11 of the best hotels in Santorini, from windmill stays to cave suites

Santorini is the beauty queen of the Cyclades, an Aegean archipelago between Athens and Crete. The Greek icon — just 11 miles from tip to tail — is known for its whitewashed villages clinging to cliffs, cobalt-domed churches and sunsets that draw applause. Beyond these famed views, the island is quietly evolving, drawing families, keen hikers tracing caldera-edge paths and visitors hungry for reimagined Greek flavours. Its hotel scene is changing in kind. Travellers are now venturing beyond white-cube resorts to discover characterful stays, from village addresses to retreats by the seaside, where the black sands were forged by a spectacular volcanic eruption over 3,000 years ago.

1. Andronis Luxury Suites

Best for: fine dining

Burrowed high into the rock and spilling down the caldera to the Aegean, this warren of 39 cave dwellings is just off Oia’s main marbled street. It’s easy to miss at first, largely unheralded by signs to maintain an air of seclusion. But take a peek down from the walkway and you’ll spot Lycabettus, its superlative restaurant on its own tiny peninsula. It’s here that chef Christos Karagiannis combines traditional Greek ingredients with contemporary flair, creating dishes like soft red shrimp tartare in a bloom of kohlrabi petals and tangy green gazpacho. After dinner, walk along the higgledy-piggledy flight of stairs to the rooms. Each is awash with dark woods and creamy stone, with their own lounger-backed whirlpool baths, plunge or infinity pools. It’s a muted environment that only highlights the main attraction: that backdrop of endless blue sea. Rooms from €643 (£560), B&B.

2. Vedema, a Luxury Collection Resort

Best for: wine-lovers

When Vedema opened 33 years ago in the hilltop village of Megalochori, it broke new ground as Santorini’s first five-star resort. Today, it remains one of the island’s most characterful stays. There are 74 rooms, centred around a 400-year-old winery made from volcanic black stone. Many come with private whirlpool baths or pools, and some overlook rolling vineyards, grazing donkeys or the craggy silhouette of Mount Profitis Ilias. Oenophiles are in their element here, with daily tastings of local assyrtiko white in ancient wine caves or full-day escorted winery tours. The candlelit cave restaurant, Alati, reimagines Greek grandma favourites like moussaka as elegant wine-paired dishes. Rooms from €400 (£350).

3. Windmill Villas

Best for: whimsy

Santorini’s shoreline was once dotted with windmills, their sails spinning wheat into flour. This trio of contemporary roundhouses, built by its architect-owners, keeps that heritage alive by offering a quirky stay on a peaceful patch in the island’s north east. Each sleeps five or six and has two bedrooms, a kitchen and a bougainvillea-framed private pool. A locally sourced breakfast is served in the villas and a concierge is on hand to organise vineyard tours or catamaran adventures. But save your evenings for the open-air cinema, tucked between 500-year-old olive trees in a garden terrace. The most requested film? Mamma Mia!, naturally. Rooms from £327, B&B.

4. Lemon Suites

Best for: night owls

Lemon Suites offers front-row access to Fira, Santorini’s capital and the island’s energetic heart. Designed for adults only, its eight stylish apartments sleep two, and each has a private balcony, some of which feature a heated whirlpool bath. Interiors are pared-back yet polished, with thoughtful touches such as toiletries made with Greek olive oil and native botanicals. Fira’s town square is a stroll away and chock-a-block with tavernas, bars and nightlife. Rooms from £126.

5. Sandblu Santorini

Best for: wellness

This new kid on the block opened for its first full season in 2025, bringing a long-awaited dose of gold-standard luxury to Santorini’s east coast. It’s etched into the side of Mount Mesa Vouno, a peak ancient winemakers once believed brought them closer to the gods. Most of the 66 rooms, suites and villas offer uninterrupted views of the Aegean. Interiors are calming, with soft lighting and a palette of sand, oak and azure to reflect the landscape. Espa toiletries and chilled 111skin face masks come as standard, while villas have private pools. In the Aurora Spa, therapists use hot volcanic stones, rose quartz crystals and guided breathwork to melt stress away. Rooms from £335.

