Oia Cave Loft

Unbeatable location. We compared so many places online before booking, and this spot is even better than the photos - you get the exact same view (or better) as the high-end Aspaki hotel next door for a fraction of the price, right at the perfect angle for the blue domes. It’s a double-edged sword because crowds line up *all day* taking photos outside, meaning you have to push through people up and down the stairs to get to the door. (And they may be upset thinking you're cutting in line, so loudly delcare you're trying to get back to hotel). But once inside, you get an uninterrupted balcony view whenever you want. We stayed in October during shoulder season, so it might be even more hectic in peak summer. ​The loft itself matches the photos online, and possibly even better to see in person! It is huge with plenty of space. The downstairs queen bed was slightly more comfortable than the ones upstairs, but overall everything was very comfy. The kitchen is simple but fine for a short stay, equipped with a hot plate, dishes, and basic cookware. Lots of conveniently placed outlets everywhere. Great lighting throughout. The bathroom is also large with great water pressure and both rainfall and handheld showerheads. May want to bring own towels as we found someone else's hair (!) in one of them. This was a surprise - as the rest of the place is pretty spotless/clean, so we attributed this to a laundry accident as water on Santorini is a precious commodity....Did not affect us as we chose another cleaner towel as there were 3 sets between the 2 of us. And also one tip: Make sure the toilet lid is down when you flush! The flush is super aggressive, so you might end up wearing the water if it's left open.

You have to manage 3 physical keys to get in through the main door and an intermediate gate. To reach your door (which is the end unit), you have to walk across the neighboring unit's balcony. You get total privacy once inside, but they lose a bit of theirs when you pass by. The keys can be a bit finicky, but they work. ​The main issue was the complete lack of transparency around fees. The owner arranged for a porter (John) to meet us at the post office drop-off point, but never mentioned that he charges €20 to carry two small carry-on bags down and €30 to bring them back up—€50 total, strictly in cash. Because Eurobank ATMs wouldn't accept our card, we had to derail our travel day and ask our tour guide to detour to a National Bank of Greece ATM just so we could pay him. ​He also offers driving transfers for €55 each way, but tacking a surprise €50 luggage fee on top makes that a bad deal. Customer service and honesty left a lot to be desired here. The owner needs to disclose these mandatory fees upfront or bundle them into the price instead of surprising arriving tourists with cash demands. ​Overall, if you ignore the owner's strange fee choices that cause friction for travelers, the Oia Cave Loft is an amazing stay for location and space. So just make sure you bring plenty of cash, and recommend to all friends and travelers still.

Location

Everything

Everything!

Nothing😊

Endroit merveilleux, très bien situé, très propre. L'accueil et l'attention de Fredy sont très appréciables.