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Inhospitable hotel operators!
Santorini Review: |
Date posted: Mar 20, 2007
Posted by: Stephen_G
Times Viewed: 2515
More: Santorini Island
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Nationality: American
Age: 37
Countries visited: 5-10
I arrived on the island by boat with Hellenic Seaways, Highspeed 5. The trip was good with no delays. Return ferry was delayed, likely due to rough waters; many passengers became ill on the return trip to Piraeus
Reasons for going to Santorini: A cousin of mine got married on Santorini. Santorini was also and noted in the book, "1,000 Places to See Before you Die". I am a big fan of Big Sur in CA and this was the Mediterranean equivalent
Idea about Santorini before arriving: I expected to find small white houses clinging to the cliffs, overlooking the beautiful caldera, and this was definitely the case. I was surprised that the sea was such a gorgeous color of blue...it was so beautiful that it seemed artificial! I was somewhat disappointed in the food (there is little variety beyond Greek Taverna) and I was extremely disappointed in the hospitality of the people in general. Though we had taken the time to learn some Greek phrases, the people acted as if we were an imposition nearly everywhere we went. We did not feel "welcome" and we were really surprised by this. As someone who works in the hospitality industry, I would remind the people that tourism is the only business they have going and that they would do well to adjust their attitudes towards visitors
Favorite things about the island/area
-Best Beaches: we did not make it to the beach
-Best Villages: Oia
-Best Activity: Sitting and taking in the view
-Best Bar/Pub/Club: Skisa (coffee bar/cafe)
More: The excursion to the volcano/hot springs/Thirasia is a great value and fun
Negative opinion about the island:
As mentioned before, the generally inhospitable attitude of the owner/operators is off-putting; it was bad enough to make me seriously consider whether I would revisit ever again, despite how magnificent the scenery is
Recommendations for future visitors
There are several very expensive accommodations on the island but we found that we were actually at the hotel very little. However, the food options are basically variations on the same thing and having a kitchen to prepare your own meals occasionally may be a welcome change from Greek taverna cuisine. Our hotel had a kitchenette and was very reasonably priced. If you are interested in relaxing and taking in the amazing views, I would book a room with a caldera view and just soak it all in. It is an amazingly beautiful place to visit.
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