Our stay at Hotel Mathios was absolutely fantastic. We were warmly welcomed into the beautiful and meticulously-maintained resort and shown to our suite with a private entrance and lovely little terrace looking out onto the vineyard and sea. YES, this place IS as beautiful as the pictures! Our little daughter fell in love with the pool and actually learned to swim there. We really enjoyed dining at the pool-side restaurant; the menu was varied, the food and wine was delicious and the personal service made us feel so comfortable.

Actually, the service we received throughout our stay was exemplary, all staff were friendly and professional, led by our host Kostas who clearly puts his heart and soul into caring for his guests at his family's resort. I should say that I typically research trips extensively and plan most restaurants and excursions well ahead of time, but this was a last-minute booking and I was unable to feel prepared with lots of knowledge about Santorini before arrival... But it didn't matter! I found Kostas to be a most welcoming, genuine and knowledgeable host with his own travel agency right inside the hotel. After we met, I decided to trust him with helping me plan our time and he exceeded my expectations. We easily rented a great car with appropriate child-seat and it arrived promptly, we followed suggestions for beaches and restaurants and were never disappointed, we delighted in our semi-private cruise on a sailboat around the caldera... all smoothly arranged by Kostas, with thoughtfulness and without pressure. Even his food and wine suggestions were spot-on, I stopped reading the menu at dinner and would say "Kostas, just feed me please" ( I NEVER do that!).

We traveled with our 3-year-old daughter and were pleased about how welcoming and gracious the staff was with her. The guests seemed to be a mixture of families with young children and also couples of all ages, children were comfortable and enjoying themselves but the atmosphere remained relaxed, not rowdy.

The location of Akrotiri was a great choice for us, we do not prefer to be in the middle of the commercial centers like Fira, yet all of the island was very accessible by car, busses also seemed frequent, and we even enjoyed simply walking to the village, the ancient ruins of Akrotiri, and sunrises at caldera beach. It was a quiet location without feeling too remote, with beautiful views in all directions.

So, Hotel Mathios was beautiful and comfortable, Kostas made us feel most welcome and made our trip great with his personal touch, and Akrotiri was a wonderful location where we could both relax and explore. I highly recommend staying at Hotel Village Mathios, and you would be remiss if you did not take advantage of Kostas' knowledge as a travel resource for the island. Our only regret is the brevity of our stay, we truly hope to return again and for a much longer visit.

Thank you all!