Review: Cavo Tagoo Santorini (Greece)

Wednesday newsletters always feature a hotel or flight review.

Last July, I enjoyed a terrific holiday on the Greek islands of Santorini, Mykonos, and Ios (Cyclades). You can read my trip reports here:

Review: Lufthansa A320neo Business Class from Frankfurt to Mykonos
Review: Aeonic Suites & Spa, Mykonos
Review: Myconian Imperial, Mykonos
Review: Calilo, Ios
Review: Cavo Tagoo Santorini (today)
Review: Andronis Arcadia, Santorini

Today: Review of Cavo Tagoo Santorini (Greece)

Location: Google maps
Hotel website: Cavo Tagoo Santorini

The exclusive and ultra-stylish Cavo Tagoo Santorini is the trendiest hotel on the Greek island of Santorini, offering expansive caldera panoramas and spectacular sunset views. The boutique hotel features only 13 posh suites, all with a hot tub or private pool on the terrace. Facilities include a swanky Mediterranean fusion restaurant (one of the best dining venues on the island) and a gorgeous infinity pool with floating sun loungers. Cavo Tagoo Santorini is the sister property of Cavo Tagoo Mykonos, one of the finest boutique hotels in Mykonos and the most followed hotel in the word on Instagram.

Cavo Tagoo Santorini features in my top 10 list of the best luxury hotels in Santorini.

Have you ever stayed at Cavo Tagoo Santorini? If so, what was your experience? Leave a comment.

In this review (more info and photos below my YouTube video):

Pros & things I like
Cons & things to know
My verdict
Tips for future guests & save money
Best time to visit
How to get there
Photos

PROS & THINGS I LIKE

Set on top of the cliffs of Santorini’s famous caldera, Cavo Tagoo Santorini enjoys a sublime location at the northern edge of Imerovigli. An easy 20 minute hike (uphill) from the hotel, Imerovigli is a picturesque village that looks exactly as a Cycladic village should, sprinkled with whitewashed houses, cobblestone alleys, and blue domed churches. It’s far enough from Santorini’s capital Fira and world-famous Oia village to feel secluded (there are no tourist crowds here), yet within walking reach of these busy towns if you want to explore their shops, bars and restaurants. Cavo Tagoo’s location is also convenient as it’s only 15 minutes to the airport and 25 minutes to the ferry port (complimentary transfers are provided)

The village of Imerovigli is also known as “The balcony to the Aegean” since it is built on the highest point of the volcanic crater, about 300 m (1000 ft) above sea level. Consequently, most properties in the Imerovigli area – including Cavo Tagoo Santorini – provide dramatic heart-stopping views. These panoramas are even better than the already breathtaking views from Oia villa (where most visitors stay) since Imerovigli is located twice as high. All of Cavo Tagoo Santorini’s public areas and most suites (except for two) offer uninterrupted views of the island’s word-famous caldera, the underwater basin of an ancient volcano. The dazzling azure of the sky and sea, sharply contrasting black lava rocks, is a sight to behold.

The Imerovigli area – home of Cavo Tagoo Santorini – offer the perfect vantage point from which to enjoy the famed Santorini sunsets. This is a huge advantage as compared to staying in Oia, where hotels located on the rim do not have sunset views. Another plus is that Imerovigli doesn’t have the crowds that gather in Oia as the sun sets. In addition to the benefit of enjoying prime sunset views from your private terrace or the hotel’s public areas, you will also get an extra 2 to 3 hours of late afternoon and evening sun as compared to hotels in Oia (which are often in the shade a few hours before sunset). I you adore the evening light and sunset (like I do), my advice is to stay here, and not in Oia.

Cavo Tagoo Santorini’s trendy design combines traditional Cycladic architecture with modern elegance, while maintaining the original philosophy of Cavo Tagoo brand. The result is a stunning whitewashed effect with brilliant splashes of color, and a masterful combination of traditional elements with modern purity. Designed by Liakos & associates architects, the hotel’s architectural concept fuses minimalism with soft shapes and organic materials, while staying true to the cultural and geographical heritage of the island, which has emerged from the lava. The use of black natural stone emphasize the volcanic presence in all hotel areas, with the colors of smoked wood and copper referring to the shades of the hot lava that is still flowing on the island.

Cavo Tagoo Santorini’s stunning pool deck is a regular feature on the cover of glamorous fashion and travel magazines. Enjoying spectacular caldera views, the pool’s floating sun loungers are popular among the hotel’s good-looking guests, who comes here to relax and socialize. There are also other types of sunbeds available, with covers providing some welcome shade during the heat of the day. In the late afternoon, the tranquil ambiance makes place for a clubby mood and the pool deck transforms into Santorini’s hottest address, thé place to see and been seen. Glamorous crowd gathers for Mediterranean aperitifs, while enjoying the hotel’s trendy vibe and fabulous sunset views, accompanied by the music of the house DJ.