6. Andronis Arcadia

Best for: a beach club feel

Andronis Luxury Suites’ supersized sister, Arcadia initially has the feel of an upscale residential complex, with its neat rows of whitewashed cuboid suites punctuated by rocky gardens and private plunge pools. It can be tempting to never leave your room — with its warm woods, smooth plaster and wicker accents — but that would be neglecting what’s arguably the hotel’s biggest draw. At its epicentre lies a sweeping infinity pool that brings a beach club feel, complete with floating day beds, resident DJ and thorough sushi menu courtesy of buzzy restaurant Pacman. Beneath the infinity ledge lies one more surprise: a 1,000sq-metre pool, one of Santorini’s largest, with private cabanas perfect for taking in the island’s famous sunsets. Rooms from £810.

7. Costa Grand Resort & Spa

Best for: beach life

Just a few sandy steps from Kamari’s black volcanic shore, this resort is all about seaside living. Its rooms are breezy, from family-friendly studios with cots on request, to deluxe beachfront doubles with private pools for a splash of indulgence. The jewels in the hotel’s crown are its seven swimming pools, including one for children, while the beachfront bar is great for juices. Nearby, a watersports kiosk rents out canoes, while the aquatic theme continues in the spa, with ocean-inspired treatments using natural sponges and heated shells. Rooms from £155, B&B.

8. Santo Mine

Best for: serenity

The clue’s in the name: this adults-only hotel, perched above Ammoudi Bay and a short walk from Oia, the island’s most famous village, is on the site of a former stone mine. Against an elemental moonscape of cratered pumice, its 37 suites, spa and outdoor gym are far enough from the crowds to offer tranquillity without sacrificing those caldera views. Inside the rooms, tiled floors lead past sea-facing beds to private terraces with plunge pools, which practically slip into the Aegean. But the main draw only reveals itself at dusk: slowly, those uninterrupted blues fade into a fiery Santorini sunset few ever get to see. The best vantage point is Ālme (‘brine’ in Greek), a restaurant open to the salty breeze, serving dishes like tart made with vegetables from the garden. Rooms from £481, B&B.

9. Istoria beach, a Member of Design Hotels

Best for: barefoot luxury

This design-led sanctuary is on a strip of southeastern coastline where the sea is crystal clear and as warm as bath water. A former mansion with well-to-do equestrian roots, the property still nods to its past with beach rides and stable-style doors that swing in the breeze. There are just 12 rooms, making a stay feel more like visiting a friend’s impeccable home than checking into a hotel. Each is styled by Greek artisans, with sculptural clay urns and cork bedside lamps suspended from rope. At the heart of it all is one of Santorini’s largest pools, lined with fizzing massage jets. Rooms from €439 (£380), B&B.

10. Deep in Cave Suites

Best for: time travellers

Cave dwellings on the island date back to the Ottoman period, when residents carved into the volcanic rock to create naturally cool, secure homes. In 2023, a new collection of cliffside suites modernised this tradition, each featuring two bedrooms, a sitting room, a terrace with deckchairs and a hot tub. Archaeology enthusiasts can hire bikes for the five-minute pedal to the Archaeological Museum of Thera to learn about the city of Akrotiri, preserved beneath ash after an eruption in around 1600 BCE. Rooms: From £310.

11. Canaves Epitome

Best for: families

Santorini may be known as a romantic escape, but the opening of Canaves Oia Epitome in 2018 marked a subtle shift, adding to a growing cluster of resorts that welcome both couples and families. While most of these child-friendly stays are in the island’s quieter south, this rare find sits within strolling distance of Oia. The 53 suites and villas are a study in easygoing Cycladic style: whitewashed walls, rattan textures and earthy tones. The villas come in all shapes and sizes, the largest sleeping up to 14 and featuring a full kitchen. Most have private plunge pools and sun-drenched terraces, while thoughtful extras like toys and teepees can be arranged. Best of all is the kids’ club, with daily sessions in clay sculpting, storytelling, treasure hunts and the art of yoga. Rooms from €550 (£478), B&B.