Headed to Santorini next July and struggling between staying at Esperas or Ikies. Would like a A rated place with good pool, poolside and best views.

We loved Esperas--especially the pool.

Another vote for Esperas! Perfect in every way.

Thanks bobthenavigator and images2. Truly appreciate your feedback Im really leaning towards Esperas.

Brotherleelove, any recommendation between Esperas, Ikies and Aspaki?

I would definitely go for Esperas - it is wonderful. The staff are fantastic. The best thing is that if you want to visit the lovely fishing port + tavernas at Ammoudi below, Esperas has a path to the stairs which acts as a serious shortcut to what would otherwise be a gruelling journey. Mornings at Esperas are the best, before everyone wakes up. And then there are the sunsets... ahhhhh

Thanks hnberlin. Im sold on Esperas.
No one has said anything positive or negative about Ikies.

Thanks again.

That path from Esperas is not for the faint of heart. I started on the path and had to turn back and take the long way. Only draw back on my stay at Esperas is the tiny bathroom we had. That might be b/c we got the studio. I've seen bigger bathrooms there. And for the views you get, who cares about the size of the bathroom.

The pathway to Esperas from the parking area is also not for the faint of heart. Esperas told us that they have men carry the bags down as donkeys could not handle the path.

thanks HappyTvlr. Were there any other negatives about Esperas? Can you compare to any other of the up-market hotels?

Esperas was fine and Oia is a better location than Fira. The beds were very comfortable and the room nicely appointed with quality toiletries. The majority of the guests were from the U.S. After a month in Greece,though, we missed having the warm, friendly Greek staff we had found at our other hotels; Esperas' staff seemed to be E. European and surly at times. The manager Yvonne was helpful however.The breakfast was average. Views from the room, private patio and poolside terrace were wonderful; the pool was cold and no one used it during our time there
( late September).
To be honest, Santorini was our least favorite place in Greece. The view was beautiful but the towns too crowded, and touristy and beaches could not compare with the other places we visited. We had hoped to go to Akrotiri but it was closed due to the tragic accident shortly before we arrived. We're glad we saw the view;we will return to Greece, but not to Santorini.

Happytrv,
I am very glad you posted your opinion. I have been struggling with Esperas vs. Lavos Oias which looks perfect for our family but has no pool. I have a 13 and 16 year old and I almost hate to go without a pool however, our friends who stayed at Volcano Villas said their boys did not use the pool. We will be there in mid June. Were there other families there or mainly couples. I also don't want to be in honeymoon heaven. Not a good mix. I have reviewed hotels ad nauseum and Esperas and Lavos Oias look best because of location and view. I really would like a decent sized somewhat private terrace. I think I will cut a day off of our trip.

Ikies has gotten rave reviews on tripadvisor.com and in my communications with them, they have been incredibly friendly and patient with my questions.
I've booked a room for the end of May. Hopefully we will just miss the crowds.

I am very excited, particularly as this is trip is a surprise for my husband. I can't wait to see his face when he sees the view from our private hottub!

When we were at Esperas there was mix, some honeymooners but they were not the majority. There were no kids but it was late September.

Thanks Happytrvlr,
As a chronic insomniac one of the most painful hotel nights of my life was being in the room next to honeymooners. I just prayed my son would not wake up. I never want to relive that again. I think we are going to stay at Lava Oias.

We have just come back from our 3rd visit to Esperas. I'm very tempted to try other hotels in Oia but we love the calm atmosphere at Esperas. We also prefer the locations, which is on the "other side" of Oia so you cannot see the volcano from Esperas. What is fun is listening to the crowds clapping and cheering from the castle up high as the sun dips. I do not find the staff surly at all! As for a mix of honeymooners, there are a lot of couples there (including gay ones) but not sure if they are necessarily on their honeymoon. There are lots of other types of travellers, older people, etc. I've never seen anyone cooing or being over the top. I'm sure teenagers would love the adventure of hiking up and down those stairs!!

As for the rooms, we have stayed in a suite, a regular room and a studio. The studios ARE small, no doubt about that. The regular rooms are lovely (i think they are about 250 Euros) and the suite is nice but you are paying mostly for a jacuzzi and the novelty of having one of those wore off a long time ago. The breakfasts can be a little same-y but if you are only there for a few days, it shouldn't matter. most people just sit there in silence, absorbing the view. It's wonderful - no matter where you stay in Oia - to watch the ships coming and going. They glide on the water, you can't hear them and it's just mesmerising. As for crowds, Oia definitely crowds up when the cruise ship passengers arrive in the late morning. In the morning, it is practically empty. In the evening, nicely buzzy and great for people watching. Not crowded enough to faze any New Yorker or Londoner, that's for sure!

We also loved Esperas. The rooms themselves are a bit sparse and not very "fancy," but they are clean, large, and comfortable. The view is unbeatable. Even in April of last year when it was too cold to swim, we would sit poolside with our cocktails and stare at the amazing view.

HappyTrvlr...I am curious. Where would you return to in Greece? We loved Santorini and are trying to decide our next Greek vacation. Naxos is high on our list as is Crete...but I am nervous about our next destination since I thought Santorini was so beautiful.

BeanWeb24- to answer your question- The beauty we seek is less touristed, more traditional village life as well as lovely old cities and towns like Chiania. We loved Crete, Naxos, Paros(Naoussa) and the Peloponessean Peninsula. Next we want to visit Skiathos, Corfu,Kefalonia and then some of the islands in the Eastern Aegean.Perhaps head up to Thessaloniki too as friends told us the beaches near there were beautiful.We prefer to get off the beaten path.

Take a look at the Aspaki suites (Art Maisons) before you book your stay. We just returned from staying in the Romeo and Juliet suite and it was wonderful. The view is breathtaking. You will have a private terrace plus two other areas that are available to all the guests. The pictures on their website are true. They don't have a pool but there is a whirlpool tub to ease your aches and pains if you aren't used to climbing lots of steps. We also had a full kitchen although we only took advantage of the fridge. There are some posts on the Tripadvisor board that will echo my opinion of this beautiful house.