The Cyclades Islands, which include Andros, Naxos, and Santorini, are one of the most traveled destinations in Greece. The dreamy white sand beaches, clear, azure water, quaint villages with painted white domes and ancient windmills, friendly locals, and irresistible Greek cuisine are the reasons why the islands are so attractive.
Santorini, one of the most popular of the Cyclades, is unparalleled with its natural beauty of dramatic volcanoes (some are still active), remarkable views of the sea and the mountains from villages 300 feet above, and its astounding sunsets.
Hotels in Santorini take full advantage of the great views of the Aegean Sea, and many are designed with romance in mind.
Note: Most hotels on this list are open seasonally, from about May 1 to mid to late October.
1. Nobu Hotel Santorini
The Nobu brand is known for its understated, small luxury hotels around the globe with impeccable service and dynamic Japanese-influenced cuisine. Nobu Hotel Santorini, which opened its doors in the summer of 2022, stands close to 1,000 feet above the island off a dirt road on the rugged Caldera Cliffs.
There are only 25 rooms and suites, along with five private villas, which gives the feel of being on a luxurious estate.
Upon entering the whitewashed duplex cottage suites, there’s a cozy living room furnished with a wall banquette upholstered in natural linen, dark wood coffee tables, and a woven area rug, in addition to a bathroom suite with a rain shower room. Up a narrow stairway, the bedroom area has a soothing palette of neutral colors with woven hemp rugs, crisp, white bed linens, and stacks of art and design coffee table books.
An outdoor veranda with a plunge pool and a cafe table with black metal chairs has swoon-worthy views of the Aegean Sea. A private bar, complimentary bottled water, a Nespresso coffee machine, and Natura Bisse toiletries are some of the extra goodies included in your suite.
At lunchtime, you can enjoy Greek and Mediterranean specialties with an emphasis on local seafood. The open-air Nobu restaurant, serving dinner, faces the infinity pool. Executive Chef Ricardo Marin, who trained in other Nobu kitchens before coming to Santorini, prepares some of the beloved signature dishes including Nobu tacos, yellowtail sashimi with jalapeno, wagyu dumplings and seafood, black cod miso, and beef toban yaki.
The hotel has a compact fitness center with state-of-the-art cardio and weight training equipment, and instead of a wellness center, clients can have private, in-room spa treatments such as massages.
One of the most scenic hiking trails on the island, the Oia-Thira route, is in front of the hotel with a route that extends 6.5 miles long and leisurely takes about 2 hours to walk.
Pro Tips
- If you are not up to taking the entire hike, go to the hilly village of Imerovigli, which is about 20 minutes away and has tavernas, cafes, restaurants, coffee shops, and crafts and souvenir boutiques.
- The hotel concierge services can arrange activities and excursions such as a sunset catamaran cruise, wine tastings, volcano visits, and guided hikes.
2. Perivolas
In 1969, Manos Psychas — a sea captain from Odessa — bought a property with his wife Nadia near the town of Oia, which had horse stables and a series of ancient caves over 300 years old. They collaborated with craftsmen and stone workers to create an idyllic resort: Perivolas.
Today, Perivolas is one of the premier five-star hotels in Santorini, winning numerous awards including being on the Conde Nast Traveler Gold List and topping the Readers’ Choice Top Hotel awards almost yearly since 2009.
Most of the 20 rooms are suites along with the Lifestyle Studio room and a private villa. The new Perivolas suite, measuring over 1,200 square feet, is the ultimate in privacy in a secluded, private area. It features a semi-private bedroom, living room, its own swimming pool with a jacuzzi, and a bathroom with a sauna.
The brand-new villa boasts two bedrooms with an indoor and outdoor living area and a private infinity pool with chaise lounges overlooking the Aegean Sea.
The Perivolas Wellness Studio has a full gym, and after your workout, you can relax in the outdoor hot tub and enjoy the sea view. There’s also a sauna and a steam room and massages, facials, and other treatments can be customized by their staff of therapists.
