After reading many positive reviews on TripAdvisor, we decided to select Heliotopos Hotel for our first trip to Santorini. Although the view from our hotel room was outstanding, it was about a 35 min walk to the capital city of Fira, which is the closest place to find food, shopping and entertainment. Renting a car is advised if staying anywhere in Imerovigli. Because we visited Santorini in the off season of December/January, our choices for dining were extremely limited (Most of the restaurants close during this time).

When we asked hotel management for recommendations for a restaurant they offered nothing and encouraged us to dine at the hotel. This was a mistake. The food was awful... the selection was limited and nothing seemed fresh right down to the cold canned tomato paste/sauce that was served with my sub-par, tasteless Chicken Souvlaki. My boyfriend was just as unhappy with his meal. We had experienced many Greek dishes in Athens before making the trek to Santorini, some better than others, but nothing was this bad. Because of the rave reviews we decided to try the breakfast, even after this discouraging first meal. The selection for breakfast was: Spinach pie, Greek cookies, cereal, bread, honey and jams. None of which were impressive or really tasted good at all.

When asking about trips, excursions or other restaurants the hotel staff was not helpful. They acted as if they were the only place open on the Island. There was one woman, whom we did not encounter until day 3, who was more helpful when she heard we were going on a boat excursion and offered to call and ensure the boat was running (which we essentially already did ourselves).

The view from the balcony of our room was fantastic. The inside of our room was quaint and simple, but cute. We had problems with the electricity going out several times but management was quick and helpful in resolving the issue. The shower leaks onto the bathroom floor, a lot. We resorted to wearing flip-flops in the bathroom to keep our feet dry. When we requested additional towels and linens, we were told they were not on site and we would have to wait for the outsourced cleaning crew.

All-in-all we were disappointed and confused about how this hotel received such high ratings. Perhaps it was because it was the off-season.

Love this hotel! It takes your breath away! The staff is the best :) Our room was perfect. It is very romantic and has amazing sunset views. The breakfast is very good and the staff is always there to help! We stayed here for our honeymoon and I hope to return every anniversary.

We travelled to Santorini to check it out as a place to have our wedding!
The transfer arranged for us by the hotel delivered us right to the door where my breath was taken away with the view as we stopped! The excitement and happiness ran through me further enhanced as we were offered a welcome drink at the reception . The view from the hotel is astounding and with the beautiful sunsets Santorini rapidly became prime location for us to celebrate our love.
Our room was so cosy/ homely with a boutiquey greek type feel/ decor and everything we needed. We particularly loved the window at the bottom of our bed which was cutely situated in its own alcove with a step leading up to it!
The staff at the hotel were so friendly, welcoming and helpful.
After a lovely breakfast ( which we enjoyed every day of our stay) We met with Yiota and Mrs. Vanda the wedding planner who kindly showed us a couple of venues that could accommodate our approximate numbers...... The wedding started to become a dream turning into a beautiful reality.
We continue to plan our Santorini wedding and feel sure that with the help of everyone at the hotel heliotopos it will be everything we could've wished for and more.
Thank you everyone at The Hotel Heliotopos for making our stay so enjoyable we look forward to seeing you again next year as we continue with our plans. X

Firstly, I feel I should comment on the handful of bad reviews of this excellent hotel. Looking at the dates of most of the reviews I have to assume that any of the issues regarding the staff, service, location, odours, etc are no longer relevant or the problems that have been addressed, because I can not think of a single thing to complain about; hence the 5 stars which I do not give lightly.

We arrived at the hotel via a transfer from the airport that they arranged for us. It cost us 24 euros each way which may seem a lot but when you consider the hotel is 20km from the airport, maybe not! Immediately our bags were taken and we were warmly welcomed by Yiota, the joint owner. We were offered a free 'welcome drink' and advised to sit out on the terrace. We sat down, beer in hand, sun beaming down, 180 degree panoramic views of the beautiful sea and stunning rock faces. We were quite speechless.

We were shown to our room and were pleasantly surprised. Yes, the decor may not be the standard of The Savoy but we found it endearing and it reminded us that we were on a tiny Greek island, with its white painted bare brick walls and blue painted window frames and wooden shutters. Also, it was impeccably clean. We had a decently sized living room with good seating and table space, a desk, a kitchenette, a safe, a comfortable bed and a bathroom that was fairly small but had everything you would need - including a very nice shower. Let's not forget our beautiful balcony with those amazing views again; an absolute delight. It also had a room with bunk beds which we had forgotten about and would be great if you were a couple with 1 or 2 kids.

Regarding the location, I can genuinely understand why there may be a division of opinion here. If you are a person that needs bars, restaurants, shops and a beach on your doorstep then this is possibly not the hotel for you. Equally if you have mobility problems, this is not for you due to the cobbled mountain paths (although Santorini as an island may not be the right place at all in this case). However, I must stress that you do not need a car. We were a 25 minute walk from the capital Fira and the walk down was one drenched in stunning views of the Caldera - absolutely fine for us! Once in Fira you have a bus station where you can go to any part of the island: beautiful beaches in Perissa and Kamari, ancient Akrotiri, stunning Oia etc. A car may be handy but we were fine with just taking our time and soaking in the scenery. Plus I think it's a bit nicer and more interesting when you have to 'find' places rather them just be shoved in your face. It also meant that at any time of day in the hotel it was unbelievably peaceful which is lovely if you need to escape for a bit as we did.

All in all, a holiday we will never forget and one that was made that much more enjoyable by Hotel Heliotopos and its staff. Breakfast was GREAT and a lovely way to start the day. It included freshly squeezed orange juice, homemade pastries, fresh bread, cereals and most importantly English tea! The service was remarkable and we just felt completely welcome and at home there.

We were already thinking about a return visit before we had even left - Highly recommended!!!! I have added a photo of the sunset from our balcony as we were getting ready to go out, to at least try and convey how stunning the views were.

One last thing is that we travelled during October half term and the weather was still glorious and everything was still open for business.