Nikos Villas-Santorini
When visiting the incredible Greek island of Santorini, for the best experience, you should look to stay somewhere in Oia. If you are looking for the famous white buildings with blue domes, this is the area you are looking for. Our travel agent put us in the most beautiful traditional hotel, and it was so centralized to everything we wanted to see and do on the island. Read on to hear about our stay and the accommodations available at Nikos Villas.
We arrived in Santorini in the beginning of May in 2022 just after the Covid wave and all of the major restrictions had just been lifted (mask mandates, showing your vaccine records etc). We left Athens at a brutal 7:00 am via ferry and arrived at 11:40 am to the magnificent island of Santorini. The tickets were about $80 per person. We did not arrange transportation from the ferry to the hotel ahead of time as we figured we could just get a cab, boy were we wrong. There were tons of hotel buses lined up to pick up guests, and a super long line at a “super shuttle” type situation that we ended up utilizing. It ended up costing about $25 per person but took about two hours because of all the stops that the shuttle had to make. We were the last stop, but it was totally worth it. Not only did we get to see most of the island, but we saw some of the other properties, and I can tell you that staying in Oia was definitely worth it and the best choice for us based on what we wanted to do and see during our quick two days in Santorini.
This is the archway to the entrance of the lobby.
We finally arrived at Nikos Villas and from the main road it is on the left side facing the ocean. We got out and wrestled with our bags and found the red doors and were instantly transported into traditional Greece hospitality. The lobby also had a seating area and a long desk utilized by the concierge. We checked in and were given a precious ACTUAL key to our room. Not some flimsy credit card looking key but an actual beautiful key with a charming keychain indicating our room number. The concierge helped explain basic navigation of the area with a map and recommended some local places for lunch and dinner. We already had a dinner reservation (I had made it months in advance knowing this was a coveted situation), but she shared with us that it was not facing the sunset and that if we were open to it, she had some other suggestions. Panicked, because this is why people come to Santorini, we gladly accepted her help. She somehow got us ROOFTOP dinner reservations for that evening at a lovely restaurant at the edge of Oia facing the sunset. She also arranged a sunset boat dinner and island tour for us the following evening (as well as transportation to and from the hotel for the event) as well as transportation to our ferry the day of checkout). The service was outstanding the entire length of our stay. Anytime anyone saw us coming or going, they remembered us by name and asked us about our dinner, or where we ended up going for lunch, or if we were looking forward to our dinner cruise, etc.
View of the pool area.
This shows a walk from our room to the pool area at the hotel.
From the pool overlooking the ocean. The views were so incredible.
We were then escorted to our room. Our bags were brought over by the gentleman escorting us, and after showing us how to get in with the key, he gave us a brief tour of the room.
Our room and the neighboring rooms. They each had a little patio feel and overlooked the ocean.
Our room.
View from outside our room.
We got to sit right outside our room and enjoy the views. We could see cruise ships coming in! We also enjoyed breakfast out here each morning.
The property offers:
A stunning view of the Caldera
Breathtaking views of the Aegean Sea
Pool
Bar
Lounge
Communal TV Room
Outdoor Cafe
Daily maid service
Fax machine
Currency exchange
Wi-Fi
Safe Deposit Box
Taxi transport service
Car rental service
Wedding planning services
A beautiful honeysuckle bush on our patio.
Our little sitting room. There was a sofa, a table, extra chairs, a door closing off our bedroom. To the left is a small kitchen situation with a sink.
View from our little sofa. The front door, our front window, the kitchenette.
Everything in the room was very clean and tidy. The walls were all the lovely white you expect when you think of Santorini. We had a sitting room/living room area and a little kitchenette with a refrigerator, an electric tea kettle, a little hot plate, and sink. There was even air conditioning!!
The view from our front window.
Our bedroom.
The firnishings were simple but comfortable. We were only in the room to get ready, change, and sleep so for us this was perfect!
Our bathroom.
The shower was tiny, but did everything it needed to do, and keep in mind you are in a different country than your own, and in a older building so the pipes are very delicate. Nothing could be flushed down the toilet except for natural things, so there was a little bin for your toilet paper, etc.
Little window in between bedroom and living room.
Breakfast was delivered to us on our patio each morning and was a beautiful and delicious spread. The orange juice was extremely fresh, and my favorite was the Greek yogurt and honey!
Facing towards Fira.
You could literally just pop out of your room and onto the path to the main area in Oia. We would see a lot of people passing by on their way, most of them walking from their hotels or even walking from Fira.
Facing towards Oia.
The view from reception towards Oia.
View of the area where the hotel is located from the dinner cruise we took.
From the pool area.
We booked through our travel agent (Shane Lawrence) about 6 months in advance of our trip and our stay at Nikos Villas was booked as Economy Studio with continental breakfast. It also included free Wi-Fi. We stayed two nights, and our cost was $500.45.
An early morning shot.
A zoomed in shot from the walkway towards Oia.
So, if you find yourself planning a trip to Santorini and are looking for a great place to stay, I recommend Nikos Villas. Have you already been and stayed somewhere else you loved? Planning a trip soon? Drop some thoughts in the comments!
