When the Mykonos Theoxenia Hotel opened its swanky new doors last summer, it signified that the most glamorous of all the Greek islands was well and truly back on the fashion map.
The Theoxenia simply oozes sophistication. Positioned on a prime piece of real estate just a stone's throw from Little Venice and right next to the island's famous windmills, the jet set have begun to stroll up its runway-style drive to rest their beautiful heads in this shrine to 1960s minimalism.
Mykonos enjoyed its first brush with fame during that decade, when the likes of Jackie Kennedy and Aristotle Onassis used to hang out there, but over the years the island's illustrious star waned. It was written off as a cheap and cheerful package destination. But all that has changed. Sure, it is still possible to holiday here in basic studios and cut-price apartment hotels, but a new wave of internationalism has swept across the island bringing with it a clutch of boutique hotels, designer villas, restaurants, and well-heeled travellers to match.
It's easy to see why Mykonos, the breeziest branch of the Cyclades islands, first became so popular - it has all the quintessential ingredients: an attractive town built around a picture-postcard harbour complete with windmills, bright whitewashed houses with blue or green shutters, hundreds of pink and blue domed chapels, and numerous sandy bays and rocky coves with clear waters.
By far the coolest of the new hotel properties is the Theoxenia. With its stone-clad walls, orange and turquoise hessian fabrics and miles of minimalist surfaces, you may never want to leave. The pool area, with its white-plastic beach chairs and curtained four-poster beds, makes a tempting alternative to the beach.
The Saint John Hotel also opened last year, to much acclaim. Lounging on a hillside overlooking the Aegean at Aghios Yiannis, just outside Ornos, it resembles a traditional blue-and white-village, complete with chapel. Popular with young couples and holidaying Greeks, it has a vast seawater infinity pool, sun terraces and a private 200m beach.
The Hotel Belvedere is another favourite. Commanding a superb position at the top of Mykonos Town, it attracts a glitzy international crowd who party around the exotic multilevel pool area and lounge on the oversize day beds.
You know a destination has really arrived when chef Nobu decides to open an offshoot. Matsuhisa Mykonos at the Hotel Belvedere is his latest worldwide venture. If you have plenty of cash to flash, this is where you can hobnob with the rich and famous who dine alfresco around the pretty pool and tuck into signature dishes such as black cod and den miso. At around £75 per head for a seven-course meal including wine, the food is not cheap, but it is delicious.
Dotted about the rocky island are fine villas and houses. Wimco International has a new portfolio of designer properties stuffed with French and Italian antiques. Similarly, Five Star Greece has the Parenthesis Villa Resort, outside Aghios Yiannis.
After a late dinner, the party people head for the many disco bars in town. Cava Paradiso, the open-air cliff top club above Paradise Beach still reigns supreme. Expect top name DJs such as Carl Cox and Deep Dish playing nightly to a mixed crowd dancing on the terraces and around the small swimming pools.
Way to go
Getting there: Olympic Airlines (0870 6060460, olympic airlines.com) flies Heathrow-Mykonos via Athens from £266 rtn.
Where to stay: Mykonos Theoxenia (+22890 22230, mykonostheoxenia.com) doubles from £97 per night, room only. Hotel Belvedere (+22890 25122, belvederehotel.com) doubles from £187 per night B&B. Saint John Hotel (+22890 23160, greek hotel.com/cyclades/mykonos) doubles from £182 per night B&B. Wimco (0870 850 1144, wimco.com) villas from approx £600pp per week. Five Star Greece (020- 8422 4885, fivestargreece.com), villas from approx £700pp pw. Most hotels are open from April.
Further information: The Greek National Tourist Office (020-7495 9300, gnto.co.uk).
Country code: 00 30
Flight time: Heathrow-Athens 3hrs, Athens-Mykonos 40min.
Time difference: +2hrs.
£1 = 1.40 euros.