Wow. Our experience at Este was so far beyond a typical Airbnb experience! Here’s why:
-A fantastic daily breakfast delivered to our patio (omelettes, pastries, fruit, veggies, coffee, and orange juice)
-Daily housekeeping
-Staff who went above and beyond to help us with various requests, like getting a Pack and Play in our room for our toddler, arranging day tours, helping us get dinner reservations, giving advice on what to do around the island, and even ordering food to be delivered to us when we arrived
One note of awareness: The location is somewhat secluded, which is both great (because it’s quiet and has a beautiful view of the sea to the east) and a little challenging at times. We were advised not to rely on the bus system that goes around the island from Fira because it can be unreliable and you can be waiting outside for an hour in the heat for the bus to come. (This was pretty different from what we had read online, so I was thankful for the heads-up when we arrived!) Instead of renting a car, we used a transportation company the hotel recommended, Santours. Our average cost to get somewhere on the island was €30-40 (plus a tip) each way, so that did add up quickly, but the drivers were incredibly friendly, easy to communicate with through a messaging app, and always available when we needed them. All this to say: I would would recommending budgeting well for transportation costs if you plan to stay here since it is a little further removed. The good news is that you’re only 5-10 minutes from Fira by car, 10-15 minutes by car from the airport, 30-40 minutes by car from Oia, etc., so you’re never far from the action!