When most travellers think of the Greek Islands, one of the first names that inevitably comes to mind is Santorini.
With its dark, deep caldera and soaring volcanic cliffs topped by white-washed towns and villages, this is perhaps one of the most dramatic and unique places to visit in the world.
Whether you are coming to Santorini for the views, the excellent wine and food, shopping, beaches, the archaeology of ancient Akrotiri, or simply to bolster your Instagram page with some wondrous sunset photos, you will need a place to stay.
We highly recommend Nautilus Dome.
It is no secret that Santorini is one of the most expensive Greek islands to visit so, before you go, know that you will be paying a premium for almost everything on the island. There is, after all, a price to pay for seeing the most beautiful sunset in the world whilst you eat your dinner.
But that doesn’t mean that you have to pay a premium for noisy, dank accommodation in raucous Fira (the main town), or in high-ticket Oia. It depends on what your goals are when visiting Santorini. If you want to bar hop and club into the wee hours of the morning, then you may wish to stay where the action is so that you can easily stumble home.
Our goals when visiting Santorini were more family-oriented. During our three-night stay we wanted to explore the streets of Fira and Oia, have some nice meals with a view, explore the archaeological site of ancient Akrotiri (the ‘Pompeii’ of Ancient Greece), go to the beach and, above all find some solace at the start of our three-week escape in Greece.
We booked our stay for a family of four at Nautilus Dome through Expedia and before we get into our review, we should state that the hotel staff did not know we were from Ancient World Travel, or that we would be reviewing their business.
LOCATION
Nautilus Dome is centrally located on the island of Santorini where the switchback road from the main port meets the main road to Fira. This main road of the island has a bus route that will take you to the main town of Fira, or to Perissa, Akrotiri and the various beaches at the other end of the island.
At first we wondered if this was too far out of Fira where we would be going for dinner and shopping, however, we were pleasantly surprised by how close it was to the main town. It is only about 2.7 kms from the town which is just a couple minutes by car or bus, or about half an hour on foot. The road is busy, so we recommend transportation for safety sake.
Thankfully, there is a bus stop a few meters away from the front entrance. The stop is called ‘IKA’ (pronounced ‘eeka’) or ‘Lilium’, something to tell your bus driver when you get on in either direction.
Some people choose to rent cars, ATVs, or scooters on the island, but we found that the buses are clean, affordable, and frequent enough.
STAFF AND SERVICE
One of the things that really made our stay at Nautilus Dome enjoyable was the extremely friendly and honest demeanour or the staff. From the beginning when we booked the accommodation, communication with the front desk person, Marcos, was impeccable. They really do seem like they want you to enjoy your stay and take pride in the business they are running.
Management’s dedication to helping us truly shone when, having already booked two nights through Expedia, we decided to add a third night to our stay. When the bookings were not aligning on-line, Marcos did his best to move us to a different room for the third night, and this helped us to extend our stay. More on the rooms shortly.
The pride the staff takes in offering quality, honest service is quite refreshing as there are, unfortunately, many businesses on Santorini that seem to do their utmost to take advantage of tourists at every turn, the port taxi drivers being some of the worst offenders in this area. Wherever you are staying on Santorini, try to see if your hotel offers a shuttle service, even for a small fee, because the port taxi drivers will charge up to thirty-five Euros a head for even a short ride!
Thankfully, we did not have to deal with the taxi drivers as Nautilus Dome offers a pick-up and drop-off at the port upon request, as well as a ride to Fira town when they are going there. This was an enormous relief for our family as we were not always ready when the bus was scheduled to pass by. When we did require a taxi to go to Oia for our main sunset dinner at the amazing Oia Gefsis, the front desk called us a taxi which drove us for a very honest price.
Other staff at Nautilus Dome helped to give us a welcoming stay, such as Antonis who stepped up to do a multitude of things including being hotel driver, carrying our bags and giving us a tour of the room, as well as bringing breakfast in the mornings (more on the food shortly).
The staff and service at Nautilus Dome was simply impeccable.
ROOMS AND AMENITIES
When it comes to a hotel stay, the state of the rooms and amenities can sometimes make or break your sojourn.
When we first arrived at Nautilus Dome, we were impressed by the simple beauty of the architecture and design which is a pleasant blend of traditional island building with golden stone and whitewashed walls accented with wooden trellises and brilliant splashes of fuchsia bougainvillea that seem to wave at you in the hot island breeze.
The pool, which is a centrepiece of the hotel is a decent size, clean, and well-maintained. It’s the perfect place to lay back and relax between outings and enjoy a coffee or drink from the adjacent pool bar. Towels, chairs and umbrellas are available for hotel guests.
If you decide to rent a car, scooter, or ATV, there is ample parking for guests.
