An incredible stay at the North Santorini
I love when hotel experiences take a surprising turn. You have certain expectations and they are not just met but exceeded. North Santorini was one of these rare examples. While I thought that our hotel stay in Paros will be the real highlight of the ten-days-trip, it turned out that North Santorini is the real winner of this trip’s hotel choices. The arrival was already amazing driving up the windy road from the ferry port and then heading towards the picturesque town of Pyrgos (the real highlight of Santorini) before making a turn left and reaching the resort at the end of a panoramic road. We were pulling up to the main entrance with our rental Smart and immediately after entering the glass doors we were blown away by how the architecture made this incredible view even more amazing. Soon after the first excitement settled, Donna was checking us in and immediately began to show us around the property. Having passed their amazing spa with an indoor pool (which we truly wanted to visit but the infinity pool caught our attention too often), we passed by the restaurant until we reached our suite for the next two nights.
When Donna opened the door to our suite, we realized that we were kindly upgraded to a Honeymoon Suite with a Private Pool. Here it is to say that all suites come with either a private Hot Tub or a private pool – so there is no need to worry about the private pool experience in Santorini. Obviously, all categories here have views that are just amazing and we could have stayed inside the suite throughout the entire stay. However, we wanted to experience a bit of Santorini as well and we also got stuck by their mind-blowing infinity pool with probably the best pool views I have ever had. So no wonder we managed to swim in our private pool only after dinner while enjoying the night view of the island. Back to the basics, our suite was very airy with a huge focus on the views. The heavenly bed was located in the centre of the room and therefore had the best view from the first moment of waking up till going to bed and watching the lights of the island. Next to the bed was a seating area with plenty of space to lounge or put clothes on. Right behind the bed was a writing desk area with a wardrobe just next to it.
We very much appreciated the coffee machine with capsules for an afternoon treat in between swimming and sun lounging. My colleague was definitely in love with the bathroom design and the vast shower. Fortunately, the toilet was separated by a proper glass door which is always highly appreciated when travelling with friends. While bathroom amenities were by the lovely-smelling Greek-based brand Apivita and provided plentifully, they didn’t provide shaving kits on site. Housekeeping service was done once daily, which was not a problem since we spent all day at the pool or exploring and didn’t spend much time in the suite itself. As mentioned earlier, the highlight of this room category is the amazing private infinity pool with one side fully covered in glass. With a measure of approximately 4 meters by 6 meters, it is definitely one of the bigger private pools we have had so far. Overall I found the suite to be very comfortable and we really felt at home during the three days at North Santorini.
I have written about their amazing infinity pool a bit earlier in this article. It is always a hard decision whether to spend the day at the private pool just the two of you or head to the main pool where all the action is and they even have an F&B offer. In the case of North Santorini, they had an amazing local wine choice, great drinks as well as a very good Sushi selection (they said it’s the best on the island). Of course, we also tried the poolside classics just like the Black Angus Burger and we have to say it was extremely good and fresh. We still don’t get over the amazing view from the refreshing infinity pool. After all, we spent two full days just lying at the pool all day under the Mediterranean sun then have a sunset drink aka a bottle of Rosé before dressing up and heading to Oia via Imerovigli. Honestly, it was the best time I have had since the pandemic and probably the best trip of my life. The vacation feeling kicks in when your only question of the day is where to head for dinner after having spent the whole day on either the beach or pool.
Should you decide not to take a rental car (which by the way is a must-do to be flexible around the island), then you have to reserve a table at Madame Sousou just opposite the hotel. We dined at some amazing places during our eleven-days-long trip however the view combined with the attentive service and amazing tapas dishes made this place really stand out. On the next morning, we enjoyed a wonderful a la carte breakfast at the breakfast room of the North Santorini. Every course is served and they don’t offer any kind of buffet which is really relaxing after waking up. The quality of the products was good and service very quick and friendly. They really tried to accommodate every wish and we observed that they even welcomed guests long after 10.30 am (the time breakfast is supposed to end). In the end, the only regret we had was not visiting the gym or make pictures of the stunning spa area. But the good thing is that there are reasons to come back.
We have seen another recently opened hotel in Santorini on this trip in the same price range and therefore can do the justice perfectly. North Santorini not only met our expectations, but also exceeded them above and beyond. From the perfect design, the amazing views, and the unique suites to the personal service and high quality of the food – we were just blown away and wished we could have stayed the entire time on Santorini! Considering the price and what you get, this is a real bargain for Santorini and I can just highly recommend staying at the North Santorini. You will thank me later when you head to Oia or Thira for the day, and then head back and be grateful for the peace and tranquillity at the North but still having stunning vistas. Overall it’s been the highlight of our trip and we would definitely come back one day.
We were guests of North Santorini Luxury Spa Hotel for editorial purposes. The review expresses our own opinion and hasn’t been influenced.
