Some hotels impress you immediately. Others take a little longer, then quietly stay with you long after you’ve left. Elix is very much the second kind.
I arrived without fireworks-level expectations. I knew it was perched above the Ionian Sea, I knew it was part of the Mar-Bella Collection, and I knew the photos were beautiful. But nothing quite prepares you for how this place actually feels once you’re there: not visually, but emotionally.
Elix doesn’t try to dazzle you. It doesn’t need to. Instead, it gently slows you down, almost without asking.
Arrival and first impressions
The drive up already sets the tone. Epirus feels different from much of Greece: wilder, quieter, less polished in a way that feels honest. When you arrive at the hotel, there’s no theatrical entrance, no overwhelming sense of “resortness”. The space opens softly, and your eye is immediately pulled outward, straight to the sea.
That view does a lot of the talking.
Check-in feels relaxed and genuinely warm. Not overly formal, not scripted. The staff seem calm in a way that suggests they actually enjoy working here: always a good sign. You’re offered a drink, encouraged to sit, to look, to breathe. There’s no rush, and that lack of urgency feels intentional.
Within minutes, your body adjusts. Shoulders lower. Jaw unclenches. You didn’t realise how tense you were until you aren’t anymore.
The setting: dramatic, but not showy
Elix is built high above the Ionian Sea, and the scale of the landscape is striking. Cliffs, water, sky: everything feels open and expansive. But the hotel doesn’t compete with that drama. Architecturally, it blends into the hillside rather than asserting itself over it.
The design is modern, clean, and very considered, but never cold. Natural stone, warm wood, soft textiles, muted colours. It’s the kind of place where nothing screams for attention, yet everything feels deliberate.
What I appreciated most is that the hotel constantly frames the outside world. Almost every public space is oriented toward the sea. You’re reminded, over and over, that nature is the main event here: the hotel simply gives you a very comfortable front-row seat.
Rooms that invite you to stay in
My room was one of those spaces that immediately felt easy to be in. Not overly styled, not trying too hard, just quietly beautiful.
Every room faces the sea, and that alone changes how you experience your stay. Mornings start slowly here. Light pours in gently, the water shifts colour as the sun rises, and you find yourself sitting on the terrace longer than planned, coffee cooling in your hand because you’ve forgotten about time.
The interiors are simple but warm. The bed is genuinely comfortable: the kind you look forward to returning to. The bathroom is spacious, with a rainfall shower and natural stone finishes that feel grounding rather than glossy. Lighting is soft and forgiving, which sounds like a small thing, but makes a huge difference when you’re actually living in the space.
This isn’t a room designed purely for aesthetics or Instagram. It’s designed to make you feel at ease.
Pool days that don’t feel performative
The infinity pool is undeniably beautiful: one of those pools where land, water, and sky seem to blur into each other. But what stood out wasn’t just how it looked, it was how it felt to spend time there.
There’s space. Real space. Loungers aren’t crammed together, and there’s no frantic energy of people racing for “the best spot”. Somehow, every spot feels like a good one.
Service is attentive but never intrusive. Someone appears when you need water, or a towel, or a quiet suggestion for lunch, and then fades back into the background. No hovering, no pressure to order constantly.
It’s the kind of pool where you actually read, nap, float, and think. Or don’t think at all.
The beach below: raw, calm, and real
Getting down to the beach feels like a small journey, which I liked. You descend through greenery, leaving the elevated calm of the hotel and arriving at something more elemental.
The beach itself is pebbled, natural, and beautifully unmanicured. The water is incredibly clear: that deep, clean blue that makes you want to swim immediately, not just dip your feet.
This isn’t a “scene” beach. There’s no loud music, no curated vibe. Just sunbeds, shade, quiet conversation, and the sound of the sea doing its thing. Swimming here feels energising, almost cleansing. You come out of the water feeling reset.
Again, service is thoughtful rather than flashy. Everything you need is there, but nothing interrupts the mood.
Food that feels aligned with the place
Dining at Elix follows the same philosophy as the rest of the hotel: quality over excess, flavour over performance.
Breakfast is generous without being overwhelming. Fresh fruit, excellent Greek yoghurt, honey, warm bread, eggs made to order. It’s the kind of breakfast that makes you linger: partly because the view is hard to leave, partly because there’s no pressure to rush.
Lunch tends to be light and Mediterranean. Grilled vegetables, salads that actually satisfy, fresh fish. It all feels nourishing rather than heavy, which suits the rhythm of the place.
Dinner is where things quietly elevate. Greek flavours are present, but refined. Nothing feels overworked. Ingredients are allowed to speak for themselves. The wine list is well considered, with regional options alongside familiar favourites, and the staff are happy to guide without ever being pretentious.
Meals here feel unrushed. You eat because you’re hungry, not because it’s “time”.
The spa: gentle, grounding, effective
The spa experience at Elix mirrors the rest of the hotel: calm, unforced, and deeply restorative.
The space itself is serene, softly lit, and very quiet. Treatments focus on relaxation and reconnection rather than dramatic transformation. My massage felt intuitive and unhurried, the kind that works its way into your system rather than impressing you in the moment.
You leave feeling lighter, not overstimulated.
There are fitness and yoga options, but nothing is pushed. This isn’t a place that demands productivity, even in wellness. Movement here feels optional, supportive, and personal.
Who Elix is really for
Elix isn’t for everyone, and that’s part of its strength.
This is not a party resort. Not a place for constant activity or social buzz. It’s for people who value calm, space, and emotional quiet. Couples looking to reconnect. Solo travellers who want to hear themselves think again. Anyone who’s a little tired of being “on” all the time.
If you’re looking for nightlife, crowds, or a packed itinerary, this probably isn’t your place. If you’re looking to slow down, breathe deeply, and remember what rest actually feels like, it absolutely is.
Exploring Epirus (or not)
Epirus is one of Greece’s most underrated regions, and staying here gives you a glimpse of a more authentic side of the country. Small villages, dramatic landscapes, local tavernas; everything feels grounded in real life rather than tourism.
That said, Elix is also a place where staying put feels just as valid as exploring. There’s no guilt in spending a day doing very little. In fact, it feels encouraged.
The feeling you leave with
What stayed with me most about Elix wasn’t a specific moment or feature, it was a feeling.
A sense of mental spaciousness. Of having been gently cared for rather than entertained. Of having spent time somewhere that didn’t demand anything from me.
You don’t leave buzzing with adrenaline or overstimulation. You leave calm, clear-headed, and subtly changed. More patient. More present.
Elix by Mar-Bella Collection doesn’t shout about luxury. It embodies it quietly, through space, restraint, and an understanding that sometimes the most indulgent thing a hotel can offer is permission to simply be.
And honestly? That might be its greatest luxury of all.
