Ana Rebeca 4/24/18 Ana Rebeca 4/24/18

Where to Stay in Mykonos: Semeli Hotel

If you’re thinking about visiting Mykonos and need some hotel inspiration (or have no idea where to begin planning your trip), get an inside look at Semeli Hotel in Mykonos Town. This chic and stylish luxury boutique hotel is tucked away in a quiet corner of Mykonos Town, making it perfect for visitors who want to be in the middle of the action without all the crowds and noise. Read more to discover what this sophisticated hotel has to offer guests in Mykonos, Greece!

Semeli Hotel: A Stylish Retreat Tucked Away in Mykonos Town

Like most avid travelers, seeing the iconic white-washed buildings of Mykonos was something high on my bucket list for as long as I can remember. I dreamed of the days where I could frolic through the bougainvillea adorned streets and immerse myself in the Greek culture and island lifestyle. Seeing the bright blue balconies adjacent to the stark white buildings, catching a whiff of the flaming saganaki while I sip my wine, feeling the Mediterranean breeze in my hair while I stare at those famous 16th-century windmills... It was time to make that dream a reality!

My friend Stephanie and I booked a last minute trip to the Greek islands for our birthdays and we settled on spending our short time in Mykonos and Santorini, with Mykonos being the first stop. Now, when I say last minute, I really mean last minute. Like, we didn't even have our hotel booked until about a week before we were leaving. I was super overwhelmed because I normally have so much time to prep before a trip, but not this time! We were down to the wire here!

In the days before our departure, I learned that Mykonos has different towns/villages around the island that you can choose to stay in. I will be the first to admit my naivety that I thought Mykonos and Santorini were all you had to search for and you would find everything you needed in one place and one area. I was so wrong (and honestly can't believe I thought that to be the case haha)!

Each island actually has different towns that you can stay in that give you varying experiences. For example, in Mykonos, you can stay in the main village of Mykonos Town, the beach area near Platys Gialos, or the small village of Ornos (among many others). Each area can give you a different vibe depending on what you're looking for. For example, you can find a quiet, relaxing escape tucked away in the hills, or get down with your bad self at party central on the beach.

We decided to stay in Mykonos Town to have a more centrally located accommodation. Since we went in early May, the beaches were likely going to be hit or miss with the weather (it wasn't extremely hot yet), and we wanted to be somewhere that we could easily walk around without any transportation. We found a last minute deal at this adorably stylish boutique hotel, Semeli Hotel, that was tucked away in a posh area of Mykonos Town.

Getting to Mykonos from Athens

Getting to Mykonos from Athens was pretty easy since they have daily flights to and from the main land. The flight itself is about 30 minutes and if you book with good time, you can find pretty cheap tickets. There are also direct flights into Mykonos from some of the major European cities, like London, Paris, Rome, Amsterdam, Dublin, and more.

You can also take a ferry from Athens, which is cheaper, but it also takes longer (between 2-5 hours). The ferry schedules are also a little inconsistent because of the high/low season availability. In high season, it's more in demand; and in low season, it rarely runs. I would just stick to flying if you can.

ARRIVING TO THE Hotel

Once we landed at the airport, our hotel was just a short 10-minute cab ride away. Our driver pulled off the main street, gave us our luggage, and pointed down towards the stairs that led to the bottom of this inclined hill. I'll admit, these stairs looked flat compared to the situation we dealt with at our hotel in Santorini.

Once we walked inside, I was practically on sensory overload from all the beauty. Every single nook and cranny was impeccably decorated and just oozed style and sophistication. I was so excited to call this place home for the next few days!

A place where impeccable style, comfort, and luxury intersect

In my opinion, one of the most important tasks a hotel designer and decorator has is to make an establishment feel like home for their guests. I mean...think about it: If you feel like you're at home, you're never going to want to leave, right? That's exactly how I felt about Semeli Hotel. I literally never wanted to leave. In fact, I wanted to take every single room and every piece of furniture and decor home with me. It is so stunning!

