Gala Suites

We had two large suitcases, and no one offered help or even a way to hire someone to get them to the suite. The drop-off point is a long walk away, with no car or bike access, and the route involves very steep, narrow stairs. Athena also met us 40 minutes late. Check-in was meant to be at 3PM, but we didn’t get in until 3:40. The view from the Junior suite balcony was amazing, and the location is the only reason my husband and I are giving this two stars for our two-night stay. The place was dirty: there was mold in the shower and sink, and Athena had to be asked to change the towels. The air conditioner didn’t work, though there was a fan. Our mugs and wine glasses were dirty, so we washed them ourselves. We told Athena, but nobody brought clean replacements. The plunge pool had flies and wasn’t cleaned until we asked. There’s a big gap around the closed shower door, so the bathroom floor flooded after a shower. We used several towels to try to soak it up, but it wasn’t enough. When we booked, there were only a few reviews, most of them poor. We thought the owners might address the problems because the place was new. It seems they don’t care and are just using it to make money. We urge you not to book here.

The views were phenomenal, and I’ll stay here next time I’m in Santorini. I hope demand for these 3 beautiful United doesn’t send prices through the roof. Fingers crossed. Physically, everything was superb: room quality, cleanliness, privacy, water quality, comfort and lighting. Check-in was easy once I figured out how to reach the building, and the staff were patient and accommodating. I did wish there had been help available for bags. The rooms are down rocky stairs that are hard to manage with wheeled luggage. Luckily, a man along the way took pity on me and carried my bags about 50 meters to the main road. The staff came to clean or add water to the jacuzzi twice a day, morning and night, which made it hard to enjoy the water without interruption before or after going out.

The lower-level unit has a great view and location, and the room is nice, but I don’t think it’s worth the money. There’s no daily housekeeping, though you can ask for towels. After checkout, there’s no luggage storage. Since I was upset, she made an exception and kept our bags for a few hours, but that didn’t make up for everything else. The first night, the people next door were very loud, and the room isn’t soundproof as claimed. They left a mess in our area. I raised all these issues and was told they’d be handled, but nothing really changed. The mess was moved to their stairs, still plainly visible from our unit. The hot tub never worked. When we arrived, she said she was calling someone to fix it. I asked about it three days in a row, and finally got, “OH we had a misunderstanding.” A broken hot tub isn’t a misunderstanding. No one gave us instructions, and it turns out you have to call someone to turn it on because you can’t operate it yourself. There were no instructions in the unit, and she didn’t explain until checkout, when I insisted on an answer. The shower flooded the bathroom, and I had to ask for extra towels to deal with it. I can’t post my video or photos of the mess. Great view, great location, but they need to fix things. Good luck getting a partial refund.

Maria manages the villa, and Elina was especially helpful, walking us through the details and sharing tips for enjoying Oia. The staff catered to every need. Some reviews may be from earlier years under different management, but our stay was just awesome. The setting is hard to beat, just below the famous Lotza restaurant. The blue-domed church, square and old castle are all within a five-minute walk. Views over the blue sea, caldera and cliffs were fabulous. The villa was extremely clean and luxurious, with spacious rooms, modern amenities, fresh linen, and discreet, impeccable room service. There were three jacuzzis with incredible views. Simply the best place we’ve stayed in Oia, Santorini, the most beautiful place on earth. Highly, highly recommended!