Everyday, Luxury Travel, Europe, Greece

Santo Maris Oia Luxury Suites & Spa: A Sublime Hotel in Santorini

June 22, 2017

Some of the most incredible things in life were created by accident (post it notes, pencillin and plastic to name a few) and the beautiful Greek Island of Santorini is one of them. A volcanic eruption in 1600 created the island’s unique circular shape and subsequent eruptions created further little islets dotted around Santorini. The beautiful landscape gives visitors an utterly exceptional and magical experience and the opportunity to walk along the now tranquil volcanoes and swim in hot springs. I’d seen so many photos of the unparalleled beauty of Santorini’s famous caldera, and to view that world-renowned sunset was an item placed firmly on my bucket list!
My trip was planned, booked and organised by luxury tour operator Classic Collection Holidays who made sure my experience ran smoothly from start to finish! There are so many beautiful hotels in Santorini that I felt a little overwhelmed with choice but Classic Collection Holidays hand-pick the best hotels in order to tailor-make the perfect trip. For our trip they suggested the Santo Maris Oia Luxury Suites & Spa, a five star hotel in the gorgeous village of Oia, and it couldn’t have been better. The expert tour operator cover lots of other destinations too and as well as popular European spots there’s the Caribbean and North Africa.
About two weeks before our trip we were sent a pack including our itinerary, luggage tags and a guide to the Greek Islands plus numbers of emergency contacts. When we arrived at Santorini airport we met with a representative from Classic Collection Holidays, shown to our transfer and driven to the hotel all in around half hour – it really couldn’t have gone more smoothly.
Every room at the hotel is a villa or a suite, each one coming complete with a private pool! With only 44 rooms (two being the larger two bed-roomed villas) you can expect utterly personal service and that exclusive, uncrowded feeling synonymous with luxury hotels.

Room 117 was our home for the next few days and the vast size and number of amenities meant it felt like a self-contained cottage.
Well I say cottage but it was more like a luxury cave! I absolutely love those iconic white washed walls that you see in Greek architecture. Cool and smooth to touch and so beautiful and clean to look at. Our lounge area was super spacious with comfortable squishy cushions to lounge on and a big screen TV.

Adjacent to the lounge is a kitchenette with a fridge packed with drinks included with your stay as well as lots of nibbles and a coffee machine.
The bedroom continued along that the beautiful white cave theme with pretty blue accents, basket details and woven rugs. There’s a chic, uncluttered feeling but the room feels anything but sparse especially with super-luxurious silky sheets, that all-important pillow menu and plenty of light flooding through the terrace doors.
In the bathroom was a fabulous rain shower – you know the ones that are almost impossible to leave?! It was well equipped with these gorgeous Geneva Guild products with relaxing extracts of aloe and cornflower. One word of warning – these stone floors can get a little slippery so watch your step and careful with spraying sun cream and insect repellant.
And if that wasn’t enough… there’s more… every single room has this utterly glorious private terrace with sun beds and jacuzzi – just ripe for soaking up the Santorini sun.
The hotel is on the Northwest of the island and from our pool terrace we had endless views of the Aegean Sea…The hotel is out of the bustle of the Caldera but it’s only a five minute walk into Oia meaning it’s incredibly peaceful, away from the crowds but still in a very convenient location.

I also loved the contrast of the exposed stone walls against the painted white wash – just unbelievably beautiful and so recognisably Greek.
The warm air of golden hour is our favourite time of the day and regular readers will know our tradition of having a glass of rosé as the sun begins to set.
As we were sipping our wine and tucking into a plate of fruit and bowl of crisps… there was a knock on the door and a bowl of fresh strawberries and dipping chocolate was delivered…I mean as if I wasn’t in love with this hotel already?

The perfect way to watch our first sunset as strips of amber, gold and yellow started to appear in the sky and the sea appeared to fill with flames. We took our time getting ready for dinner and watched the final rays of light disappear into the Aegan Sea from the hotel’s Pool Bar – but more on that in my next post. I want to finish showing you around this gorgeous hotel first.

First impressions count so much to me and from the very beginning the Santo Maris Oia Luxury Suites & Spa impresses.

Still very new, the hotel is utterly pristine…and for fellow hotelaholics the lobby ticks all the boxes. From the breathtaking-soaring ceiling, to the spiral staircase and the bright white walls – talk about a dramatic entrance! Here you can find the hotel concierge who is on hand to help with any bookings but if you want anything pre-arranged Classic Collection Holidays is there to organise excursions, experiences and services such as the fantastic local wine tasting that we experienced.

The gorgeous architecture in the hotel is all inspired by traditional Greek design but remains utterly stylish and contemporary throughout. Like our room, everything is white but enhanced with dashes of colour, copper and furniture made from natural materials.

Take a walk to the top of that epic staircase and you’ll find a cosy library and Romantic Bar serving home made cocktails.

But Santorini isn’t about being inside… step outside and sit on the bar’s terrace…

And take in the view from the hotel’s main infinity pool.

Or get even closer at the hotel’s pool bar where you can spend lazy days eating Greek salads, cheese platters and sipping on local wine. The main restaurant, Alios Ilios provides exemplary cuisine for breakfast and dinner and fellow lovers of Greek food will be heaven with a menu of healthy food and Santorinian specialities.

Seriously Santorini is the one of the most romantic places on earth, and at Santo Maris Oia Luxury Suites & Spa every detail is covered for those in the mood for love. Especially these gorgeous sofas over-looking the ocean with sunset views – what Mr S and I call cuddle seats.

This small hotel has not one but four pools!! So it’s no wonder each is relaxed and tranquil – especially given that every room has its own pool anyway. The infinity pool is the largest, with endless blues extending into the sea and sky…

This is Mr S in his absolute element!

The hotel is actually divided into two ‘neighbourhoods’ Vories Sporades suites is served by one pool and there are two in the Dodekanisa suites neighbourhood.
There’s no bars at these pools so they are incredibly private…

Though our favourite place to cool off was our own private pool in the room. Having said that the climate in Santorini with incredibly pleasant with strong breezes being a characteristic of the island. As someone that can’t cope with hot weather, it was perfect for me and very easy to walk around without over heating. June was a great time to visit too, with it being just at the start of the season, the crowds hadn’t yet descended on the beautiful paradise island.

Built into the hillside, it was a pleasure just to explore the exterior of the hotel…

Everything just felt in perfect harmony, fitting with the exquisite nature and culture of the place. The hotel is also dedicated to sustainability and the 200 year old olive tree at the entrance is a symbol of that commitment – stone, wood, cement mortar and marble is used to construct the hotel in a way that is friendly to the environment.
The hotel’s spa completes this perfect picture. Located in a cool cave underneath the hotel, the Revival Spa offers the ultimate in relaxation with AegeoSpas treatments.
A very inviting indoor heated pool is lit up beautifully in this gorgeous grotto and if you delve a little bit deeper into Aladdin’s cave, there’s plenty of places to take a relaxing break. Including a gorgeous hammam, sauna and steam bath.

The treatment room was gorgeous and I enjoyed an incredible relaxing full body massage – but should you choose to go full Greek, the Cretan Massage is recommended. Ancient techniques are employed as are Cretan olive oil, orange distillates and raki in order to achieve balance of body and soul.

Yes…it was an accident that created Santorini and serendipity that took me to Santo Maris Oia Luxury Suites & Spa but there’s no chance that I won’t be returning to this beautiful and magical place.