Hotel Rena

We have just returned from our third holiday at Hotel Rena and cannot recommend it highly enough. Yes, at first the rooms do appear to be a little on the small side, but are perfectly adequate and comfortable. All rooms are provided with a fridge. Air conditioning is charged at a very reasonable rate. I cannot think of anywhere where we have received a warmer welcome. Marios, the owner, his lovely family and extremely hard working staff all go out of their way to ensure their guests want for nothing. Towels are changed every other day and bed linen at least three times a week. Breakfast is great (providing a full english is not expected!) and has improved considerably since our last visit, comprising bread, melba toasts, jam and home made marmalade, cheese, ham, tomatoes, fruit and hard boiled eggs and can be eaten around the pool if you wish. Speaking of the pool, it's fantastic! Defintely the best in Perissa! Thanks Marios for making our stay to wonderful. We'll most certainly be back! Jo, Trevor and Sue

Previous reviews have been all over the map so I was a bit anxious about how our experience would be. All of my fears proved unfounded! My family of 4 (2 small children) stayed at the Rena for 3 nights in Sep 07. Marios (owner) booked us in an apartment that is adjacent to the main hotel. It was 2 bedroom and slept 4. It was perfect for us! The apartment was clean when we arrived and housekeeping did an excellent job cleaning up after us. The pool and bar area was nice as well. Couldn't ask for much more. The breakfast was pretty lame....very basic. I recommend eating at some of the restaurants on the beachfront. They're affordable and the food is awesome. The location was perfect for what we wanted...a beach trip. While not on the beachfront, the hotel is at most a 4 minute walk. Marios arranged a rental car for us and we drove around the island to see the rest of the sights. Definitely make sure you see Oia. We paid 20 Euros for a transfer from the port and from the hotel to the airport when we left.

We stayed as a couple at the Hotel Rena at the beginning of August 2007. We had a wonderful time there. The manager (Marios) was very caring and courteous at all times. The barman (Sureem) was fantasic and very hard working. The rooms were cleaned and towels and linen changed everyday in the first week and every other day in the second. We haven’t always had this at big hotels! The swimming pool was exceptionally clean so we spent our days by the pool or under the shaded sun houses. Beautiful views towards the surrounding mountains. Would definitely recommend this hotel for it’s friendliness (go to the Hilton if you are looking for luxury!). Would recommend the nearby God’s Garden restaurant and the Volcano. Very big portions and reasonable prices (about 22 Euros for 3 courses and carafe of house wine). Went back to hotel after evening meals for very big cocktails made by Marios! Have recommended family members to this hotel. Only one word of caution. The main roads in Perissa are quite dangerous for pedestrians so take care.

Luckily Perissa's beach was just a stone's throw away from Hotel Rena. This meant minimal time was spent there. Apart from the pool and common area, Hotel Rena was very very disappointing. If you have no choice and HAVE to stay here, make sure you stay away from rooms 24-26. We stayed in room 25 and the toliet had a constant stench. There was no TV reception, the balcony was looking slap bang straight into another building. Those rooms are basically in the workers quarters. There are plenty of Hotels in Perissa that would offer better value for money as well as a more enjoyable stay.

We booked direct with the hotel, who arranged for a car to meet us at the airport. From the minute we arrived at the hotel we felt at home. The rooms are clean and towles are changed every couple of days, and bedding 2-3 times per week. Breakfast is basic but I was not expcecting anything else, the fresh bread was to die for! Marios the owner goes out of his way to welcome his guests and nothingis too much trouble for him. It was great to relax by the pool, often we were the only couple there. The beach is a 2 minute walk away and there are always plenty of sunbeds and the main road is a 5 minute walk away. Plenty of lovely tavernas to choose from. Do visit Thira, Oia and the volcano, all great places to see. Hiring a quad bike is a great way to see the island and the scenery and views are fantastic. We loved Sanorini, such a pretty island and the hotel Rena is a great place to relax. We shall DEFINATELY be going again. Thanks Marios and Sareem for making our holiday a great one!

We arrived in Santorini without idea where to stay. We found Vila Rena recomended by our book guide. They are very friendly. We stayed there for 3 nights. The price was good for the quality. The room is clean, good bath and not noise. We could use the computer without extra tax . They helped us when we arrived town. We recomend this place. (Rita e Alain / Brazil)

HOTEL RENA - READ THIS FIRST BEFORE YOU BOOK! …I’m in my mid thirties and currently hold a directors position in a multi- national company, the point of me saying this… I have traveled the world for the last 10 years, staying in places like the Palazzo-Versace resort, the Lanesborough in London all the way down the star ladder to 1 star with share facilities. As a result, I feel I have some qualifications to rate this hotel. Well where I start, I could write pages! - This hotel is an utter joke, this hotel (loose translation) is the worst I have ever stayed in, I was so appalled with the hotel, I asked numerous people at the pool (minimal saving grace) about their rooms, it was amazing how they all piped up and agreed with me… as if they had been keeping a secret all this time and waited for somebody to speak! DO NOT stay here the views are horrid, the photo’s on the website have to be of another hotel, the hotel staff are dreadful, the breakfast buffet ( if that’s what you call it) is shocking. Reason’s why this hotel is an absolute farce; firstly you have to make your bed each night (paying $138USD) you’d think somebody would at least make it for you or provide you with adequate bedding! No you are left a sheet (to small for the bed and towel) each night for you to make it yourself. I was almost electrocuted by poor eclectic cable grounding as it filtered through the shower, hence sending tingling electric shocks on your skin. (Spoke with hotel management, could care less! – others had the same problem) Toilet took 3-5 minutes to refill, water pump operated all night sounding like ‘5 old guys all in room with horrific snoring problems.’ The hotel staff were not knowledgeable, (you’d think any hotel staff would know when the bus goes to the ferry terminal,) basic concierge… in anybody’s language, Yes they told us…30 minutes late of course! They had no idea at all…a pure guess! The list goes on! Trust me, I’m far from a whiner, I’m a very resilient and adaptable guy, but I do expect some basic fundamentals of a hotel (regardless of star) but alas NO, not with the Hotel Rena. Take this a serve warning. In closing, I’ve never been to prison, but any images that one conjures up of such an institution, the hotel Rena would be a very close rendition of a cell!

Hotel Rena is what I would call typical Greek accommodation - basic. Rooms are a bit on the small side but contain everything you need with the additional extra of a fridge - brilliant. Staff are very friendly. We booked this hotel because it states there are only 27 rooms and we wanted somewhere small and quiet to stay. What they don't tell you in holiday brouchures is that the Hotel Rena's facilities are shared with two nearby apartment blocks (owned by the same people I think). Perissa is a lovely part of Santorini (if you can get used to the black sand!) and the Tavernas are plentiful and serve excellent food. The island is very small, which you can see in two days if hiring a vehicle. I would recommend climbing the mountain - the views are spectacular and it takes about 2 hours there and back - well worth it but do it early before the sun gets too hot! I would recommend the island for a relaxing holiday - it's definitely not for party animals!

My husband and I planned our wedding in Santorini and thought that the hotel Rena looked like a nice spot to stay afterwards for our honeymoon. We arrived to an incredibly friendly and accomodating staff, a super clean (and romantically decorated after my husband's request) room. The pool and bar were wonderful places to relax. It was especially nice to be located in between the main street (with shops, restaurants, buses, tour agencies) and the beach (restaurants, shops, black sandy beach) - both of which were only a few minutes walk. I would highly recommend the hotel Rena as a fabulous place to relax and enjoy your vacation!!

Good places don’t need recommendations but some people need good advice. For them is the following: There is no better place to stay on Santorini than Rena Hotel! Once you get there you will be enchanted by extremely friendly reception and beauty of the surroundings. Rooms are very nice, clean, well equipped and bright. Besides, you will have opportunity to swim in the greatest swimming pool in the whole Perissa (honestly, I made some comparisons) or just lay in a shade of bougainvillea trees sipping your drink and listening to quiet sounds of relaxing music, or have dinner just by the sparkling water. Also the Hotel’s location is very convenient, so that you can get easily either to the Black Beach (probably the nicest of all rather stony Santorini’s beaches) or to the center of Perissa where you can catch a bus, rent a car, visit tourist office, do shopping, miss your hotel. And when you return at night you will find the hotel nicely illuminated and inviting. Besides, people you meet here are most friendly and caring of all people ever! I was living in Rena Hotel like in a dreamland and I don’t know what I was regretting more while leaving form there – life in that hotel or the island as such. No exaggeration, it’s full relax for body and soul and good starting point to explore Santorini!!!