Some hotels aim to transport you. La Piscine Art Hotel in Skiathos Town does something more interesting — it roots you. Set just off the main street named after Skiathos' most famous literary son, Alexandros Papadiamantis, this five-star boutique property places you at the very centre of island life, then surrounds you with enough art, gastronomy, and poolside calm that you might never feel the need to leave. After a thorough stay, we can report that the flagship of Philian Hotels & Resorts delivers on its promise with a warmth and personality that chain hotels rarely achieve.
Design & Art: An Hotel as Gallery
The clue is in the name. La Piscine is a genuine art hotel, where exciting visual interventions — sculptures, paintings, and installations — are woven throughout the public spaces and rooms. The philosophy is that art should not be confined to a gallery wall but should become part of the lived experience of a stay. The result is an environment that feels curated rather than decorated: elegant, luxurious, and constantly surprising. Every corridor and corner reveals something worth pausing for. For travellers who respond to creative environments, this is among the more thoughtfully designed five-star properties in the Sporades.
The hotel has been internationally awarded for its style and decoration, and that recognition is visible. Modern, luxurious spaces are balanced by the warm smile and discreet presence of the staff, giving the whole property a courtesy and beauty that feels authentically Greek rather than corporate.
Rooms & Suites
La Piscine offers five categories of accommodation — Standard Rooms, Deluxe Rooms, Superior Rooms, Junior Suites, and Executive Suites — each designed to give what the hotel describes as a new, interesting dimension to comfort. All are fully equipped with modern amenities: air conditioning, free WiFi, satellite TV, bathrobes, slippers, and pool towels. Pillow selection is available on request, a thoughtful touch that more hotels should offer.
The hotel's suites blend contemporary comfort with bold design — note the copper-striped headboard, circular bed, and lime-green accents that echo the poolside gardens.
During the summer months from May to September, the hotel operates exclusively as an adults-only retreat. This is a significant advantage for couples seeking privacy, discretion, and tranquillity — the pool area and communal spaces retain a serene, grown-up atmosphere throughout the day. The year-round operation also makes it an appealing option for an off-season island escape, when the crowds have gone and Skiathos reveals its quieter, more authentic self.
The Pool & Pool Bar
The hotel's centrepiece — and the source of its name — is an impressive Olympic-size outdoor swimming pool, one of the largest on the island. Crystal-clear waters are surrounded by a beautiful garden with comfortable sun loungers, umbrellas, and a pool snack bar. The use of the pool, sun beds, umbrellas, and towels is complimentary for all guests. Throughout the day, the pool and pool bar offer coolness, relaxation, and fun — you can order drinks, refreshments, salads, and light snacks without leaving your sun bed. It is the kind of pool you actually use rather than photograph and ignore, and on a hot August afternoon in the Aegean, that distinction matters.
At dusk the pool deck transforms into a lantern-lit lounge — the Crazy Cow restaurant's white-clothed tables visible beneath the chandeliers, bougainvillea climbing the terrace pillars.
Gastronomy: Crazy Cow Restaurant
La Piscine houses one of the best-regarded restaurants on the island — the Crazy Cow Restaurant — set in the idyllic pool area and open daily from 19:00 to 23:00. The restaurant and its cellar are the work of owner Vassilis Koukoulakis, whose study and passion for wine shape both the kitchen and the list beneath it. The chef's superb creations are built on pure, local, and organic products, combined with what the hotel rightly describes as inexhaustible imagination and deep knowledge of fine Mediterranean cuisine. The high quality of the food, excellent wine, splendid service, and romantic atmosphere have earned the restaurant multiple awards and enthusiastic reviews. Dining poolside under the stars, with the scent of jasmine and the sound of soft conversation, is one of the most memorable culinary experiences Skiathos offers.
Evening dining at its finest — lanterns and string lights casting a warm glow over outdoor tables, the kind of atmosphere the Crazy Cow cultivates nightly from seven o'clock.
Breakfast
Every morning from 07:30 to 10:30, La Piscine serves a rich royal buffet breakfast made up of Greek pure products. The hotel participates in the Greek Breakfast programme, which connects the gastronomic richness of the country with the experience of the hotel visitor. Breads, nuts, olive oil and olives, yogurt, honey, and fresh fruit — all staples of the Mediterranean diet — are gathered into a spread that highlights the particular culinary culture of the region. Breakfast can also be served in your room, and early-morning breakfast service is available for those catching flights or ferries.
The Wine Cellar & Crazy Cow Wine Bar
This is where La Piscine truly distinguishes itself. The hotel boasts the biggest wine cellar in Skiathos, with over 200 different labels of fine Greek and international wines. Each day, the Crazy Cow Wine Bar offers 15 different wines by the glass, allowing guests to explore the rich aromas and secret formulas of Greek wine without committing to a full bottle. Experienced wine-connoisseur bar managers will introduce you to the cellar and suggest bottles that fit your personality and palate. For oenophiles, the cellar is a destination in its own right.
