Villa Bordeaux | Santorini — lostwithlina.com

When it comes to jaw-dropping views, there are some places in this world that have a blithe disregard for the rules of fair play.

From the get-go, they seize the high ground and bludgeon you into submission with impossibly gorgeous vistas. Some will literally take your breath away with their high-altitude scenery, while others convince you that you’ve passed through into another dimension altogether. The latter is more or less how we felt the first time Tom and I stepped onto the spacious patio in the main building at Villa Bordeaux, and stared out over the famous volcanic caldera.

A chauffeur was waiting at the arrival terminal to whisk us to Villa Bordeaux, the latest A-list establishment perched on the rim of Santorini’s caldera. Arriving from Athens at dawn on that early May morning, glasses of fresh lemonade greeted us as we checked into at this luxury Hotel, and Santorini lay before us in Olympus-like majesty. A mesmerising stillness hung over the blue-tinged air.

Not only does this heavenly ultra-luxe Hotel occupy one of the most exclusive positions on the island, right below the very heart of Firá; it also offers guests front row seats to unobstructed views overlooking the steep caldera and out to the endless sparkling Aegean.

Villa Bordeaux is distinct from the hundreds other 5-star Hotels in Santorini - it’s in a complete league of its own. It is the result of a truly sensational restoration of one of the most historic and emblematic buildings in Firá. Having drawn inspiration from the traditional architecture of the Cyclades, as well as the Venetian-built Frangomachalas area of Firá, Villa Bordeaux is a departure from the all-white Cycladic aesthetic that dominates the island. This Hotel was specifically designed to ensure that it’s four ultra-luxury suites indulge guests with all the comforts of modern life and to capture the breathtaking surroundings of the world-famous caldera, all the while preserving the charm and authenticity of the neoclassical house.

HOW TO GET HERE

If you live outside of Europe, you will typically have to fly to Athens first (Greece’s capital) and then take either a 40-minute flight from Athens to Santorini or a 5 to 8 hour ferry (there is a slow/cheap ferry and a faster/more expensive ferry from Athens to Santorini). If you live in Europe or United Kingdom, there are direct flights from some European cities to Santorini, although, most direct flights to Santorini run seasonally (between May-October) as this the peak season for Santorini.

In my opinion, while the ferry option can be a beautiful way travel, as you’ll get to see the beautiful blue waters of the Aegean Sea, you’ll be wasting 5-8hrs which you could better spent on Santorini. The flight to Santorini is also incredible - I mean, the first time I flew over Santorini and saw the caldera from above, I cried.

We flew out of Athens early with SkyExpress Airlines, which was an experience in itself, as the planes are far smaller than usual.

LOCATION

Poised on the western tip of the caldera, Villa Bordeaux is ideally situated in the island’s vibrant capital of Firá.

Villa Bordeaux is in the vibrant capital of Firá, which enjoys a buzzing nightlife and is close to some of the best beaches in Santorini. Set 200 metres above sea level, this hideaway is the ideal base if you're looking to explore the scenic villages of Oia, Pyrgos and Kamari as well as enjoying the crystal clear waters of Perissa and Amoudi beaches. Megaro Gyzi is 200 metres from Villa Bordeaux, while the Central Bus Station is a 3-minute walk away.

THE VILLA BORDEAUX EXPERIENCE

Villa Bordeaux caters to high-end individuals, and provides an upscale range of facilities and services in order to meet its guests’ expectations and desires. They can arrange boat trips to nearby islands, private daily cruises and a variety of other excursions on the island; complimentary use of laptops and iPods is available at the reception; breakfast can be served to you at any part of the Hotel, and luxury airport transfers can be arranged.

The beating heart of Villa Bordeaux is without doubt, the wet-edge infinity swimming pool with sun loungers and a jaw-dropping view. You’ll find the champagne bar nearby, as well as the fine-dining French Michelin star restaurant, La Colline.