The hotel is cozy and intimate and offers guests beautiful views of Mykonos Town and the surrounding landscape. You're fully immersed in the natural beauty of this island! The decor throughout the hotel is modern and luxurious, but not so luxurious that you feel like you're in your mother's "fancy family room" and can't touch anything. The entire space feels so warm and inviting with plenty of places to hang out and lounge.

What's not to love about the bright white walls with pops of color here and there? I especially love the hint of juxtaposition with the seemingly older, traditional Greek building matched with all the hip and trendy furniture. If you've been reading my blog for a while, you know that I'm a big fan of this combo! I'm a sucker for old + new.

A place to admire the sweeping views of mykonos

Similar to the rest of the hotel, the guest rooms and suites come full of their own breathtaking details. Can't you just imagine opening up those French Doors to your balcony and smelling the Mediterranean breeze right outside? That's my dream come true! All of the rooms at Semeli Hotel offer guests beautiful views of the sea, town, pool, or garden.

The guest rooms are very comfortable with modern, minimalist decor. There are rooms on the ground levels and upper levels of the hotel (yes, you will have to walk up some stairs, but it's worth it for those views). The garden rooms and lower level suites looked lovely, but I personally prefer being higher up to see everything down below.

We opted to stay in one of the double guest rooms that had a sea view, balcony, and private spa. Some of the rooms offer private hot tub spas either inside or outside of the room. All of the rooms had their own flat screen TV, seating area, and stone and marble bathroom.

We absolutely loved having this room with the private spa outside, which made for a great place to watch the sunset! The private balcony also has a few lounge chairs so you can relax without fighting for a spot near the pool downstairs.

HOW TO SPEND YOUR TIME HERE

Watch an iconic mykonos sunset

You haven't really been to Greece if you didn't watch a sunset, amirite? Having a private balcony that overlooked the sea made for a perfect place to watch the sunset without all the crowds.

Enjoy Drinking or dining on Site

Semeli Hotel has plenty of great options for drinking and dining right on site. Guests can enjoy a massive breakfast buffet every morning right near the pool in the hotel's main restaurant area. During the day, you can also order drinks, Greek or Italian cuisine a la cart near the pool, indoors, or on the veranda overlooking the sea and garden. The hotel is also home to Thioni Restaurant, which offers guests a luxury fine dining experience.

Explore the town

One thing I really, really loved about Semeli Hotel was its proximity to Mykonos Town. The hotel is basically on the beginning edge of the main town, which means you're close enough to get to the main center in less than 10 minutes of walking, but you're far enough that you won't hear the loud music blaring from the nightclubs at 2am. It is the absolute perfect location in my opinion.

That being said, if you can manage to move from your chic abode, I highly recommend exploring the town! It's easy to get lost amongst the windy roads and paths of Mykonos Town, but that's where the fun lies. Go shopping, have some dinner by the sea, enjoy a drink in Little Venice, or go clubbing until the wee hours of the night!

Relax by the pool

There's not much else to say than just, "Enjoy yourself!" The pool is so beautiful and offers a gorgeous view of the surrounding landscape. It was pretty low key and quiet while we were there, but I can see this being a place that gets busy during the hot summer months.

Take time for yourself at the spa or gym

Semeli Hotel has their own spa and gym on site for guests to enjoy. The gym is pretty small, but offers the basic necessities if you want a quick workout during your stay. Contact the hotel for information on the spa services that they offer, which include a variety of massages, facial and body treatments. We didn't have time for any treatments, but hopefully next time!

GOOD TO KNOW INFORMATION

Currency used in Mykonos (and all of Greece) is the Euro.
Reservations for the Greek Islands book far in advance and very quickly, especially during peak season. If you’re thinking about visiting, make sure to do your research with good time on your side.
Free Wi-Fi is available on hotel grounds.
In good traffic, the airport is about 10 minutes away. You can hire a taxi pretty easily from the airport, or arrange your own transportation ahead of time.
Because Mykonos can get very crowded, I recommend getting an early start to see the town—the earlier the better to avoid having hundreds of people in your photos. Plus, the sun won’t be as hot in the early morning so you won’t feel like you’re melting.
If you want to avoid crowds and excessive heat, consider going during a shoulder season (just before or after the peak season in June-August).

