areas, branch from a central stairway.

Now, I found Melenos quite by accident. I was roaming the streets of Lindos looking for a place to stay. After an hour of fruitless, sweaty searching I did what I always do—sat on at a rooftop bar overlooking the island waiting for the Internet to produce a solution. That solution was Melenos.

Part museum, part history lesson and all luxury there is much to love and appreciate about Melenos.

Each and Every one of the Terraces

Each suite has its own terrace boasting panoramic views of the Aegean Sea. Here I sat comfortably drinking a complementary bottle of welcome wine staring at a pink sunset hoping they would never ask me to leave.

Gorgeous Sleeping Platforms

Each room is inspired by traditional 17^th century Lindos and features a raised wooden sleeping platform. Made from sweet smelling, hand-carved cedar the wood bears designs painstakingly crafted by a Turkish woodworker over 14 years.

Pebble Mosaic Floors

Throughout the outdoor spaces the floors are paved with tiny individual pebbles. The smooth, red, black and white stones are laid by hand, one at a time until they form intricate Greek Mosaics around the entire hotel village.

The All Access Collection

To view the Michalis Melenos collection, guests simply need to walk the grounds. As a stroll I marvel at hand horged metal lanterns from Morocco and intricately etched silver trays from Syria.

Ceramic tiles, stone fountains and ancient farming equipment line the outdoor hallways echoing the many cultures who have transited through historic Rhodes over the centuries.

Beautiful Breakfast

Each morning guests are invited to a rooftop breakfast in the open air restaurant. The rooftop restaurant is lined with colourful cushions and evening lanterns all coming to life in the morning sun.

Here, each morning is a celebration of food. The ingredients are fresh and sourced locally and meals can be modified to suit anyone’s tastes. It begins with fresh juice and coffee, winds up with pastries, fruits and homemade jams and culminates with tradition Greek breakfast complete with olive oils made onsite.

Lindos is located on the Island of Rhodes a 45-minute drive from the Rhodes International Airport. Melenos welcomes group bookings and wedding celebrations.

To book your stay, visit the Melenos booking page. For direct bookings email Sales and Reservations Manager, Maria Fegkou at reservations@melenoslindos.com