My wife and I went there in June/July and we had the most fabulous time. It was our honeymoon, and we needed a cheaper place. I cannot believe that we could stay at that place for 35 euros a night! It was great. I think it is one of the best possible deals on the island.

It is a bit out of everyday happenings, quiet, but we wanted to walk,
so we didn't mind 20-25min walk to Fira. The only suggestion I have for Poppy is to make breakfast better. We tried it once, and it was 5 euros per person for one fried egg, 1-2 slices of cheeze and juice and coffee. Everything else is so stylish and cheap, and for 5 euros the breakfast can have a few more things on the plate. We were getting amazing pita-souvlaki in Plaka, Athens for 1.7 euros!

But, in the end, thank you Poppy, if we ever come back to Greece (and
we do plan), we are coming to Santorini and Villa Manos!

I have to admit that I am very confused when I read the negative reviews on Villa Manos...

Bottom line: Villa Manos is a great hotel for the price-conscious traveler. You will be pleased by how nice the pool, rooms, and the people are. It is run by a lovely Mom, Dad and their kids, you get a charming feeling of being taken care of with their warm hospitality and smiles. They are very accomodating to pick you up from the ferry when you arrive, store your bags, and take you to the airport when you leave.

They will be the first to tell you that they are not right in the center of town (which for us was a good thing to be in a peaceful, quiet location), nor should anyone expect this for the price point of less than 100 Euros/night in the peak of the summer season (which is what we paid in late August). They are not a 5-star hotel, but it is an excellent place in great condition with a nice breakfast, nice pool and a great atmosphere. The room we stayed in faced the pool, had a view of the water/sun-rise, it was very large and - other than a small shower (which we found everywhere in Greece) - was amazing deal for what we paid. I get a kick out of people complaining about the pool temperature and giving a bad review because of a small soap dish, no complimentary shampoo, not enough forks/knives, etc. You can't expect luxury unless you can afford to pay for it!

Villa Manos is an excellent choice for anyone looking to stay in Santorini, close to the main town of Fira, with a nice pool, and who is looking for a great value hotel. If you are a high-maintenance person/traveler, want to be in the center of town, want to be able to see the sunset over the Caldera, want luxury, etc....then this isn't the place for you. It is an excellent place for everyone else. We would stay there again in a heartbeat.

Papi - Thanks again to you and your family, you guys were amazing! Keep smiling.

*First let me preface that there is no rating for 4.5, which is what I would give the hotel if that option is available. (I chose "4" instead...)

**Second, let me apologize for the length of this review, but as a solo traveller of many years to many countries, I love the free exchange of travel advice that comes when you meet another traveler, and I hope to provide some of that same value to those of you reading this review.

So... Everything that you read in these reviews is factually true, though much of it has to do with your perspective and expectations. Like Poppy says, some people will never be happy no matter what, and that's always going to affect how they see the same set of facts as someone who can be happy in many circumstances.

For myself, as a single male travelling through Greece on a couple-week holiday, and coming off of 3 days in a hostel in Athens, Villa Manos offered a large, clean, and functional room, at a VERY good price of 40 euros a night. (As a comparison, the hostel in Athens, where I had a shared bed in a room of 6 people, with whom I also had to share one bathroom, was 25 euros a night.) The first room I was provided was not my ideal preference, so yes, it might not be bad to take a look at the room first. But trust me, Poppy did all she could to get me switched to a nicer room (the problem was that I would be out the entire day at the beaches while she tried to track me down). Anyway, eventually we connected and Poppy put me in a great room that was right next to the small dipping pool in the back of the hotel --- very convenient if you want a little privacy while catching some sun and then cooling off in the water.

Anyway, for the price paid, this is probably one of the best bargains you can find in central Santorini. However, if you're not into using public transportation like I am, I would suggest that you rent a moped, quad-bike, or car to get around more quickly, since that will make you rely less on what can often be a crowded bus system. (And one that adds up --- It's 1,20 euro each way to/from Kamari Beach / 1,90 each way to/from Perissa Beach / 1,20 euro eacy way to/from beautiful Oia) Plus, I was there at the start of off-season, so I can only imagine how crowded the buses get during the peak season --- It's worth riding just once to see the fare collection process!

