96 Hours at Vathi Cove Luxury Resort & Spa, Thassos
Greece holds a very special place on this site. As you may know, the main object of this luxury travel blog remains to present unknown corners and hidden paradises. Even though we have been to a lot (!) of places pre-pandemic, we never made it to the real tourist destinations such as the Canary Islands, the Balearic Islands and kind of put Greece on one of those maps too. Since most summer destinations in 2021 were seeing sky-high covid cases and Italy being outrageously expensive (plus having no availability), I was in for a pleasant surprise and finally made the Luxury Executive debut and booked a flight to Greece. Of course Crete, Rhodos or Kos wouldn’t be exciting enough for the discerning travellers so I needed an island not everybody is familiar with. Santorini and Mykonos being the all-time-runner, these destinations are already presented on every blog nowadays. So there was I having to choose between Paros, Antiparos and Thassos. With a direct flight twice a week and perfectly matching my schedule of having four days off, I booked my flight to Kavala. Right, Kavala is not Thassos and to actually reach the island you need a cab ride plus a 45-minute ferry ride to the port of Thassos. For all those wondering, our main travel principle works as follows: we look for amazing hotels and then make a selection of destinations from which we choose one. So this one was easy.
I came across Vathi Cove Luxury Resort & Spa by chance on the biggest hotel booking platform, while looking for yet unrated hotels (this indicates newly opened or soon-to-be-opened hotels). Flights booked and four weeks later I was already boarding my flight to Kavala. Approaching what seemed like the Cote d‘Azur of Greece before making a turn overlooking the stunning island of Thassos was a welcome one can only dream of. After exiting the terminal, I was already welcomed by an Avis rep who took me to the Mercedes Van to bring me to the harbour of Keramoti. 10 or so minutes later, I was handed over a ferry ticket and boarded the boat towards Thassos. From the port of the island, I was picked up by the hotel‘s driver in an SUV what gave me the first hints of the road we were about to take. And I couldn’t be more right because after two kilometres the paved road was finished and we entered the sand slope for the next 15 minutes. While you may think that the road is ruining the trip a bit, it actually does the total contrary. You feel like you made the deal of your life, having found one of the last hidden secrets on the Mediterranean where nobody would drop in by chance. Indeed after the 15 minutes of sand and dust, a small wonderfully paved road starts and leads the last kilometre to what can be described as „the Mediterranean‘s last hidden luxury paradise“.
From time to time and thanks to this blog, we have seen properties of all kinds: From posh luxury retreats to remote adventure camps and dazzling seaside resorts - however, arriving at Vathi Cove was a completely new experience too. Never ever would I have expected to find such a resort after this procedure of arrival and at this yet not at all touristy location. Thassos is mostly frequented by Bulgarians and Romanians in the summer season, apart from that you can only find very few Germans and Brits. As soon as we stopped the car in front of the main entrance, a porter was helping me with my luggage and showed me the way towards the front desk. Sofia was already waiting for me and greeted me by my last name before accompanying me to the picturesque terrace where the paperwork was about to be done. Just like you would expect it from a hotel of world-class calibre, a welcome drink is served and you aren‘t asked to write anything but the front desk takes care of everything (literally). Minutes later, I was shown my Deluxe Junior Suite facing the garden site.
Still being impressed by the thick room doors (not sure if I have seen more massive ones), I was blown away by the layout of the suite. With only 30 suites, most of the suites come with an open-plan living- and bedroom area. I particularly loved the bathroom that had a huge glass sliding door opening onto the balcony. Being entirely dressed in marble (actual marble is being processed just around the corner in Porto Vathy), the bathroom had a very sexy appeal and came along with a super spacious walk-in shower, a single vanity, a separate toilet, fluffy and brand new towels as well as Jo Malone toiletries (a first-time for me again). I still don’t get over the nice smelling Lime Mandarin & Basil bath line which definitely are some of the best hotel amenities I have ever had - no wonder they weren‘t replenished daily. Hands down to the housekeeping team, doing a brilliant job and leaving me speechless more than once. They saw that one pair of slippers was a bit dirty of the beach and replenished the pairs or they saw that my bedside table was a bit cramped and the next day they located the coffee table from the sofa next to the bed. Once they realized on the first evening that I leave the room at 8 pm, the following days they automatically turned up after 8pm. The details make the difference, especially when you are staying for a week or longer.
