We had a great time in Santorini last summer, so this summer we decided to visit Mykonos. We decided to book Santa Marina, which is a Marriott Luxury Collection property, using points.
Continue reading: Review: Santa Marina, Luxury Collection, Mykonos
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
As a fellow Gay in his early 30's, who does the annual Mykonos trip on the luxury side, i can never say Santa Marina was on my list - it looks a bit boring no? Did you check out Kensho, Katikes, Belvedere? At least you made it to Jackie O 😉
I loved Mykonos. I was there in early June of last year, and the winds had not kicked up yet, so it was pretty warm during the day.
I stayed at a local hotel called the Poseidon that was a ton of fun. It wasn't stuffy, I had an amazing view, and the pool had a dj and a fun loving bar staff. Breakfast was very nice. I think my rate was below 200 Euros a night.
The town had a fun vibe and the people I dealt with were wonderful. I would love to return. I would stay at the Poseidon again. Even without earning points. 🙂
Ben, I absolutely loved reading this review. Not that it's missing in others, but it was nice to see your personality and sense of humor really shine through. As a fellow gay, I could not stop laughing when you wrote "'Wow, gays going to Mykonos in August, how original.'"
Ditto @ Mitch. This article a little bit refreshing because you poured in a bit of personality of yours. It's not that you need to flag your gay card every time you write an article but it's nice to hear the other side perspective of yours once a while.
Did you feel isolated? It seems to be a few miles from where I'd normally go in town.
Five days in Mykonos? Unless you’re clubbing this makes no sense. It’s a 1-2 day Max island to visit.
This is the risk with chasing luxury Marriotts. One overstays a location and chooses the hotel without concerns for the vacation. That 4 nights at the Aman where they were surprised you were staying in Japan is similar.
Heads up to fellow travelers; pick the destination and the itinerary length that makes sense for it. Worry about the hotel later.
We did the 5 nights st Mystique and really it was fine: Santorini is good for about 4 days. Mykonos? (We don’t club) we stayed 1 night. It was plenty. Truly.
For some reason this review feels empty in personality (aside from its very end). Like you were very tired when writing it. I hope you are doing well.
I haven’t been since the mid ‘70s. The Generals had just been kicked out; ABBA was all the rage. It was fun but I’ve always preferred Crete and the mainland.
@ M -- To each their own. I was there for five days and could have easily spent another five days there.
@ Nun -- The town gets super busy during the day from all the cruise ships, so I was happy to be a bit removed from that. Yes, we had to take a taxi most places, but I didn't have any issues with the location, personally.
I don't understand this. From the pictures and review, this looks and sounds like an average four star hotel with cramped, pale rooms, perhaps even four minus. Something that should cost 90–100 EUR. Yet the price was ten times this. Why?
It's a shame about the windy conditions you had. The real highlight of this hotel is the private beach that they have. The water was very calm and crystal clear when we were there and spent almost the entire time on the beach even though I'm generally more of a pool person. Yes the rooms were very average, but we were only there to shower and sleep. I actually enjoyed the location, being a bit removed from Mykonos Town but not completely on the other side of the island. The nearby Ornos Beach also had some good restaurants that you could walk to.
Having said that, there is no way I would pay 100k points/night or ~1000 euros per night. We stayed in Sept so paid rates were much more reasonable.
@Daniel from Finland - I would say the hotel is actually much nicer than what the pictures show. Having said that, it is definitely not worth 1000 euros/night. But if you look at rates of luxury hotels in Mykonos during the peak summer, you'll see that they are all grossly overpriced.
@ Daniel from Finland -- Because supply and demand. It's Mykonos in summer -- they have a short season, and two peak months. That's why they can get away with charging a lot.
Best thing to do in Mykonos is to go to Agio Sistine beach and have lunch at Kiki’s Tavern. Looks like you missed it. A highlight, and a beach that’s not as exposed to the wind
Other than that, the views and atmosphere look great, but in general I have to agree with Daniel
@Vanya - actually the first half of your first comment was unnecessary. And that is why he replied the way he did.
They’re just opinions but I actually quite enjoyed the review and think it showed quite a bit of personality.
@Daniel from Finland
I would be happier to pay 1000 EUR in MYK than 200 in a boring Scandic in HEL as i did 1 month ago. And It was a freezing weekend on the end of June!!!... Joke.
Having said this, i agree this hotel doesnt look very exciting, room is really small and ordinary. Rate on these levels while totally standard in MYK could apply to a better location: City centre or better beach.
Aqua de Parma toiletries are really enjoyable though.
Last point: 'Gym staff guy was taking todo much space ' ... Thats not nice from you ;p. People enjoy advice when exercising ...
@M I couldn’t disagree more I thought Santorini was horribly boring and too family oriented, while I could’ve spent 2 weeks in Mykonos.
Great review as always. Mykonos is not my cup of tea but, as you say, to each his own. One thing I can't get over though is the food - tacos, sushi and a burger in Greece... I hope you did enjoy some proper Greek food too.
I thought the Greek salad for €13 in Santorini was already way too expensive. A Greek salad for €22 is plain robbery.
I've stayed at the hotel during trips to Greece this year and last. Overall we have been very happy and will return. IMHO the patio you had was great and more than made up for no real upgrade (which as you said can't be expected during the high season). Lots of comments on the high prices but honestly this is everywhere in Greece at high-end resorts so the comments are off base IMHO....even some of the crappy places have similar pricing. You should have had dinner at Budda Bar and not lunch! Glad you enjoyed it and would return...we definitely will!
