Prekas Apartments

The bed was so squeaky that I’ve never heard anything like it. My husband told reception after our first night, but nothing changed, and eventually he slept in the other single wooden bed instead. Not what you want on your honeymoon. At checkout, we could see that one of the bed supports was broken, which seemed like an easy repair. The bathroom was the biggest letdown. It was dingy and looked like it hadn’t been updated in decades. A proper mirror instead of the tiny flimsy plastic one, somewhere to put toiletries, and a cleanable shower enclosure instead of a curtain would help a lot. The curtain hangs outside the basin, so shower water ends up all over the floor. We expected an older place, but thought it would be clean and cared for. When we arrived at 1 am, the floors were gritty with dust, so we wiped them down with a towel. There were dead bugs along the walls and we saw a few live centipedes. The old doors don’t seal well, and the bathroom stayed damp, which seemed to attract more bugs. Fresh bedding and towels came daily. We got instant coffee in the room on the first day, then had to ask reception for it afterward. We know Prekas was a budget option compared with other nearby hotels, but it was disappointing given how much a few small fixes and updates could improve the stay.

We loved how quiet it was while still being near restaurants, and Fira was walkable from the apartments. The staff were friendly and helpful, and everything was really clean. I’d give the apartments 4.5 stars if I could. Our captain suite with jacuzzi was excellent value, with beautiful views from the shared balcony and an extra private one. I’d recommend booking that room. The pool was cold, so we didn’t try it. Breakfast choices were limited. Jimmy's cafe delivered easily, but the food arrived slowly and wasn’t very fresh or healthy. The apartments are in a windy spot too, and sitting outside during last week’s high winds was pretty unbearable.

The sunset from our room was unreal, and the view was magnificent. The pool was great, and it was a short walk to Imerovigli square. Oia was about a 20-minute bus ride away. There are lots of steps, but the apartments arranged for a bellboy to bring our bags to the room. The staff were lovely and helpful, and they arranged port transport for us at a very reasonable price.

We ended up adding our final two days because Prekas Apartments was simply the best place to stay in Santorini. We were there from 30 May until 6 June, and the views across the Caldera were amazing. The hotel layout is lovely, with a small pool down the cliff that gives you some privacy. We stayed in the "Captains Spa Suite," a cave-style room where the spa area, meaning the bathroom with jacuzzi, was actually bigger than the bedroom. Lefteris was a kind, very helpful manager who always answered our questions and made the stay unforgettable. Prekas doesn’t serve breakfast or dinner as standard, but they can arrange meals, and there are also good delivery places for Greek food. Very much recommended.