Mystique, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Santorini

For sublime views there really aren’t many places in the world that can top Santorini. So a luxury hotel perched on a cliffside overlooking that famous caldera has already got a pretty substantial leg up on competitors just about anywhere else. Of course that doesn’t mean the job stops there — as we’ll see in the case of Mystique, in the village of Oia, there’s still plenty more to get right.

The thirty-six suites and five villas range over varying degrees of spaciousness, all of them much more than adequate — and the terraced construction, tumbling down the hillside, means there’s not a sub-standard view in the house. The hotel has slowly expanded over the years, adding a suite here and a suite there, resulting in a layout that’s sometimes labyrinthine, adding privacy and an almost whimsical sense of spatial uniqueness. It’s integrated into the village, but set slightly apart by a subtle use of color, a warm cream tone contrasting with the typical stark white. As for the suites themselves, they’re all well-equipped, some of them almost comically so: the Spiritual Suites come with the usual plasma screens and add separate spa rooms, Jacuzzi tubs, even workout machines, for when fitness just can’t wait.

As for creature comforts, you’ll find enough to keep you comfortably ensconced at the edge of the caldera just about forever. The bar by the poolside serves cocktails and light mid-day fare, and is a spectacular place to take in a drink with a view at sunset, while the guests-only restaurant seats diners at the terrace’s edge with as stunning a backdrop as you could ask for. No wonder it’s a favorite for honeymooners — and, one imagines, the site of many an unplanned proposal as well.


Mystique is open seasonally from April 15th through November 7th.

Please note: Due to safety reasons (the hotel is built on cliffs), Mystique does not allow children under the age of 14.