If you’ve ever dreamt of visiting Santorini but had nightmares about tackling those glitzy island crowds, this 70s-themed designer bolthole, which boasts the island’s biggest pool, is the place you want to be. Back from one of Santorini’s busy main roads, it’s a haven of peace with crisp, clean-cut pale cream buildings and winding alleys planted with sweet-scented plants and shrubs that lead to that spectacular central pool. By the way, the name isn’t from the French for ‘us’; ‘Nous’ is the Greek word for ‘mind’ – and since the property faces east, this is definitely the place for your sun (rise) salutations.
Why stay at Nous?
If you love art, you'll have a ball at this Member of Design Hotels. The owner is a celebrated art collector, and his collection, which can be found all around the property, heightens the air of sophistication. (Ever heard of the Callas brothers? You have now) There are sugar-cane palms in bulky black pots and marble elements that match the colour of the island's beaches (red, black, and white). A huge pair of donkey ears by the pool are a nod to the company brand (Donkey Hotels). There are lights wrapped in gauze like sweets or hung in bunches like grapes, courtesy of Eleftheria Deco – the guys behind the lighting that sparkles over Athens' Parthenon. The entryway, inspired by Greek ‘Panigyria’ (traditional festivals), is strung with festive fairy lights, and channels of water gently trickle down to a chunky cube that houses the open-plan lobby. A maze of plant-studded alleys leading from reception take you to hidden corners all over the property – there’s even a circular area with a fire pit where you can relax on chilly nights.
What are the rooms like at Nous?
Linked by breeze-swayed pampas grass and low bushes sprinkled along gravel paths and gently sloping alleys, 119 rooms and suites in nine different categories are scattered across a vast area of land (especially by Santorini standards). Caramel ice-cream-coloured facades and triangular or cubic shapes make it seem airy and modern, and very different from the (often cramped) cocoon-like accommodation surrounding Santorini's famous volcanic caldera. Interiors, too, are modern, sparkling clean, and light-filled, with lots of quirky touches. Funky interiors inspired by 70s design have pebble-shaped table nests and retro cane furniture, designer lighting, and immense sofas.
But if décor is retro, amenities are luxurious and modern, with blissfully comfortable Imperial Strom beds; spacious walk-in showers with interior windows looking out onto small walled gardens; and luscious Oz Byredo toiletries. Huge floor-to-ceiling windows in bedrooms and living rooms have light-coloured wood shutters – when closed, they let the light filter in, making lovely patterns on the walls. More than half of the rooms have their own good-sized pools – only 1.15m deep, but it’s just deep enough to swim in. They’re surrounded by terraces planted all around with plants and shrubs for privacy, and there are sunbeds and an outdoor dining table for poolside sipping. Best of all, there are ramps and buggies throughout, and six rooms adapted for disabled guests, including two of the pool rooms. They also provide yoga mats and flip-flops.
What’s the food like at Nous?
Breakfast, taken by the pool or in a vast indoor room when it’s chilly, is copious, with plenty of fresh fruit and nuts, yoghurts, pastries, cakes, local pies, olives, and different cheeses, along with a choice of fresh juices. There’s a small menu for eggs done different ways – an avocado toast with smashed avocado on wholemeal bread with salad and poached eggs really hit the spot.
Evening meals on a pretty terrace above the pool with distant sea views can be hit and miss. A Greek salad was just tomatoes with a dollop of cream cheese, and fried courgettes were oily. Better was the reinvented moussaka with a rich tomato sauce and a satin-smooth béchamel topping. The crusty, oil-doused home-baked bread amuse-bouche was delicious, as was the seabass fillet on a bed of melt-in-the-mouth wild greens, and the lamb chops dished up with plump portobello mushrooms and crispy roasted potatoes.
What’s the service like at Nous?
Whether it’s reception staff, waitstaff, or amiable manager Vassilios, everyone makes an effort to ensure that you feel at home. Don’t expect pretentiousness here – you're a welcome guest, and that’s what it feels like.
What are the pools and facilities like at Nous?
Glorious – they style themselves as a wellness hotel, and you definitely feel soothed just entering the resort’s pretty grounds. The real jaw-dropping star of this lovely show is the main pool – the whole resort is built around it, not only because it’s huge – the biggest pool (by far) on the island – but because it’s like an island in itself. There are no clumsy ladders or steps to get in – it shelves gently like a beach, and it’s so huge it’s rarely crowded. The spa is another absolute beauty: the wedge-shaped heated pool is half indoors and half outdoors. The indoor half is framed by large windows with bamboo and palms planted behind, giving you the sense of being in the tropics. Both inside and out, there are plenty of low comfortable sunloungers where you can relax between using the sauna, ice room, and hammam. Treatment rooms (including a couples’ room with its own whirlpool bath) are blissfully restful. Skilled therapists carry out all the usual – aromatherapy, candle wax massages – but they also have a signature after-sun yoghurt treatment, a few couples’ treatments, and some age-busting facials using organic Naxos Apothecary and Korres products. Parents will love their kids' spa, specifically designed for younger family members. Gym bunnies will lust after the light-filled gym crammed with state-of-the-art Matrix equipment.
What’s the area like around Nous?
It’s set back from the busy road linking Fira with Oia, so, all the main island highlights – Oia’s castle sunset spot, Fira’s labyrinth shopping streets, and the cable car down to the old port – are within easy reach. The traditional pedestrian lanes of the village of Pyrgos, where you’ll find traditional tavernas and some very cool bars, is around three and a half kms away, and the nearest beach is black-sand Kamari, five kms away.
Why you should book a stay at Nous
If this is your first time on the volcanic island, do yourself a favour – stay one or two nights in one of the caldera hotels and then spend three or four days recovering from the experience of battling with crowds at this sleek Santorini sanctuary.
DETAILS
Address: Epar.Od. Firon-Ormou Perissis, 847 00, Mesaria Greece.
Price per night: Starting from €254 per night
Closest transport: Santorini airport is two and a half km away kilometres away – the hotel can arrange your transfer. KTEL buses run between Oia and some of the best-known beaches.