Want to feel like a Greek god or goddess? Then this island idyll is for you.
31 August, 2021
We arrived in Santorini with the best intentions. We'd lounge on the beach all day, cruise around the island on a boat tour, hike across the rocky outcrop, seek out secluded restaurants and happily stumble home from moonlit bars, before rinsing and repeating.
That was until we arrived at Vora.
A veritable haven clinging to the caldera in the north of the island, the hotel comprises three villa suites, each with their own private plunge pool looking out over the velvet-navy expanse of the Aegean Sea.
We know, we know, there are plenty of similar accommodation options in Santorini, but Vora is cut from a different cloth. Of the many, many hotels that cascade down the cliffside, this is the one you'd gawp at and say "whoa, look at that one!", except you can't look at it because, unlike the others, at Vora you are not overlooked.
This level of seclusion, combined with state-of-the-art design and quietly brilliant staff, is why, dear reader, our intentions went straight down the plughole of our volcanic-rock bath and we didn't open the door to our suite for two days.
Vora is, in fact, one of the best hotels we have ever stayed at. We've already begged them to have us back for our honeymoon, despite marriage not being on the horizon. And that's saying something.
Cocoons of privacy, soft creamy walls contrast with black-stone accents and minimalist design. Heed is paid to the traditional cave houses of the island, while furniture is a modern take on mid-century - it feels like a design museum yet simultaneously homely. Beds are mammoth in size and sublimely comfortable, thanks to memory-foam mattresses.
There's no restaurant; these guys have gone one step further and plumped for an in-house private chef. Expect a fantastic selection of Greek favourites alongside the usual fare. Portions are not enormous, but top marks for taste.
Dinner is served on your terrace from a Mediterranean-inspired menu - the beef tagliata was a highlight. With notice, the chef can also prepare a tailored tasting menu.
If you can't see your choice among the extensive in-room selection of (full-size) wines, you can order from a list of local and international wines until 10pm. The cocktails are exceptional - watch the sunset with the signature margarita and try your utmost not to mutter "this is the life".
In-room massages and facials can be arranged.
Erm. We didn't leave. But if you do, Imerovigli village is just five minutes up the road, with shops, pharmacies and plenty of places to eat and drink (none with quite the same view as from Vora, mind). There's also Skaros Rock, a craggy promontory of medieval ruins, accessible by a walking trail. Not for the faint-hearted.
Renowned London architecture practice K-Studio masterminded the almost-mythical Vora out of rock. The way the natural landscape and light are utilised is really something to be marvelled at.
Nightly rates at Vora, Santorini start from 600 Euros including breakfast, based on two people sharing.
