Elysian Santorini in Oia

They don't actually have a pool, their 'sister hotel' does.

The cruise they booked us on was a joke.

They charge $5 for a tiny bottle of water.

Rooms were not as nice as shown in photos.

Would not recommend.

Not What We Expected – Misleading Photos & Mould Issues

We stayed at Elysian Santorini for 5 nights and unfortunately, it did not live up to expectations. From the moment we arrived, we encountered several issues that impacted our stay.

First, the location was not as advertised. While the listing states the villas are “scattered around Foinikiá in Oia,” it’s not made clear at booking that you won’t know which property you’ll be staying at until after you’ve paid. The photos we saw showed wide, flat landscapes and easy access, but our accommodation was accessed via steep, narrow alleyways with many incline steps which is not ideal, especially with luggage or children.

The room itself had poor ventilation. There are no windows you can leave open due to the lack of fly screens, so air purifiers are constantly running. Ours was full of mould, which we only discovered when emptying the water tray. The bathroom also had mould on arrival. To their credit, the staff addressed both issues the next day after we reported them, but they shouldn’t have been present in the first place.

The constant hum and vibration of the air purifier made it hard to relax or sleep comfortably, and needing to manually empty it daily added to the inconvenience.

Another major disappointment was the misleading listing regarding amenities. The photos led us to believe we’d have access to a nearby pool, only to discover it was at another complex 500 meters away. Walking there, especially in the heat or with children, was not practical.

Tip for future guests: Before booking, double-check which of the three property locations you’ll be assigned to, and confirm exactly which facilities come with that specific unit. Each location varies significantly, so your experience will depend on where you’re placed.

Overall, this was not the relaxing Santorini experience we had hoped for. The hotel needs to be far more transparent about room allocation, accessibility, and amenity availability. Based on our experience, we wouldn’t stay here again.