We stayed in a Superior Villa during our 4 nights at La Perla Villas. The experience was really great overall. We found La Perla online and got a competitive rate compared to most of the other luxury hotels in the area. Below will provide comprehensive details on the area and hotel.
Oia (pronounced Eeh-Yah) is the nicest town on Santorini. It is famous for sunsets (other side of town) and the best views of the caldera (hotel faces this body of water). This means that hotels in this area tend to be some of the most expensive on the island. The area has marble streets and high-end shops. Some of the most popular restaurants are also located in this area. If you’re looking for a romantic, luxury stay, then Oia is the best option on Santorini.
La Perla is located right at the end of the primary street in Oia. This is great because the hordes of tourists are on the opposite end of the town. La Perla is located down numerous stairs, however, the bell hops are there to pick up your bags and bring them up when you check out. If mobility is an issue for you, look elsewhere. Also located at the top of the stairs is a market where you can buy water and other staple items. It proved very convenient during our stay. Great restaurants like Melitini (a must) are a 3-minute walk; it’s great for lunch or dinner(staff, locals, trip advisor, and friends all recommended and it was one of the best meals we had in Greece).
The hotel offers a private transfer for €50 or semi-private transfer for €30. We opted for a semi-private pick up at the port and were the first to be dropped off on the route. It’s about 25 minutes from the port or airport to Oia. You are dropped off right by the hotel and the bellhop is waiting to take your bags down. Make sure to let the hotel know when you are scheduled to arrive.
Arrival was smooth and pleasant. We were greeted with a delicious juice beverage and warm smile from Christina, the concierge. They also knew it was our anniversary and provided a complimentary bottle of wine and fruit plate as a gift in our room.
The staff at La Perla is incredible and top-notch. Rena and Christina are a pleasure to deal with and were extremely helpful. They booked us reservations, transfers, a private driver, wine tour, and boat tour. We’re New Yorkers and like to get a local take on everything—they were so honest and their recommendations were spot-on.
La Perla has a luxury van and driver named Ken. For €70 per hour we went on our own private tour of the island and scheduled a wine-tasting. Ken was so polite and is a native of the island. Before arriving, we also scheduled a Caldera boat tour through the hotel. It was exceptional and the lunch onboard was delicious. The boat was great for seeing the beaches and swimming, while the driving tour was great for towns and wine-tasting.
Now for the rooms...
The superior villa is good size for a boutique hotel. Space is a premium in Oia and the rooms are smaller than what you’ll get elsewhere. The interior was spacious and had a sink + complimentary Nespresso coffee machine. There is a mini bar, but you can get everything at the market upstairs. The bed was probably a Queen mattress and was comfortable. A table and two chairs were set up in the middle of the room. There were several outlets. Air conditioner worked well. The maids did a great job cleaning the space everyday and provided turndown service at night. The bathroom was large and had great products. Shower pressure was good and everything was clean.
The superior villa has a balcony, however, no private pool. Our balcony was just big enough to accommodate two chairs and a table, which is where we had breakfast in the mornings. The view was unobstructed and overlooked the caldera. In my opinion, you need to book a room with a balcony to make Oia/La Perla worth it. You can see other guests on their balconies in the mornings so it’s not necessarily private (didn’t bother us). The suites with pools have a much larger balcony and allow for sun-bathing/hanging out. We were fine with just a balcony. Remember: there is a great pool area.
The free breakfast is nice and served on your balcony. You can change your order everyday by filling out a card at the front desk and choose as many options as you want. They also have a range of times for delivery that can be changed daily. The food is good—especially since you can enjoy it while overlooking the caldera. I’d compare the quality to Business Class on a flight.
The pool area was very nice and seemed underutilized by other guests. We spent a day by the pool and practically had it to ourselves. The pool area also faces the caldera. There is a bar where you can order drinks and food.
My only suggestion for the hotel would be to take better care of the details. Some of facilities and fixtures could use a paint job or touch up. This did not impact our stay at all. I’d say La Perla is between a 4/5 Star Hotel. I only say that because I’ve stayed at many 5 Star hotels and can tell the difference.
We highly recommend staying at La Perla. It’s a nice boutique and provided a wonderful stay during our time in Santorini.
