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The National
3 days ago
- The National
Inside Anandes Hotel Mykonos, a 'love letter' to the Greek island
Long favoured by a well-heeled crowd drawn to its sugar-cube buildings and winding lanes, Mykonos remains the most hedonistic of the Cycladic isles. Since the 1960s, it has served as the playground for Mediterranean glamour, with blue-shuttered houses, sleepy windmills and white alleyways. With countless outdoor eateries, picturesque churches and endless sunshine it is a perennial summer destination. The island's old town, mercifully preserved, is enchanting with its painted flagstones and bougainvillaea-framed balconies. Here, visitors can drift through a warren of cobbled alleys lined with artisanal boutiques offering hand-thrown ceramics, island-foraged beauty oils and freshly made gelato, interspersed with flagships from Dior and Louis Vuitton, that nod to the international clientele. The arrival It is past midnight when I land, bleary-eyed, at Mykonos airport. When my driver assures me the hotel is a 10-minute drive away, I assume he is being generous. He isn't. Moments later, I'm gliding through the open-air lobby of Anandes Hotel Mykonos, the island's newest (and, it turns out, only) five-star address in the old town. The reception is a calming, open-plan space that spills out on to a wide deck facing the moonlit harbour. Despite the hour, the welcome is warm and personal. My bags are swept away without ceremony and I'm gently escorted to my room. The room Anandes is intentionally compact. Each of the 42 rooms has either a private balcony, plunge pool or overspill pool, all gazing out towards the Aegean Sea. My room is quietly fabulous. A linen canopy floats above the bed, nautical-striped boucle cushions soften the whitewashed palette and wooden furniture adds warmth. A personal bugbear is hotel rooms cluttered with pointless furniture, but nothing is superfluous in this one. It has a cleverly integrated corner desk and a table generous enough to eat at. The bathroom can be concealed behind a sliding panel while the television, thankfully, can also be tucked discreetly away. My concierge throws open the double doors, revealing a view over the private pool to a distant hillside, softly twinkling with lights. Even at night, it's spectacular. The dining Anandes is home to La Petite Maison, the French Riviera restaurant that has been offering convivial, flavour-first dining since the 1980s. Here it handles the in-room dining, breakfast service and a breezy terrace restaurant overlooking the pool. The menu leans generously into Greek produce and, as a vegan, I feast on delicately marinated sweet peppers (€17.5 or Dh64), a lentil salad with burnt tomatoes and apple (€21.5) and a creamy avocado salad (€23.5). My fellow guests wax lyrical over the grilled tiger prawns with coriander and green chilli (€52.5), featherlight gnocchi with cherry tomatoes (€29.5) and tuna tartare with caviar (€37.5). The spa The Heat by Sophia Lie spa is a Stockholm import that offers high-tech wellness rituals via full-spectrum infrared treatments. Built on a concept of 'sweat, sculpt, recover,' practices at the facility focus on helping the lymphatic system to remove waste and support optimal functioning. I opt for the Pre-Beach Program, a 60-minute body sculpting massage designed to stimulate lymphatic drainage via a sleek machine that rhythmically massages the body. Guests wear a fitted bodysuit for modesty and to help the head glide easily. Post-sculpt, a targeted infrared facial and sauna session, rounds out the treatment. I emerge blissed out and newly polished. The setting Carved into the hillside above town, Anandes derives its name from the Greek ἄνω (anō) meaning 'above', an apt description for the topography and attitude. Redesigned by Studio Bonarchi, the hotel is laid out over three levels in a seamless flow of lime-washed walls, hand-hammered granite floors and richly textured natural wood. The 10-minute walk home from the old town is entirely uphill and can be circumvented by summoning a golf cart. For those seeking further indulgence, Alemagou beach club is a short drive away, ideal for a long, louche lunch that drifts into a party at sundown. The verdict Anandes is the vision of Egyptian-Greek hotelier Karim El Chiaty, who first visited Mykonos as a child. His take on hospitality is part art collector's sensibility, part summer host. The hotel is peppered with pieces from his private collection and exudes a rarefied elegance. It feels more like staying with a fabulous friend than at a hotel. Thanks to the surrounding terrain, the property is insulated from the bustle of the airport and town, although parents of young children take note: steep drops render it unsuitable for guests under nine. The site's former incarnation was excavated and reimagined, with an additional floor dug into the bedrock to accommodate more rooms, the spa and discreet pool facilities. 'It's not a business,' El Chiaty explains, 'it's a love letter to Mykonos.' And after a few days here, it's easy to understand why.
