"A Hot List 2022 hotel For his new-wave retreat, restaurateur Aby Saltiel secured a stellar spot between the beaches of Ornos and Agios Ioannis (of Shirley Valentine fame), a world away from the busy thrum of town. But rather than a traditional Cycladic reimagining, he and business partners Makis Kousathanas and Sofia Kousathana have pulled together something altogether cooler. When you add fashion designer Rick Owens’s furniture and Serbian Aleksandar Vac’s artwork, the atmosphere takes on a certain edge. That’s not to say it is intimidating. Kalesma means invitation, and everything here is to be used, enjoyed or sat on, even if your bikini bottoms are wet from the pool. And the thrust for the owners is still very much a celebration of their Greek roots and local craftsmanship. In the dappled shade of a pergola is Pere Ubu restaurant, where guests chat while sipping spirulina cocktails or tucking into cauliflower tarama and grilled octopus. Couples from New York exchange notes about the Hamptons; a photographer paces around trying to capture the light. The mix is eclectic—aesthetes and party lovers, as well as those looking for some downtime. But there’s no hierarchy or competition to get the best suite or villa: all three types of accommodation—including the larger villas that sleep up to eight guests—have their own pool, with interiors designed by Vaggelis Bonios of Studio Bonarchi and architecture by hip Athens-based K-Studio in milky stone and sugar-cane-brown wood, and in a nod to island tradition, the ceilings are made from osier willow. Once a week, on the sunset side, everyone gathers around the firepit and a DJ plays a few sets. —I.Z." - Becky Lucas
