Category: Greece Lodging

Nikki’s Nest: Rocabella Santorini Resort & Spa (Santorini, Greece)

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Planning a trip to the beautiful Greek island of Santorini?  I recommend Rocabella Santorini Resort & Spa which is located on the outskirts of Imerovigli, at a distance of 1.5 km from Fira.  You can hike or take a local bus to the bigger villages of Oia and Fira.   My Mom and I spent a lovely week at this resort the last week of May 2011.
 

Getting There

From Athens, you can either fly (via Olympic Airways or Aegean Airlines) or take a ferry (via Hellenic Seaways or Blue Star Ferries from Piraeus port).  The ferries offer an eight-hour trip (which could be either during the day or overnight depending on the season) and a 4 hour hydrofoil.  We opted to take the 4 hour hydrofoil ferry (Blue Star Ferries) as it was cheaper than flying.  If you decide to take the ferry, you need to know the following:  1) Ferry schedules are suggestions, not fact.  You should arrive at least 1 hour in advance as the ferry could leave early (it will state this explicitly on your ticket).  Therefore, plan accordingly.  A ferry with a 7:25 scheduled departure could actually end up leaving the port at 7:00; 2) Buy insurance.  This is Europe and strikes happen.  And with the current state of fiscal affairs in Greece right now, I’d definitely recommend buying it for peace of mind.  If you happen to purchase your trip via Viator, they will re-book you on a flight to Santorini in the event of a strike; 3) There are assigned seats.  You may want to consider an upgrade for more room.  Four/Eight hours is a long time to be packed in with other people.  The ferry can start to get a little musty by the 2nd hour; and 4) Bring snacks.  There is usually a food concession on board but it is a bit expensive.  There are plenty of shops around the Piraeus port.  Pick up a meal or 2 to go.

Rocabella provides transportation to/from either the airport or port for a fee.  You will need to call the resort prior to your arrival to arrange pick-up.

Promotions

I found a great deal thru Expedia which saved me some money.  If you prefer to book directly, the resort website also has special deals and discounts.  Santorini (and Greece in general) can be a bit expensive.  I highly recommend pre-booking to take advantage of early booking discounts and/or free-night offers.  Also, if you are planning to visit during high-season (June – August), pre-booking will guarantee your room is available as the island gets overcrowded.

Rooms & Suites

Each room or suite has a jacuzzi, flat screen tv as well as a minibar.  There are several types of rooms:  Senior and Superior Rooms (full or partial ocean view) and Suites.  Be sure to check out the pictures on the resort website or tripadvisor.com as each suite is different (I love the one with the ceiling made of stars!).  I pre-purchased the Superior full ocean view room (definitely upgrade to a full ocean view.  You will never get tired of watching the sunset over the caldera from your balcony…it’s heaven on earth).  When we arrived, we found out we were upgraded to a Superior Suite with a full ocean view.

Nicknamed “The Cave”, this suite was very spacious.  However, we asked to switch the next day due to the room having a mildew smell.

The front desk was very accommodating and actually let us choose from several other rooms.  We ended up in a Superior Room with full ocean view that was perfect!  Notice that a portion of the ceiling has a “faux sky”.  Marvelous!

   

Even with all the concrete, the rooms are comfortable.  Each balcony has a private jacuzzi, loungers and a table where you can waste away an entire day while drinking mimosas and reading your Kindle or listening to music while looking at the beautiful blue ocean.  The best part?  Watching as the sun sets over the caldera.  Hint:  Order room service and eat “alfresco” on your balcony while the sun descends into the sea.  You won’t want to leave!  The beds lull you to sleep with the soft featherbed under fresh, crisp linens.  The shower is spacious and modern.  I could spend all day in there. 

Hiking the trail towards Oia. Great workout for hips and booty.

The Fitness Center

I worked out at the fitness center once during my week-long visit.  It’s very small, hot and the equipment is a bit dated.  I ended up skipping the gym and hiking along the caldera to Oia then back to Fira.  Plenty of hills to work the glutes and the views are breathtaking!

The Spa

The resort offers spa services.  Unfortunately, they were booked solid when I decided to go so I can’t review this area.  Therefore, I recommend booking your services prior to arrival.

Dining alfresco.

Dining

The resort has 1 restaurant.  We ate there for breakfast and ordered room service a couple of times.  Overall, the food was fine.

Activities

In addition to a small fitness center and spa, the resort also has several pools with a DJ playing music in the afternoons.  You will find that most of the activity will be around exploring the beautiful island of Santorini.  Hike along the rim of the caldera.  Go shopping in Fira (which had some fabulous boutiques).  Take a walking tour of Oia.  Enjoy a sunset dinner cruise or relax at one of the many beaches.  There is so much to do, you will find that the time slips away much too quickly.  You may have noticed that I mention (repeatedly) watching the sunset over the caldera.  Words cannot adequately describe how magnificent it is.  You will find yourself waiting for the end of the day to enjoy those magical minutes of breathtaking beauty.  So, if the only activity you do is to sit on the balcony and watch the sunset, you’ve done enough.  You can read my review of Santorini here.