THE LUXURY SUITES

Villa Bordeaux is retreat for all the senses! The hotel features only four lavish, spacious and air-conditioned luxury suites, all of which are unique in their own way. The four suites are ultra-luxe, yet filled with charm, character and modern indulgent touches that will far exceed the expectations of even the most demanding globetrotter. Each of the suites are modernly decorated with a seating area, and feature balconies with extraordinary sea views, a satellite flat-screen TV, a DVD player, and some suites also have a separate seating room and a plunge pool overlooking the sea.

The room categories are as follows:

AEOLUS SUITE: 60 sq. meters. Built in two different levels, upstairs is a bedroom with king size bed, bathroom with rain shower and glass walls. The ground floor has a comfortable sitting area and sofa bed.
LAVA SUITE: 65 sq. meters. Built in an open plan with a king size bed, a cozy sitting area, walk in wardrobe, spacious bathroom with rain shower, and a private veranda with lounge area.
TERRA SUITE: 60sq meters. A modern living room with sofa beds and a large bedroom and a separated bathroom and steam/hammam room. The bedroom features a king size bed and direct access to the private veranda with the Jacuzzi, sun beds.
AQUA SUITE 65sq meters. Built in different levels, the spacious living room is followed by the bedroom featuring a king size bed. The open plan master bathroom with bathtub leads to the steam/ hammam room as well as the large dressing area. A private veranda with outdoors Jacuzzi and sun beds.

AN INSIGHT INTO THE TERRA SUITE

We spent two nights in the magnificent Terra Suite, the first of which turned out to be our engagement night. Tom proposed to me on the terrace of the suite overlooking the caldera, just before we made our way to dinner at La Colline. It was the most magical moment of my life, and the Terra Suite was the ultimate romantic setting and will always be a very special place for both of us.

This suite is eye-squintingly beautiful. It has it’s very private entrance, where pebble-stone steps lead you to down the terrace of the suite. The suite is an opulent 60 square metres in size, and features an elegant living space with sofas that look out to the sea and the caldera, a spacious boudoir with modern furnishings, a large bathroom filled with Jo Malone toiletries and even has a steam/hamman room. The showstopper of the suite is the king size mattress (the most comfortable Hotel bed yet), and master bedroom. You open the pastel-coloured shutters of the suite and you have direct access to your private veranda and private heated pool with breathtaking caldera and sea views. It doesn’t get any better than this.

With its interior being inspired by the eternal element of life, earth, the Terra Suite offers a natural haven for esteemed guests. Despite being absolutely filled with the latest technology; a flatscreen, DVD and CD players and WiFi waves; something about the Terra Suite steers you clean away from it all. Perhaps it’s because you are transported onto a mythological fairytale island, but this place is reassuringly anachronistic and eerily other-worldly.

DINING OPTIONS

Housed in a prominent historical building, Villa Bordeaux’s exceptional restaurant 'La Colline' offers diners a magnificent fine dining experience in Santorini, with it’s gourmet inspired menu drawn from its famous Michelin star French chef, Jerome Coustillas.

We were fortunate enough to have our first dinner as an engaged couple at La Colline, and we were seated at the best romantic table on the edge of the cliff - the experience was was truly exceptional. Each dish we were treated to was mouth-watering. We worked our way through (deep breath) the Greek crudo dorado in Santorinian marinade and carpaccio of Atlantic shrimp for a starter, followed by the shrimp and saffron risotto and beef fillet fricassee for main and the Santorini volcano for dessert, along with an exquisite bottle of Greek rose and dessert wine.

Soon suitably sozzled in the Santorini evening air, we decided to cap the night off with a glass of champagne at the 4 Elements Champagne Bar, as we called our family and friends back home to tell them all the amazing news of our engagement!

Breakfast time at Villa Bordeaux is the first of the gastronomic experiences guests will be treated to - what better way to start your day! You can choose which part of the hotel you wish breakfast to be served. We opted for the poolside terrace on our first morning, and by our private plunge pool for our second and final morning. The omelettes and fresh pastries are to die for, as is the freshly squeezed apple juice.