Helianthus Suites

We booked the honeymoon suite in December for a May trip, more than five months ahead. Then, nine days before we were due to travel and two days before our wedding, Helianthus emailed to say the hotel had cancelled our reservation because it was “overbooked.” There was no apology or discussion, just a cancellation notice and refund. It was incredibly stressful, and things got worse. I’d booked airport transport directly through the hotel. We assumed that if they cancelled our room, they’d cancel the ride too. When we landed in Santorini, a driver was waiting with a sign bearing our name, but no hotel name. We thought he was taking us to the new hotel we’d booked after Helianthus cancelled. Ten minutes into the drive, he called Helianthus reception. We were confused, then realized he was their driver. Thankfully, he tried to help. After eight attempts to contact our new hotel for us, he dropped us off there. The new hotel’s driver was also waiting at the airport, so we had to pay two drivers. Helianthus didn’t apologize or help sort anything out. I would absolutely never recommend this place.

The view was breathtaking, and the hot tub was great. The bed was comfy and the A/C worked well. Dennis was a top-notch host, and the stairwell down to the suites was wonderfully bright. These suites were the highlight of our vacation. We highly recommend them!

The views were hard to beat, and this was an amazing stop on our honeymoon. We were met at the taxi, and a porter carried our bags the whole way. The same happened at checkout. Dimitri arranged taxis and booked us dinner, like an on-call concierge. He even gave us a bottle of wine for my husband's birthday.

The stairs were a bit of a hassle, but that’s just how it is in Santorini. Once you’re down from the main avenue, there’s no noise or people bothering you. Everything’s close by, and the view over Oía and the sea is amazing. We loved the place so much we thought we’d like to live there. The hot tub was always running, so in hot weather it felt like a sauna. We’d probably prefer a cooler pool, though at night it was perfect. It’s not cheap, but it’s not expensive either for what you get. Good value, totally worth it.