The hotel
Set high on the cliffs of Imerovigli, Grace Hotel, Auberge Resorts Collection, occupies one of the most recognisable landscapes in the Aegean. Santorini appears here in its most graphic form: the sheer line of the caldera, the mineral brightness of whitewashed volumes, and the deep blue horizon beyond. The hotel makes full use of this dramatic setting without ever overwhelming it. Light, wind and sea are allowed to lead the experience, creating the rare feeling of being both at the heart of the island and slightly removed from its bustle.
Imerovigli has long been considered one of Santorini’s more peaceful villages. Quieter than the island’s busiest enclaves, it appeals to travellers who seek calm rather than spectacle. Grace Hotel finds its balance precisely there: offering access to the Santorini so many imagine — caldera views, sunsets, Cycladic architecture reinterpreted with restraint — while preserving a sense of privacy. It is naturally suited to couples and to guests who prefer a slower, more contemplative stay.
Its place within Auberge Resorts Collection brings a discreet but legible signature: attentive service, a strong sense of detail, and an ability to let the destination speak for itself. Luxury here is expressed not through ornament, but through space, perspective and rhythm. Terraces become open-air living rooms, pathways follow the contours of the cliff, and each hour of the day seems to have its ideal vantage point.
The stay is shaped first and foremost by the relationship to the landscape. Guests come for the view, certainly, but above all to inhabit it. The Aegean is not merely a backdrop; it becomes a constant presence. That feeling of suspension, almost of stepping outside ordinary time, is central to the hotel’s appeal.
Recognised in the 2025 Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards, the property confirms its place among Santorini’s most sought-after addresses. What lingers, however, is less the idea of a hotel performance than of an atmosphere: quiet elegance, and a setting that understands exactly what travellers hope to find on the island.
Rooms and suites
At Grace Hotel, accommodation extends the promise of the setting itself: to make the caldera not merely a view, but something lived from the privacy of one’s own space. On Santorini, where so many hotels claim a panorama, the true distinction often lies in how a room opens to the landscape. Here, architecture and interiors appear to pursue the same aim: clearing the sightline, simplifying the composition, and allowing the outside world to enter quietly into the rhythm of the stay.
The aesthetic belongs to a contemporary reading of Cycladic design. White volumes, soft curves, a pale palette and restrained materials create interiors that avoid theatricality. This visual restraint serves a precise purpose: it offers a calm counterpoint to the power of the site. After the island’s sharp light, stepped pathways and dramatic sea views, returning to a room defined by serenity becomes a luxury in itself.
Couples will naturally find a setting that suits them. The hotel is conceived with two-person stays in mind, and this can be felt in the way spaces privilege privacy, ease and unhurried time. Mornings unfold slowly, evenings settle naturally on a private terrace, and the room becomes far more than a place to sleep.
Daily comfort is supported by well-judged service, including housekeeping and turndown, delivered with discretion rather than display. In a destination where days can quickly become shaped by movement and seasonal crowds, returning to a carefully prepared, quiet and ordered space matters.
What most distinguishes the rooms and suites at Grace Hotel is their ability to convey Santorini without reducing it to a postcard. The panorama is undeniably there, but framed with restraint, leaving space for a personal experience of the island.
Dining
On Santorini, dining is often inseparable from the landscape. At Grace Hotel, it becomes an experience shaped by horizon, light and culinary precision, while never losing sight of the simple pleasure of being exactly where you are. The property offers two distinct venues, each with its own tone: a restaurant rooted in Greek-Mediterranean cooking and a bar that brings a more playful, nocturnal energy to the caldera.
Varoulko Santorini is the hotel’s gastronomic anchor. Under Chef Lefteris Lazarou, it presents a Greek-Mediterranean approach that feels entirely at home on an island where the sea informs both imagination and plate. Signature dishes such as squid with Genovese pesto and crayfish tartare with fresh basil and yuzu suggest the spirit of the kitchen: a clear Mediterranean foundation, a focus on seafood, and contemporary accents that keep the repertoire from feeling static.
Its Michelin star places the experience in a demanding category, yet the appeal lies above all in balance. Guests come not only for technical accomplishment but also for that distinctly Santorini pleasure of dining as the light fades over the caldera. The meal becomes a suspended moment, almost choreographed by the landscape.
Alongside it, 363 Bar offers another reading of the evening. Guided by Thanos Prunarus, the menu draws on the world of Baba Au Rum with unconventional tiki and rum cocktails. In a setting where luxury can sometimes become overly solemn, this brings a welcome sense of ease.
Together, the two venues create a coherent offering: a destination restaurant, a bar with personality, and a way of letting food and drink deepen the experience of Imerovigli itself.
Concierge and services
In a destination as coveted as Santorini, the quality of a stay often depends on very practical details: smooth arrivals, the ability to organise a day without friction, and the art of making complex requests feel simple. At Grace Hotel, service is an integral part of the experience. It does not seek attention; it works quietly in the background, with the discretion that defines well-run houses.
A 24-hour concierge and round-the-clock front desk immediately set the tone. On an island where arrivals may depend on flight schedules, ferry timings and seasonal transfers, this continuity matters. It allows guests to travel with greater ease, whether arriving late, leaving early or making a last-minute request.
