Five Under-the-Radar European Beach Hotels
Nostos Boutique Hotel, Serifos, Greece
This two-year-old spot on the rugged Cycladic island of Serifos is a five-minute walk from the beach. With whitewashed walls and blue shutters, the hotel — which has 17 guest rooms, many with balconies, as well as a small gym — echoes the island's sugar cube-style architecture. Unlike some neighboring islands — Sifnos, for example, lost its low-profile status when the actress Margot Robbie was photographed wheeling her suitcase off the ferry in 2023 — Serifos still feels off the grid. It's hard to pick a favorite among its 50 beaches, but Psili Ammos, a 10-minute drive from Nostos, is a worthy contender. A golden crescent on the eastern side of the island just north of Livadi port, it's shaded, unlike many of the island's beaches, by tamarisk trees, and there are two tavernas: Stefankos, the more refined of the two, serves Cycladic classics like Greek salad with creamy mizithra cheese, zucchini fritters with tzatziki and fresh fish. From about $250 a night.
Les Hautes Mers, Île d'Yeu, France
One of only a handful of hotels on Île d'Yeu, a tiny island 10 miles off the west coast of France, three-year-old Les Hautes Mer has 25 bedrooms, some with sea views, decorated in shades of blue with nautical details like model sailboats. There's a swimming pool and a restaurant, where plump, sweet Fromentine oysters are the must order. Half a mile from Port-Joinville, the island's harbor and main village, where the ferry arrives from the mainland town of Fromentine (or you can take a 10-minute helicopter flight), Les Hautes Mers faces Plage de Ker Châlon, a broad, sandy beach on the island's northeastern coast. Lined with dunes and pine trees, it slopes gently to the ocean and is a favorite of kite and windsurfers on breezy days. From about $425 a night, with a three-night minimum stay.
The Suffolk, Aldeburgh, Britain
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