Istoria Hotel

For more than a few Santorini hotels, the main attraction is the inward-facing view of the volcanic caldera at the center of the island’s arc. It takes some nerve, in other words, for a hotel to set up shop on the south coast, far from that famous view. Istoria, instead, looks out over a black sand beach at the endless expanse of the Aegean — and the design, by the Athens-based Interior Design Laboratorium, provides plenty of visual interest of its own. Forget about the other side of the island for a second, and you just might agree that this is one of the better beach hotels in all the Mediterranean.

This is arguably the most stylish hotel in Santorini, with spaces that effortlessly blend local tradition and handmade textures with clean contemporary design and modern luxuries — all in a color palette that extends beyond the typical white and blue to incorporate rich earth tones and even (shock!) a bit of black. The twelve suites, all different, are spacious, well-equipped, and come with terraces, many including plunge pools or hot tubs.

To the suites Istoria adds an enormous swimming pool flanked by loungers, a Balinese-themed spa, and a restaurant that, quite naturally, specializes in local seafood, some surprisingly fine Santorini white wines, and produce from the hotel’s own organic garden. There’s also a stretch of beach reserved for Istoria guests, a service the cliffside hotel’s can’t match. If you simply have to sneak a peek at the famous volcanic caldera, they’ll be happy to set you off on a private boat tour — but Istoria is plenty spectacular on its own.