To my opinion, the Aeolos Villas is neither a welcoming nor a customer-orientated hotel. It seems to be no more, no less than a business. It is not a bad place to stay, the rooms can be fine, the rates are among the best you can find for a hotel on the cliff, the caldera view is impressive, but its not a place where your needs are really attended to.

I have stayed at the Aeolos villas for a week, in a standard studio. I have reserved a long time ago and had specifically asked for a room with private veranda or balcony, and a view. Availability had been confirmed. However, the room I was given was right beside the reception area (which is outside), by the pool. There was one verenda and one small table for three rooms, with a very limited view of the caldera.

I did complain to the owner. At first, he would not accept my comments and told me he could reimburse me and I could go somewhere else if I was not satisfied. After a while, he offered to move me to another room the following day. The offered room was smaller but more to my liking. It also happened to be a fortunate change since the first room I was given (#5) had a strong humidity smell..

The room itself was clean and confortable but its facilities did not match my expectancies.The web site of the hotel indicates that rooms have a cuisinette. True, there was a mini fridge, 2 hot plates and basic tableware for 2 (2 glasses, 2 cups, 2 plates). However, there were no pans and no cooking tools in the room. When I asked for a pan at the desk, I was told that I could buy one at the market. The room did not have a coffee machine either.

The web site of the hotel also mentions «internet by client's PC» among the services that are offered. When asked about the way to connect to internet, the owner answered that he did not recommand the hotel internet system for it uses the regular phone line and, thus, costs around 3 Euros a minute. He suggested going to an internet cafe.

Breakfast was fine but quicly became boring since you get the same every morning. You don't have some item to choose from. You are served a tray with bread, toasts, 2X50g portions of preserves (apricot and berries), small portion of honey, juice and tea or coffee.

The pool is small but sufficient if you just want to cool down or have a quick dip. Swimming is not really possible and because of it small size, you will probably not want to get in the pool when somebody else already is.

Located between Fira and Oia, the hotel is well situated for those who have a car or those who want to have a quiet holiday. It is right on the edge of the cliff and provide a splendid view of the caldera. The view is clearly the best asset of the hotel. It is also close to small markets and some interesting restaurants. The stair (24 steps) from the road to the hotel is steep and has no handrail. Carrying luggage up and down the stair can be difficult and you are expected to manage without help.

Overall, I would say that the Aeolos Villas hotel is a fair place to stay if you only want to sleep there and enjoy the view in the morning or at sunset without using any other services. If you want a little more than that and if your budget allows you to spend a bit more, your might be better to look at other options.