While I wouldn't always recommend waiting until the last possible minute to find accommodations when traveling internationally, I have to say that this time worked out in our favor! I fell in love with Semeli Hotel and the 5-star experience they provided us. I'm literally still swooning over the magical colors, style, and decor from this hotel! Overall, I think this was a great choice of hotel for its proximity to town, level of hospitality, and general aesthetic. I highly recommend booking here if you're looking for a luxury boutique hotel in Mykonos Town.

Semeli Hotel
Mykonos Town 84600, Greece

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS HOTEL, PLEASE CLICK THE LINK BELOW

Visit Semeli Hotel

This post may include affiliate links, which comes at absolutely no cost to you. All proceeds go directly back into maintaining this website and making it better for you. All opinions are my own.

Where to Stay in Santorini: Esperas Hotel

Santorini is an idyllic and unforgettable destination that should be on every traveler's bucket list. If you're searching for where to stay in Santorini--or where you can find the best sunset, food, or views--look no further than the settlement of Oia in Santorini. Tucked away along the cliffsides of this colorful island is the Esperas Hotel in Oia. This hotel is the perfect escape for all types of travelers who are looking to enjoy everything Santorini has to offer. Take a look and see what's inside this luxury hideaway to prepare for your once in a lifetime trip to Santorini, Greece!

Esperas Hotel: A Hidden Escape Along the Cliffside of Santorini

Like most travelers with wanderlust, Santorini has been a destination high on my bucket list for years. I mean, YEARS! I can’t even count how many times I fell in love with the sight of those colorful buildings built into the rocky cliffside, the bright white churches with royal blue domes grazing the sky, and the vibrant colors of the Aegean Sea sparkling in front of the sandy beaches. It’s nothing short of a fairy tale setting in the middle of the sea.

When my friend Stephanie and I decided to book a last minute girl’s trip to the Greek Islands, we knew we couldn’t pass up a stop in Santorini for a few days. To be honest, I had no idea where to begin to look for where to stay in Santorini, or that there were even multiple towns to choose from. After some research, we settled on staying in Oia for a few nights (followed by Fira for the other two nights in Santorini). In my opinion, not only does Oia have the best views of Santorini, but also it’s arguably the best place to watch the sunset on the whole island.

We wanted to be able to stay somewhere that we could easily walk in/out of town, watch the sunset near the caldera, and bonus points if the hotel had caves (which, apparently, is a popular thing to experience in Santorini!). Esperas Hotel in Oia proved to be the perfect location for us to stay during our trip—and it checked each thing off our wish list—so we were excited to check it out!

Getting to Santorini from Mykonos

After spending a few days in Mykonos, we took the early morning ferry from Mykonos Town to Santorini. I’ll admit, it did feel a little bit like we were being herded like cattle (and the cattle were some really horrendous, loud international tourists); but after a quick, couple-hour boat ride, we arrived safely in Santorini.

After an experience like that and getting shoved around by obnoxious tourists trying to rush off the boat to see Santorini for the day, I cannot even begin to tell you how happy I was to disembark and see a man from Esperas right at the front of the group of drivers holding a big sign with my name on it. Ahhhh... Our savior! Coming to rescue us from the hoards of people who were practically jumping off the ferry to be first in the taxi line! Normally, it feels pretty good to have a driver pick you up when you arrive to your destination, but this was a whole other level of feeling good.

We loved the fact that Esperas was able to offer transportation services to/from the hotel from the airport or ferry. It makes the experience totally hassle free and starts the day off on a good note! As excited as we were to get the show on the road, we still had a short drive ahead of us to get to Oia, which is located on the complete opposite side of the island from the ferry port. But, none of that matters when you have an experienced driver and lots of beautiful scenery to look at on the way!

Arriving at the Hotel

Once we arrived in Oia, the driver pulled up to a parking lot that was filled with other transport vans marked with various hotel names. He started unloading our luggage and I was super confused... I kept looking around for our hotel, but couldn’t see any façade with our hotel name in front of it. I asked our driver where the hotel was and he pointed towards a cobblestone pathway and said, "That way!". Coming swiftly down the pathway was a tall, skinny man carrying a moving dolly and some bungee cords. My mind was still lost, but it started connecting the dots after a few seconds.

