Esperas

We stayed here on our honeymoon. It was in a great location. Quiet and away from the business of Oia. But, close enough to walk. For the price, we felt the quality of service was just OK. Prices were very expensive. We aren’t sure we would stay here again.

We spent two magical nights here in mid-September and were delighted with our hotel choice. Esperas is located above Ammoudi Bay on the caldera. Most of Oia is actually above it which means that, at sunset, you're not competing with others for a sunset view. On the other hand, you don't get a complete view of the gorgeous bee-hive of white buildings (unless you're looking up), since they are mostly above you, so it's worthwhile to walk up into town in the evening when the day-trippers have left and the town is at its most enchanting. Don't believe those who say it's hard to find your way back at night; Oia is very close to the Charisma windmill, making it pretty hard to miss. We spent both our sunsets dining on the spectacular terrace at Esperas' Ombra restaurant. The food and ambience were superb. Esperas is one of the earliest of the cave hotel restorations and is listed in 'Historic Hotels of the World'. When I was researching, I thought that many of Oia's hotels had a bit of a chichi undertone but Esperas was totally tasteful, authentic and devoid of anything chichi or slick. If you have difficulty coping with a lot of stairs, request a room near the pool and reception area. You'll still have to deal with steps but nowhere near as many as you might if you were staying in other parts of this cascading resort. I had recently hurt my knee and the staff were very accommodating. Our room was small but totally charming and well-located and we would reserve it again in a heartbeat. Request transportation and porter assistance ahead of time. This support is so worth the cost. When Oia is busy with daytrippers, make your way down to Ammoudi Bay to one of the awesome fish restaurants, then return to Esperas to enjoy the sun and cave pool

We have been blessed to visit hotels all over the world, and I must say Esperas might’ve had the greatest view we’ve ever seen from our room, the restaurant, and the pool area. Just spectacular. The room was quirky but somewhat expected because you are on a cliff. They need to replace their rock hard pillows with softer pillows- we did ask for softer ones which they could only accommodate on our second and third nights so our first night was a tough night sleep. Breakfasts were superb, and the dinner was our favorite of our 10 day trip through Greece, great food, a sunset view like none other and reasonably priced given the setting (though the wine and mixed drinks quite expensive). Note - Do not book this hotel unless you are very active and can climb steps to go to and from. The setting is simply amazing.

The BEST PLACE IN SANTORINI to stay!!! My reason is simple, if you seek views Esperas has the best view of the sunsets, all the boat trips gather in Ammoudi Bay below you, all the Oia tourists crowd the Oia castle and surrounding lanes for that sunset view. And yet in Esperas you are quietly appreciating that beautiful setting in peace and quiet. Another reason is that when you are in similar hotels in Oia and Fira, in many cases you are sharing your view with all the tourists passing you by, but with Esperas it is at the end of a quiet path hidden from tourists. You will be relaxing in the pool, not observed by the thousands of cruise ship tourist rushing around on their day trip to Santorini. The general atmosphere is relaxed and romantic. The staff are great and friendly. The rooms are comfortable with aircon and while some are compact it is a nice cosy feeling with an excellent bathroom. I'd recommend a room with a sunset view, all rooms look wonderful. Steps are steep, so not a place to book if you are unable to get around. Easy to get to Ammoudi Bay and Oia. Reports of it being difficult to find are ridiculous as it is very simple. There are two windmills at the top (easy to find) between those windmills is one set of steps going downhill, follow that until the very end and you will find a gate with Ombra, this is Esperas. Car Parks in Oia are a little more tricky, their nearest one is easily located by What3Words location ///imaged.ghostly.elapses when you reach here you can call the hotel and they will send porters to come and collect your bags and show you the way to the hotel. The car parks are very busy in the lead up to sunset, a car is not needed for most of Santorini, an ATV or quad are commonly seen. Buses are cheap and convenient. The hotel will arrange pick up from the airport if needed. The beaches of Perissa are worth visiting, but we also enjoyed swimming in Ammoudi Bay. Breakfast in the Esperas is amazing, try everything! Dinner is very posh, but main meal for 2 with couple of drinks around 100€ with small portions.

reat location and nice private pool but we had a lot of issues. First, the room had a mildew smell. The shower drain was clogged and water goes up to your ankle - which is disgusting and unacceptable even for a 1-star hotel. Hot water in the shower would get cold after the first person showers, leaving the second person stranded without a shower. The room also has an ant issue, and I think pest control is necessary. Service was great except when dealing with Vicky, the supervisor. She interrupted our breakfast on our last day asking us to quickly pack up and leave because the other guests checking in have arrived. She made this request at exactly 11:00, and kept calling our room and sending the bellboys as we were packing over the next 30 minutes to rush us. It is standard practice to let guests check out about 30 minutes late, but her attitude was that of resentment rather than appreciating your customers business and the fact that her customers are the ones that ultimately keep her employed and pay her salary. Very unhappy with Vicky and she is the one that ruined the experience overall - I would’ve rated 4.5 stars but rating 2 starts because of the interaction with Vicky on our check out day.