Pantheon Deluxe Villas Hotel

“ People always say that Greece is very basic and that's what you should expect. Fair enough, if the prices are correspondingly basic, but these deluxe villas were very expensive and I would have rated them as 3* in Spain or Italy, and probablyy 2* in Middle East or Far East. The rooms were clean and large, but the beds were dreadful and hard as nails. How the Greeks ever summon the will to reproduce I will never know. How hard can it be to procure a decent bed and a duvet? Service was also pretty poor for the money. At breakfast, we had to get our own coffee cups and cutlery half the time because the staff were less willing to come outside to the balcony to serve us. Cooked breakfast orders were invaraibly wrong and the waiters appeared to be on another planet half the time, either talking football or singing about the recent general election (!).
The pool was the best thing about the place, you could actually do lengths in it, unlike many of the designer/boutique hotel pools which concentrate on style and infinity-qualities rather than actual utility (Pantheon blended both). Also amazing was the view, simply breathtaking and for some that is enough to forgive the rest. But not for me, I work too hard for my money.
All in all, the place was ok, but far too expensive. I don't mind basic if the price is basic. But if I pay for comfort, I darn well expect it. Unless you're desperate to specifically go to Santorini for the sunset and view, you could have a much more comfortable and indulgent holiday in the Middle East, western Europe, US or Far East for the same if not less money.

“ Top Tip: Go to Ia for meals out. The town is delightful and restaurants are generally good. Petro's and the one with the Octopus sign are the best simply seafood restaurants around, In terms of beaches, Perissa is the best. The rest are pretty awful, rocky, small, inaccessible etc. Top attraction has to be Ancient Thira. Amazing. To get to Santorini, just take a direct charter flight even if it means flying out of Gatwick South at the crack of dawn. Flying to Athens scheduled and then taking the 'fast' catamaran from Piraeus makes for a very very long and draining journey from the UK.