We had a trip to Milos island but never got there due to extreme winds and all modes of transportation canceled to Milos for two days. Stuck in Athens, we decided to get to Santorini a day earlier than planned, but needed to find a place to stay for that one night. We were very fortunate to book the suite at Alyvia at the last minute. After a few disappointing days of delays, cancellations, and not so great hotels, we appreciated checking into Alyvia’s clean, roomy and cozy suite, along with the warm, welcoming, and accommodating service we received from Irene (spelling?). Irene went out of her way to make us happy. We were very happy to see an accordion pull-out drying rack outside of our suite, since we desperately needed to do some clothes washing. Our suite was quiet, the bed was very comfortable, and anything we needed Irene provided with a smile. One of the highlights of our entire stay in Santorini, thanks to Irene’s recommendation, was our dinner at the nearby restaurant, Lefkes. Irene called and got us in. It was an easy walk from the hotel. Lefkes’ dinner was definitely our favorite dinner in Santorini. After our night at Alyvia, we went to the hotel we originally booked for our stay in Oia. It was a luxurious boutique hotel, very hip with a view of the caldera. Alyvia may not offer that view, nor is it located in the middle of Oia- but now that we have stayed in both locations, we can see the value in being in Finikia. It’s way less crowded, and not as touristy. So - If you are looking for a view of the caldera, and want to be part of the scene in Oia, Alyvia is not your hotel- However, If you are looking for a quiet, clean, large suite, with excellent value that you can use as a home-base while you explore all of Santorini, I recommend Alyvia. We were paying a lot of money for that fancier hotel, and the truth is we barely spent any time there. There wasn’t a pool, so we made arrangements to do things. We went to a fabulous beach club at the black sand beach, and then we had a day on a catamaran, etc. So if I had to do it again, I might just forget the fancy place and put our money towards exploring and the private transports.