Travel + Leisure It List 2019: Istoria, Santorini

Far from the crowded corridors of major villages like Fira or Oia, sits above Perivolos Beach, one of the island’s most serene stretches of volcanic black-sand coastline. The third Santorini property from husband-and-wife hoteliers Antonis Eliopoulos and Kalia Konstantinidou, this 12-suite retreat had a former life as a three-storey Cycladic mansion — the domain of an eccentric Greek socialite with a passion for horses. Elements of the original estate can still be found throughout; the ground-floor stables have been converted into guest rooms, each with its own private patio and plunge pool or hot tub, and the interiors have been modernised with bespoke furniture, mosaic floors of locally made tile, handcrafted textiles, and Aegean accents. The massive pool (which the resort claims is the largest at any on the island) and tranquil spa make it all too tempting to hunker down at the hotel — but one alfresco meal at the property’s patio restaurant, or a short walk down to the private loungers on the secluded onyx beach, will remind you of the striking natural beauty at your doorstep.

A version of this article was originally published on Travel + Leisure on 22 February 2019 as part of It List 2019: Our Editors’ Picks of the Best New Hotels in the World