Both are design-forward Mykonos icons, but Cavo Tagoo is the architectural showpiece, a cliff-carved infinity pool just outside town, while the Belvedere is the social hub in Mykonos Town, home to Matsuhisa, the Nobu restaurant. Choose Cavo Tagoo for the pool, the cave suites and dramatic design; choose the Belvedere to be in the heart of Chora's scene.
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Cavo Tagoo and the Belvedere are the two Mykonos hotels that dominate any luxury short list for the island, and they offer opposite versions of a Mykonos stay. Cavo Tagoo is the design statement: a white, cubist property in the Tagoo area just outside Mykonos Town, built around one of the world's most photographed hotel pools, an infinity pool carved into the cliff over the Aegean, with dramatic cave-style suites.
The Belvedere is the in-town social hub. Set in the heart of Mykonos Town (Chora), the cosmopolitan boutique hotel has long been a see-and-be-seen address, and it is home to Matsuhisa Mykonos, the island outpost of Nobu Matsuhisa, one of the best tables in town.
The honest split: Cavo Tagoo for the pool, the design and a glamorous base just outside the bustle; the Belvedere to be in the heart of Chora, steps from the bars, boutiques and Matsuhisa. Both are stylish and lively, the call is design-icon-near-town versus in-the-thick-of-it. The full case for each is below.
| Cavo Tagoo | Belvedere | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Design and the iconic pool | In-town scene and Matsuhisa |
| Location | Tagoo, ~10-min walk to town | Heart of Mykonos Town (Chora) |
| Signature | Cliff-carved infinity pool, cave suites | Matsuhisa (Nobu); social pool terrace |
| Vibe | Glamorous, design-led | Cosmopolitan, see-and-be-seen |
| Dining | On-site restaurants and bars | Matsuhisa Mykonos |
| Beachfront | No | No |
| Rate tier | $$$-$$$$ | $$$-$$$$ |
Signature: One of the world's most photographed hotel pools, an infinity pool carved into the cliff over the Aegean, and dramatic cave-style suites in a white cubist design.
Cavo Tagoo's draw is its design. The white, cubist property in the Tagoo area, a short walk north of Mykonos Town, is built around an infinity pool carved into the cliff above the Aegean, complete with an underwater bar window and a fish pond, that has been photographed millions of times. The cave pool suites, hewn into the rock with private plunge pools, deliver a sense of drama conventional rooms can't.
It pairs that architecture with a glamorous, design-led scene and its own restaurants and bars, all close enough to town to dip in and out. For travelers who want the iconic pool, striking suites and a stylish base just outside the bustle, it is the Mykonos statement hotel.
Honest trade-off: It is not beachfront, and the walk into Mykonos Town is uphill and unlit in parts at night, so you'll often rely on a taxi or the hotel shuttle after dark. The pool scene that makes it famous also makes it busy and loud in peak season, and the most dramatic cave-pool suites command a steep premium over standard rooms.
Weighted: Service 25%, Design 20%, Romance / Value / Food 15% each, Location 10%. Scores are HotelsForKings editorial judgments, not guest review averages.
Signature: The social heart of Mykonos Town, a cosmopolitan boutique hotel home to Matsuhisa, the island outpost of Nobu Matsuhisa.
The Belvedere is about being in the thick of it. Set in the heart of Mykonos Town, the long-running boutique hotel puts the boutiques, bars and waterfront of Chora at your feet, and its pool terrace has long been one of the island's see-and-be-seen gathering points. Its marquee draw is Matsuhisa Mykonos, the island restaurant from Nobu Matsuhisa, one of the best and most glamorous tables on Mykonos.
For travelers who want to walk out into the scene rather than taxi to it, and who value a top restaurant on site, the Belvedere's location is its trump card. It is cosmopolitan, lively and central in a way no out-of-town hotel can match.
Honest trade-off: Its in-town setting means a smaller, less dramatic pool than Cavo Tagoo's and some of Chora's noise, especially in peak summer when the town runs late. The see-and-be-seen energy isn't for everyone, rooms vary in size and category, and like its rival it is not beachfront, the beach scene is a drive to the south coast.
Weighted: Service 25%, Design 20%, Romance / Value / Food 15% each, Location 10%. Scores are HotelsForKings editorial judgments, not guest review averages.
Book Cavo Tagoo for the design and the pool: travelers who want the island's most iconic infinity pool, dramatic cave suites and a glamorous base just outside town, and who don't mind a taxi into Chora at night. It is the Mykonos statement hotel and the more photogenic stay.
Book the Belvedere to be in the heart of Mykonos Town, steps from the bars, boutiques and waterfront, with Matsuhisa by Nobu on site. It suits travelers who want to walk into the scene rather than commute to it. In short, Cavo Tagoo for the pool and design, the Belvedere for location and dining.
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They suit different travelers. Cavo Tagoo is better for design and its famous cliff-carved infinity pool, on a glamorous base just outside town. The Belvedere is better for being in the heart of Mykonos Town, with Matsuhisa by Nobu on site. Choose Cavo Tagoo for the pool, the Belvedere for the location.
The Belvedere. Matsuhisa Mykonos, the island restaurant from Nobu Matsuhisa, is located at the Belvedere in Mykonos Town and is one of the most glamorous tables on the island. Cavo Tagoo has its own restaurants and bars but does not host Matsuhisa.
Cavo Tagoo sits in the Tagoo area just north of Mykonos Town, roughly a 10-minute walk away. The walk is uphill and unlit in parts at night, so many guests use a taxi or the hotel shuttle after dark. The Belvedere, by contrast, is within the town itself.
No. Both Cavo Tagoo and the Belvedere are set above and around Mykonos Town rather than on a beach. Mykonos's famous beaches and beach clubs are on the south coast, a short drive away. For a beachfront base, a south-coast resort such as Santa Marina on Ornos Bay is the better fit.
Cavo Tagoo, without question, its cliff-carved infinity pool over the Aegean, complete with an underwater bar window, is one of the most photographed hotel pools in the world. The Belvedere's pool terrace is stylish and social but smaller and less dramatic, true to its in-town setting.
Both work for couples, but differently. Cavo Tagoo's cave pool suites and design make it the more romantic, photogenic stay. The Belvedere is livelier and more social, ideal for couples who want to be out in Chora's scene and dine at Matsuhisa. For an adults-only retreat, Mykonos alternatives like Bill & Coo are worth a look too.