Anatoli Hotel

The hotel was originally built as a distillery and place to store wine in the late 1800s. Today, it's family-owned and staff is readily available to assist with suggestions, directions, and booking tours. Guests enter via a large parking lot (rare in Fira) in front of the historic wine cellars, and are welcomed into a traditional cave-style lobby with low ceilings and whitewashed walls. The rooms are divided into three two-story buildings at the front of the property. Breakfast is served either in a picturesque courtyard with pomegranate trees, or a dated breakfast room with carved wooden chairs and checked tablecloths. The large outdoor swimming pool is placed at the back of the property and is relatively quiet and secluded; a large stone wall provides privacy. Guests are a mix of international couples and families on vacation. 

Anatoli Hotel has a walkable and convenient location in Fira that's away from the Caldera crowds. The hotel doesn't overlook the Caldera, but still offers picturesque village views and you can see the Aegean Sea in the distance from some parts of the property. Directly across the street is the Folklore Museum, and there are a handful of small mini-marts within a two-minute walk. There's a bus and taxi station (with regular busses to Oia) about a five-minute walk from the hotel's front doors. It's about a 10-minute trek uphill (almost unavoidable in Santorini) to reach the picturesque Caldera with its huge concentration of shops and restaurants on a pedestrian pathway. This is where visitors gather every evening for sunset views. Further afield, it's about a 25-minute drive to Oia. Red Beach is a 30-minute drive. Plan on a 15-minute drive to Santorini International Airport. 

There are 11 rooms here, divided between cave-style rooms with rounded corners and whitewashed walls, and traditional hotel rooms. Each unit is spacious and spotlessly clean. Simple decor includes a mostly neutral color scheme and some boldly colored bedding. Local landscapes hang on the walls. There's one apartment with a kitchen and a six-person whirlpool tub. The remaining units sleep up to three people and include a mini-fridge, free bottled water, flat-screen TV, air-conditioning, and free Wi-Fi. 

Cave-style bathrooms feature smooth cement showers with strong pressure and large vanities. Traditional bathrooms present showers enclosed with glass doors (no clingy fabric curtains here). Toiletries, towels, and hairdryers are provided. 

All of the units have some sort of furnished outdoor area, though balconies are more private than the terraces. Most rooms overlook the hotel's grounds, but some have picturesque views of the village and Aegean Sea in the distance. Rooms that face the road can pick up some slight traffic noise. 

Features add value and convenience to a stay. The day starts with a free breakfast spread that includes cold items like Greek pastries, hardboiled eggs, cookies, meats, cheeses, juice, and hot coffee. The self-serve meal can be enjoyed in the outdoor courtyard or inside the slightly dark breakfast room. A large, unheated swimming pool is surrounded by sun loungers. Towels are self-serve. Staff is available to take drink orders and there's a small menu of smoothies, pizzas, and gyros. Wi-Fi is free and fast throughout the hotel. Parking is free in a paved lot in front of the lobby (a rarity in Fira). Staff is available to book tours or provide restaurant suggestions.