Mill Houses Elegant Suites

We stayed at the Mill Houses August 2022, and it was just perfect. We booked through hotels.com and booked a junior suite. When we arrived, we were showed our room, but it was on the same level as the pool, and didn't have a private balcony like I expected (Room 104). When I told the front desk, they quickly changed our reservations, and put us in the Mill Houses Suite for our first night (room 101-just INCREDIBLE), and upgraded our room to a suite (room 109-such a perfect balcony) for the rest of our stay. The rooms are very similar to what is on their website so don't worry about hearing anything different. Service and front desk were so helpful as we booked our ATVs and boat cruise with them. Breakfast prepared and ready on your balcony was such a treat every morning, especially when you can enjoy the view of the aegean sea and the caldera. Warning: There are LOTS of stairs to get up and down to the main street from the hotel. Definitely had to psych ourselves up to get ready for the trek every day. But, if it meant sitting at the small pool and overlooking the incredible view, it was worth every step. This is a beautiful hotel and you are well taken care of. I highly recommend staying here!

The view was spectacular! It was like looking out at a postcard! We were at the top of the hill in one of the three suites, so we did not have to go up and down a lot of steps. Our bed was very comfortable. The staff was friendly and helpful. We did not avail ourselves of the free breakfast because there were so many interesting restaurants in the area that we wanted to try. The location was convenient for exploring Firastephani and Fira.

This hotel has some things going for it, mainly the spectacular views over the caldera. But I suspect the 5 star reviews are from guests who stayed in the rooms by the pool or just above it. We were walked up over 100 stairs away from the main hotel, down the street then up some different stairs, and there we were shown our room. It was outdated and not like the beautiful modern, light-filled ones shown on the website. They have 3 completely separate rooms away from the main hotel (rooms 111 - 113), which don't have their own outdoor space, you share a long patio area with the other 2 rooms, and the view from there is partially blocked by the roofs below. The bathroom was dingy and there was a tiny shower with a plastic curtain which stuck to you as you showered. The air conditioning sounded like a jet engine about to take off. Every time you wanted to go to the pool or reception, or to breakfast, you had to climb down the hundreds of stairs and back up again, so being poolside was not a particularly relaxing experience. The pool is very small and there are only 4 sunbeds so you are lucky if you get one. This hotel was booked as part of a package so am not too sure of price per night but if the Internet is to be believed, it was way way overpriced at over €300 per night. On the plus side, the staff are just wonderful, especially Angelina and Pilot who never stop smiling and help you with everything so graciously. Breakfast is fine, some basic options which you select from a checklist, but you can have as much as you want. Could be better for a 4 star hotel. The small town the hotel is in is quite nice with a few restaurants and it's about 15 minutes walk to the start of the main town Thira. Take comfortable shoes, it's very cobbled. We felt a bit swindled and advise other guests to check which room they'll be in before booking.