Save money staying in Santorini : Greek Islands

Save money staying in Santorini

As is the case on all of the Greek Islands, there is an enormous temptation to want to stay in a “room with a view”. If you can afford to do so, or justify the cost, then you will find no end of amazing hotels and other places to stay, all offering a world class view.

If however, your budget or your philosophy doesn’t extend to paying large sums of money, then there are ways to still get it all without shelling out the big bucks. Here’s how you can save money staying in Santorini.

Almost like a secret hotel

We found such a place, although it wasn’t that easy to find online as it is not advertised freely.

At De Sol Hotel, we got the best of both worlds. Whilst this is a more modest hotel, it still exhibits the same structural features of Greek Island architecture. With only a small number of rooms, you get exceptional service, and with Angela at the front desk, nothing was ever too much trouble.

Our room was enormous by usual European standards, and with exceptional air conditioning and a wonderfully large balcony looking across to the other side of Santorini, we were set up for a good couple of days.

Each room is also equipped with its own wifi router creating a traveller’s dream of great signal strength and speed. Staying at De Sol also gives you a few more dollars back into your pocket. Without the prime real estate positioning on the edge of the caldera, you will pay far less for a room here.

Full access to hotel facilities

The great thing about this hotel though is you don’t have to miss out on all the fun of staying on the caldera. Directly across the road is the Volcano View Hotel, and it just so happens to be the ‘sister’ hotel of De Sol. As part of the accommodation arrangement, full access to all the Volcano View facilities is also given to all De Sol guests.

This means you can dine in their restaurants, with fabulous views of the caldera. It also means you can swim in their pools, with you guessed it, the same great views of the caldera. Breakfast, included in your accommodation package, is taken in their restaurant also. The breakfast is more than one needs to start the day with full options provided for a substantial Greek breakfast.

If this isn’t your thing, there are plenty of other inclusions to cater for everyone. For me, I would have been happy with a piece of toast, as the real star of the morning here is the view over the water.

There are indoor seating options but other than for reasons of overcrowding, I can’t imagine anyone wanting to sit inside when the outdoor decks are the premium place to be.

If you need pool towels for any of the day trips to the beach, they are freely available as well. As a final example of their level of service, on the day we checked out we spent the day by the pools at the Volcano View, enjoying their wifi, their bar and getting in our final fill of that jaw-dropping view.

We were lucky enough to also be given an upgrade to the Volcano View on our first night, so we certainly had it all, with a two story suite with a balcony offering a substantial view of one of the most stunning locations I have been to in the world.

Catch the bus

This hotel is not in the heart of Fira, but there is a free hotel shuttle for guests that runs regularly from the Volcano View into the town. My only tip here is that make sure you know when the last shuttle back to the hotel is as you don’t want to miss it. It’s a very long walk back if you do.

Give it a go

If you are happy to stay out of town, and not necessarily wanting a constant view, try this hotel……it’s a worthwhile option. It’s also a perfect way to save money staying in Santorini.

Balcony sunset

Rear view of the Volcano View Hotel

Part of the restaurant area. Not a bad place to eat your breakfast.

Buildings are built right on the edge

Volcano View Hotel

Volcano View bedroom loft

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Kerri McConnel

A former business executive, Kerri McConnel, left the corporate world to pursue a different lifestyle, establishing the successful travel website, Beer and Croissants.
Kerri now travels regularly with her husband, Stirling, where eating great food, drinking quality beer and wine, and cooking international foods are integral to their adventures.

She is also a firm believer that everyone can travel. To help provide inspiration, she creates comprehensive guides and articles that are written in a down to earth, authentic manner.

Save money staying in Santorini : Greek Islands