Daily housekeeping, turndown, luggage storage, laundry and wake-up service all contribute to a sense of continuity. Considered individually, these are expected in a five-star hotel; together, they express a particular idea of care. Luxury is not only about views or design, but about the reassuring sense that no practical detail will disturb the quality of time spent on the island.
In Imerovigli, this level of service has particular value. Many guests come here to slow down, yet chosen slowness depends on reliable organisation behind the scenes. Booking a table at the right hour, suggesting an itinerary, coordinating transfers or helping guests avoid the busiest moments of the day: the concierge becomes almost an interpreter of the destination.
The multilingual team further reinforces this ease. In an international hotel, the ability to communicate naturally and precisely changes the quality of the relationship. Requests become simpler, recommendations more nuanced, and adjustments more immediate.
The strength of Grace Hotel’s service lies precisely in the fact that it is not theatrical. It supports the stay without overplaying its role, leaving guests free to focus on what matters most: light, sea, time together and the feeling of being elsewhere.
The art of living in Imerovigli
Choosing Imerovigli over another base on Santorini is often a choice of tempo. The village has its own way of inhabiting the island: more restrained, quieter, less driven by constant activity than by contemplation. Grace Hotel belongs fully to this way of life. It offers not simply accommodation with a view, but a particular way of experiencing Santorini, where the quality of a day depends less on ticking off landmarks than on the intensity of a few well-chosen moments.
In the morning, the caldera belongs to a clear, almost austere light that sharpens the lines of the cliffs and the whiteness of the buildings. It is the hour when Imerovigli reveals its calmest self. One walks here almost without purpose, simply to follow the contours of the landscape and feel the breeze rising from the sea.
As the day advances, Santorini reminds visitors that it is also an island of contrasts. Light grows denser, whites brighter, blues more vivid. In that context, staying in Imerovigli makes particular sense: one can step into the spectacle when desired, then return to a sense of retreat.
For couples, the setting has an obvious appeal. Without relying on clichés of romance, Imerovigli encourages attention: long meals, unhurried conversations facing the sea, and evening walks as the heat softens. Grace Hotel supports that mood without forcing it.
Sunset remains central, of course, yet in Imerovigli it often feels less performative than elsewhere on the island. One does not simply watch a spectacle; one settles into duration and lets the evening unfold. In that sense, the hotel becomes a privileged vantage point on Santorini’s quieter, more liveable side.
Sense of place and contemporary legacy
Some hotels rely on a richly documented history; others build their identity through a more immediate relationship with place. Grace Hotel belongs to the latter. Its legacy lies not in the monumentality of an old building or the survival of period décor, but in a contemporary understanding of what Santorini represents in the travel imagination. It captures an almost universal idea of the island — cliff, whiteness, sea, light — and translates it into a precise, pared-back hospitality language.
This matters because it avoids two common pitfalls of iconic destinations. The first is to freeze the place into a postcard image by mechanically reproducing expected signs. The second is to deny context in favour of an interchangeable luxury that could exist anywhere. Grace Hotel positions itself between these extremes. Its identity is deeply tied to Santorini, yet expressed in a current idiom attentive both to modern travel habits and to the essential lines of Cycladic architecture.
Its place within Auberge Resorts Collection reinforces that reading. The emphasis falls on the character of the destination rather than on an overly uniform brand signature. In Imerovigli, that means an experience centred on the caldera, the village’s quiet atmosphere and a service rhythm attuned to the island.
Seen within Santorini’s broader evolution as a luxury destination, the hotel belongs to a more mature phase: one in which a remarkable view is not enough on its own. What matters is the coherent experience built around it. Grace Hotel understands that the true luxury of Santorini lies not in adding noise to an already dramatic landscape, but in stepping back just enough to let it speak.
Book with MyConciergeHotel
Booking Grace Hotel, Auberge Resorts Collection, often requires a degree of anticipation, particularly during the high season from May to October. Santorini attracts sustained international demand, and the most sought-after addresses in Imerovigli are naturally among the first to fill. In that context, booking through MyConciergeHotel means approaching the reservation not as a mere transaction, but as the preparation of a stay considered in its most important details.
The first question is less about duration than intention. Grace Hotel is especially suited to stays for two, anniversaries, honeymoons, and quieter escapes centred on calm, views and quality of time. A well-managed booking helps shape the right rhythm: long enough to enjoy the hotel without haste, flexible enough to include a memorable dinner or time simply left open.
Certain moments deserve to be arranged in advance. A sunset dinner at Varoulko Santorini, for instance, is worth planning early. The same applies to requests linked to a couple’s stay, room preferences, arrival coordination or other thoughtful touches.
Booking with MyConciergeHotel also brings editorial guidance. Not every Santorini hotel offers the same experience of the island, even at a similar level of standing. Grace Hotel stands out for its peaceful Imerovigli setting, its natural appeal for couples and the coherence of its on-site offering.
On an island as coveted as Santorini, careful planning protects what matters most: the feeling of ease once you arrive. A well-handled reservation does more than secure a room; it creates the conditions for a calmer, more faithful experience of the place.
