In the capital of the Inner Máni, on a plateau 250 metres above the Gulf of Messinia, this traditional tower house has been turned into a sophisticated small guest house by Iakovos Xenakis, a painter (the chef), and Hans Jakob Kleiner. They say they cater for guests who “prefer a friendly, discreet atmosphere to the usual anonymous tourist accommodation”. Guide readers agree, praising the conversion for its “respect for tradition”, and for the decor (“an outstanding eye for comfort, colour and fabric”). There are pale blue wooden ceilings, ochre and dark yellow in alcoves, modern lighting, simple wooden furniture. Stone artefacts and earthenware pots stand on marble floors; bright paintings hang on white walls. Thick walls and narrow windows keep the small bedrooms cool; views are limited, but the terraces look across rooftops to sea and mountains. “Our beds were comfortable (rare in the Peloponnese).” Breakfast (with home-made marmalade and local honey) and an informal dinner, by arrangement, are served in a room with a barrel-vaulted ceiling. A rocky beach is three minutes away by car, a sand/pebble beach slightly further. Guided walks and excursions in and around Mani are available and individuals and groups can have painting and sketching lessons with Iakovos.