“Well, no shit, Ana...” I thought to myself. “There’s no way that a car can get down the cliffside. We have to climb down some way...” And climb down a few flights of stairs is exactly what we did! After all, you’re not going to get breathtaking views of Santorini and not have to work for it...amirite?

So, Stephanie and I grabbed our purses as the bellman secured our luggage onto the dolly and we followed right behind him. As we huffed and puffed our way up and down those stairs to reach the hotel, we immediately laughed to each other and realized how this man was so in shape. Climbing some cliffside stairs 20+ times per day will give anyone a perfect body! But like I said, you can’t expect to have the best view in Santorini without working a little for it. And boy were we glad we did...

A Luxury Hideaway Where Cycladic Island Style Meets Elegant Simplicity

Once we got down to the main level of Esperas with our luggage in tow, our jaws completely dropped as we took a look around. There it was. That magical view we’d been waiting our whole lives to see was right in front of us. It made every single step on those stairs worth it.

After collecting ourselves (and our jaws from the floor), we headed into the lobby for check-in. We were given a warm greeting by the lovely staff members and immediately felt welcomed and at home. After explaining some brief in’s and out’s of the hotel, we were shown to our room.

Side note: We thought we were impressed by the bellman when he was carrying our luggage on the dolly to the lobby of the hotel. Well...to get down to our room...he had to ditch the dolly! He carried both of our bags above his head and still went down another 5+ flights of stairs. Can you imagine?! In the hot Greek sun! Those men WORK!

Esperas has a handful of different styles of accommodations ranging from sea view studios to spacious “houses” built right into the caves (some even coming with their own private outdoor jacuzzis). Since Esperas is built into the lower part of the cliff, you’re guaranteed to get a magnificent view of the Aegean Sea no matter what type of room you stay in. This was one thing that we really loved about staying here because there was no disturbance coming from any neighboring hotels. It almost felt like we were staying at a private residence with no one else to bother us.

We followed the bellman and the concierge to our room, which was located literally at the very bottom of the stairs—you couldn’t go any lower. We were full on sweating by now, but still blown away by the stunning view from our balcony and the decor of our suite.

Each of the suites and houses in Esperas is decorated and furnished with that traditional Cycladic Island style that everyone thinks of when you imagine Greece—a lot of bright whites and deep blue hues. It was the perfect touch of luxury with a hint of simplicity and elegance. And since our room was at the very bottom of the stairs, we had the most incredible unobstructed view of the sea. I couldn’t have asked for anything more beautiful to experience Santorini for the first time.

How to spend your time here

Watch the sunset

You haven’t been to Greece until you’ve experienced a Greek sunset—and the epic sunsets in Santorini are some of the best you’ll ever see. If you walk through any town of Santorini, you’ll start to see people crowding the streets around 3-4 hours before the sun even begins to set. No joke. People are that serious about catching the best sunset views in Santorini, especially in Oia. They also applaud as the sun goes down. Not joking about that either...

One very popular place to see the sunset in Oia is the Castle of Agios Nikolaos (also known as the Byzantine Castle Ruins). While I highly recommend visiting the castle during your stay (and the earlier the better), you will see that the crowds there start lining up hours before the sun starts to set. I don’t know about you, but I don’t like waiting with hundreds of other people around me for hours. Not worth it, in my opinion.

That’s where Esperas steps in!

Because this hotel is built right into the cliff—which you can actually see from the castle ruins—you basically get a completely unobstructed front row seat to watch the sunset. It really DOES NOT get better than that.

One night, we bought a bottle of wine at a bodega and drank it on our balcony while toasting the sunset. The night after that, we enjoyed the sunset view from the pool level after hanging out at a nearby restaurant. Both experiences could not be beat—AND there weren’t a ton of tourists around to kill the vibe. It really is the best place to watch the sunset in Oia, in my opinion!

