Hillside Hideaway

Sitting under the century-old olive trees dotted across Olea’s cascading landscape, you can imagine how the 19th century poet Dionysios Solomos came up with his famous rhymes here on Zakynthos. Considered the national poet of Greece, not least because his “Hymn to Liberty” provides the lyrics of the country’s national anthem, Solomos returned to his native Zakynthos after studying literature in Italy, and formed a circle of creatives that would meet to make up poems. They would improvise on any given topic, inspired by the island’s tranquil nature.

Green hills of gnarly olive trees and lush vines still today roll all the way down to where the land meets the sea, providing a serenity that stirs our human imagination. Ironic almost, that this Ionian Island became a tourist hot spot for noisy package deals, as it rebuilt after the devastation of the 1953 earthquake. Recently, however, Zakynthos has shifted towards a more up-market audience with boutique hotels and five-star properties recognising the want for alternatives to the over-tourism on other islands, such as Santorini or Mykonos, where this level of exclusivity has reached a pricing pain point for many.

Olea All Suite Hotel, a member of Design Hotels, is in no small part pioneering this transition to high-quality experiences on Zakynthos. Designed by the Greek architecture studio Block722+, Olea sprawls along a beautiful hillside, seemingly merging with the land. Defined by a terraced waterway, it houses 93 suites forming low-slung clusters of simple concrete cubes, each framing the natural landscape. These monolith blocks are contrasted by organic materials: Oak, bamboo and rattan weave a warm thread throughout, blending indoor and outdoor spaces with earthy tones. 

The place is a sanctuary, amplified by the calming vistas of flowing water, from the lake-style pool at the heart of the property to the deep-blue sea on the horizon. The smell of fresh oregano from the bio garden punctures the air, as bird song does the silence. Wild flowers and long grasses on the concrete roof tops at times conceal any evidence of the resort, while vantage points allow 360-degree views of the island. 

This summer 2025, Olea opens a newly constructed wellness hub, with a 25m infinity pool offering uninterrupted inland views, as well as a bigger gym and an expansive yoga deck to facilitate retreats, sound baths and mediation sessions. Yet, it’s creativity that the owners are building on as they evolve the hotel’s programming.

The Olea Creative Residency features Natalia Manta, an Athens-based multidisciplinary artist, exhibiting her mixed media work in the Flow restaurant. Manta says the program nurtures creativity and builds cultural bridges across the world. “The residency is an example of how contemporary art is not something distant or detached—confined to galleries or museums—but rather something that should be part of our daily lives.” The residency is part of Venia Xenou’s vision, daughter of the hotel’s founder Christos Xenos, who runs multiple independent hotels on the island. Xenou believes art is a way to draw in the local community, and connect Greek artists to a global community, by creating a platform to access a new audience of buyers via Olea’s cultured guests.

Olea’s food offering also exhibits a high level of curation, led by head chef Spyros Drakoulis and consulted by Michalis Nourloglou, one of the country’s most acclaimed Michelin-starred chefs. The menu is testament to their passion for local produce with a twist. Skipjack Tartar with a smoked taramosalata ice cream, for instance, or lobster pasta with roasted strawberry bisque in lemon balm. The chefs play with coastal flavours, much like poet Solomos and his friends found joy in experimenting with the spoken word, giving the impression that this island is reconnecting with its roots.