BEST LUXURY HOTELS SANTORINI
"Searching for the best luxury accommodation in Santorini? Jonathan and his family share their experiences of Perivolas, a small and traditional luxury hotel in Santorini..."
Returning to the luxury hotel Perivolas was like coming home. The more I travel, the more I value a personal connection with a destination or a venue, and Kelly is our link with Perivolas. Kelly is a delightful American woman who appears to have found a home away from home at Perivolas, and who can blame her! I’ve been dealing with her on the phone, online, and in person for many years now, and she is one of the sweetest and kindest people I’ve ever encountered on my travels. Making a booking or an inquiry with her is so much more than a mere business transaction; it’s actually an enjoyable part of the trip planning (in recent times I’ve also been dealing with Majda, and like Kelly, she is a delight to work with).
Perched high on the cliff tops like an eagle’s nest, Perivolas was as serene and beautiful, as Sheira and I remembered. The best way I can describe it is to say that it’s a luxury hotel that’s very comfortable in its own skin.
Perivolas doesn’t have rooms per se, it has actual caves that have been whitewashed and turned into individual houses. When Costis family built the property into a luxury guesthouse from its humble origins, he did everything he possibly could to preserve the integrity and the aesthetics of the caves while he added all the modern comforts guests expect.
The entire Perivolas footprint covers about 14,000 square metres of vineyards, wild fig trees, geranium beds, cactus flowers and bougainvilleas. Each level of the property is carved into the cliff wall, and it’s all finished in blindingly white plaster that reflects the brilliant Mediterranean sunshine. Some of the rooms are so white and rounded that they actually look like igloos! Stone steps link each level, and they’re flanked by hand placed stones and spiky green cactus plants. The whole of Perivolas has that rustic and authentic touch of a sleepy hideaway that I seek out.
Each of the 14 private, air-conditioned ‘houses’ is unique. All of the unique layouts feature vaulted ceilings, bright spacious rooms, domed ceilings and a fully equipped modern kitchenette. The rooms and the furniture are actually designed to work in harmony with the cave walls. It’s really, really cool!
Then there’s the wonderful airy gym, set back into the cliff with an ornate arched window and possibly the most astonishing view of any luxury hotel gym in the world. It’s a view of the ocean and the smaller islands that hasn’t changed for thousands of years. It’s amazing.
Of course, I haven’t even mentioned the staggeringly beautiful infinity pool that is one of the most magnificent and heavily photographed examples of its kind on earth. The seating area that winds around the pool is dotted with white umbrellas that really “pop” in contrast to the sparkling turquoise of the pool water.
Can you tell that I’m fond of this place? But I’m certainly not the only traveler who gets it. Perivolas was recently voted one of the 100 Best Hotels in the World by readers of Conde Nast Traveler 2009 and a stunning photograph of the property has made the cover this year yet again.
We eventually arrived at the luxury cliff top accommodation of Perivolas, and Kelly was there to meet us. We instantly felt at home. Things got even better when Kelly told us that we were in a fabulous Junior Suite with a large balcony. Brilliant!
The Junior suite was a combination of two separate areas, and the numerous arches and nooks & crannies had the effect of making it feel even bigger. This whole concept of renovating and remodeling caves is one I love. It adds an element of adventure to the functionality of the space.
As with most rooms in the Aegean, the main colour scheme was turquoise, navy and white. As I mentioned earlier, everything about the room was molded and rounded. To give you an example of how that translates to a hotel room, the bed was in a nook that had been carved into the cave wall. No angles, no clutter, and just a single lamp next to the bed. The mattress sat on a molded platform, and this gave the impression that the whole thing had grown organically as if it were in a glowworm cave: except, of course, that the cave is brilliantly white, bright, and spotless.
The unique hotel room was fabulous, but for me, the balcony was the real prize. It was a simple stone floor with a low, curved, whitewashed wall and an oversized tub of bougainvillea. I could’ve gladly sat out there for hours on end, just soaking up the sun and enjoying the jaw-dropping view of The Caldera.
Sheira booked a massage on the balcony one afternoon, given by a delightful woman .I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone as relaxed as Sheira was that afternoon. The massage itself was enough, but enjoying it on a sun drenched balcony overlooking one of the most beautiful waterways in the world took it to another level of relaxation.
Perivolas has a policy that it doesn’t accept children under 12 years old as guests. They’re not being difficult or prickly, they’re just instituting their safety policy. Because the property is high on a cliff it has series of very steep steps, and there are no high walls or proper verandah covers. It’s not the safest place in the world for kids. Quite a few of the cliff side hotels in Oia have similar policies.
Well, early in 2009 I called Kelly to tell her that we would be taking our children to Europe in July. It would break our hearts to come to Santorini and not stay at our favorite hotel Perivolas, but we would be traveling with a 16-year old boy and eight year old girl. We were aware of their age restriction and fully understood the reasons for it, but could we come to some kind of arrangement?
Kelly said to leave it with her and she would check with Costis, the owner. Within 24 hours Kelly got back to us with a compromise. They offered us the sumptuous Perivolas Suite at an incredible discounted rate.
The Perivolas Suite is a fully self-contained massive luxury apartment at the very top of the property which means that it’s quite a distance from the main pool. It has its OWN POOL and PRIVATE ENTRANCE, so Zoe (our six year old at the time) could stay there in safety without ever having to negotiate the 30 steep steps down to the main pool or to the dining room.
Staying in the Perivolas Suite meant that we could get a taste of all the luxury and opulence of the property, but Zoe would never be put in an “at risk” situation.
It was a generous offer, but after much thought we graciously declined. Perivolas is such a magnificent property that every facet of it deserves to be fully explored. We didn’t want to feel hemmed in, so we decided to wait until Zoe was old enough to enjoy the full Perivolas experience. But the decision not to stay there was ours. Costis, Kelly and everyone at Perivolas had gone out of their way to try and make things work. They couldn’t have been more helpful and accommodating. That’s why we love it there.
We’ll definitely be back, and we really would like to try the Perivolas Suite, because on our last visit we actually met people who were staying in it and it’s a knockout !!!
Join Jonathan Said and his family on their luxury travel journeys as they share their best restaurants experiences and luxury hotels and resorts holidays around the world. The comprehensive travel tips and ideas include some of the most popular things to see and do at each destination including a local shopping guide, photos, video, music and much more.
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