This cool resort used to be my childhood favourite hotel

Isla Brown Corinthia opened a few months ago and I went down memory lane but also enjoyed 5-star pampering!

And just like that, my favourite childhood hotel became the coolest beachfront resort near Athens! But, let’s take it from the beginning. Once upon a time, there was a little girl that every summer visited a new hotel with her parents.

After all, my love for hotel life goes back many years. This began during the 80s when our annual summer family vacations were always at new hotels around Greece. As there wasn’t a family cottage for us to spend our summer holiday, my parents became very keen on discovering cool new entries, while I was developing a discerning eye for hospitality.

Then…

One of our favourite hotels was a modern resort on the idyllic beach of Agioi Theodoroi, one hour drive from Athens. The hotel, housed in a multi-storey building, looked modern and cosmopolitan in my eyes, as its interior design stood out, with a different colour theme on every floor and also featured innovative self-service beach bar and panoramic sea views from all the rooms.

Lured by its ambience we became repeaters and I even drank my first cocktails at its bar when during our last visits I had become a teenager.

… and now

Fast forward to summer 2022, I hear about a much-anticipated new arrival on the hotel map, the Isla Brown Corinthia. It took me some minutes to realise that the all-white building with organic forms that made it look like a giant marshmallow, was in fact The Hanikian Beach hotel of my childhood. I immediately felt an irresistible urge to go back and experience the second life of my beloved hotel.

And I thought: “When I get there, I will be able to recreate some of the photos taken by my parents with the iconic camera of the time, a Kodak Instamatic!”. And so it happened! Isla Brown Corinthia welcomed my husband and me a scorching weekend of July, only a month after its opening.

Staying at Isla Brown Corinthia

Uniquely luxurious, the Isla Brown Corinthia is reborn with the sole purpose of hosting a unique holiday dream, with 166 rooms and suites. True to the core nature of Brown Hotels, the team of Isla Corinthia has curated a whole array of experiences that offer to relax as well as fun moments! Pretty much every sea activity you can think of is available, from water sports to games and activities for the whole family! What is more, there is an in-house set of spa amenities and services designed to cater to the needs of both the body and the mind.

I asked for a front corner balcony just like we used to do many years ago with my parents and posed to my husband for my photo recreation! During the next two days I couldn’t get enough of the blue waters of the place. We swam and lazily spent hours under the umbrella reserved for us and also relaxed at our veranda gazing at the magic view, as our room was literally suspended over the shore with the staggering azure blue horizon spreading right before us.

Here are 4 more reasons why everybody falls in love with Isla Brown:

 1. The intriguing architecture and interior design of Isla Brown Corinthia

The all-white organic forms have transformed the building in the most creative way, blending perfectly with the ever-changing views of the sea. The finest of materials were handpicked for the interior, offering a sense of bespoke, organic luxury. None other than the award-winning team of Elastic Architects is the creative mind behind this bold concept. Every bit of the design narrates the fiery story of the giant Typhoeus, while incorporating the breathtaking, 180° view of the Corinthian Gulf.

2. The party rooftop

When there, don’t miss out on all the fun that takes place on the terrace which has been crafted to host spectacular all-day round parties. The whopping 550sqm is designed for a never-ending celebration! The wet area surrounds the rooftop bar, while the exclusive lounge bars will ensure the best sun-drenched chilling one can ever have! And as the night approaches, the fire pits together with the starry sky will give the very image of a summer party!

3. The breakfast

Here one can indulge in the famous Brown Hotels breakfast, a foodie experience in itself! At the futuristically designed main restaurant, there is a whole area devoted to breakfast. Apart from the seemingly endless buffet, one cannot fail to notice the way the breakfast delicacies are displayed. There were separate sections for the healthy options, the local delicacies, the seasonal fruits, the extensive salad bar with an emphasis on Greek groceries as well as an impressive range of deserts which obviously became my obsession.

4. The gastronomy

Faithful to the Brown Hotels’ signature style, the resort champions the art of dining! Not one, not two, but a whole collection of restaurants is at the guests’ disposal so as to offer them the absolute gastronomic experience! One may choose among the oriental freshness of the cave-like sushi bar, the Mediterranean sophistication of the main restaurant, among our endless a la carte options. Highly recommended, the dinner under the stars with traditional Greek seafood dishes with live music.