Katikies Chromata Santorini

Suspended above Santorini’s caldera at Imerovigli, Katikies Chromata Santorini, a member of The Leading Hotels of the World, is an adults only retreat of just 26 rooms and suites with extraordinary views across the volcano and Aegean.

Chromata is one of those hotels that could only really exist on Santorini. Its brilliant white terraces appear carved into the cliff itself, descending through arches, curved walls and narrow stairways with the caldera repeatedly appearing between them. There is a beautiful simplicity to the architecture, where almost everything has been stripped back so that sunlight, shadow and the enormous volcanic landscape provide the decoration.

The hotel reveals itself gradually as you move down the hillside. A small terrace suddenly opens onto the volcano, another staircase leads towards the pool and dining spaces, and almost every turn seems to frame the caldera differently. It gives Chromata an intimate, almost secretive quality despite the sheer scale of the landscape in front of it.

Rooms & Suites

The 26 rooms and suites continue that sculptural approach, with smooth white walls, softly curved openings and uncluttered interiors that draw the eye towards the private veranda outside. King beds and comfortable sitting areas provide the essentials, but it is the relationship between each suite and the caldera that really defines the experience.

Junior, Senior and Superior Suites provide progressively more generous living space, while the Superior Outdoor Jetted Tub and Honeymoon Jetted Tub Suites move much of the pleasure outdoors. Sitting in warm water above the caldera as the light begins to change is precisely the sort of Santorini moment these terraces were made for.

The Chromata Infinity Pool Suite and Master Pool Suite take things further with private pools seemingly suspended above the Aegean, while the Chromata Villa and Katikies Cycladic House provide the collection’s most substantial accommodation. These are suites designed to make staying in feel every bit as tempting as going out.

Dining

Koukoumavlos brings serious culinary pedigree to Chromata. One of Santorini’s celebrated restaurant names, it found a new home here in 2023, bringing together Michelin starred chef Ettore Botrini and chef Nikos Pouliasis for an ambitious interpretation of contemporary Greek and Cycladic cooking.

The setting is every bit as considered as the food, with dinner unfolding against the caldera rather than behind the walls of a formal dining room. It makes Koukoumavlos a destination in its own right and gives evenings at Chromata a sense of occasion without losing the intimacy of the hotel.

Katikies Lounge is more relaxed, with colour providing a playful contrast to all that Cycladic white, while Aperitivo Bar comes into its own towards sunset. This is one place where arriving early for a drink is thoroughly worthwhile, allowing you to watch the cliffs and volcano change colour before the lights begin to appear around the caldera.

Experience

The infinity pool occupies one of the hotel’s most dramatic terraces, its edge appearing to disappear directly into the blue of the Aegean. Rather than surrounding it with a vast deck, smaller terraces and tucked away lounging spaces preserve the intimate scale of Chromata and keep the volcano firmly at the centre of the scene.

Days can be as gloriously uneventful as you want them to be. Breakfast can linger on a private veranda, the afternoon can disappear beside the infinity pool and sunset provides its own appointment with Aperitivo Bar. When the urge to venture further wins, hiking, cycling, diving, snorkelling and sailing experiences open up another side of Santorini.

Imerovigli itself is one of the great pleasures of the location. Its lanes and caldera path begin almost outside the hotel, making an evening wander wonderfully easy, while the walk towards Fira follows one of the most spectacular stretches of the island’s cliff edge.

Wellness

Wellness remains deliberately private, with massages and spa treatments providing a quieter counterpoint to days beside the pool. Couples treatments and a range of full body therapies can be arranged, allowing the experience to fit naturally around the day rather than dictating it.

Chromata hardly needs to manufacture a sense of escape. Time on your veranda with nothing between you and the volcano has a restorative quality of its own, particularly early in the morning when the caldera is still and the first light begins to reach the white villages along the cliffs.

Where

Katikies Chromata Santorini occupies the caldera edge in Imerovigli, with restaurants and bars close at hand and Fira around a 20 minute walk away along the cliff, combining one of Santorini’s most spectacular positions with easy access to the island’s capital.

Media