Outstanding Greek hospitality
As was the case on my previous visits, the family that operates Hotel Tagoo — Anna and her husband Yiannis, their oldest son Ted, and Anna’s brother Jimmy — as well as the staff — Valia, Lidia, Vangelli and Ruli — were wonderful hosts who extended outstanding Greek hospitality and kindness throughout my stay and made me feel completely at home.
Most of the guests were quite sociable, too. There was always lively conversation at breakfast as guests shared stories about what they had done the day before, and compared notes about beaches, restaurant meals, shops and excursions to Delos. The swimming pool and bar terrace became a social spot in late afternoon and evening when guests returned from their daytime adventures and chatted over drinks while watching the sunset.
Greek dancing around the swimming pool
And since my stay was longer than previous visits, I got to experience not just one but two of Anna and Yiannis’s fabled Greek Nights — convivial evenings of fun, laughter, drinks and dancing around the swimming pool. The Greek Nights, which Anna and Yiannis hold from time to time, are a wonderful opportunity for guests to meet and mingle while enjoying Anna’s delicious home-made cheese and spinach pies, shots of ouzo, and bartender Jimmy’s wickedly tasty and potent vodka & liqueur shooters.
But the highlight of the Greek Nights is undoubtedly the dancing. As “Maestro Jimmy” plays Greek music over the sound system, Anna and Yiannis demonstrate several traditional Greek dances. Then it’s everyone else’s turn, as Yiannis teaches the steps for two different dances. Once the guests have the hang of things, Yiannis leads the group in a hilarious leg-kicking line-dance around the swimming pool. In the past, I have only watched the dancing from the sidelines, but on one of the Greek Nights I joined in and surprised myself by managing to dance around the pool without tumbling into the water — even though I was practically tripping over my two left feet and feeling the effects of the ouzo and shooters I had been drinking.
Group dinners and a night on the town
Some of the guests made sure I didn’t always eat alone, extending kind invitations for me to join them for dinner or drinks on the town. I’m glad I went along, because the meals on those occasions were wonderful. One memorable meal was at Roca Cookery, where five of us feasted on delicious mezes and perfectly-grilled red snapper. I enjoyed another superb dinner with four other hotel guests at Avli tou Thodori, at Platis Gialos, as well as an amazing meal at Avra. After one of the Greek Nights, I accompanied a large group of at least 17 other Hotel Tagoo guests to Matthew Taverna at Tourlos, where we continued the conversation and fun over a fine meal of Greek cuisine. Another night, three attractive young women took me bar-hopping in Mykonos Town, where we had a blast dancing and drinking tequila shots into the middle of the night at Jackie O’, Porta, Skandinavian Bar and Remezzo.
For making my stay so memorable, I extend sincere thanks to fellow guests Roger & Margie; Anne & Caitlin; Kim & Tony; Tom & Rene; Caralee; Andrea, Kirby & Jay; Robert & John; Natasha & Dane; Magnus & Grainna; Frederick; Steve & Jillie; Cindy & her daughters and the many others whose names I have forgotten (my apologies for that). And a very special and heartfelt thank you to Anna, Yiannis, Ted, Jimmy and the rest of the remarkable Hotel Tagoo team for making me feel so at home while I was away from home. You’re the best!
Below are some photos of Hotel Tagoo, along with videoclips of Yiannis teaching Greek dancing to a group of guests, and a link to an online album with more pictures of the hotel.
The pool terrace has amazing panoramic views of the sea and nearby islands
These director chairs on the swimming pool terrace provide comfy seating for daytime reading and relaxing …
… as well as watching spectacular sunsets, like this one on May 20 2012
The entrance gate on the hotel’s lower entrance
Hotel Tagoo is built on a hillside; this is the lower level of hotel rooms
The water in the seaview swimming pool sparkles under the searing afternoon sun
The poolside bar is a popular place for guests to mingle in the evening after exploring Mykonos Town or spending a day at the beach
The spacious upper deck is a perfect place to catch some rays or relax in the shade
The upper-level deck overlooks the swimming pool and has great views of the Tourlos and new port areas of Mykonos
This is the view from the upper-level deck, looking to the right …
… this is the view looking straight out to sea …
… and this is the view looking to the left, in the direction of Mykonos Town
The pool deck has great views of Delos, Rinia, Syros, Tinos and other islands
An evening view of the pool and the bar. The top-level sun deck is the area with the large canopy at upper right.
A few guests enjoy an afternoon of peace, quiet and sunshine on the pool deck
A guest takes a dip in the pool during sunset on May 18 2012
The pool terrace at dusk on May 19 2012, just before one of the famous Greek Nights
A group of hotel guests line up behind Yiannis …
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… try to keep pace as he demonstrates a few Greek dance steps …
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… and then kick up their heels as they follow him around the pool
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More photos of Hotel Tagoo can be viewed in an album on mygreecetravelblog.com’s Facebook page. You don’t have to join Facebook or already be a Facebook member to view the pics; simply click here to access the album.
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