Oia Mare Villas

Getting there takes strong knees. You have to climb hundreds of uneven, precarious steps, up and down, so the website should explain how tough the access is. And please be generous and kind to the porter. Once we made it, we paused to take in the magnificent view. The orange juice at check-in was welcome after the climb, though I wondered if it was really orange juice. I offered mine to the porter, whose name I can’t remember, because I felt bad after he carried two heavy bags up all those steps. It deserves a place among the labours of Hercules. The room was clean and had everything we needed. The room cleaner was very nice and accommodating, and breakfast was in a relaxing area. We had a great view of the famous Santorini sunset and loved sitting with wine to watch it. The hot tubs were private compared with places where people pass right beside you, and nighttime was quiet and peaceful. If we return to Santorini within the next five years, we’d definitely stay again at the Oia Mare Villas.

The property is beautiful and has a great view. Our stay was wonderful overall, despite an issue with breakfast. When we saw the chef later, they greeted us warmly and I believe they were trying to address what happened. All the staff were great. The private villas can get a little noisy when visitors ignore the guests-only sign, and the poolside can be a bit hectic in the late afternoon, depending on the guests. But we’re all in Santorini to have some fun. We’ll return. Thanks for the hospitality.

We had a cave suite with a hot tub for our honeymoon, and it was a really excellent stay. The room was spacious, and we loved relaxing in the tub in the evenings once it cooled down. The hotel was in a great spot in Oia, with a lovely pool and plenty of sun beds. We booked a hotel transfer for 55 euros each way, and porters carried our bags down all those stairs. Our flight was very late after the 11 o’clock checkout, but the staff kindly let us keep using the pool, sun beds, and bar service. They also offered showers and stored our luggage until a porter took it up to the transfer area. A really great experience, and I’d recommend staying here in Oia.

The rooftop patio gave us a private place to watch the sunset, which was a relief when thousands of people were crowding onto west-facing stairs for a view. The front desk staff also helped us book ATV rentals and restaurant tables, and gave us recommendations. We spent four nights here for our honeymoon and first anniversary. Check-in took five minutes, and we got complimentary champagne. Staff carried our bags from the airport shuttle down many stairs to the room. The free airport shuttle is only for direct website bookings. Through third-party sites, it costs $55 for two people, which seemed reasonable. Transfer staff waited in arrivals with a big sign, and our friendly driver offered water, then shared ideas for things to do and see during the 20-minute ride. Our cave suite with a hot tub was very large, clean, and modern, with a nice bathroom and cold AC. The tub was partly inside the cave, which we preferred to having it in the sun. Breakfast was good, about 4 out of 5. As someone from North America, I would have liked more “American” choices, and a self-serve espresso or cappuccino machine would be a useful, inexpensive addition.