The Location
The hotel is set on the cliff of Imerovigli near the city centre with views over Santorini’s famous caldera. It is a short walk to the picturesque village of Imerovigli with its beautiful, white facades of the buildings, stone paths and steps and next to a blue domed church. It’s far enough away from Oia to escape the crowds, but you can easily get there with a short taxi or bus and it is only a 25-minute walk into Fira. The view from the entrance of our hotel is pretty spectacular.
The Hotel
Cilon Suites is a boutique hotel with an ethos of “this is your home”. It exclusive with just five luxurious suites in a quiet area of the caldera in Imerovigli with a stunning sunset view and proximity to the main restaurants and bars in Imerovigli. It is located on one of the caldera’s highest point with panoramic views of Santorini’s world-famous volcano. There isn’t a lobby full of guests or tourists with a private entrance to each suite, a private jacuzzi and breakfast served in suite, the place has a feeling of a home not a hotel.
The Room
The hotel rooms have a white facade, with wooden and grey linen tones. The bed is situated low on a white stone slab while there is a small lounge area with grey sofa cushions to the corner into the white stone extension. The rooms have air-conditioning (which is much needed for the summer), a safety deposit box and a flat-screen TV. There’s also plenty of storage space for your luggage.
There is a coffee machine and a mini bar which is stocked with spirits and cold drinks.
There is a mini dress mirror
The views from the windows in the room offer beautiful views and you can even see the caldera from the back of the room.
There is a small work desk with a beautiful view which makes responding to those work emails while on holiday that much more bearable.
The bathrooms have a minimalist cave like feel with shower with good water flow and amenities from Zealots of Nature, a Greek company specialising in personal care and beauty treatment products made from all-natural ingredients such as extra virgin olive oil, organic herbs, plant extracts and essences which are locally sourced.
The Jacuzzi and Terrace
The highlight of the suite is private jacuzzi and terrace. It’s the perfect spot for the sunset views. This is where we spend most of our time, sipping on wine, reading a book, intermittent dips in the jacuzzi, lazing on the sunbed and gazing out at the spectacular views of the Caldera. The jacuzzi is warm with powerful jets which make for a relaxing experience even as the evening breeze flows through.
The hotel offers a light bites menu for dinner. One night we ordered burgers and chips and enjoyed a bottle of fine wine as we basked in the beauty of the sunset.
The Breakfast
Breakfast is a rather splendid affair. There is a link on the concierge page which provides you with an online form which you can complete at your leisure the night before. A broad selection is offered including eggs (any style), omelettes, smoked salmon, ham, salads, pancakes, coffee, freshly squeezed orange juice, bread, fresh fruits and yoghurt. You are served breakfast in the privacy of your suite on the balcony at a time of your choosing.
If you prefer you can plate your breakfast next to the jacuzzi and enjoy it in your swimmers.
Overall
This was an amazing experience. This is an island unlike any other, with beautiful, whitewashed abodes, majestic churches with their blue domes and the red sandy beaches, beautiful port, cobblestone streets with the deep blue Aegean Sea on this volcanic rock. An alluring Mediterranean paradise which has to be seen to be believed. Our stay at this luxurious stay in our clifftop suite in the centre of Imerovigli with the most emblematic views of Santorini was simply magical.
The sunset from our private jacuzzi overlooking the Caldera on our first night set the tone for the stay. The great service started even before we landed in Santorini, the staff were in contact with us around private transfers and our arrangements for getting to the hotel. The staff met as at the transfer and carried our bags up the cliff to the hotel. The hotel specialises in highly personalised private service – none of its facilities are open to the public, it’s all solely for the guests of the hotel. We enjoyed beautiful sunset and sunrise views from our own jacuzzi each day and the pleasure of an expansive breakfast enjoyed daily in the privacy of our own suite.
The location is perfect in that its off the main tourist track but close enough to walk into the main town centre with the town’s bars and restaurants and a short walk away to some fine dining establishments such as Vezene at Cavo Tagoo at Cavo Tagoo and Varoulko at the Grace Santorini. Upon leaving the hotel, all the staff accompanied us to the transfer pick-up point and gave us a hug and farewelled us. The ethos of “it is your home” is certainly true at Cilon Suites, it’s a home with a great view, personalised service with great views. We enjoyed every moment of our stay and our time in Santorini.