Speaking about the Junior Suite, the main living bedroom came with a comfy king bed that had a Simmons mattress (same as at the Four Seasons Hotels). Right next to the bed was a cool armchair, a writing desk, a single wardrobe, a bench that could be used for seating as well as for the suitcases and access to the balcony with a table and two chairs in case you would like to order breakfast in-room. Overall I found the Junior Suite to be spacious and felt very comfortable throughout my four-night stay. Only the wardrobe could have been a bit more spacious, imagining I am coming with my girlfriend next time she might save all the space for her. Breakfast is served in the Azur restaurant which is their all-day casual restaurant serving breakfast till 11 am and food till 6pm. While Vathi Cove Luxury Resort & Spa started with an a la carte breakfast when opening in May 2021, they now have a full buffet service with coffee, water and orange juice being brought to the table. Me trying to order an egg dish from the kitchen failed (other guests however got an omelette) however the hot dishes were varying daily and the offer was so tasty and matching my preferences that there was no need for extra egg dishes.
Let‘s come to the main highlight of Vathi Cove, their amazing beach. In Greece, there is a rule that every beach is public and cannot be privatized. The same applies to Vathi Cove and even though the entire bay is equipped with about 40 sets of two sunbeds, a table and an umbrella, they need to keep space for the public which is located on the rocky sides. Unfortunately, there is a significant amount of bad reviews on Google from outside people complaining about no public beach access but as a paying hotel guest, you simply want your privacy and I, therefore, loved the fact that not many people from outside can access Vathi Cove’s beach. I would say 80% of the time, the entire bay was empty for swimming and it was social distancing at its best. A totally perfect beach holiday during pandemic times. Every guest is served bottled water after arriving at the sunbeds which are as lovely as the service buttons: The staff is here whenever you need them but not too over-present that it gets disturbing. There is also a wonderful infinity pool next to the Azur Restaurant which hardly gets the attention it should get. The pool is simply stunning but with the sea being so emerald and perfectly clean as it can get, it’s very hard to beat that.
Last but not least let’s talk about the dining options. In general, there are four dining options at Vathi Cove Luxury Resort & Spa. Number one is heading to the town of Thassos with your rental car and eat at one of the Taverns on the old port. Number two would be eating before 6pm and choose from the light and casual menu at Azur Restaurant or stay at your own balcony and enjoy classic dishes such as the perfect club sandwich with truffle mayonnaise or Black Angus Burger from the room service menu (there is no additional charge for room service). Last and probably most swish option is to dine at the most wonderful terrace in entire Northern Greece at Veranda Restaurant. Their version of fine dining comes with a dedicated service, excellently mixed cocktails, a well-selected wine list and tasty dishes that are presented very exquisitely. My initial plan was to go for each option on each of my four evenings. I ended up spending all four evenings at Veranda - you name the reason. An amphitheatre overlooking the sunset while sipping a splendid Rum Sour and then stargazing during dessert - it hardly gets any better and hey it’s been my main summer vacation. So no judgement on this unique experience.
Overall I am a total fan of Vathi Cove Luxury Resort & Spa. I am honestly totally impressed in each and every category. There is a wonderful spa as well as a perfectly equipped gym for the ones staying a week or more (or simply for the ones ordering the entire dinner menu such as me). The owner family is very dedicated and is on-site regularly - having invested every minute in the last two years into this project, it’s been a total success I would say. Service was over the top, staff members tried to remember the last name and made use whenever the occasion allowed it. Honestly, I felt like I would be staying at a small version of a One&Only Resort paired with the details of a Cheval Blanc property topping it with a beach-ready for Aman-junkies. While prices do currently start at 200 euros for a double room, I hardly believe this place will still be affordable in two years. Before my stay at Vathi Cove, I was able to see prices of 340 euros per night in the absolute high season (mid-August) which is a real bargain compared to what you get and other five-star seaside resorts of this level. If they would sell rooms for 750 euros per room and night it would still be an absolute go-to option and I would definitely recommend it as well! A fair 10/10 for one of the best resorts I have ever stayed at. There wasn’t a thing I could complain about or what I have missed. Well done, congrats on a well-deserved title!
During my stay at Vathi Cove Luxury Resort & Spa, I was guest of the property, however all above written expresses my own opinion and hasn’t been influenced.