The Sun
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Inside Kate Moss' wild new lifestyle as pals fear boozy supermodel, 51, is going back to her old 90s partying ways
KATE MOSS swapped wellness crystals for cans of lager at the weekend as she partied among revellers at BST Hyde Park Festival. In scenes reminiscent of her hedonistic Nineties antics, the supermodel, 51, knocked back the booze and enjoyed music by big names including Van Morrison and Neil Young. 6 Onlookers said she appears to be back on the party circuit. 'Kate was having it large at Hyde Park and was knocking back cans of Peroni,' one told me. 'She was hanging out in Van Morrison's private backstage area, before watching him from the side of the stage — before she went back to the bar for another drink. 'When she watched Neil Young, she flitted between the audience and the suites to keep the beers flowing. 'Kate sank a fair few drinks with her friends and quietly slipped away before Neil finished his set. 'The whole time she was laughing and giggling. 'Kate was quite literally the life and soul of the party. And there wasn't a crystal in sight.' This isn't the first time fans have seen glimmers of the old Kate in action. Last month, festivalgoers at Glastonbury claimed they saw her partying on Worthy Farm. One told me: 'People keep saying they've seen Kate, but she's flying so under the radar no one can get a clear sighting of her. Watch worrying moment Kate Moss looks 'on edge and frantic' as she poses front row at Paris Fashion Week 'Wants to have fun' 'It's like old times when she'd been partying hard at Glastonbury until sunrise and everyone was looking out for her. 'There was a rumour going around that she was spotted in one of the VIP areas in Block 9 wearing a veil, but no one could say for sure it was her.' My insiders tell me that Kate was, indeed at Glastonbury, but that she shunned on-site camping for a more comfortable stay at the nearby private members' club, Babington House. 'Kate wasn't up until late afternoon and would head over to Worthy Farm around 9pm,' one source explained. 'She stayed at Babington to stay away from the crowds, but she went to Glasto and had a riot. 'Lila, Kate's daughter, was there, too. They had a lot of fun.' Fans who have stuck with the supermodel since she found fame as a teenager are, naturally, concerned. The photographs of her partying with beers at BST came just weeks after the collapse of her wellness empire Cosmoss, which would be a bitter pill for her to swallow. Just days before Glastonbury began, Kate's company called in liquidators. In total, it owes unsecured creditors £2,939,729. And papers signed by the supermodel revealed that Cosmoss has little more than £5,000 in the bank, with £241,000 of leftover stock. Kate launched the brand in 2022 after the lockdown put paid to her partying. Back in 2020, one of her closest pals, DJ Fat Tony, said she had been sober for two years. And as she launched Cosmoss, Kate unveiled a rebranded version of herself to fans. She said at the time: 'I had time on my hands. I wanted to create something that would help me feel more grounded, something I could share. 'Cosmoss was literally blended at my kitchen table.' The range — which is no longer available to order — included teas, a face oil and a 'sacred mist' which is said to 'provide a sense of inner peace'. In the interviews that followed to promote her products, Kate gave an insight into her clean new world and said she had started bathing in the moonlight to cleanse herself. She revealed: 'I like to start my day with tea and meditation, followed by some Pilates or yoga.' Highlighting her love of wellness crystals, she added: 'I put them out in the garden overnight when it's a full moon to cleanse them. I really believe in their power, and believe in the mystical and spiritual side of wellness.' Cracks in Kate's wellness journey began to show in 2023, when she stepped back into the spotlight and was out partying more. She was seen holding hands with the singer Skip Marley – grandson of reggae legend Bob – during a party in Turkey in May last year. 'Back out there' That was before being filmed falling out of a taxi during Lila's 22th birthday celebrations in Paris in October. It was Kate's return to her party lifestyle, pals claim, that influenced the break-up with her teetotal boyfriend of nine years, British photographer Nikolai Von Bismarck. In December, friends told this newspaper that the pair were going on 'different journeys'. One pal revealed: 'Kate feels fabulous and she wants to get back out there and have some fun.' And they weren't kidding. For her 51st birthday celebrations in January, a month after the split with Nikolai, Kate partied at three different venues across London. The revelry was in stark contrast to her more demure 50th, when she held a low-key bash in Paris for a tight-knit group of friends. But this year, Kate hired out a suite in the Dorchester in Park Lane, before throwing a dinner at the hotel's luxury restaurant, China Tang. She was joined by celebrity including Nineties party pal Stella McCartney and Jade Jagger. Kate then headed to The Globe in Notting Hill, West London, with her group, where they partied until the early hours of the morning. While many fans and followers welcomed the old Kate back with open arms, others were concerned about her behaviour. Even more so after a bizarre video of her at Paris Fashion Week this March went viral. 