The Romanos, Costa Navarino

From the Hideaway Report

October 2011 Hideaway Report

Overlooking the indigo-blue Ionian Sea and surrounded by countryside planted with gnarled groves of silvery olive trees, The Romanos is one of the most important hotel openings in Greece for several years.

Located in the southwestern Peloponnese, the 321- room property is part of the Costa Navarino complex— which includes a large Westin resort—conceived by the late Vassilis Constantakopoulos, a billionaire Greek shipping magnate who wanted to bring prosperity to the economically distressed Messinia region where he grew up.

After a 40-minute flight from Athens, we arrived at the Kalamata airport, picked up our car and headed off along a well-maintained two-lane road that passed through tidy whitewashed villages. Several signs indicated nearby archaeological sites, a hint at the cultural riches of the region, which include the Mycenaean ruins of King Nestor’s Palace, the ancient Greek city of Messene, and Olympia, the site of the Olympic Games in classical times.

Arriving at the hotel after a pleasant 26-mile drive, we were taken aback to find the main entrance blocked by orange traffic cones, necessitating a detour through a parking lot. Check-in proved interminable and, feeling rather testy, we finally boarded a golf cart on which a pleasant bellhop drove us to our Infinity Room. The resort is set back from the sea for environmental reasons and has been beautifully landscaped with olive, cedar, fig, palm and pine trees. It is centered on several large swimming pools, with the rooms distributed among tile-roofed stucco-faced pavilions.

Ours came with a limestone floor, white walls decorated with black-and- white photography, an oatmeal-colored sofa, a lacquered coffee table and an oblong limestone desk. Greater use of local furnishings would have been an antidote to the slightly anonymous tone. However, Greek toiletries had been provided in the well-lit bath, which was equipped with a separate stall shower and soaking tub. Internet access was complimentary, but some standard-issue fittings, such as an iPod dock, an espresso machine and a tea kettle, were missing.

A highlight of the Costa Navarino complex is its 43,000-square-foot Anazoe Spa—the name is derived from the Greek word for rejuvenation—the specialty of which is a range of oleotherapy, or olive oil-based treatments. Further offerings include hydrotherapy, heat treatments (including ice-grotto rooms) and herbal saunas. The complex boasts no fewer than 11 restaurants, including Eleon, where we enjoyed good if slightly under-seasoned swordfish. The service was charming, and we chatted at length with the friendly maître d’, who had formerly worked at Milos restaurant on 55th Street in New York.

Costa Navarino has already become one of the great golfing destinations in the Mediterranean. Its signature Dunes course was designed by Masters champion and former Ryder Cup captain Bernhard Langer. A second seaside 18-hole golf course designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. will open this autumn. The next phase of development will include two more hotels: One will be run by Banyan Tree, while the branding of the second has yet to be announced.

Although The Romanos still has a few minor problems, we expect it to mature into a sophisticated destination resort. But even now, it provides an excellent base from which to explore this fascinating and scenic corner of Greece.

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