Hotels

The Semeli is the sister hotel to the Armonia Bay across the road, and is one of Samos’ newest, most stylish boutique properties. It represents a startling turnaround for what, since many years, had been an abandoned building site. Read expert review

Don’t expect many frills other than a pool and restaurant – come here for an idyllic setting, low-key comfort, solid good taste and a family-run, non-corporate vibe. Read expert review

Doryssa tries to satisfy all guests, with mixed results. Its family orientation – noisy kids abound in summer – make it unromantic, yet it’s also a popular wedding venue. All expected multistar facilities are here, including a ground-floor spa and traditional bungalows, plus even Roman ruins. Read expert review

As a remote retreat, idyllic Kerveli Village can’t be beaten. Its Luxury Villa annexe is just about the best self-catering accommodation on the island, and an in-house diving school makes this the only true dive resort on Sámos. Read expert review

The remote Mandilada Villas complex, designed in eminently good taste, offers a high standard of self-catering accommodation, a welcoming host family and, most of all, quick access to Kaladákia beach, the most magical on Sámos thanks to its unique sea-cave. Read expert review

Sirena Residence is one of Samos’s few spa hotels, and the only one in popular Votsalákia beach resort. The ‘Residence’ wing surrounds a central pool courtyard; the nearby mock-trad ‘Village’ has a completely different feel. Although an ‘aparthotel’, breakfast is included in rates. Read expert review

A no-frills, three-star hotel behind the best beach in southeastern Samos, which Saint Nicholas takes surprisingly little advantage of. The large pool, cheery dining room, friendly staff and full-frontal views of Turkey’s wildest coastal peninsula are the chief draws. Read expert review

Olympia Village apartments and co-managed Olympia Beach hotel began operating in 1981, making them among the first lodgings in Kokkári. They’re still going strong nearly four decades later, relying on a warm welcome and well-kept accommodations rather than frills to attract a loyal return clientele. Read expert review

The Athena is one of many modest hotels built during the initial Samian tourist boom of the late 1980s. It successfully combines a prime location, huge pool (not common in central Kokkári), good views, well-kept rooms and a service ethic, though not dazzling food. Read expert review