“Spending the day at the pool sipping wine from Paros before getting dressed up for dinner in Naoussa - that’s the real vacation feeling”

Life is limited to time. How come we are not appreciating the most valuable gift in our lives often enough? We think so much about decisions, holidays and actions. Sometimes the best is just to decide as if it would be your last day. Take the trip, show your partner your love or buy the product. We never know when our time is over. I am an overthinker. Overthinking whether it is a good idea to spend more on one trip. What if I want to go on an additional trip? The fact is, we never know what tomorrow will bring and if we are in the healthy condition to fulfil all our dreams at a later stage. I am happy to have taken only the right decisions on my summer holiday in 2022 to Greece and I don’t regret anything. We didn’t miss out on a thing and in the end, the budget was exceeded, but don’t forget that these memories are priceless and will stay forever. Since I was planning this trip as private time with one of my closest friends, I didn’t plan to write a review about this brand-new hotel. In the end, I was so impressed by the design and style that I can’t hide this hidden gem and am pleased to showcase it to our perfectly matching audience.

We arrived by ferry from Athens Piraeus roughly on time at 5 pm until we headed straight to our car rental office a bit up the harbour of Paros. Soon after we were sitting on two quads (for the first time in our lives) en route to Naoussa. I got goosebumps on this drive with Paros’ landscape being even more beautiful than I imagined in my best dreams. No YouTube video nor Instagram image did showcase the true beauty that lies on the island of Paros. I immediately fell in love with Paros before we were even driving up the road to our even more beautiful place to stay. Having opened in June 2022, Parocks Luxury Hotel & Spa was on my bucket list long before the official opening date. We got a pretty good deal in May so we secured the room before any review was online. I was so excited and also relaxed at the same time which was probably due to my friend that made us laugh so much that we forgot about the travel details (eg hotel we stayed in or the restaurant we ate at). Even though I always thought it is crucial where to stay and where to eat to have the best impression of a place, this time I learned that it is not the primary factor for a trip to be perfect.

Staying at the right hotel and dining at the best restaurant matters, yes. But it is the conversations you have, the people you meet, the funny moments you share and the adventures you experience with your travel companions. Parocks was definitely the right place for us to have a wonderful time and enjoy Paros to its fullest. After a lovely welcome with a welcome drink and a tour by Front office manager Alex, we stepped foot inside our Superior Sea View Room with a private pool. Having booked an entry-level room, this upgrade was the best surprise we have experienced so far on day three of our vacation. It didn’t take long until we enjoyed the complimentary bottle of Moraitis winery’s signature wine in our private pool overlooking the sun setting behind us putting an unforgettable light on the neighbouring island of Naxos. Life doesn’t get any better than this (writing this sentence while sitting in ice cold Munich where it has been raining for 10 days consequently).

I couldn’t have been more wrong by saying it does not get better - having had any expectations on Naoussa. A dream fishermen’s village with an ancient port and al fresco dining as one can only imagine in dreams. This is the real game changer, and I get Paros’ underrated sophistication – once you are there, it’s just the perfect place to holiday. We had dinner at amazing restaurants, cocktails in bars that are way prettier than the ones in Mykonos and danced with the most romantic skyline I have ever seen. Honestly, Paros is a total winner. Back at the Parocks, we had the best rest in heavenly and brand-new beds. Overall the comfort and design of the room were great, even though mechanical issues need to be solved over the winter season to maintain the excellent look. While the bathroom was a designer’s heaven, the floor was under water every time we showered with the excellent smelling Diptyque toiletries (who wants to stress with such great amenities?). Housekeeping did a great job and all the amenities such as towels, robes and guest products were available (which is not typical for five-star hotels in Greece) and also of the highest quality. Especially the bath slippers were lovely as were the towels for the pool/beach.

Speaking of public spaces, Parocks has an amazing outdoor pool with terribly comfortable daybeds and an underground spa with an indoor pool, sauna and steam room. While we obviously didn’t use the latter one, we spent two full days on the hotel’s pool and didn’t head to Santa Maria Beach or Blue Oyster Beach. Service poolside was amazing and while we tried the cocktails on the first day, we made a wine tasting on the second one. Personally, nothing beats the holiday feeling of lying at the pool or the sea underneath the Mediterranean sun all day, then getting dressed up to head into town and show your outfit in the most fashionable restaurants. Strolling through Naoussa’s hidden paths and packed lanes remained our main activity long into the night – with occasional drink stops at chic bars of course.

Thank god, Parocks’ breakfast service goes till 11 am so we were never late at all. While the buffet is on the small site, there is an a la carte menu with freshly prepared dishes and sandwiches. We tried different sandwiches and egg dishes every day and were not bored or disturbed that they have the same selection every day. While service was great every morning, on our last day the staff felt a bit chaotic and lost (which may have been since this was the first morning being fully booked). They even ran out of fresh orange juice and started serving packed juice. I would have thought it may be nicer to offer just another fresh juice instead. Overall we had an amazing stay at Parocks and Paros island. And the question of all the questions: would we stay here again? The answer is definitely yes!