I staid in September and paid less than 300 EUR per night which I thought was excellent. I staid in a great airbnb the previous night and the owner told me this is the best property on the island. One of the only ones if not the only with a private beach and amazing bar! Budha bar was truly incredible. The rooms are small but this is the standard in Greece.
The size of that room is a joke for the pice. 85k marriott for THAT? Hard pass.
Thanks for this excellent review. The place looks incredible even if it is a bit pricey. I normally shy away from resorts, but this place would definitely be worth visiting, even with the taxi rides into town and the limited flights to the island.
@Antonio, hotels in Finland are for the most part terrible. Very few international hotels, mostly local Sokos and Scandic chains. Two star rooms at four star prices because there's so little competition. I'd never pay 200 EUR for a Scandic, though.
Did something change with free breakfast for all guests? I stayed there on points in May/June this year and breakfast was not included. We ate there once and it was very pricey so walked to town for breakfast for remainder of our stay.
Also, another nice thing about this hotel is that you can use their sauna and steam room complimentary- no spa purchases required!
I also stayed 5 night for 240K points- great deal!
I made my first visit to Mykonos in 1976 and have been going back just about every other year since then. Initially I stayed in downtown area for about $4.50 USD back then. Also I would dance the whole night at Pierro's. Now hotels where I stay are pricier, about $85.00 USD a night, for a room with a balcony, and sometimes a small kitchen. I prefer the downtown area, to be closer to the real life of Mykonos, the waterfront, Little Venice, the shops, bars, clubs and a wonderful assortment of restaurants. To get to the beach, we used to take a boat from the downtown waterfront. That gave us a mini sea cruise around the island and a tour of all the beaches as they dropped off and picked up people. That no longer exists. Now we just take the city bus, or rent a car. We love Elia Beach and Agrari and enjoy the beach tavernas for lunch. We usually go in September when it's a little quieter and stay for a week or sometimes two. You cannot go to Mykonos on a cruise or a 2 day trip and even get a feel for the island or its life. You really cant stay at one of the very "remote" resorts on the other side of the island and know what the island is really like. You have to spend several days there in order to settle into it and slow down. After a day at the beach, we are back into town, the day trippers and cruise passengers are back on their ships and we can have a quiet drink on the waterfront, enjoy the breeze, the sunset and decide where to go for dinner later. After a drink or 2 and talking with new friends from the beach, its back to the hotel for a nap and shower and then meet friends for dinner and then a drink or two afterward at one of the fun bars or clubs. Sleep and repeat. I met my partner there 33 years ago on Super Paradise Beach. He was from the Middle East and I was living in the USA. WE live in Dallas now. I love Mykonos. (and Santorini). We have made wonderful friends from Europe there... Italy, Greece, Holland, UK and still visit them and stay in touch
I’ve traveled to Mykonos for the past three years and will probably go next year as well.
The guy above who says Mykonos is not worth spending 5 days or a week there doesn’t have a clue about the island. It is actually quite big with tons of different beaches and places to go. If you don’t want to party, fine, there are calm places on the northern side and elsewhere on the island. Much better than Santorini which is too hilly, the town too small, and no beaches. Mykonos is perfect in every sense: The views, the beaches, the restaurants, the clubs, the people. I can easily spend a month or more there without getting bored. Ernest Smith is right, you have to spend several days and go around the island to get the real vibe of the place. A one or two day stroll around Cora (downtown) won’t do it.
Mykonos is always very windy in July/August...has been since I began going in the 70’s when the only place to stay was the Hotel Leto or a tent on the beach......and nowhere is ever safe from the wind. That’s why they have windmills. Most recent trip stayed a week at the Royal Myconian Collection. Would do it again in a heartbeat.
The statement " Greece isn’t exactly known for attentive service." is very wrong in my opinion, I've been to Greece many times to different parts of the country and I've received nothing but great friendly service. Most probably because you are always going to areas filled with tourists, the experience is totally different...on the other hand, reading your last few hotel reviews at these luxurious properties, it seems that service is never that great...so I do wonder....maybe it's time you start going back to basics to start enjoying the services again....
Back to the hotel review - seems like this property is just a big hyped up property and for me seems a big waste of money/points to spend [I would rather save it and spend it in places like the Maldives/Polynesia] I would rather than spend my time (outside of the peak summer season) at a local hotel or B&B.
Cheers!
Great review that brought back memories. I stayed at the Santa Marina in 2005 and it was great. I was on a cruise a few years later, contacted the hotel and they invited my family to come by and use all the facilities at no charge. After reading your review I need to plan a trip back.
Mykonos is great for what it is, but when you're done with the partying and you'd like some peach and quiet and an authentic Greek experience you're better off hopping on a ferry to Naxos, just next door. Santorini is also a cool place but it's best experienced in late April - early May when it's not as hot and the tourist hordes haven't really arrived yet.
Greece does modern and stylish hotels and lounges and beach clubs etc. really well. Odd to see that such an upmarket place just looks a bit meh. Especially the room looked rather boring & they could have done so much more with the terrace. I have never had a perfect shower experience in Greece, almost always with copious amounts of water splashing everywhere despite me trying to be careful. But that this still happens at a EUR 1,000 a night price point??? Also, I never had a facial without steamer and extraction; here it's EUR 70. LOL complete rip off imho.
P.S. Santorini does have some good beaches just not on the caldera side, just a short EUR 1.80 bus ride away...