Secret Gem Suites

I appreciated that the person who greeted us was kind and understanding. The stay itself fell short, though. Getting there was difficult, and finding a taxi was neither easy nor comfortable. Leaving the room felt like a struggle each time. The online photos didn’t look like the place we found, and the listing gave what I felt was a misleading impression. I wouldn’t stay again or recommend it unless access and the accuracy of the presentation improve.

We had to find somewhere else to stay because of the room’s condition, and after a week of trying to get a refund, management had offered little help. For what this place costs, arriving to an unclean room was unacceptable. The property manager acknowledged that it hadn’t been cleaned before we arrived and wasn’t up to standard. There were crumbs and hair near the beds and kitchen. The A/C leaked continuously once switched on, soaking a towel in about an hour and leaving around 3 mm of water by the entrance a few hours later. The room smelled moldy, possibly because of the A/C, and there were visible mold marks on the main bedroom ceiling that looked as if someone had tried to rub them off. What we’d booked online was very different from what we found at Secret Gems. I’d tell others to avoid this poorly run accommodation.

We had a romantic evening in the balcony jacuzzi at sunset. It felt private enough, and the breakfast was great.

We stayed in the hazel suite, which had two bathrooms, a bedroom inside the cave, and a living room with everything we needed. Breakfast was delicious, and our host Nikos was extremely polite and more hospitable than we expected. The harbor setting in Oia gave us plenty to watch. Nikos recommended a catamaran trip, which was a good way to relax and see the island from another angle. A taxi can take you to the harbor, or you can walk down and back up the 300 steps. Good exercise!