In a destination as intrinsically linked to a specific type of hospitality as Santorini is to cave-style accommodations, Canaves Epitome is a breath of fresh air. It’s a property with ambition, and an evolution for the Canaves Collection brand that’s emblematic of its efforts to stay ahead of the curve – and venture into fully-fledged resort territory.
What makes a hotel a resort? Perhaps more than anything else, it’s the idea that guests can remain on the grounds throughout their stay, if they feel so inclined. As a result, resorts have to work extra hard to anticipate their guests’ needs and wishes, providing 360-degree hospitality, and an environment where each day feels a little different from the last. What’s more, resorts are about space: the freedom to move beyond crowds, observe without obstructions, and converse in complete privacy. Santorini isn’t exactly known for any of these things, but a select number of new-gen properties on the island seek to change this. Among them, Canaves Epitome – as those in the know might say – is positioning itself as the leader of the pack.
In many ways, the 2018-opened hotel delivers on the promise. Its grounds are extensive, not least for a local hotel, and even more so when considering that the resort is home to ‘just’ 53 suites and villas (a classic Santorini hotel might’ve been tempted to fit twice the number of accommodations on the same square footage). There’s also the location of Canaves Epitome. On the very edge of where many a visitor thinks the town of Oia ended, and where, in fact, the tick-box-tourists cease to go, Epitome is located just outside reach of all that’s TikTok-able, keeping guests safe from selfie-stick-swinging influencers, yet within a 3-minute complimentary shuttle ride of the town’s bustling streets.
Those who stay here can look forward to a certain carefree feeling they’d expect from a resort, too. Upon our arrival, we handed over our passport as the team guided us to a poolside lounger and conjured a welcome drink (non-alcoholic in our case, though Greek wine is also available). A consecutive golf cart ride to our accommodation offered a first glimpse at the hotel’s gorgeous grounds, all volcanic structures and whitewashed buildings with arched passages, and some 70 different types of plants, including silvery-green olive trees, which have been planted atop rooftops and alongside wide walkways. The landscaping at Canaves Epitome deserves a special mention for going far beyond merely embellishing the premises, instead bursting with soul and character that make it a sight to behold in its own right.
You could say the same about the views, which give guests a front row seat at Santorini’s legendary sunsets (the hotel says it’s the only one on the island offering sea and sunset vistas from each room, though we’d imagine its two immediate neighbours might not be far off in this regard). Still, the views from just about anywhere will draw your attention beyond the hotel’s two communal pools, past surrounding rock outcrops, and towards the glittering Aegean Sea. We especially loved the panorama from the lower of the two pools, which seems to spill into the open water ahead. Design lovers will instead gravitate towards the upper pool, where floating platforms upon which daybeds – interspersed with trees – invite hours of worshipping the sun or going into a ‘real photoshoot frenzy’, as a fellow guest had put it over a poolside chat, laughing.
Our Hideaway Pool Suite, meanwhile, was near the action yet felt reassuringly tucked away from it. The suite was down a walkway and up a small staircase, with a spacious outdoor deck equipped with a small plunge pool, twin loungers and a breezy dining area that set the tone for a stay spent predominantly outdoors. Its 52 sqm/560 sqft of indoor space were equally easy on the eyes, featuring a free-standing bed, double vanities against a glass wall behind which lush vegetation added a tropical atmosphere (we loved this in the shower), an unobtrusive work station and a more prominent lounge area – a hint, perhaps, at how to spend one’s time here.
While not reinventing the wheel, accommodations, which range from Pool Suites to a show-stopping Five Bedroom Villa, impress with nods to local architecture in the form of vaulted ceilings. Soft lighting highlights ceramics in decorative alcoves, and touches like a bottle of local wine or Canaves-branded bathroom amenities would add a distinctive flavour to any stay. The rooms’ most dominant feature is arguably a commitment to restraint: anywhere you look, you could count the objects you’re seeing on two hands, and a muted, contained colour palette ensures that features almost appear to converge. This effect is not only visually soothing but also in keeping with a traditional preference for simple, functional, and unfussy interiors across the Cyclades, which is precisely where their charm lies.