When we were shown to our first room at the back of the hotel, away from the street, we were immediately impressed by the simple decor that reflected ancient Thera’s past from the mouldings that emulated stone to the modern rendition of Minoan Dolphins hanging on the wall. Everything was clean with crisp white sheets and a seating area with a view, both inside and outside beneath more bougainvillea.
As we were a family of four, we had one queen sized bed and two twin beds which suited us just fine with comfortable mattresses and an array of pillows of varying softness. The bathroom had a great shower with options for water flow, including rain and waterfall.
The only downside to this particular room was that it was beside the room where the cleaning staff get their supplies so there was some noise in the morning, and the traffic made it less desirable to sit outside and enjoy the view in peace.
Also, this particular room was a bit damp after four showers, despite having a fan and air conditioning, so the towels didn’t really get dry. However, they are very good about bringing fresh towels upon request.
When it came time to change rooms for our third night’s stay, the hotel had our second room ready for us early so that we wouldn’t have to wait around and could go about our planned activities.
This new room was definitely an upgrade with a larger seating area, four twin beds and a queen bed behind a curtain. A very pleasant surprise was that it had one and half bathrooms.
This new room had the same simple, island themed decor but as it was on the floor above our previous one, it was much brighter, dryer, and had a view toward the sea which afforded us a lovely sunrise view on our last morning from the quiet outdoor seating area.
This second room, which was slightly more expensive than our original one, was a sheer joy to stay in.
Finally, both rooms were clean, and came with small refrigerators to keep our water and food cold, and safes in the closets to lock up our valuables.
Some hotels have restaurants on the grounds where they serve dinner and breakfast for guests, but Nautilus Dome does not. It does seem a bit odd not to have an area where they can serve breakfast at least, but they have made it work by having guests fill out their extensive breakfast menu wish list each day so that they can bring the food directly to your room in the morning at the time you indicate.
We opted for an earlier time slot for our food to be delivered, and it always showed up promptly for us to enjoy in the seating area of our rooms with a view of the distant sea and sunrise.
The food was good and we always received what we requested, each of us having ordered something different each morning.
The only issue with having the food brought to your room is that if the members of your party are not all awake yet, you need to have the food left on the table outside and bring it in yourself. After all, you don’t want hotel staff coming into the room when people are still in bed or changing.
Apart from this small quirk, breakfast was absolutely fine.
One suggestion we might have for hotel management is for them to take advantage of the amazing rooftop terrace the hotel has and give guests the option of eating breakfast up there in the morning.
The rooftop terrace is actually one of the great advantages of Nautilus Dome as it affords an amazing view of the entire island in all directions.
If you are coming to Santorini for the sunset, you actually don’t need to spend a huge amount on dinner in Oia or Fira for sunset as the view from the hotel terrace (or across the street from the hotel) is one of the best around!
Enjoy a drink from the pool bar while you watch the sunset at the hotel, then head on into town for dinner afterward.
VALUE FOR MONEY
We would be remiss if we did not say that if you are a traveller on a very tight budget, Santorini may not be the place to go unless you are willing to stay in a youth hostel or camp outside.
When we were looking for accommodation, we were shocked to see accommodation that was merely ‘OK’ costing over five hundred Euros a night in Fira, or over one thousand Euros a night in Oia! Without sugar-coating it like Greek kourambiedes, accommodation on Santorini can be extortionate.
With that in mind, and considering the quality of the staff and amenities, Nautilus Dome is, in our minds, a great value for money.
Though the hotel was a little away from the action, the willingness of the staff to give you a ride to town saves you a lot of money.
When it comes to the rooms, our first, smaller one, which we booked through Expedia cost us 233.92 per night and our second, larger room cost us 325.00 Euros for the one night. Taxes amounted to under 70.00 Euros and there was a local city tax of 3.00 Euros.
Breakfasts were included in the price of the rooms.
If you compare these prices to other areas of Greece, Nautilus Dome still seems expensive. But when you consider the costs of accommodation on the island of Santorini itself, this hotel provides an excellent value for money!
OVERALL IMPRESSION
The Nautilus Dome hotel on Santorini has loads of traditional Greek island charm that echoes Santorini’s ancient past, but is nicely married to modern amenities.
The setting is quiet with idyllic surroundings that are perfect for relaxing and decompressing after a day of sweaty tourist crowds, shopping, and sightseeing.
The hotel staff are all helpful and extremely polite, and they seem eager to make your stay as enjoyable as possible without being intrusive.
Whether you are a couple looking for a romantic getaway, or if you are a family in search of a welcoming place to stay, Nautilus Dome is the perfect place to stay without breaking your bank account. And here, one of the best views of Santorini’s famous sunset is included!
Nautilus Dome is hard to beat!
Ancient World Travel highly recommends it!
Book your stay at Nautilus Dome for an excellent price today through one of the following links: