Smy Mediterranean White Santorini

Not the Four-Star Experience We Expected

We stayed at the Smy Mediterranean White Hotel for two nights in July as part of a package holiday and unfortunately our experience fell well below what we would expect from a hotel marketed as four-star.

On arrival shortly after midnight, the hotel had no record of our booking. Fortunately, they were able to accommodate us in a dated family room (Room 307), but this was clearly not the accommodation we had booked. We were also concerned to discover exposed electrical wiring in the bathroom, which we considered to be a serious safety hazard.

The following morning we were informed that our booking had not been passed to the hotel, meaning our reserved room was unavailable. We were told we would have to remain in the temporary room for a second night before being moved to a Junior Suite.

Breakfast on both mornings was chaotic. Many tables were covered in dirty crockery, there were no clean cups, glasses or cutlery available, and guests were waiting while items were washed. The food selection was poor, there was no fresh fruit, and the coffee was among the worst we have experienced in any hotel.

The pool area was equally disappointing. Many of the wooden sun loungers were in poor repair, the cushions were stained, several parasols were covered in bird droppings, and there was no hand soap in the ladies' pool toilets throughout our stay despite us reporting it on the first day.

What concerned us most was the response when problems were raised. Reception repeatedly explained that the catering was outsourced and that they had no authority to improve it or intervene, leaving guests with no meaningful way of getting the issues resolved. We overheard numerous other guests making similar complaints about the breakfast, yet the response from reception was always the same. One member of staff even remarked, "You should have seen it last year – this is better!" We found that response astonishing. Rather than acknowledging that the standard was unacceptable for a hotel advertised as four-star, it suggested that poor catering had become accepted as normal.

Before we checked out, the hotel eventually moved us into a much nicer Junior Suite. However, by then the disruption had already overshadowed the start of our holiday. When we queried why it did not include the private plunge pool we believed accompanied this room category, the receptionist suggested that we simply use another guest's private pool and, if challenged, pretend we did not realise it was private. We found that suggestion completely inappropriate and unprofessional.

After two nights we decided to leave the hotel and pay over £1,000 for alternative accommodation because we no longer believed the situation would improve. Although this was an expensive decision, it allowed us to salvage the remainder of our holiday.

We have stayed in many genuine four-star hotels, including several through the same tour operator, and this property did not come close to meeting that standard. While some members of staff were polite, the overall condition of the hotel, the quality of the facilities, and the handling of guest concerns were simply not what we expected from a hotel advertised as four-star.

Based on our experience, we would not return.

We stayed at Smy Mediterranean for two nights during the high summer season, and overall, it’s a really nice hotel with fantastic amenities.

The Good: The pool area is brilliant—the pool itself is surprisingly large and lovely for Santorini, and the food was great. The staff were also exceptionally nice and welcoming throughout our stay.

The Downsides: There were two main issues for us. First is the location: it’s about a 40-minute walk into Kamari, so I would definitely recommend renting a car or an ATV to get around easily. Second, because it was peak season, sunbeds around the pool were hard to come by if you arrived later in the day.

Tips for Future Guests: If you sleep in and head to breakfast around 8:45 or 9:00 AM, much of the food runs low, so it's best to go a bit earlier. Also, we stayed in Room 405, which felt a bit dated, so you might want to look into upgrading to a newer room type.

Overall, it’s a nice hotel—just keep the location and peak-season crowds in mind!