Chef Theodoros Kakoulis helms the Perivolas restaurant, preparing a modern, Greek menu with dishes such as slow-cooked lamb with eggplant puree, olives, and hazelnuts, local caught sea bass with lemon confit and zucchini, and grilled octopus with almonds and radishes. The extensive wine list favors Greek and local wines from Santorini but also offers wine from Argentina, France, and Italy.
Other hotel services include a full menu of 3, 5, and 8-hour boat rides and cruises, trekking, and island tours.
3. Nous Santorini
Located in a small village on the flatter part of Santorini, Nous Santorini is a five-star boutique hotel with an emphasis on contemporary, cutting-edge design, nature, and art.
119 rooms start at about 300 square feet, and the suites and bungalows measure 600 square feet to 800 square feet, almost like a one-bedroom apartment. They feature 800-square-foot outdoor spaces with tables, chairs, and a private pool surrounded by plants and greenery. The color scheme of the rooms is earth shades of terracotta, turmeric, and rust, and bed frames and headboards are carved from wood along with mosaic floors. The hotel invited 12 international artists to display their works which hang in the rooms and public spaces.
The main dining space, the Signature Restaurant and Bar, offers a menu with a combination of the best ingredients from Santorini and the rest of Greece in an airy room decorated with marble floors and lacquered red and black dining chairs. Located on the second floor, there are views overlooking the pool and the sea, plus there’s an outdoor, white marble terrace with brightly colored chaises, couches, and dining chairs.
The volcanic soil of Santorini and Mediterranean weather conditions are ideal for growing grapes, which makes for some of the best white wine in Greece. The Oenous wine bar offers an extensive selection and hosts frequent wine tastings with the hotel wine sommelier accompanied by local vintners.
The Nous Spa is the largest in Santorini with five treatment spaces (including a couple’s massage room), indoor and outdoor pools, a steam bath, a sauna, a cold plunge pool, an outdoor yoga and stretching area, and a fully equipped gym. The spa treatment menu includes massages, facials, peelings, and reflexology sessions. After your treatments, enjoy a smoothie or freshly squeezed juice at the Vitamin Bar.
Pro Tip
Just a 5-minute walk from the hotel in the village of Mesaria is Ta Postalia tou Aigaiou, a charming taverna decorated in a nautical theme with blue and white furnishings, lifesavers, and posters and paintings of boats. The authentic Greek menu has classic dishes such as stuffed grape leaves, yogurt and cucumber salad, Spanakopita pie, souvlaki, and honey and nut pastries, all at reasonable prices, at about €20 for two courses.
4. San Antonio Boutique Hotel
Nestled into the ancient rocks on a mountaintop, San Antonio Boutique Hotel is a four-star hotel in the village of Imerovigli and a member of the prestigious Small Luxury Hotels of the World conglomerate. The all-suite hotel features 25 suites in eight categories, ranging in size from 220 square feet to 600 square feet, all facing the Aegean Sea. Amenities include a bathrobe and slippers, a mini-bar, air conditioning, and an in-room safe large enough to fit a laptop.
The Cliff Side restaurant, open for dinner only, serves an eclectic menu of Mediterranean and Greek cuisine complemented by local wines. The big lure is the outdoor dining area with an exceptional view of the jaw-dropping sunsets.
Relax on a chaise lounge in the oversized infinity pool or savor a cocktail at the Sea View Lounge Bar with a backdrop of the red clay mountains and cliffs on one side and the sea on the other.
The San Antonio Boutique Hotel is one of the premier wedding reception and hotel venues in Santorini, perfect for an intimate destination wedding.
Pro Tip
A must-do in Santorini is to take either a daytime or sunset cruise. Captain Ted’s Santorini Sailing company has half-day and full-day cruises on luxurious sailboats with a limit of 18 people, stopping at a secluded beach for a swim and snorkeling, hot springs, views of the old Venetian lighthouse, the Caldera mountains, and volcanic islands. The price includes transfers to and from your hotel, snorkeling equipment, full meals of freshly made Greek specialties, soft drinks, beer, wine, Wi-Fi, and windbreakers. They can also privatize the boat for groups or families.
