TL;DR

Historic Santorini hotel – a romantic collection of 18th-century cliffside residences, beautifully restored while retaining their traditional Greek Island character.
15 individual rooms – spacious, whitewashed accommodation with colourful accents, traditional archways, marble bathrooms, and spectacular caldera views.
Atmospheric setting – private cobblestone walkways, historic architecture, and secluded terraces recreate the feel of an old Santorini village.
Relaxed dining – Greek cuisine, local wines, and breakfast served on private terraces, alongside a restaurant, bar, and small shared plunge pool.
Excellent Fira location – within walking distance of the island’s main town, restaurants, shops, and transport connections.
Check prices here

The chunkily titled Aigialos Luxury Traditional Settlement has a collection of historic cliffside residences that go all the way back to the 18th century.

Traditional Santorini homes, until fairly recently, they underwent a major renovation in 2009 and now feel as modern as they do classic.

The residences are connected by private cobblestone streets, which add to the feel of an old-style romantic Greek Island escape.

The luxuries at hand, though, are definitely of the now; we’re pretty sure those charming plunge pools weren’t typical of the 1700s, for starters.

But Aigialos is also one of the older hotels on Santorini, and in many ways was a blueprint for the many similar hotels that followed.

It’s difficult to find a hotel that hasn’t been somewhat influenced by the Aigialos style template.

There are lots of other options on the island with a little more contemporary sleekness, and a few more pools and jacuzzis among the archways.

But those who want to feel what’s left of the romantic, 20th-century spirit that made Santorini so special can still find it clinging on at Aigialos Luxury Traditional Settlement.

And best of all, we’re pleased to report that its nightly rates are refreshingly reasonable.

What are the rooms like?

15 rooms – a collection of individually designed rooms and suites created from restored historic Santorini residences.
Traditional interiors – whitewashed walls, graceful archways, cheerful blue and yellow accents.
Caldera views – most accommodation enjoys spectacular hillside scenery, with private patios and terraces.
Generous space – even the smallest rooms approach 30 square metres, providing plenty of room to relax.
Mansion Sunset View – a larger suite with two bedrooms and two bathrooms, particularly suitable for groups.
Modern comforts – televisions, tea and coffee facilities, marble bathrooms, mini-fridges, and pillow menus.
See each room in detail here

Accommodation at Aigialos Hotel was cobbled together from a handful of older residences.

Thus, no two are the same, but the proprietors have done an excellent job making them feel like a group.

We love the many archways – in windows, doorways, even little wall cubbies full of sweet decor.

They’re all white, as you might imagine, accented with cheerful blues and bright yellows.

Variation is mostly in location and size. As with most hillside hotels, the views are almost universally spectacular, though your patios and terraces might be a bit of a journey to get to.

The options with the best outside spaces are typically on the outskirts, offering plenty of privacy and romantic walks around the hotel campus.

The smallest options are almost 30 square metres, so we wouldn’t worry too much about space.

Groups can try and snag Mansion Sunset View, the suite with 2 bathrooms and 2 bedrooms, perfect for a family or couple.

Every option includes a TV, coffee and tea facilities, gorgeous marble bathrooms, mini-fridges, pillow menus, and more.

What are prices like?

Check prices here

And what’s the food like? Any facilities we should know about?

Private terrace dining – room service allows guests to enjoy Greek food and beautiful caldera views without leaving their accommodation.
Traditional Greek flavours – fresh produce, olives, honey, thick yoghurt, and other local specialities feature prominently.
Restaurant & bar – shared dining spaces offer another opportunity to enjoy the hotel’s spectacular setting, accompanied by local wines and juices.
Small plunge pool – a charming shared pool provides a refreshing place to relax, although extensive swimming facilities aren’t part of the experience.
Personalised concierge – attentive staff can help organise sightseeing, activities, and other arrangements around Santorini.

Our favourite dining spot at Aigialos Hotel is room service.

There is a restaurant and bar, but when almost every room features gorgeous private patios, it’s more tempting just to order a selection of Greek goodness right to your door.

It’s food meant to linger over, dishes of olives, plates of fresh produce, honey and thick yoghurt and all the best things.

Local wines and juices round out the menu

Of course, there’s plenty of appeal to the common areas; the hotel’s views are quite nice.

The handful of suites onsite share a small but charming plunge pool, and that’s about it for the common facilities.

Aigialos’ central location and its top-notch concierge services make what might be considered limited facilities seem fairly inconsequential.

How is the neighbourhood? Anything interesting nearby?

Central Fira location – the hotel sits just below Santorini’s main town, with restaurants, cafés, bars, and shops within walking distance.
Easy evenings out – Fira’s compact centre makes it convenient to explore on foot without needing transport for every outing.
Oia excursions – the famous northern village and its dramatic cliffside scenery are approximately 25 minutes away by car.
Southern beaches – the beaches around Perívolos can be reached in under half an hour by road.
Fira–Oia hiking trail – a spectacular coastal walk of around five hours rewards adventurous visitors with unforgettable caldera views.
Island transport hub – Fira’s central bus connections make exploring Santorini relatively straightforward, although the steep hillside streets around the hotel require some effort.

Fira is Santorini central, technically, but it’s small and quaint. A small town centre just uphill from Aigialos offers a nice selection of cafés, restaurants, bars and more.

You can walk in, which makes it perfect for a relaxing evening in the ‘town.’ Once you get to the hotel, you won’t need transport for anything but sightseeing.

And, of course, it’s not a large place. You can drive up to the Oia cliffs on the north side in just 25 minutes, or the beaches near Perívolos in under half an hour.

There’s also a delightful hiking trail perfect for more adventurous guests. There’s a rather lengthy walk from Fira to Oia that takes around 5 hours and offers some of the most spectacular views you can imagine.

Bus services can help you navigate the island, and Fira is the main hub. It’s one of the most convenient locations in Santorini.

And what about the reviews? What did other guests think?

Some things guests liked:

“Beautiful bed and breakfast with excellent service and amazing sea view of the Caldera. Terraced stone walkways with a lovely multi-level outdoor restaurant within the greater premises. The breakfast served to the room on my terrace was top-notch! It was a wonderful experience! Great staff and service….”