Vedema, a Luxury Collection Resort, Santorini

I rarely write reviews. I tried several times to resolve this with hotel staff and then my Personal Ambassador, but the response wasn't sufficient in my view, so I'm sharing what happened for other potential guests. My family and I are Marriott Ambassador Elite members, travel more than 100 nights a year, and spend a lot with Marriott. Vedema was among our most disappointing Luxury Collection stays, because of the hotel's condition and management's handling of our visit, not because of Santorini. The units are aging and overdue for renovation. In the first suite we had booked, the AC smelled of mold, there was visible sand and dust on the floor, and broken glass was left there. I raised these things with the General Manager before anything else went wrong. He said he would address them in the coming days, rather than straight away, and smelled strongly of cigarette smoke, which I wouldn't expect from a luxury property leader. A more serious incident followed. A staff member rang the bell once, then entered our villa without knocking while my wife was asleep and unclothed, with our toddler beside her. That was a serious breach of privacy and basic guest safety. The next day, even though the hotel knew how uncomfortable this had made my wife, they sent the same employee back alone to apologize in person. We had not asked for that and did not want it. I asked for a modest acknowledgment, either 50,000 points or €200 off the bill. Management focused instead on why we should appreciate the “upgrade.” The hotel wasn't close to full, and the GM openly said he was holding back newly built one-, two-, and three-bedroom private pool villas in case of last-minute bookings. To me, that was unsold inventory, not goodwill. Elite upgrades are a standard Ambassador benefit, and don't replace accountability after a privacy breach. Our stay just before this, at Canaves Epitome in Oia, made the difference especially clear. It is Hilton-affiliated. We're Hilton Diamond members, though we spend fewer nights and less money with Hilton. The hotel was close to full, yet upgraded us to a beautiful two-bedroom private pool villa with caldera views and treated us exceptionally well throughout. That's what luxury hospitality looks like to us. Some Vedema units look nice in photos, and the two-bedroom pool villa we eventually moved to was pleasant. But luxury also means professionalism, responsiveness, and respect for guest safety. Vedema fell short on all three. Rooms may feel old and neglected, service is inconsistent, and management seemed more concerned with revenue than guest protection. This wasn't what I expect from Marriott or the Luxury Collection. Our stay was 26 to 31 August 2025.

The quiet streets, local feel, and lovely people in Megalochori made this a really restful end to our first trip away without the kids, especially after busy days in Oia. Vedema sits in the heart of the small town and has Alati, a 400-year-old cave restaurant. We also tried some of the island's best volcanic wines there. Meridona and Aris gave us such a warm welcome. Hope we can come back! :)

We only found this Marriott after our Airbnb host vanished when we arrived in Santorini. It was late, we'd already waited for hours, and we decided to give the hotel a try. So glad we did. The place is beautiful, and its maze-like layout was fun to wander around in. Service and housekeeping were both excellent, and this is now my first choice in Santorini. We only spotted a bunch of nearby restaurants on our last night, which we felt we'd missed out on, so we'll check them out on a future trip.

We ate dinner in the ancient cave restaurant and had an excellent Viognier, made with grapes grown and bottled on Santorini. The breakfast was delicious too, and the staff warmly accommodated every request. Our large villa had its own pool, kitchen, dining space, and living room, all very well equipped. The setting and rooms are breathtaking. I wish we'd had longer at the resort, and would give it six stars if I could.