8.26.22 | DIGS.NET 51
J O U R N E Y S | TA I N A R O N B L U E R E T R E AT
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Looking out toward the sea, it is proud and
assured. It's been here for centuries. You?
Today this tower is the heart of a boutique
hotel named Tainaron Blue Retreat by the
architect turned hotelier responsible for its
transformation, Kostas Zouvelos. A place
to get away from it all? The hotel takes
that proposition seriously. For starters, it
is not in one of Greece's more splashier
ports of call—glamorous, white-walled
Santorini or hard-partying Mykonos. As
established, it's rustic, historical, and out
there. But with this hotel, Kostas and his
wife, who is also an architect, is changing
the landscape in Greece, rethinking what
hospitality in this part of the world could
be. First and foremost, spectacular. The
mix of age-old stone and native vegetation
against shimmering cerulean seas and
blue sky is beguiling. But more importantly,
as a destination where amenities, though
many and enticing, are almost second to
the architecture itself.
A Homeric effort, Kostas spent five years
overhauling the tower, utilizing organic
local materials of wood, marble, and
stone in its transformation. It now houses
three guest rooms with the en-suite option
encompassing the top two levels of the
tower with a loft conversion accessible
via a wooden ladder, as well as a shared
kitchen, reception, and breakfast space.
Given the confines, it is a remarkable
work of architecture. Vertical with narrow
openings, rocks jutting out from the walls
and small picture windows that frame the
hotel's scenic enchantments.
Rugged modernism is the defining
aesthetic. Under Kostas's watch, the hotel
has lost none of its historical character.
It's rustic, warm and simple, as if left
alone to sleep (presumably to dream of
fantastical Mediterranean mysteries). It
also functions like a modern-day hotel. Not
with every comfort, but more than enough.
Space is limited, but the views beyond its
walls are expansive. Along with minimal
furnishings and vintage finishes are art
works by sculptor Nikos Karalis.
Outside the tower, one is assaulted
by natural beauty, which is unspoiled,
serene, and informed the materiel choices
of the project. The views are tenacious
and everywhere, from the laissez-faire
outdoor courtyard to the shimmering
pool, which stretches out toward the
sun-kissed Aegean, nearly one and the
same. A private kitchen moonlights for a
restaurant and serves delicious Maniot
cuisine. The pervading feeling is one of
utter nonchalance. It's that type of hotel.
Completely untroubled.
One does not experience Tainaron Blue
Retreat without considering its surround-
ings. Many visitors come to the hotel liter-
ally to hunker down. There is plenty here
to help with that. Those who venture out
to explore its outskirts, however, are much