Mylos Hôtel Cargèse, Corsica

In short… A very minimalist-chic, 35-room hotel that opened this summer in the small town of Cargese, which overlooks the sea. And it’s a Costa Meno—in the €200 range in high season!

The surroundings… On the island’s less-developed west coast, Mylos Hôtel Cargèse is a 45-minute drive from the nearest airport in Ajaccio, where Napoleon was born. The hotel’s name nods to its Greek roots—it was settled by refugees from the Mani peninsula in the Peloponnese, who fled the Ottoman Empire and were given this land by the Genoese Republic, the owners at the time. The town is so lovely and completely caught in time. It sits up high, perched on the hill, with a marina down below and beautiful views out to sea. There are a couple of cafés filled with locals and their dogs, a sleepy bar with decor that hasn’t changed in at least 50 years, and several good restaurants—plus a sandy beach just five minutes to the north.

The backstory… While the area is so lovely with its incredible beaches, great hiking and excellent food, it’s surprisingly lacking in interesting hotels. A local decided to change that, put together a great team, and hired Charlotte, the most lovely manager (also a local), who has impeccable taste and recommendations.

The vibe… Minimalist and almost brutalist, with a focus on blending into the landscape—in fact, the exterior color derives from the aggregate that came directly from the land when they began construction. Most of the hotel rooms are in the main building, which has a lot of outdoor space, including an interior courtyard with a tree at the center (they built the hotel around it) and open-air corridors. Above that is the pool area, with great views out to the sea, and the restaurant terraced above that.

The rooms… We were in one of their smallest rooms (109), but looked at several other rooms while they were being cleaned. The interior design was done by Dorothée Meilichzon, who is responsible for a lot of hotel interiors I really like (the Hotel Regina in Biarritz is a favorite). It’s very simple, doesn’t shout, with clever details and just enough signifiers to make you feel like you’re in a really cool hotel. Picture a strong color palette (olive green, maroon), exposed concrete walls and ceilings, and mirrors where they hand-write welcome notes to the guests. Next visit, I’ll make sure we get one of the more spacious rooms to the side of the main building: flat-roofed single-story rooms with small terraces—nothing better than having your own personal outdoor space.

The food & drink… We had dinner at Teos, their excellent restaurant, which was inventive but not fussy at all—Greek meets Corsican. We shared the eggplant salad starter and the grilled beef, and while we rarely spring for dessert, after watching our neighbors devour a pavlova, we decided to go for it—and didn’t regret it. We had a sunset view that was spectacular. The breakfast buffet is very tasteful—local charcuterie, breads, cereals, yogurts and chestnut cakes, and caramel cookies that we still dream about.

The wellness… They are opening a spa next year!

Is it kid-friendly? Given how terraced it is, I wouldn’t suggest it for toddlers, but great for babes in arms, and kids upwards of five.