An Honest Kivotos Santorini Hotel Review 2023

I felt a little nervous landing on the island of Santorini. Not through fear that my suitcase – overflowing with swimwear – hadn’t followed me on the four-hour flight from London Gatwick. And not through fear of the impending, sickness-inducing transfer to the West Coast, either (I’m awful with winding roads). Rather, I was nervous that the Greek island wouldn’t live up to the hype.

Santorini, best known for whitewashed villages carved into the cliff face, challenging hikes, ancient ruins and – of course – romance, has been catapulted to Instagram fame over the course of the past decade. Such becoming a place that’s almost swamped in cliche. Though I was still determined to be surprised and caught in awe, I was well aware that I’d be exploring Santorini alongside a swarm of cruisers, newlyweds and those soon-to-be-engaged. And as a traveller who relishes in unspoilt, low-key holiday destinations, it might not be all I’d hoped.

Luckily, and as is often actually not the case in the business of travel, Santorini was more than I’d wished for. More relaxing, more charming, more delicious; more diverse. Aided, in huge part, by a stay at Kivotos Santorini.

The family-owned hotel, which is built high atop a cliffside in Imerovigli, approached me at the dawn of this year – and there was absolutely no way I could resist a stay. I had wanted to visit the island since the moment my Instagram feed became flooded with pictures of tourists cramming into Oia’s alleys to watch the sunset (surprisingly) – and as a twenty-something burnt-out Londoner, I was absolutely dying for a do-nothing holiday.

There are two shared pools, five suites and two villas at Kivotos, each with staggering, unobstructed views of the caldera which rises from the Aegean Sea. And the most impressive sunsets you’ll ever see. More on that later.

It was opened 25 years ago, and from a design perspective, takes everything you think you know about accommodation in the Cyclades and turns it on its head. Take the bold colour scheme, for example. Inspired by the island’s volcano landscape, Kivotos is, unconventionally, painted all-black – which not only looks immeasurably striking against Santorini’s all-white vernacular, but is symbolic, too. “Black is the absorption of all colour and thus a proclamation of desire,” the Kivotos team told me, encapsulating the hotel’s mission to inspire guests to experience their holiday to their fullest and let go of everything that holds them back. That’s a sentiment I could get on board with.

On checking in at the property one very hot June lunchtime, it was the architectural wonder of the place that induced my first wow-moment. You’ve got to give it to them: from the Mystic Suite to the Honeymoon Suite, the rooms are totally jaw-dropping. Our luggage was impressively carried by the helpful staff (above their heads, may I add) down the steep cliffside as we were led to the Hideaway Suite: a stunning one-bedroom bolthole which is carved into the cliff. Complete with its own plunge pool and double sun lounger, both positioned perfectly overlooking the ocean on the private terrace, no less.

Inside, the master bedroom is vast, with the continuation of the all-black theme not only providing contrast to the sparkling bright blue of the ocean outside, but a huge factor in creating a cool, modern space to shelter from the sun.

The larger-than-life bed takes centre stage in the middle of the room (I love a bed to be the focal point of a space) – and thoughtful features like a colour-changing light system, SONOS bluetooth speaker and wine cooler made it luxe and sexy.

Step behind the bed, from either side, and you’ll be taken into an also-rather-vast bathroom and dressing area. The free-standing bath, while rather inviting, didn’t get awarded a spot in my itinerary thanks to the sweltering June heat. But the walk-in cave shower complete with Bvlgari toiletries absolutely did. Multiple times a day. There’s a back-lit mirror, spacious hanging rail for your countless evening outfits, draws, fluffy robes and even-fluffier bath towels.

The service at Kivotos quickly cemented itself as some of the best I have had in any hotel. You can contact the happy-to-do-anything staff via Whatsapp at any time of day, and they'll discretely deliver orders – from extra water to Champagne breakfasts or even Paracetamol from the local pharmacy – with a smile. As someone who favours texting over phone calls every time, I much preferred this service to using a bedroom telephone to speak to reception directly. Turndowns happened every day, and baked goods, herbal teas and handmade chocolates were left every afternoon for our enjoyment.

We spent our first evening at Kivotos doing exactly what people come to Santorini for. Enjoying a glass of wine on our terrace, then making our way through every delectable cocktail on the extensive Kivotos drinks menu while watching the sunset from the bar.

It was, truly, the very best sunset I had ever seen: beating the pink-toned sunsets of Indonesian Gili Trawangan, Sydney Harbour and those in the Swiss Alps. Thanks to Kivotos’ position high on the cliff, you have a full, unspoilt 180-degree view of the horizon spanning from the South of the island all the way to the most Westerly point of Oia. Yep: you can skip the streets crammed full of selfie sticks and bag yourself a view of both Oia from above and the sunset everyone else presses themselves together like Sardines for. Changing in colour every few minutes, and therefore well worth a new photograph every few minutes too, golden hour is worth visiting Kivotos for alone.