| Perfect for | Fly into | Right on time |
| The Escapist | JTR | GMT +3 |
| While you’re Out There |
| Don’t miss the opportunity to try one of the restaurants at the other Canaves Collection properties. Petra, a fine-dining outlet at Canaves Oia Suites, is utterly romantic, with magical caldera views that would make it a highlight of any visit to the island. The dedicated, nine-course degustation menu here could be altered to suit our dietary requirements, and ingredients weren’t just left out, but cleverly replaced with plant-based alternatives: think kakavia ‘fish’ soup cooked with nori leaves rather than fish. Clever… and very tasty, indeed. |
For all things culinary, guests can choose between Elements, a fine-dining outlet with a dedicated degustation menu, or the more relaxed Omnia. Let’s start with the positives: Omnia is a light-flooded space spilling out onto a poolside terrace for al-fresco meals. And the highly motivated staff are as attentive and helpful as they come, which we know from our own experience, isn’t always a given in seasonal destinations. It’s the kind of team that will keep your water topped up without you ever having to ask for it, explain dishes in depth, and keep tables in pristine condition throughout each sitting. What they can’t do, however, is conjure dishes that don’t exist on the menu, and those with dietary requirements will find this challenging.
After spending a minute listening to all the meals that could be amended to suit our requirements, during which – we kid you not – the words ‘remove ingredients’ must have been mentioned 15 times, it became clear that our meals at Canaves Epitome were going to be somewhat of a compromise. Paired with misinformation on one of the dishes we ordered, and were frustratingly forced to backtrack on, before agreeing to the only dedicated meal that suited our dietary requirements, and which we actually didn’t fancy at all, this was disappointing. When our main, a celeriac steak, arrived, we found it undercooked. On another occasion, we were recommended what, to all intents and purposes, appeared to be the same dish, except with a different vegetable. This was slightly better, if repetitive.
If we’d gone with the staff’s recommendations, we’d have had beetroot risotto three days in a row, while we were advised not to try Elements, where our diet simply couldn’t be catered to (talk about feeling excluded as a guest). It’s not all bad, of course. Most of our meals ended up being variations of starters and sides, which, although many came with ‘removed ingredients’, were still tasty: we loved the spicy fried rice and green salad with sesame seeds, and the Santorinian fava was a dreamy delight. And, not fancying a bog-standard sorbet or fruit platter for dessert, we instead ordered another one of the seriously good cocktails on offer (try the Speedy Gonzales). The scope of its gastronomic offering, which failed to cater to our diet in an original and inclusive way, was where we found Canaves Epitome fell short of its resort-leaning status, feeling more like a classic hotel, where guests might be out exploring during the day, and having most of their meals in local restaurants.
Variety is the spice of life, of course, and other aspects of our stay were much more reflective of this creed. The stylish, state-of-the-art hotel gym does wonders in luring guests out of their accommodations, while yoga classes and massages can be arranged in no time. If you’re looking to get under the skin of the destination, the team is at hand to organise everything from private yachting trips to scuba diving or cocktail masterclasses to wine tastings that we hear are extraordinarily insightful (who knew Santorini was home to nine endemic grape varieties, and has been making wine for over 3,000 years?). You could also join a garden tour, during which the team won’t fail to point out the many volcanic stone walls, which appear deceptively ‘simple’, yet, given they are authentic through and through, add real calibre: ‘No expenses have been spared’, as one staff member stressed, and no lies were detected.
The approach is representative of what Canaves Collection set out to do with the hotel. From all we know, it’s the only one within its portfolio that’s actively marketed as a ‘resort’, and Canaves Epitome certainly has the looks of one. There isn’t another property on the island that’s as elegantly hidden in plain sight, perfectly private in feel and ambitiously bold in design. Those who have visited Santorini before and are keen to experience a slower side of the destination will find the hotel to be a (near) perfect hideaway. And while we personally longed for a more diet-inclusive approach to gastronomy, we can’t deny that the resort is likely in a class of its own on the island. This, of course, is no small feat.
Photography courtesy of Canaves Collection
