mileaday

My sweetie and I will be staying here for three nights in Sept. It looks great on the website but was wondering if anyone has first hand knowledge that they care to share. I am scheduled for knee surgery tomorrow and was interested in the steps situation to get to these suites since some of the hotels seem to involve a good amount of step climbing to get to them. Thanks

brotherleelove2004

I am familiar with the Aspaki Suites. The Oia Castle wasn't finished last year when I was there, but someone sent me an email last week raving about the new rooms, especially the one with the private pool.

As far as the Aspaki Suites are concerned, they're absolutely first and foremost my favorite of all the rooms I toured (purposely) last May-June. The owner, Dimitris, has done an outstanding job putting them together. He's very creative and shows a pleasing sense of style and humor in the way he's decorated them. I'd love to stay there. You'll really enjoy them. Which one did you choose?

And don't worry about steps, there are practically none to get to the Aspaki Suites.

mileaday

Thanks for the reply Brotherleelove2004. I booked the Romeo and Juliet suite for our stay. Actually, it was because of one of your posts that I looked into staying at this hotel. I'm glad to hear about the lack of steps since I'm not sure how step worthy my knee will be by then.

brotherleelove2004

Be prepared for a few steps since the R&J is on the lowest level. But still, it's nothing compared to what is required to reach most hotels.

Fishshe

We had the pleasure of staying at Aspaki a few weeks ago. It was amazing. We booked Deep Blue, but at the very last moment upgraded to Endless Blue.
We did go down the steps once to check out the view from there... so be prepared.

However all of Oia (shopping, resaturants) requires navigating steps to some degree, so you have good motivation to work hard on your recovery.

Aspaki is in the most wonderful location. Tourists and artists daily line the walk to admire the view from there. You will feel speical indeed as you walk by them to enter the gate. The city of Oia surrounds you, and the view the town at night is so romantic. The caldera view is awesome... but the night lights were really special.
You made a great choice!
Get to work on your recovery exercises so you can enjoy Oia completely!

mileaday

Fishshe, I'm so glad that you were happy with the Aspacki suites. Now.I am even more anxious for Sept. to arrive. Would you care to elaborate on your stay in Santorini? I've been filling a file with restaurants and things to see and do while we're there but I'd love to add to it. Thanks

Fishshe

Aspaki Endless Blue was so captivating that we never did any of the exploring we intended. I had a list of vinyards to visit and beaches to see... but we were most content to sit on the deck and soak it all in. Our apartment had a 360º view, and no matter what time of day or night there was something wonderful to capture our attention. Twice during our 4 night stay there were professional photo shoots right at our gate. One was for a high style men's fashion publication... they had quite a crew and a number of wardrobe changes. The path to our door was often lined with artists and tourists admiring the house and the view. It became a daily ritual to invite someone in to see the view from the deck. Normally I would never consider inviting a stranger into my home, but it was the highlight of our trip. We met the most interesting people and they were most appreciative and thrilled to have the opportunity. It really is a unique location, perched at the edge of a promentory and suspended on the cliff.

The first morning I awoke at 7 AM and wandered the streets looking for a restaurant or shop to buy some coffee. There are many bakeries that we spied the evening before and I was looking forward to some fresh pastry. Alas, Oia (as we found most everywhere in Greece) is not a town for early risers. Nothing really opened till 9. After a long and lovely walk, taking many photos in the morning light.. I finally found a grocer putting out his wares and convinced him to let me make a purchase of some Nescafe, sugar, cream and yogurt. So be prepared and shop for essentials the night before.

We spent the day (when not entertaining strangers) exploring Oia. Even if you aren't into shopping, the variety and quality of the merchandise is quite entertaining.
There are a number of cafes and restaurants to stop for a snack and admire the view or watch the tourists wander the streets. Town seemed to get very crowded around 11 as the cruise ships arrived in Fira and the buses headed to Oia. It quiets down again around 5 PM.
We had dinner 2 nights at Kastro. Dimitris made reservations for us the first night at their VIP table, and it is THE place to watch the sunset. All the food was excellent, but most memorable was the chocolate souffle.
Our favorite restaurant was Candouni. A bit hard to find, since it isn't on the main drag, but definately worth seeking out. The owner and his wife were the most welcoming and gracious people we met during our entire trip. Stop for an after dinner drink at least. THe atmosphere is very romantic and the meal was excellent.

I took hundreds of photos. I was fascinated with the doors. Each is unique and has character. Dogs and cats are abundant. They aren't annoying or obviously begging. None were scrawny or looked underfed. They were quite charming and certainly added to the atmosphere.
Ask Dimitris to arrange transport for you from the airport (or Ferry). That was most helpful to have a taxi waiting for us... and it was great to know in advance how much the charge was going to be. If you haven't heard by now... taxi drivers are free spirits and quite imaginative when it comes to pricing for the trip. Be prepared.
Dimitris and his crew of fellows met us at the taxi when we arrived and whisked away our luggage while Dimitris strolled with us, providing suggestions and info along the way to Aspaki. I could hardly process all that he was saying, since I was totally blown away by the charm of the narrow winding streets and the surreal view of the caldera. No matter how many pictures you see you just aren't prepared for the reality.
OK... enough for now. This is probably not the place to do a trip report. But I couldn't resist since you asked ;-)

Enjoy... I know you will. And send me an email if you would want the link to view our photos on Photobucket !

butter924

brotherleelove,

I am deciding between Art Maisons and Esperas...since you have been to both, which would you recommned in terms of best view? The Endless Blue Suite is more expensive than Esperas, is it worth the extra cost?

brotherleelove2004

Esperas has an unobstructed sunset view but a partially blocked view of the caldera. Aspaki has a partially blocked view of the sunset and an unobstructed view of the whole caldera including much of Oia itself since it sits out away from the cliff on a promontory. What you get at sunset from the Aspaki is the ability to watch the colors change over the whole island.

Bigginsfam

I've loved reading all the wonderful comments about Aspaki Art Maisons as we will be staying there for 3 nights in 2 weeks!
I am so excited! We are taking our 3 sons in their 20s on a 2 week trip to Greece that will include Athens, Mykonos, Santorini and Naxos. We will be together everywhere except Santorini. We thought halfway thru all our trip we'd all appreciate a little space! So my husband and I will be at Aspaki and our guys are on their own in Fira with the nightlife!! Altho they may end up part of the time at the Oia youth hostel as it receives great reviews.
Thanks again for posting the great experiences at Aspaki and positive comments-certainly adds to our excitement!
Jenni in San Diego

beanweb24

Candouni was also our favorite restaurant, and I wholeheartedly agree with the description of the owner and his wife (and his kitty Didi). We also loved Kastro for lunch - twice - but never had dinner there. Can't speak to the chocolate souffle, but the olives stuffed with cream cheese and fried in beer batter suited us well.

mileaday

Fishshe, I'd love to see your pictures of Greece. Do you have them posted on a site that I can access? My mouth is watering.

Fishshe

sure. didn't know if I could post a link.
THere are two Greece albums. Oia, and More Greece. enjoy ~!
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v109/LakeMurrayFish/

brotherleelove2004

You might all be interested to know that I have received an email today from the owner/operator/designer of the Aspaki Suites to tell me that the new Oia Castle Suites are now open for business. The ArtMaisons website has a link. 3 of the 4 Castle suites have photos, one is still only a drawing. They look fantastic, and the view of the sunset is spectacular.

cheryl8

Fishshe, your pics of Oia are gorgeous! Been there last week but my pics did not look as gorgeous as yours. Is there a way I can print one of them, of course, with your permission? Thanks.