For those of you who like to use public transit, the buses are not like your typical American city buses; they are more like high-end motorcoaches that you see in America used for long-distance bus travel, so they're more comfortable if you can get a seat on them, that is. The bus stop is, as other reviews point out, right outside the entrance road to the hotel (every bus driver knows where Villa Manos is and will drop you off in front of the hotel). And as just one example of Poppy's hospitality, she immediately made me a copy of her bus schedule when I asked for one --- using her fax machine as a copier! (Other examples of the family's random hospitality: A nice glass of Santorini ice wine when I arrived and when I left, constant smiles and warm greetings, and even some free stamps...)

The facilities themselves are nice, and the rooms quite spacious and well-lit. (I should say that the first room I had, which is just outside the reception area, is probably the least desirable one in the hotel, but again, Poppy was more than willing to accommodate my request to switch. The second room I had was great.) True, there is no phone or alarm clock (and you have to hit the '9' button to turn the TV on --- a bit strange, but I figured it out eventually), but why would you want a phone or alarm clock while you're on vacation? The whole point of vacation, in my opinion, is to get away from a phone and an alarm clock!

As for breakfast, I consider myself a bit of a foodie, so I took it only once during my one-week stay (it's pretty simple), and the rest of the time tried places in Fira, Kamari, Perissa, Oia, etc. for my daily meals. For 5 euros, it's maybe a bit too simple for some people, but for others who just want the convenience of a breakfast served to them at the hotel, it should do just fine.

The walk to/from Fira appears to be a subject of much debate here. I will say that the first night I made the walk, it was a bit nerve-wracking, since you are indeed walking along the side of roads that do not have real sidewalks in many spots. Plus, there are a couple points in the road to/from Fira that have "double-blind" curves, meaning that it's tough for you to see traffic coming from either direction (and tough for traffic to see you!). That said, I would agree with one reviewer that if you have kids, maybe you're better off renting a car or taking the bus. If you're by yourself and exercise some basic caution (i.e. walk against the flow of traffic), you should be fine. (Be careful, though, since one time I made the walk, a car in the other lane --- going in the same direction as me --- tried to pass the car in front of it and had to apply the brakes when it saw me walking on the edge of the other lane.)

Finally, again, for a much bigger sum of money, yes, you can have the experience of staying in one of the hotels on the caldera rim of the island. Maybe next time I come back and have that kind of money (I'm guessing it's easily 150 or more euros in peak season), I will try that out. If you don't mind not having caldera views from your room (and honestly, how much time are you going to spend gazing out from your room with all that there is to do?), and if you can spring for rented transportation or don't mind public transportation, then Villa Manos will give you an affordable, convenient base from which to enjoy the island.

And one last thing: Like others on this site, I really was floored by how nice and hospitable the entire Filitsis family --- Poppy and her husband Vangelis (?), plus her son and daughter --- were. (In my opinion, her kids are getting a great experience being exposed to so many different cultures in a customer-service setting.) They really are so friendly and accommodating that, as an American, you're even at first a little suspicious, but soon it dawns on you: These are just nice people who are trying to run a respectable, fair business, and when you think about all the tourists that they have to deal with, the fact that they do it with such a pleasant manner is something that we don't see as often in the U.S. They are great hosts, and I hope they have a chance to come visit the U.S. someday soon!

p.s. The name "Manos" is the name of Poppy's son, and her husband's father. Just a little trivia for y'all!

I can't believe some of the negative reviews I have read on here. Are these people living in a parallel universe? I have travelled all over Europe and have stayed at good places and bad places and this place is above average.
My fiance and I arrived in Santorini in July for one weeks stay and were picked up free of charge from the airport. The hotel offers this to all guests no matter what time of the day, so that means they are on call 24 hours a day.

Upon arriving we were shown our room which had a beautiful view of the rest of the hotel and the scenery around it.
The rooms are simple but spotlessly clean and the hotel is within walking distance from the town where all the bars, cafes and little boutiques are.
Poppy and her husband were very helpful as we wanted to hire a motorbike/car and they recommended some places where we could hire from.
Overall, Poppy was super friendly and always asked us if we needed anything. I once said to her at midnight that I wanted to make coffee but couldn't be bothered to go and buy sugar, so she literally took me into her kitchen and filled an entire mugful of sugar for me and kept insisting that I take it and stop being silly! This is how friendly she is.
Am going back next year and will definitely be staying here!