Mykonos
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Maybe that thought had never crossed your mind. It certainly never crossed mine, until I stumbled upon GOLA in Mykonos, Greece.
GOLA is a restaurant that I discovered this past summer in Mykonos and to be frank, I can still smell the amazing feast I enjoyed at this hot spot.
Being an Italian food fanatic, I was surprised how amazing the dishes were. Yes, even better than the dishes I've tried in Italy...you can quote me on that one!
Along with the food, this spot provides an amazing view of the Aegean Sea. As the restaurant is situated on top of a cliff, it provides the best sunset in town. The restaurant has a modern feel with it's architecture and fun vibe.
GOLA was created by two friends Nikos Nanou and Egidio Guerreri. The dynamic duo worked in many fields but soon combined to turn their real passion into a business.
At GOLA, Egidio and Nikos make every food lover feels right at home.
From the décor, food, drinks and atmosphere this restaurant is pure perfection. Speaking of dishes, my favorite starter was the calamari stuffed with ricotta and porcini, green peas and gaucaiale from Norcia.
The best dish is the Risotto carnarolo with shrimps, spinach and black truffle. If you love seafood, then try the fish; from roast lobster to sea bass to the seared blue fin tuna.
To learn more about GOLA, check out my special coverage below or Click Here .
On my recent trip to Mykonos, I had the opportunity to stay at the Santa Marina Hotel located on Ornos Bay. Although I had heard a lot about this hotel from my industry pals, nothing had prepared me for the beauty of the landscape I was about to face.
The Santa Marina Hotel is situated on its own peninsula overlooking the Ageon Sea. The hotel sits on top of Ornos bay like a jewel set along a 150 meter long private beach.
Hollywood’s biggest stars such as Denzel Washington, Clive Owen and Harrison Ford have all had a little R&R at this hotspot. Microsoft king Bill Gates and Russian tycoon Roman Abramovich have also stayed at this location due to its private marina, heliport and private jet. When Oliver Stone was in town, he flew his private jet to the hotel.
What's great about this hotel is that you don't have to be a billionaire to enjoy it. The hotel doesn't discriminate against other guests. If you’re wondering on rates, it is recession friendly all year round.
The rooms are elegantly designed and if you really want to roll big, I advise you rent the private villa.
My favorite part of this hotel was its private beach. After traveling to all the local beaches, I realized that the Santa Marina Hotel holds the best beach in all of Mykonos. This private beach brings in the best of Mykonos and has become a social scene. At times, I spent my time watching the scene makers parading the beach in their hottest beach gear. Not to mention, it was great seeing all the yacht owners docked in front of this hotel and dine at the Bayview Restaurant.
The restaurant sits on top of a majestic seaside environment that offers the finest Mediterranean cuisine and attentive service with the Mykonos cosmopolitan crowd. Not to mention amazing music spun by the cities hottest DJ.
On one of the nights during my stay, the hotel held a bikini beach party which brought in the “who's who” of Mykonos. The party was ultra exclusive, however a hotel room key was just enough to get in. The hotel hosts similar types of parties during its peak season months.
There is so much to go on about the Santa Marina Hotel. My experience in Mykonos would not be the same if I had not stayed there.
To check out my exclusive interview with the director of sales and marketing Christiana Papageorgiou and an exclusive visual tour of the hotel, click on the video below.
