trach500

We just got back from Ikies on Thursday and had a great stay. The hotel had beautiful views of the sunset and was in a location to the town of Oia, which was about a 10 minute walk down a cobblestone sidewalk into the main town. The room is a traditional house with 2 floors built into caves into the side of mountain. It was really nice and I would recommend it. The only downside was pool which was quite small. The Perivolas is right next to the Ikies hotel and that looked nicer, but it is also much more expensive. The service and food at Ikies was excellent.

t1nt1n

Thanks guys--I do still monitor this thread every now and then. Was quite surprised to suddenly see new posts!

And nnn, the sunset is a must. We can go to Bali any time as it's just a ... 6 hour flight from Sydney (not to mention I've got family there) but if things do work out, this is going to be one hell of a special trip and if some marketing guru out there says Santorini has the #1 sunset view in the world, then I'm going to use that to my advantage.

macabus

IMHO, the Adamis Majesty Suites in Fira has the best accommodations and grandest view in Santorini. It was one of the island's original mansions that has recently been converted into 7 luxurious suites.

Everyone on Trip Adviser raves about it. And rightly so. I stayed in the Honeymoon suite, which was over 1,000 sq. ft. and had 25' cathedral ceilings. Rates are very reasonable and the location in central Fira cannot be beat. Also, there are No Steps to Climb!!!!

t1nt1n

Thanks very much for this one. I was wondering why no one has ever mentioned it until I read the TripAdvisor reviews .. seems like it's fairly new.

This one is definitely going on the list!

propensityscore

Hi there,

We stayed for a week at Mystique last September and it ranks as one of my all-time top hotels. The service and scene were wonderful. As for the sunset, for a truly good experience, book a dockside table at one of the seafood restaus at Amoudi.

Cheers,
PS

t1nt1n

Instead of starting a new thread, I figured I'd continue this thread as the Europe trip has finally been set for next year and I need to start looking at hotels again.

Has anyone been to Katikies or any of their properties lately? Going to www.katikies.com now shows quite a bit of new hotels. I've pretty much written off Kirini for their issues, but Sun Rocks with its "Couples Only" tagline sounded nice, but unfortunately it's at Firostefani. Competing with Katikies, however, is Katikies Villa. They seem to be selling "Katikies" as "The Hotel" while the second property is "The Villa".

Does anyone know what this property might've been before being taken over by Katikies?

And maybe any other inputs on other mid to top-end hotels with sunset view?

vuittonsofstyle

Sadly Kirini has lost its edge, but Katikies remains the best high-end on Santorini.

The Katikies Villa is part of the hotel but provides more rooms (I think it is 3 bedrooms) for families or people who want more privacy. I do not think that it is as good as some of the normal suites in Katikies as the decor is less inspired. I like the Katikies Suite (#25) which is right on the edge of the Caldera, with a jacuzzi on the terrace. The bathroom is quite small and the bedroom is up narrow steps on a sleeping platform, so if you're not careful you bang your head on the traditional cathedral roof, but it's still a lovely suite. The others I like are Suite #22, which has a fabulous cave-like shower.

Katikies has been owned by the same man for around 25 years. He has gradually bought more land and added to and upgraded the hotel over the years. It is a real passion and this shows in how the hotel is cared for and run.

I keep trying new places on Santorini but always return to Katikies as nothing has, as yet, come close to it.

t1nt1n

Thanks vuittonofstyle! Unfortunately the Katikies Suite is just a tad outta my range ... Hope the Senior or Superior Suite will be good enough!!

vuittonsofstyle

I am sure they will be! Enjoy it!

ekartash

We are heading to Santorini in May. I am holding a Vibrant suite at the Mystique for 260 Eur/night, and a Senior Suite at Katikies for 400 eur/night. Mystique reviews are mostly positive, with some poor stays here and there. Katikies reviews are all positive. Has anyone stayed at both properties? Would Katikies be worth the extra 140 eur/night.

Katikies pools seem better than those at the Mystique. I wonder if that will even matter in May. Are they heated? Will it be warm enough to swim?

thanks

vuittonsofstyle

Yes, I have stayed at both. Katikies is well worth the extra. Should be warm enough to swim mid to late May - although you never really know these days!

ekartash

Thank you for your reply. Is there any specific about Katikies that makes it that much better than Mystique?

vuittonsofstyle

The service, the design, the food, the view, the fact that it isn't Starwood....

ekartash

Thank you

SYD-YYZ

We went in mid to late May last year and it was very windy, so did not get to use the plunge pool at all! We stayed at the Canaves Oia Suites (not the hotel section) which is right next door to Katikies (I was 6 months pregnant then and wanted a hotel lift which is rare in Santorini) and it was very good in terms of service, room design and views. We only had breakfast there (which was good) but otherwise cannot comment on the food.