Cavo Tagoo Hotel Santorini is home to 13 stylish rooms & suites, lending the property an intimate boutique ambiance. All rooms and suites are tastefully furnished and provide such comforts as television LCD/plasma screen, luxurious bathroom amenities, and complimentary, daily replenished minibars. During my holiday, I was upgraded to the Grand Honeymoon Hotel Suite, one of the hotel’s top category rooms. The suite featured a bedroom with kingsize bed, an ensuite bathroom with rain shower, one sink and a toilet, as well as a separate lounge area. The suite’s highlight was its spacious outdoor patio with sunbeds and a large heated pool, offering terrific views of Santorini’s famed caldera and sunset.

Set against the dramatic backdrop of the spell-binding caldera and the magnificent hues of the sunset, Cavo Togoo Santorini’s signature restaurant Vezené is a Greek inspired bistro and open fire grill. Ranking among the best restaurants on the island, the dining venue is lead by Ari Vezené, one of Greece’s most influential chefs. Born in New York and raised by Greek immigrants, Ari is the self-taught chef/butcher who garnered widespread acclaim for pairing traditional Greek recipes with whole animal butchery and extensive dry ageing on lamb, goat, and game, resulting in complex flavor profiles. Food at the restaurant is truly great, offering a blend of Greek, Mediterranean, and Southern European cuisine.

Cavo Tagoo Santorini is the sibling of Cavo Tagoo Mykonos, the most famous 5-star hotel on the island of Mykonos. This super-trendy property features a fabulous infinity pool, a surreal aquarium bar, spectacular sunset views, a world-class fine dining restaurant, and an intimate spa. Gently tumbling down a hill to the Aegean Sea, the hotel features 83 rooms and suites, furnished in the chic white and minimalist style that the Cycladic islands are famous for. Cavo Tagoo Santorini and Cavo Tagoo Mykonos can be easily combined in one and the same itinerary since Santorini and Mykonos are connected by high speed ferry service (2 hours of travel time between both islands). Read my review of Cavo Tagoo Mykonos here.

An excursion on the resort’s private yacht – called M/Y Cavo – is not to be missed. The yacht -a FJORD 44 model – boasts a sleek design, with several sitting areas (sunpads, cockpit table, and cockpit benches) on its upper deck as well as a stylish bedroom on the lower deck. The yacht is the perfect setting for a breathtaking journey along Santorini’s dramatic coastline, where you can plunge into an out-of-this world coastal scenery and witness the splendor of the magic hour as the world’s most famous sunset paints everything into crimson gold. Let the yacht’s experienced captain and devoted hostess cater to your very need and desire, transforming a private sunset cruise in Santorini to a captivating experience you will treasure for life.

CONS & THINGS TO KNOW

Because of COVID19, breakfast is served à la carte with a reservation system (guests need to reserve a time slot the day before). Although delicious, breakfast is a rather limited affair with a selection of two dishes of your choice (that you need to select from a menu), one coffee and one juice.

There is no gym at Cavo Tagoo Santorini and the hotel does not have an onsite spa either, but massages can be arranged either in-room or in a dedicated spa room.

During the day, the hotel is very quiet, but that changes towards the late afternoon, when the hotel opens its pool deck (with bar and restaurant) to non-guests, resulting in a chic, partygoing but also crowded atmosphere. Hotel guests lounging on the sunbeds are asked to dress up around one hour before sunset (or alternatively, you could always retreat to the pool or Jacuzzi of your own room).

As virtually all hotels on Santorini, Cavo Tagoo is a seasonal property, opening between April and October. Reserve well in advance to avoid any disappointment as it’s a hugely popular place.

MY VERDICT

Location: 9/10
Design: 9/10
Pool: 9/10
Rooms: 8/10
Food: 9/10
Breakfast: 8/10
Spa: not applicable
Service: 9/10
Value for money: 8/10
Overall experience: very good 8.6/10

TIPS FOR FUTURE GUESTS & SAVE MONEY

Save money: read here my tips for getting the best deal at a luxury hotel like Cavo Tagoo Santorini (and/or receive many free perks).

Read my tips for preparing your trip in time.

BEST TIME TO VISIT

The best time to visit Santorini is spring and fall when the weather’s warm and the crowds are few. Like all of the Cyclades, Santorini welcomes the most visitors during the summer, so you’ll need to make your reservations at least two months in advance to travel then.

HOW TO GET THERE

Cavo Tagoo Santorini is located a 20 minute drive from Santorini’s ferry port and a 30 min drive from Santorini (Thira) National Airport. The airport is served by most European charters and some full-service and low-cost airlines in tourist season (click here for a direct link to their websites), but has no direct overseas connections.