Historic Mountain Wellness Retreat: MANNA Arcadia Reviewed | OffTheGrid Travel
Wellness Travel · Arcadia, Greece · Five-Star Spa
At OffTheGrid Travel, we look for wellness properties that build their whole identity around one exceptional story. MANNA Arcadia does exactly that, restoring a listed 1929 sanatorium in the fir forests of the Peloponnese into a five-star retreat built on stillness and renewal. You can find it in our collection.
A 1929 sanatorium, reborn in the fir forest of Mount Mainalo
MANNA Arcadia occupies a listed building constructed in 1929, once known as the Sanatorium of Mana, set at 1,200 metres in the ancient fir forest of Mount Mainalo. The restoration, led by K-Studio and Monogon Office of Architecture working alongside archaeologists, preserved the building's original character while shaping it into a five-star retreat. The property is a member of Design Hotels and sits in the prefecture of Arcadia at the heart of the Peloponnese, roughly two hours by car from Athens. Beyond the hotel's own forest, this stretch of mountain Greece remains largely untouched, still watched over by the monasteries overlooking the nearby Lousios Gorge.
The rooms: five categories, one forest
Thirty-two rooms are arranged across five categories, each shaped by the same fir forest or the lily pond below. The In The Forest Room, at 22 to 25 square metres, is the entry point, a calm space for two with the bed facing directly into the trees. The In The Forest Superior Room adds a private balcony or deck, while the Mountain Superior View Room looks out over the lily pond and the slopes of Mainalos. The Junior Suite, at 38 to 42 square metres, gives couples a lounge-like footprint suited to longer stays, and the MANNA Suite, the largest at 52 to 55 square metres, includes a free-standing copper bath and a mini bar as standard. Every room is offered on a bed and breakfast basis, with guests also able to use the Cave Pool, forest sauna and 24-hour gym regardless of which category they book.
Dining: Mediterranean cuisine shaped by the mountains
The MANNA restaurant is led by chef Athinagoras Kostakos, drawing on the Mediterranean Diet and Greek culinary tradition, with ingredients sourced exclusively from local producers under a zero-waste approach. Standout dishes include the region's award-winning fir tree honey, black truffle and smoked Gruyere, porcini-royal mushrooms and a classic galaktoboureko for dessert. The MANNA Lounge Bar serves snacks and drinks through the day, and an upstairs bar pours rare whiskies and cocktails infused with wild herbs foraged from the Menalon mountains, best enjoyed with the fir forest stretching out below. Room service runs 24 hours, and the kitchen is comfortable accommodating vegetarian, coeliac and other dietary requirements on request.
Frequently asked questions
What type of traveller is MANNA Arcadia best suited to?
In our experience, this property suits travellers who want genuine stillness alongside their comfort. It works well for couples and solo travellers seeking a forest-bound wellness break, and equally for small groups or special-interest travellers drawn to the surrounding hiking, truffle hunting and monastery trails.
Is MANNA Arcadia a working hotel within a historic building, or a museum-style stay?
It is very much a working five-star hotel. The 1929 sanatorium building has been fully restored for contemporary stays, with modern rooms, a spa and a restaurant, while the archaeological collaboration behind the restoration means the building's original character has been kept intact rather than replaced.
How does dining work, is it included in the room rate?
Rooms are offered on a bed and breakfast basis, so daily breakfast is included throughout your stay. Lunch and dinner at the MANNA restaurant, along with drinks at the Lounge Bar and upstairs bar, are charged separately.
MANNA Arcadia, framed by the fir forest of Mount Mainalo, through every season.
Continue reading: Part 2 takes you inside MANNA's Wellness Suites, the Cave Pool and the forest treatments developed with CODAGE Paris. Part 3 is a practical guide to planning your trip, including how to get there from the UK.