Services & Amenities
The hotel offers an impressive range of high-end services: 24-hour reception, valet parking, luggage storage, daily room cleaning with a second cleaning service, dry cleaning and laundry (via external partner), newspapers and magazines daily, and baby cots on request. There is provision for guests with mobility difficulties, including ramps. The hotel also hosts regular entertainment, including folklore shows, dancing and live music, professional dance troupes, art exhibitions, wine tasting evenings, and cooking sessions.
A standout service is the PHILIAN Transportation Service — private, luxurious transfers that can be arranged for daily leisure trips around the island safely and comfortably. With the port just 500 metres away, the airport 2 kilometres, and the bus stop to all island beaches just 100 metres from the hotel, the location makes exploring Skiathos effortless.
Skiathos Island National Airport is famous for its dramatic low-altitude approaches over the beach — and it's just two kilometres from the hotel, connecting the island to Athens and major European cities with effortless ease.
The Destination: Skiathos
Skiathos is a small, lush green island in the Northern Sporades, famous for having more than 60 beaches wrapped around a charming main town. From La Piscine, everything worth visiting is within easy reach.
Skiathos Town
The cobblestone streets of Skiathos Town — a labyrinth of whitewashed buildings, bougainvillea, and hidden courtyards, all a short stroll from La Piscine's front door.
Step outside the hotel and you are immediately on the main street, Alexandros Papadiamantis — named after the 19th-century novelist born here. The town is a delightful maze of narrow cobblestone streets, hidden courtyards, boutiques, tavernas, and bars. The harbour is the social heart of the island, where fishing boats and yachts bob side by side and waterfront cafes fill each evening. For nightlife, shopping, and people-watching, you need go no further.
Skiathos Town's harbour at golden hour — fishing boats and yachts moored along the waterfront, where tavernas and cafés fill each evening as the light fades over the Aegean.
The Beaches
Skiathos is beach paradise. The most famous is Koukounaries, a long stretch of golden sand backed by a fragrant pine forest, consistently ranked among the best beaches in Greece. Take the bus from the stop 100 metres from the hotel and you will be there in twenty minutes. Lalaria Beach, on the northern coast, is accessible only by boat — its white pebbles and dramatic cliffs are otherworldly. Closer to town, Megali Ammos and Vromolimnos offer easy swimming with sun beds and tavernas. The hotel's concierge can arrange boat trips to the more remote coves and the neighbouring island of Tsougria.
A typical Skiathos beach — golden sand met by emerald pine forest and impossibly clear water. Koukounaries, the island's most famous stretch, is a twenty-minute bus ride from the hotel.
Kastro
On the northern tip of the island sits Kastro, a medieval clifftop settlement that was the island's capital from the 14th to the 19th century. The ruined houses and churches perch dramatically above the sea, and the views are spectacular. It is a rewarding half-day excursion, best combined with a swim at Lalaria on a boat trip.
Monastery of Evangelistria
Set in the hills above the town, this 18th-century monastery is the oldest in Skiathos and the place where the first Greek flag was created and blessed in 1807. The setting is serene, the architecture beautiful, and the small museum houses ecclesiastical treasures and folk art. It is a twenty-minute drive from the hotel and offers a peaceful contrast to the beach scene.
Activities: Scuba Diving, Trekking, Fishing, Boat Trips
The waters around Skiathos are exceptionally clear and home to reefs, caves, and marine life that make for excellent diving. The hotel can arrange scuba diving excursions for all levels. Trekking routes crisscross the island's pine forests and coastal paths — the walk from the monastery to Kastro is particularly memorable. Fishing trips and private boat charters depart daily from the harbour, and the hotel's own private transfer service can take you to any of these activities in comfort.
Worth Knowing
La Piscine is a town-centre hotel rather than a beach resort: there are no sea views from the pool or rooms, no spa or wellness facility on site, and the central location brings some town noise in high season. The adults-only policy runs from May to September only — outside those months, families may be in residence. Guests who want a beachfront, full-service resort with a spa will find better options along the coast; couples who prize a walk-to-everything location, a genuinely exceptional pool, and standout dining will consider the trade-off a fair one.
The Verdict
Our Rating: 9.2 / 10
- Location: 9.5 — walk-to-everywhere town centre; 500 m to the port, 2 km to the airport, 100 m to the beach bus.
- Rooms: 8.5 — comfortable and design-led; no sea views.
- Pool & grounds: 9.5 — one of the island's largest pools, set in mature gardens.
- Dining: 9.5 — the Crazy Cow and a 200-label cellar are genuinely exceptional.
- Service: 9.0 — warm, personal, discreet.
- Value: 9.0 — strong for a five-star town-centre stay.
Who Would Love This Hotel
La Piscine Art Hotel is ideally suited to couples seeking a sophisticated, adults-only base in the heart of Skiathos Town. It offers the rare combination of a central location with a genuine retreat atmosphere — you can walk to the harbour in five minutes, yet the Olympic pool and poolside gardens feel a world away. The Crazy Cow restaurant and the extraordinary wine cellar mean you can dine and drink at a high level without leaving the property, and the island's best beaches and sights are a short bus ride or private transfer away. For art lovers, wine enthusiasts, and anyone who appreciates a hotel with genuine personality, La Piscine is a genuinely distinctive stay in the Sporades — town-centre character, a serious pool, and dining that outclasses most island resorts.