6 6 'Prime of her life' In the clip, from Isabel Marant's show, Kate was seen acting erratically and jerking from side to side. One fan said on social media: 'Why is she so fidgety? This just makes me anxious.' Another added: 'Why is nobody talking about this? I feel sad every time I see this.' Meanwhile, on TikTok, another worried fan wrote: 'Why did they post this? Kate is seemingly not OK.' Less than a week after the video, Kate was photographed holding a bottle of Corona beer and puffing away on a cigarette as she walked through central London. It is a stark contrast to the clean-living wellness guru of two years ago. Friends close to Kate insist there is nothing for people to worry about. 'Kate's a woman in the prime of her life and she wants to have fun,' one told me. 'She hangs out with Lila a lot, too, and thinks of herself as a 'cool mum' who can keep up with the young ones. 'People are shocked because it's not the Kate they've seen for a while, but she likes a few drinks and she smokes like a chimney — albeit she's using vapes now because they're 'healthier'. She's always the one to get a party started and wants to get back out there and enjoy life. 'The people speculating about her on social media need to stop worrying so much. 'Kate has just come back from Ibiza with Lila and she had a great time at BST. 'She'll focus on closing down Cosmoss, then will be looking for her next venture. 'Kate isn't a woman who can be kept down for long.' 6 6
Times
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Times
Are you cool? Take the test
Cool — you either have it or you don't. Alchemists and admen have long attempted, and failed, to pin down the ineffable qualities behind this magnetic nonchalance, but scientists have this week come the closest yet. A survey across 13 countries found that most respondents were in agreement that 'cool' people are 'bold, pleasure-seeking and self-directed' (Madonna and Kate Moss spring to mind) whereas 'good' people are 'agreeable, conscientious and calm'. Both cool and good people tend to be 'likeable and admirable' but cool types tend to be hedonistic too (see Charli XCX). Few people are both cool and good (step forward Dolly Parton, Barack Obama and Ryan Gosling). 'Cool' began as an accolade for jazz musicians who played with a certain aloofness, but is now so debased that it can also mean 'yes', 'no' and 'OK'. Yet in the digital age, its allure persists, seeping into modern life via social media memes and momentary hype. What the scientists didn't do was attempt to pin down the precise signifiers of cool — that is the job of a fashion editor and it has been my lifelong quest. Cool doesn't seem to change much, either. Last summer I asked my seven-year-old daughter and her friends what they thought a cool person looked like. They all basically described James Dean — 'sunglasses and a leather jacket' — despite the fact that none of them had ever heard of him, then said 'but a girl, obviously'. • The only four things to buy to look cool this summer It's fraught with unspoken rules too. When I asked the new head of French Vogue, Claire Thomson-Jonville (very cool), whether she'd been cool at school, she was horrified. 'There's no way to answer, because if you say you are, you're definitely not.' (It goes without saying that anybody who was cool at school is unlikely to remain so as a fully fledged adult, but also that many of the biggest nerds from school are now in charge of Silicon Valley, still aren't cool and still haven't got over it.) So, are you cool? Take our quiz and find out — in the name of science, of course. A: Oh, I don't really do 'labels' B: Yes C: No D: You'd have to ask them A: Whisky and Coke B: Aperol spritz C: A nice glass of red D: Do you have a natural wine? A: Clarks Wallabees B: Designer trainers C: Adidas Sambas D: Nike Rifts or Keens A: Sunglasses and a leather jacket B: Tight tailoring with pointy shoes C: Something smart that you are also comfortable in D: Define 'work' A: Whisky and Coke B: Oat cappuccino C: Tea or coffee with normal milk D: Matcha • Read more fashion advice and style inspiration from our experts A: Sunglasses and a leather jacket B: Jewellery and heels C: Posh trackies and khaki jacket D: Sweatshirt and joggers A: Black-and-white selfies from unexpected angles B: Fancy restaurants, holidays, very early gym classes C: I scroll but rarely post D: Not to do it A: Extensive vocal admiration B: Embarrassed silence C: A few compliments from people you trust D: Not much — but then they all do the same a week later A: A motorbike B: An SUV C: An ebike D: A fixie A: Free spirit B: Banter merchant C: Centrist mum or dad D: Vibes shaman A: Is my uniform B: Says 'good vibes only' C: Often has a little stain on it D: Is from the streetwear brand Aries A: Rebel without a Cause B: Forrest Gump C: Trainspotting D: The Matrix A: Roll-ups B: A strawberry ice Elfbar C: Only on holiday when drunk D: Psychedelic toad venom A: Brooding B: Cheeky C: France D: Brat A: Just you and the open road B: All 15 of your besties somewhere hot C: A house, a pool, no emails D: A silent breathwork retreat Mostly A I'm afraid you're trying way too hard. Lose the leather jacket and dial down the intensity a bit Mostly B You are not cool, sorry, but you also don't realise/care Mostly C You are cool-ish, which is to say just getting on with it without worrying what other people think Mostly D You are super-cool, congratulations — but are you any fun to hang out with?
