My wife and I stayed four nights at the Anastasis in June 2008, and had so extraordinary of a stay at such reasonable cost that we felt obliged to review the hotel at length. We organized our review by location, service, amenities, cleanliness, and value.

Location. The Anastasis is in the “village” of Imerovigli atop Santorini’s western cliff facing the caldera, and so provides spectacular views of the sea, Santorini and Thirassia, and sunsets. The hotel lies both on the main road connecting Fira, the island’s main and busiest city which is south of Imerovigli, and Oia, a popular and tranquil village which is northwest of Imerovigli, and on the footpath that runs along the cliff from Oia to Fira and beyond. The Anastasis is about ten minutes by car or bus and about thirty-five minutes by brisk walk from Fira, and about fifteen minutes by car or bus and about one hour and twenty minutes by brisk walk from Oia. The hotel provided a sheet of information listing the schedule of the Fira-Oia bus, the cost of a ride on the bus to either Fira or Oia, and the range of prices typically charged by taxi drivers for a ride to either place. Walking along the footpath offers beautiful views and charming glimpses of the island but for most people is not the main mode of transport to either Fira or Oia. Late in the evening after dinner, for example, few people choose to walk back to the Anastasis from Fira, and fewer still from Oia. Imerovigli is virtually a shell of a village consisting of several hotels and few restaurants; the nearest grocery store to the Anastasis is about ten minutes by foot from the hotel up a steep section of the footpath toward Fira. Although ill suited to those who wish to be at the center of activity and within a short stroll of a different restaurant every night, the Anastasis is well situated for those who wish to split their time outside a hotel between Fira and Oia and to relax in serenity among gorgeous views.

Service. The service provided by the staff – particularly Despina, Katrina, and the young gentleman who maintained the premises and delivered food and drinks – was extraordinary and the best we have encountered anywhere. When we arrived at the hotel to check in, Despina and Katrina greeted us as we stepped out of the van which they had arranged to pick us up from the airport at our request, and welcomed us with warmth and enthusiasm. Despina told us the hotel’s commonsense rules – for example, guests must rinse themselves underneath the outdoor shower before entering the pool – and then Katrina sat down with us for about fifteen minutes to provide an overview of the island and hotel, including numerous helpful recommendations and pieces of information such as what to do, where to eat, and how to rent a car (which she offered to arrange for us, including delivery of a car to the hotel). Minutes after we arrived at our room, the young gentleman delivered complimentary cocktails and snacks. From then until we checked out, the staff could not have been either less intrusive or readier to assist with any of our requests, demonstrating a remarkable sensitivity to guests’ comfort and enjoyment. There is one qualification: to guests of a sensitive disposition, Despina may seem, in a word, overbearing. But this had no effect on our stay and likely resulted mostly from the tremendous pride that she takes in providing superior service.

Amenities – Rooms. The hotel, a three-storey building designed simply and elegantly and painted white with green trim (a relief from the clusters of white buildings with blue trim scattered throughout the island), consists of about ten “apartments,” each of which faces the caldera and therefore has majestic views. When we contacted the hotel in January to reserve a room for four nights in June, we had to change our desired time of visit by a week to reserve any room and even then the best available, an apartment in the center of the first floor, was among the lowest class of apartments. We suffered not at all: our lovely room was spacious enough and of average comfort, contained a helpful kitchenette, and, like all the apartments, had an outdoor patio with furniture and views of the sea and caldera. The hotel’s lounge contained a large television, a decent selection of books, including materials about Santorini and Greece, and a computer with access to the Internet which the hotel allowed guests to use free of charge (although Despina said she would charge us if we were spending too much time using the computer).

Amenities – Water. The hotel’s pool is sizeable and was immaculate as a result of the young gentleman’s continual attention to it, but was merely “naturally heated,” in Despina’s words, which may be eco-friendly or quaint but was insufficient to prevent our feeling a shock of cold each time we entered the pool, even at the highest temperature of the day. Probably as a result, the pool was often vacant. Just north of the pool, the jacuzzi is perched atop the lounge at its western edge abutting the cliff and offers a breathtaking experience at sunset. Use of the jacuzzi required a reservation, and Despina required us to check in before we could reserve it – a potential problem for short-term guests who might discover upon checking in that the jacuzzi is already booked for the duration of their stay. On the day we checked in, we requested the jacuzzi for the first available sunset, which was four evenings later. It was a beautiful hour, replete with complimentary white wine and snacks including dolma, feta, and tomatoes, delivered by the young gentleman with disarming courtesy.

Amenities – Food and Drink. Although without a restaurant, the Anastasis offers from its kitchen two types of breakfast and, from 12:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m., a good selection of very reasonably priced light fare. One breakfast, priced at eleven euros, consisted of fruit, an egg, orange juice, and coffee or tea with milk, along with a large combination of bread and pastries. The other breakfast, priced at fourteen euros, was largely the same but included an omelet instead of an egg. The menu of light fare included salads, a plate of fruit, a club sandwich, beer and wine, and several other beverages including bottled water, soda, juice, and coffee. All of the hotel’s food was very good, and the young gentleman delivered each order, no matter how small, with exquisite care. By ordering frequently from the hotel and by purchasing some food and drinks from the nearest grocery store and storing them in our room’s refrigerator, we saved a good deal of money that we otherwise would have spent at Fira’s and Oia’s pricey cafes and restaurants.

Cleanliness. The Anastasis was immaculate. The young gentleman was fastidious at maintaining the order and cleanliness of the premises and especially the pool, to which he continually tended as though with love. The staff kept the hotel and our room spotless, and even organized the clutter of our belongings each day they cleaned our room. Despite the numerous insects, lizards, and other creatures in the area around the hotel, we found not one of them in our room during our entire stay.

Value. Our room was 155 euro per night which, given our experience at the Anastasis, was such a good value as to induce some guilt in us. We ordered repeatedly from the hotel’s kitchen, and yet at the end of our four-night stay our room-service bill was just 61 euros, leading us to feel almost as if we were taking advantage of the hotel. These are not small sums but are extremely favorable compared with the exorbitant prices charged by other Santorini hotels which I highly doubt offer a stay better than the Anastasis experience.

We recommend the Anastasis wholeheartedly.