Kinsterna Hotel ★★★★★

Cruising along the twists and turns to the hotel, catching glimpses of the Aegean Sea as we grew closer, it was quite satisfying to watch modern civilisation slink away. Sitting majestically in the middle of the greenery and backed by verdant hills was our new home for the fortnight. Lovingly restored by local tradesmen in 2010, it looked every inch the proud, stately home that it must have been all those years ago. It was comforting yet exhilarating to think it hadn’t really changed.

Some would be quick to dismiss “rural” as being basic rather than luxurious; and if it meant keeping this hotel a secret I might assure them just the same. The slightly rustic style actually gave the property a refreshing, new dimension to luxury as we know it. It meticulously combines an elegant, neutral décor with elements of the original architecture – my own Byzantine Suite even boasted original vaulted arches and other features, worn down gently by its inhabitants over the ages. Peer out the window over the Medieval Monemvasia Castle and the breathtakingly azure depths of the Aegean, and you might genuinely believe nothing has changed.

In addition to my own four bedroom walls, keeping Peloponnese’s vibrant history alive through cuisine and the community is also a priority for the Kinsterna Hotel. The restaurant lovingly recreates local recipes with its very own produce, making it a year round hotspot for avid foodies. If I wasn’t meandering through the hiking trails, or picking olives in the vineyard, I could almost always be found by the pool with a gripping read from the hotel library, happily in a world of my own. To find a genuine gem off the beaten track is a rare achievement this day and age. Dare to disconnect at the Kinsterna Hotel – and I promise you won’t be disappointed.