With a fresh day at your disposal – if you can tear yourself away from your well-padded sun lounger – there’s a never-ending list of things to do for you to work through.

On foot, you can exit Kivotos at its lower level and make your way down the winding cobbled streets to the foot of Skaros Rock. Though the hike – from Kivotos to the peak and back again – should only eat two hours out of your day, I’d recommend going as early as you can. It. Gets. Sweaty. For those not in the know, Skaros Rock is a centuries-old mound of castle ruins on a craggy outcrop of land, accessed by a steep track. Even if you don’t make it to the very top (I didn’t, my boyfriend did – it’s sketchy), the views of the caldera are gasp-worthy. As is the rare chance to stare right back at Kivotos from the ocean and see the charcoal grey structure, juxtaposed against a backdrop of white-washed buildings, with a fresh eye.

By car, you should explore some of the island's exceptional wineries – not least because its volcanic terrain and waterless terroir produces some of the finest wines in Greece. Following our return from Skaros Rock (and an hour spent cooling down in our bedroom’s plunge pool), Kivotos kindly booked us a transfer to one of the most sublime (in terms of both the quality of wine and the views). Side note: the team were always on-hand to book transfers to any spots you might like to visit.

Said winery was called Venetsanos, and just a 30-minute drive from Kivotos, offers daily wine tastings and tours to a backdrop of the port of Athinios. The Venetsanos family has a very long tradition of producing wine. In fact, the winery was the first industrial winery on the island, skyrocketing to fame through its structural architectural design. The winery today offers you the chance to walk through and discover the history and tradition, as well as the new wine-making techniques. Tasting some of the brand's exceptional wines, each served alongside a complimentary local delicacy, was a total delight.

My favourite day on the island, much to my parents’ disapproval, was the day we rented quad bikes to explore beaches and villages that sat off-the-beaten-tracks. So if you’ve got the nerve, it’s something you should definitely do on your trip. Park up to wander to the pinnacle of Pyrgos – a village with maze-like cobbled streets, gorgeous gift shops and old ruins – light a candle at one of the island’s oldest churches (Palia Panagia), sunbathe on a black-sand beach and enjoy a viewing at Kamari’s open-air cinema.

You might also, of course, like to stop off at Oia and battle with the donkeys for a view of the clustered cliffside. If you do, don’t miss a chance to refuel with Gyros at the famed and wonderfully low-key Pitogyros Traditional Grill House, which seems to have a queue out of the door at every time of day. We dined pretty late in the evening, when lots of dishes had already sold out, so grab a takeout earlier in the evening and pitch up for sundown to avoid disappointment.

On the note of food, all of that zipping around on a quad bike will have you hungry – and you’re probably wondering about Kivotos’ on-site restaurant, Mavro. For full transparency, I’d struggle to give Mavro an all-out glowing review, because while the cocktails were great, one of my meals made me rather unwell.

Their speciality is their offering of three tasting menus, served alongside an All Day menu over lunchtime and in the afternoon. Tasting menu-wise, there's The Half Moon Experience, The Full Moon Experience and The Dark Side of Moon Experience. Under the direction of award-winning Chef Dimitris Katrivesis, each menu is a celebration of the island’s rich traditions – and covers tend to get booked-up quickly every evening as a result. While they’re impressively innovative, delicious and with the ability to transform your evening meal into a bold and thrilling experience, as a hotel guest, it's a struggle to eat anything outside of them in the evening, if you want a quick and simple meal without venturing far from your room.

Having enjoyed the Half Moon Experience on night one, night two saw us eager to grab a quicker main meal. It took a bit of pleading to get the All Day menu served to us, and what was served was rushed and (in hindsight) poorly-prepared.

It seemed that the entirety of the team’s time and effort went into the tasting menus each evening, so if you’re a multiple-night hotel guest after something a little less fussy, I’d recommend heading out to one of the many local tavernas, reserving Mavro for a sole evening of splashing out. On that occasion, the Half Moon Experience or similar will be a total treat.

The verdict

Kivotos is a luxurious, jaw-droppingly-beautiful property with attentive staff, epic bedrooms and even-more-epic sunsets. Guests don't lift a finger, and thanks to the small number of rooms at the hotel, you're guaranteed to feel like a celebrity from the moment you check in. The location, just a bus ride away from the capital of Fira, is great – and while fuss-free, traditional Greek food isn't always on the menu, privacy, total relaxation, peace and a very comfy bed are.

For more from Glamour UK's Senior Commerce Editor Sophie Cockett, follow her on Instagram @sophiecockettx.

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