Dexamenes Seaside Hotel

Once a winery, this beachside plot in the western Peloponnese has found its true calling, its weathered century-old concrete forms converted into the stunning, industrial-chic Dexamenes Seaside Hotel. Here owner Nikos Karaflos and architects K-Studio have achieved maximal effect with light-handed interventions, removing the winemaking machinery and converting the concrete storage tanks one-to-one into hotel rooms.

Each one gains a timber-screened patio and a sliding-glass door set at the foot of the bed — the beach-facing units in particular benefit from early-morning views out to sea. The furniture is modern and a touch utilitarian, which, in conjunction with the patina of the worn concrete walls, creates a slightly ascetic vibe; the comforts, however, are lavish, if unobtrusively so. (For larger parties there’s a beachfront villa, a two-story neoclassical structure with three bedrooms and a full kitchen.)

The central courtyard with its decommissioned water tanks is now a surprisingly inviting space for contemplation, and the beach itself shouldn’t be underestimated. The beachfront bar is a modern addition, but stylistically it’s a perfect match for the rest of the hotel; the restaurant, meanwhile, houses its kitchen in the old pump room, and serves guests al fresco on the terrace.