Have breakfast while looking over the ocean

This might have been my second favorite experience after the sunset. A very tasty complimentary breakfast is provided to every guest who stays at Esperas. The best part is that you get to choose when and where you want to have your breakfast as long as you order it by a certain time the night before. That means if you want to have your breakfast at 9am while sitting out on your balcony (which is what we did), it will be delivered to your balcony hot and ready at 9am sharp. The menu is pretty extensive and the food was always very delicious!

Relax in the cave pool and sun deck

During peak season, Santorini can get pretty hot during the day. It’s nice to know that there is a refreshing cave pool to dip into and relax right outside your door. Go relax by the pool on the sun deck, sit in the shade and order some lunch, or sip on a smoothie at the pool bar while you cool off for the day.

Walk into town for a bit (and eat lots of pita gyros)

I’m not going to lie. At first, I was wondering if the location of Esperas would be “too far” from the things that we wanted to do in town. After all, we didn’t have a car and needed things to be within walking distance. If you look at the map, or even catch a glimpse of the hotel from the Castle of Agios Nikolaos like I said earlier, you’ll see that Esperas is basically at one end of Oia in addition to being at the lower part of the cliffside.

After spending a few days in Oia and seeing the massive crowds that Santorini can attract, coming back to our place at Esperas was like a dream come true. It was the perfect hidden escape from the crowds and noise of the town. Since it’s located on one end of town, it’s very easy to get to the city center with just a short walk. It's really ideal, especially for people who are looking to have a quiet getaway in the middle of the noise.

When you do make your way into town, just make sure you stop to eat as many pita gyros as humanly possible. My favorite place in Oia was a restaurant called Pitogyros. It’s something I still dream about and miss about being in Greece. *mouth watering*

Eat at Elinikon Restaurant and Check Out the Windmills Nearby

Stephanie and I stumbled across this hidden gem during our trek to the hotel when we were checking in. To be honest, we only went there because we were hungry and had a mad craving for some tzatziki. It turned out to be some of the best food we had during our entire trip in Greece. Every dish we ordered was so outstanding that we literally came back here every day that we were in Oia. They also have an adorable rooftop bar that makes for a great spot to watch the sunset!

Once you grab a bite to eat there, you can walk over to see the old windmills that are right next to it. The best part is that the restaurant and windmills are located just at the top of the hill on the way down to Esperas. It’s a great pit stop on the way back to the hotel or on the way out into the town.

Other notable mentions:

Take a boat ride around Santorini
Hike from Oia to Fira (another popular town about 2 hours away by foot)
Tour a winery
See the Red or White Beaches
Experience the popular nightlife during peak season
Book other excursions through the concierge

Good to know information

If you’ve read this far, you know that there are quite a few stairs to get down to the hotel from the top, so make sure you wear comfortable shoes.
Reservations for the Greek Islands book far in advance and very quickly, especially during peak season. If you’re thinking about visiting, make sure to do your research with good time on your side.
Ask the concierge or booking staff if you can arrange transportation to/from your point of entry into Santorini. It is completely worth it and saves the hassle of trying to figure it out on your own.
Because Santorini can get very crowded, I recommend getting an early start to see the town—the earlier the better to avoid having hundreds of people in your photos. Plus, the sun won’t be as hot in the early morning so you won’t feel like you’re melting.
If you want to avoid crowds and excessive heat, consider going during a shoulder season (just before or after the peak season in June-August).

Esperas proved to be the missing puzzle piece in our search for the perfect location for an epic girl’s trip to Santorini. This luxury boutique hotel is truly a hidden gem of Oia and I highly recommend it to travelers who are looking for simple-yet-chic elegance, outstanding customer service, unbeatable views of the Aegean Sea + sunset, and a great value for what you’re paying. We can’t wait to return to Esperas on our next trip to Santorini!

Esperas Hotel
Oia 84702
Santorini, Greece

For more information about this hotel, please click the link below

Visit Esperas Hotel

Thank you to Esperas Santorini for hosting our stay. And a special thank you to all of the incredible staff members who made our visit spectacular. This post may include affiliate links, which comes at absolutely no cost to you. All proceeds go directly back into maintaining this website and making it better for you. All opinions are my own.