Abyss Santorini

We had an incredible time at The Abyss in Santorini. The property was absolutely lovely — spotlessly clean and perfectly located, just a short walk from the famous blue domes, Oia’s shops, and restaurants. From the moment we booked until the moment we left, the service and hospitality were exceptional. The staff truly went above and beyond to make our stay special. A special mention to Sonia, who was so proactive, professional, friendly, and welcoming — she made everything seamless. Couldn’t recommend this place enough! If you’re visiting Santorini, The Abyss is the perfect place to stay.

We stayed at Hotel Abyss in Santorini, expecting a 5-star luxury experience as it is marketed. BUT it was clear from the moment we walked in that we had made a mistake. The first red flag came with the taxi, organized by the hotel for 50 euros, that brought us to the hotel—it was old and dirty inside, not at all the standard you'd expect when paying nearly €900 a night. As soon as we arrived, we were stunned to find out that there was nowhere to wait and sit and have a drink until our room was ready (remember this is a 5*) with our luggage placed in the so-called "spa" area we left and went to a nearly bar. There was nowhere to sit or relax while we waited for our room, and no option for a drink or even a snack while we stood around. When we finally got to our room, the issues continued. We requested our suitcases - but they couldn’t bring them to us because they were in the spa and we needed to wait until someone had finished their massage in there! we again sat around waiting. The room design is nice and modern, and the view is absolutely stunning, but that’s where the positives end. You should know that the shower is not private at all it’s literally in the middle of the room behind the bed. There were dirty, stained cushions on the floor outside which was disgusting and completely ruined any initial impression. We were also stunned to find a security camera facing the outdoor hot tub!!! It’s there to point to the entrance but a better location surely should be found! Worse yet, we had no option to order food upon check-in, so we had to leave the hotel to find something to eat. Later, we even had to go to the supermarket to pick up crisps and chocolates just to have snacks in the room. What kind of 5-star hotel doesn’t even offer simple room service like bread, dips, or a cocktail? The only room service was a choice of 5-6 bottles of wine - which we ordered and were brought to us without an ice bucket. The only room service that exists is that they deliver breakfast to your room. We initially requested breakfast to be delivered to our room at 9 a.m., but later decided we wanted it earlier as we woke up earlier than expected. However, when we asked if it could be brought sooner, they refused. What type of 5-star hotel doesn’t let you have breakfast at a time that suits you? And when the breakfast finally arrived, it was appalling. We were served a grey, soggy omelette with watery tomatoes, basic items like salt or pepper were missing and the juice warm with no ice. The presentation and quality were severely lacking—there was zero effort put into it. I have frankly had better breakfast at a premier inn. On top of all this, the air conditioning in the room was incredibly loud, making it difficult to sleep, and the fan in the bathroom made such a racket it felt like we were in a factory. We also felt like the hotel was severely understaffed, with just two people seemingly running everything. Things took a strange turn when we decide

Abyss is the perfect place to stay if you really want to experience Santorini. Do not let the ambiguous model photos fool you. We were hesitant at first based on the few actual pictures and reviews but we were stunned by how beautiful it was. The pictures would not do it justice anyway. We stayed in the honeymoon suite and it was honestly perfect. The jacuzzi was huge and had an amazing view of Oia. The little terrace was also large with a private entrance. The only other spot was the room next to you but there was a huge wall making it extremely private. The bed was perfect and was tucked into the corner with two beautiful windows and a skylight above. If I would have any complaint it would be that there was only a tub and a handheld shower so you kind of had to take a bath or an awkward shower. It did not matter though because it was more than worth it. They sacrifice a little function for aesthetics but it makes it that much better honestly. It is more of an authentic feel than some basic room or hotel. There was a small fridge filled with bottled waters and different sodas which was very convenient. There was also a small coffee maker which we frequently used to enjoy espressos in the beautiful jacuzzi. There was also a very nice speaker The staff was amazing. The owner/manager welcomed us upon our arrival and gave us a tour. He was extremely knowledgeable of the area, hooked us up with a personal driver the entire trip and knew all the best restaurants. We went on this trip blind with no reservations or plans and he helped us everyday with places to go and reservations at the top restaurants. You were served breakfast every morning and its as really really good. It came with fresh juice and coffee. One morning we had to be on a boat early before the staff arrived (before breakfast could be made) and they accommodated us with an off menu "cold" breakfast which included pastries, fresh juice and a huge yogurt parfait (best I ever had, although I think this was more of a greek thing and not necessarily just this place). It is all about the small things at this pace. Every single detail and every interaction with any of the staff was more than perfect. The location was also unbeatable. We really wanted to stay in Oia but were nervous about the crowds (as we were traveling during "peak" time and were warned about the possible heavy foot traffic). However, Abyss is located right off the road near a small market (which was very convenient) and was about a two block walk down the road to the main sidewalk/pedestrian street where all the shops and restaurants were in Oia. It is a stones throw away from this path so everything is walkable but the place remains quiet and avoids all the crowds (no one walking around your patio or place). I could not say enough about how perfect our trip was and would highly highly recommend staying here.