Inside NOŪS Santorini: A High-Design Hotel With Family in Mind

The humble, hardworking donkey isn’t used to flattery; but as the unofficial mascot of the Aegean archipelago of the Cyclades, the long-lashed beast is accorded affection at NOŪS Santorini, a stylish and accommodating resort on the popular Greek island. NOŪS—whose founder, Dakis Joannou, is one of the biggest art collectors in the world—even placed a soaring terrazzo sculpture of donkey ears right beside its colossal pool. Art (equine and otherwise) warms and brightens everywhere in this compound of clean-lined geometric bungalows.

Sprawling across a gently sloping estate at the heart of Santorini, NOŪS looks like it could be an art museum—or one disguised as a chic hotel. Befitting a property owned by a major collector, mixed-media creations, design-minded furniture and sculpture fill the public areas, restaurants and 119 rooms. The first statement piece, a giant pair of donkey ears cast in traditional terrazzo, comes into view just as you descend the wide staircase leading from the driveway to reception, appearing to eavesdrop on whispering couples and parents in expensive bathing suits. 

But its prodigious art collection isn’t the only thing that sets NOŪS apart. Unlike most of its competitors, which are vertically set into the island’s honeycomb cliffsides, NOŪS has a village feel, with low-slung one- and two-story buildings spread throughout the compound—a quiet but significant difference that makes it easier to navigate with rambunctious kids (and everything you need to schlep on their behalf) in tow.

Bolstering those family-friendly bona fides are the activities on offer, including catamaran cruises, archaeological tours and horseback riding on the beach—and if you’re able to score a sitter (or don’t have kids with you at all), you can sign up to winery-hop across the island. Whatever you choose, the obliging concierges are happy to help you figure it out.

By the time you reach your room, you’ll be zonked. But that’s just fine. Shaded by the rooms’ irregular rooflines, the private patios are ideal for taking advantage of the huge room-service menu—the pork kebab with roasted peppers is so flavorful—and ordering a private alfresco feast for the whole family, or just for two. That’s no knock on the two dine-in venues, though, especially Elio’s Restaurant, an excellent Italian-ish chophouse that draws locals and guests alike with its brawny steaks and deep wine cellar.

Just off of a sun-splashed courtyard is where you’ll find the spa, where talented therapists perform treatments with botanical Naxos Apothecary products. A mystical indoor-outdoor wading pool zigzags through the spa like a lightning bolt, creating quiet corners for guests to rest after their sandalwood-oil massages—and before reuniting with their kids.

Alternating walls of white concrete breeze-blocks and warm hardwood turn the rest of the resort into an immersive installation of light and shadow, and the flecks of ivory, beige, black and brick red in the omnipresent terrazzo echo the colors of Santorini’s various beaches—which you may or may not choose to visit. The resort’s central location just outside the capital of Fira puts them all within driving range, but on Santorini, parking is brutal, and cabs are expensive. You have our permission to remain at the pool, which is so large it almost feels like the Aegean.

The Room

The Joannou family had to renovate and expand an existing hotel in order to create NOŪS, and to their credit, you can’t tell where the old details end and the new ones begin. The seams are invisible—especially across the resort’s 119 rooms, which comprise nine categories ranging from tidy standards (roughly 250 square feet) to sprawling Two-Bedroom Pool Suites (775 square feet). Kitted out in a palette of warm neutrals that pick up the terrazzo, they’re minimally furnished but not minimalist, modern but not icy, with earthy wood bed frames, whimsical metal chairs and woven baskets into which you can toss your pool towels.

Beyond square footage, the private outdoor spaces are where the various accommodations diverge. Entry-level guest rooms have cozy balconies, while upper categories have tranquil gardens and expansive pool decks that extend the living space, drawing it into the outdoors. Rosemary and lavender bushes burst forth from stone-pebbled beds, hot tubs bubble and arbors with rustling bamboo-husk canopies shelter patio dining sets. It feels like you could entertain alfresco—fitting, since many of the rooms can adjoin. And the granite-tiled, rectangular pools offered with higher-category rooms are among the largest private ones we’ve seen in Europe. Calling them “plunge” would almost be an insult.

The Features

The resort pool is so vast, it nearly feels like you’re on the Aegean Sea.

Don’t miss: The QR codes IDing each piece of art. Scan them to access a virtual gallery that explains the various works, most of which are sourced from young Greek artists. Together they comprise the Volcanic Sensorium, a collection by Athens-based curator and longtime NOŪS collaborator Nadja Argyropoulou.

Favorite features: Clocking in at over 10,000 square feet, NOŪS’ pool is said to be the largest in all of Santorini. So big is the zero-entry L-shaped lagoon that it seems capable of hosting a major sporting event.

Can’t stop thinking about: The fantastic croissants. (Yes, really.) Greek bakers know their way around a flaky pastry—especially flat, phyllo-based sweets and savories—and that expertise extends to these goods, which are bronzed, balloon-like and roughly the size of Chihuahuas. They also use them in a ridiculous bread pudding, served with a sidecar of vanilla anglaise.

The Lowdown

Head to Elio’s for creative takes on classic drinks, like the Aegean Sour, left, or Strawberry Americano.

What you’re drinking: Effervescent and bittersweet, the Strawberry Americano (Cynar, Santoni and Montenegro amari, strawberry and rhubarb liqueurs and soda) from Elio’s pairs well with Santorini’s balmy weather, as do the chophouse’s cheeky, bubble gum–colored suede menus.

The take-home amenity: Like most folks, you probably don’t need yet another reusable tote, but you’ll want to make room for the oversize pool bag hung up in every closet. Made of distressed denim, it’s a collaboration between the hotel and Greek beachwear designer Gigiboom and is large and sturdy enough to carry multiple watermelons (or your poolside reading, a water bottle, a change of shoes—you name it). Buy your own for 65 euros.

The local hot spot: Located in the capital of Fira, less than a 10-minute drive from the hotel, Panigyri bistro prepares island ingredients (seafood, tomatoes, cheese) using a wood-burning oven. Sit in the string-lit garden, where Vito, chef-owner Fanis Maikantis’ black schnauzer, visits the tables for head scratches and crumbs.

The product you’ll raid the housekeeping cart for: The pomegranate and olive oil body lotion by the Athens-based brand Olive Era. The smooth-drying balm smells neither like pomegranates nor olive oil, but soft sandalwood with hints of vanilla, leather and grass. Stash one in your car, your backpack or your in-flight toiletry bag.

NOŪS—whose founder, Dakis Joannou, is one of the world’s foremost art collectors—honors the island’s unofficial mascot with a soaring terrazzo sculpture of donkey ears placed right beside its colossal pool.

Fast Facts

• Number of rooms: 119
• Number of pools: 2
• Fitness center? Yes
• Spa? Yes
• Salon? Yes
• Number of bars/restaurants: 3
• 24-hour room service? Yes
• Childcare and kids club? No, though the hotel can arrange for babysitting.

This feature, based on a visit in September 2024, includes information that is subject to change. Please check with the hotel to confirm information prior to your stay.