A Storied French Brand Lands on Mykonos
Fouquet’s Mykonos, opening June 27
Mykonos is one of the marquee summer destinations in Europe - the sort of place you’re guaranteed to have a good time. Its reputation as a party island holds true, but in recent years, the type of travelers inquiring about including Mykonos on an itinerary has diversified. There’s still nowhere better if you’re looking drink ouzo in charming whitewashed lanes, carousing until the sun rises with other beautiful revelers, but increasingly it’s also attracting wellness travelers who want to relax and hip families ready to hike in the morning and then dance on tables (at the early seating.) But as this demographic has expanded, the hotel scene has remained surprisingly stagnant. That all changes this summer, when a few new big names arrive on the Island of the Winds. First up? Fouquet’s Mykonos, which will pull back its breezy curtains on June 27.
With properties in St. Barth’s, Paris, New York, and Courchevel, Fouquet’s is no stranger to hotspots, and parent company Groupe Barrière has deep roots in French hospitality and nightlife. The newest generation of Barrière leadership has been reimagining the Fouquet’s brand over the past several year, investing in luxurious, bijou interiors while also empowering their staff to put the sense of indulgence and fun back into hospitality. So when the opportunity came to take on a project on Mykonos, it was the ideal place to reflect their renewed vision.
Located at the very tip of Paraga Beach overlooking the endless Aegean, the new kid on the block is close enough to Mykonos Town's narrow bougainvillea-draped streets and curated boutiques to feel connected, but removed enough that guests still have room to breathe. The beach itself has clear turquoise water, small intimate coves, and local tavernas serving up seafood under raffia umbrellas. If you want a little more sun-soaked hedonism, continue down the coast to neighboring Scorpios.
Back on property, Fouquet’s 61 suites and three villas were conceived as a series of mineral sanctuaries carved into the hillside, as much a part of the landscape as the rock and sea around them. Raw textures, warm earth tones, and sculptural lines give the interiors an architecture that shifts with the island's famously extraordinary light: golden and warm at midday, dramatic and violet at dusk. Some have private pools, others have sweeping terraces, and a select few offer direct beach access, but all open toward the sea. The three villas are especially exciting for groups or families who need space, as they extend to more than 6,000 square feet.
Given the relatively small size of the brand, there’s a sense of “why not?” to Fouquets’ openings, which means there are a few fun surprises in store in Mykonos. Below the suites, literally carved into the rock, you’ll find the Rock Spa. An indoor pool set within raw stone walls anchors the space, and treatments draw on Dr. Barbara Sturm's science-led skincare approach, which is anti-inflammatory and restorative (remember what we said about the new Mykonos traveler?) For those who want to go further, an ice bath, oxygen chamber, photobiomodulation, molecular hydrogen room, and flotation tank round out the wellness program. And then, in a move that feels entirely and perfectly Fouquet's, tucked beneath it all, there’s a basketball court sculpted in stone.
The social life of the property will gravitate naturally toward the Pool Bar, which will be the place for long, languid afternoons, then get electric as the light shifts and the Aegean turns gold. The bar faces the private beach directly, where sunbeds sit right at the water's edge, and the transition from pool to sea to cocktail feels as seamless as the horizon line itself.
The hotel's main restaurant is Mediterranean, with floor-to-ceiling windows open fully to the sea. A magnificent olive tree anchors the interior, and the terrace extends the whole experience outdoors above the water. The second restaurant is an arrival of its own. ROKA Mykonos, the celebrated contemporary Japanese concept centered on the robata grill, brings charcoal-fired intensity and convivial sharing plates to Paraga Beach. The robatayaki cuisine, bold and theatrical, was made for the long, unhurried Mykonos evenings.
What Fouquet's has understood, and what makes us excited about the new chapter of Mykonos hotels, is that the island at its best isn’t just excess for its own sake. It’s about living well and celebrating this gorgeous corner of the world, whatever and however that means to you. On a clifftop above Paraga Beach, looking out at the Aegean, we’re so excited to see how Fouquet’s creates a frame for that feeling.