Rocabella pool at sunset

The magical Santorini sunset in the caldera.

Nikki’s Rating: Fabulous 4

Rating Scale 1-5 (1 = GET OUT NOW; 2 = Seriously?; 3 = Eh, it’ll do; 4 = Fabulous; 5 = Absolutely Wonderful)

Nikki’s Nest: Athens Gate Hotel (Athens, Greece)

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Athens Gate Hotel (Athens, Greece)

I had the pleasure to stay 8 nights at The Athens Gate hotel which is in central Athens, Greece with a fabulous view of the Temple of Zeus & the Acropolis. The area around the hotel is so neat.  The hotel was renovated in 2007 and has a very modern & classic look.  Athens Gate has 7 floors, a rooftop garden restaurant, and a cozy lobby (which includes a bar, fireplace and business center).

Location

The Athens Gate Hotel is  located in the historic district of Athens, exactly opposite the Temple of Olympian Zeus and the Gate which was constructed by the Athenians to welcome the Roman emperor Hadrian.  The hotel entrance is at the beginning of Syngrou Avenue just opposite the Temple of Olympian Zeus.  Its excellent location in the heart of the historical center of Athens makes it an ideal choice for travellers.

You are within easy walking distance to Syntagma Square (where I saw several demonstrations/strikes), the commercial shopping district, the Acropolis, and right next to the new Acropolis Museum and the Plaka area.  All you have to do is walk right outside and you have Athens at your feet.  No need for a taxi!

If you want to travel a little further to the north of Athens or down to the port, the hotel is steps away from the Athens Metro (the “Acropolis” Athens Metro Station).  The Metro is super easy to use as I took it for 6 days back and forth to work.

Rooms

View of Temple of Olympian Zeus from my room

Athens Gate has 99 rooms (60 are Queen bed rooms, 38 are twin bed rooms and 1 junior suite with a jacuzzi bath tub and shower).  There are 7 classes of rooms:  Standard Double, Double Superior, Double Executive, Twin Standard, Twin Superior, Twin Executive and Suites.  The Superior & Executive rooms along with the Suites have views of either the Temple of Olympian Zeus (which are front rooms) or the Parthenon at the Acropolis (which are the back rooms).  Most rooms have balconies and all rooms are equipped with a 27” flat-screen LCD tv, mini bar, safe, hair dryer, AC/heat, internet (for a fee) and bathrooms (either shower or tubs).  WiFi connection is available in public areas (i.e. lobby).

I stayed in a Twin Superior room and had a fabulous view of the Temple of Olympian Zeus!  The room was very comfortable.  I was a little concerned about noise from the street after reading a few of the reviews on Trip Advisor.  However, my room (which was on busy Syngrou Avenue) was very quiet.  It was spacious (for European standards) and I loved being able to go out on the balcony and look at the ruins.

Athens Gate Rooftop Garden Restaurant

Rooftop Garden Restaurant

The view of central Athens (especially the Acropolis) from this rooftop has to be one of the best in the city!  Imagine eating breakfast while staring at the amazing Parthenon?  What could be better?  Athens Gate offers an American breakfast each morning.  I would drink coffee and eat while gazing at the ruins.  I tried the restaurant for breakfast and dinner.  My recommendation is to definitely do breakfast and 1 night of dinner (if you are in town for more than a couple of days).  Since you are in a great location, there are so many wonderful restaurants nearby and it would be a shame not to check them out.  Most of the restaurants have a great view of the Acropolis at night.  And let me tell you…I never got tired of looking at the Acropolis.  It is just that amazing.  Here is a picture I took from my table during breakfast.

View from breakfast

Amenities

Unfortunately, the hotel does not have a gym.  The “business center” consists of 2 computers and a printer located next to the elevators.  Normally, I prefer to stay in hotels that have a gym but with the great location, you can easily run/walk outside and sightsee while working out.

Overall, I have to say that I really enjoyed the Athens Gate hotel and would definitely stay there again.  You cannot beat the comfort, location or price.  I recommend pre-booking via their website (I found they offered the best deals directly).  Breakfast is included in the rate.  If you ever visit Athens, I highly recommend this hotel.  What is better than eating breakfast while looking at the Acropolis from their rooftop restaurant?  Want to know more about Athens?  Check out the review of my trip here.

Nikki’s Rating: 4 (Fabulous)

Rating Scale 1-5 (1 = GET OUT NOW; 2 = Seriously?; 3 = Eh, it’ll do; 4 = Fabulous; 5 = Absolutely Wonderful)