Santo Maris Oia Luxury Suites & Spa
by the TopOfHotel team
Santo Maris delivers full-resort luxury — spa, 6 pools, garden space at a price that's much friendlier than caldera-edge rooms; the trade is no caldera view from the bed.
Santo Maris delivers full-resort luxury — spa, 6 pools, garden space at a price that's much friendlier than caldera-edge rooms; the trade is no caldera view from the bed.
In-Depth Review
Rooms and decor
Picture a luxury resort that isn't one big tower but a white Cycladic village stepping down the hillside above Oia, broken into 6 small zones threaded together by stone walkways, whitewashed archways, and the classic Greek-blue door frames — that's the first impression of Santo Maris Oia Luxury Suites & Spa. Open since 2016, it runs 85 suites and villas done in warm white-and-beige Cycladic palette, soft linen, wood furniture, and local craft details. Many rooms come with a private jacuzzi or plunge pool hidden on a terrace or small garden patio — open the door in the morning and you've got your own quiet soak among the olive trees. Rooms run noticeably larger than the boutique cubes wedged onto the cliff face, so the feeling is closer to having a small private holiday house than a hotel corridor.
Food and amenities
If the resort has one heart, it's the 6 pools scattered across the zones — a big main pool with a pool bar serving cocktails and snacks straight to your sun lounger, plus smaller zone pools that mean you almost never have to hunt for a free lounger. The grounds are wrapped in a Mediterranean garden of olive trees, lavender, and local flowering plants, which makes the place feel surprisingly green for an island most people picture as dry rock. The rare card at this price tier is the spa — one of the largest in Oia, running French Anne Sémonin products, with sauna, steam room, indoor pool, and several treatment rooms for massage and skincare. Many guests cite it as the main reason they pick Santo Maris over a smaller cliff hotel. For food, there are two restaurants covering contemporary Greek and Mediterranean, plus the pool bar for lighter midday plates. Breakfast gets repeat praise in reviews for the freshness of the produce and the relaxed garden setting — you can stay inside the gates all day and never run out of options.
Location and getting there
Santo Maris sits on the western slope of Oia, just above the main road, in a pocket that's noticeably quieter than the village core where tourists pack the lanes from morning to night. The setting is open and breezy, with wide views of the sea and the white-domed Oia rooftops rolling away. From the resort you can walk into the heart of the village and out to the famous castle-ruin sunset spot in about 8–10 minutes, passing the whitewashed lanes packed with boutiques, galleries, and caldera-view restaurants. Santorini Airport (JTR) sits roughly 20–25 minutes by car, and the main ferry port a similar short drive — the hotel runs a shuttle for guests who'd rather not rent a car. It's a fit for travelers who plan a slow trip: spend most of the day at the resort, dip into the village in the evening, and let the shuttle handle the rest.
Things to know before booking
Straight talk to help you decide. First and most important: most rooms here don't deliver the caldera-cliff view. The product is garden, 6 pools, and resort-style privacy — not waking up to the cliff from your pillow. If your mental picture of Santorini is the sunset over the caldera framed by your balcony, this isn't the right choice. Second, the location is slightly above the village core on a sloping site — walking into Oia or out to the sunset spot involves an uphill return, and heavy luggage or limited mobility means leaning on the hotel shuttle. Third, at 85 rooms this is a larger resort, so the atmosphere isn't the dead-quiet privacy of a 10-room boutique. In peak July–August the main pool and restaurants get busy, the spa needs early booking, and on-site food and drinks sit at full Santorini tourist pricing — budget for that on top of the room rate.
Our take
From digging through real guest reviews across the major sites, Santo Maris Oia Luxury Suites & Spa is the resort that delivers spacious luxury, a full spa, and multiple pools at a price that's genuinely friendlier than cliff-edge hotels with the same star rating. If your trip looks like soaking in a private jacuzzi in the morning, pool-hopping through the day, a long spa session in the afternoon, then a short walk into Oia for sunset — this is a smart, well-priced fit. If the whole point of Santorini for you is waking up to the caldera and the absolute silence of a 10-room boutique, the off-cliff position and resort size won't land. Overall we'd score it 9.1/10 — best for couples and families who want resort-style downtime, the spa, and the pools, rather than the postcard cliff view from bed.
Score Breakdown
Assessed by our editorial team from data and real guest reviews
The Honest Verdict — pros & what to know
- The Cycladic-village layout spread across 6 zones around a Mediterranean garden feels much more spacious and private than the tight cliff-edge boutiques where you can hear neighbors through the wall.
- 6 pools across the resort, including a main pool and smaller zone pools, mean you rarely fight for a sun lounger — and many suites add a private jacuzzi or plunge pool on the terrace.
- One of the largest spas in Oia, using French Anne Sémonin products, with sauna, steam room, indoor pool, and several treatment rooms — a real spa offering that's hard to find at this price tier on Santorini.
- Starting rates are dramatically friendlier than the cliff-edge caldera hotels — you're getting full resort luxury for what an entry-level caldera-view room costs at Oia.
- Two restaurants and a pool bar on site, plus a breakfast widely praised for fresh produce, mean you can eat all three meals without leaving the gate — good if you want to switch off and not plan.
- Most rooms have no caldera view from the bed — the sell here is garden, pools and privacy, not the postcard cliff. If your trip is built around waking up to the caldera, look at cliff-edge properties instead.
- The resort sits above the main road on a sloping site, slightly outside the village core. Walking into Oia or out to the castle sunset spot involves a steep climb back — heavy luggage or limited mobility means leaning on the hotel shuttle.
- At 85 rooms, this is a larger resort — the atmosphere isn't the dead-silent privacy of a 10-room boutique. In peak season the main pool and restaurants get busy, the spa needs early booking, and on-site food and drinks sit at full Santorini tourist pricing.
Who It’s For
Match Score by travel style
Amenities
Location & Nearby Spots
Things to do near Santorini
Day tours, attraction tickets and experiences around Santorini — book ahead on Klook with mobile e-tickets.
See activities in SantoriniAffiliate link — we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Insider Tips
- For maximum privacy, book a suite with a jacuzzi or plunge pool and use the smaller zone pool near your room — it's quieter than the main pool during July–August peak.
- Reserve spa slots on check-in day — this is a popular full-size spa and the late-afternoon pre-dinner window books out fast.
- Either walk into Oia village for the castle-ruin sunset spot about an hour early (it gets shoulder-to-shoulder), or ask the front desk for the shuttle drop — the uphill walk back in the dark with the crowd is not fun.