"To say we were disappointed with our experience at Sea Breeze Santorini would be an extreme understatement. This is nothing close to a five-star resort and anyone who has actually stayed in one would quickly recognize this fact. Fraudulent billing, a poorly designed layout, cramped accomodations and unsanitary conditions, to name a few problems, make this a place you should avoid at all costs.
For context, our family has a combined 50+ years of Hilton Honors membership; we have stayed at Hilton properties all over the world and have never complained once.
We booked two rooms for three nights for a family of seven (three children) well in advance, included the correct number of guests and their ages at the time of booking and were provided a "total room charge" at that time. Upon check-in, the hotel inexplicably charged us over €2,000 (over 48% more) than the total room charge in our confirmation. Later, the General Manager, Claire Anastasoglou, claimed that this was due to extra guests (children), but we had indicated the correct number of guests, booked two rooms (a king duplex suite with pool and a king guest room) to accommodate those guests and were given a total based on that information. The baseless and obscene over-charge was nothing short of a fraudulent and unfair business practice in violation of consumers' rights. I should know, given that I am a Deputy Attorney General in the United States and prosecute fraud on a daily basis.
To make matters worse, on the day we arrived, we noticed that the room rates on Hilton's website had dropped significantly from the time we reserved, but Ms. Anastasoglou refused to honor the lower rate or compromise at all.
We contacted Hilton Corporate and they were appalled to hear about the gross over-billing and lack of accountability on the part of management. Hilton did not hesitate to issue a full refund of the over-payment, including an additional fraudulent mini-bar charge (we did not consume any items from the mini-bar). Hilton Corporate also confirmed that the General Manager had the authority to correct the billing and issue a refund, despite Ms. Anastasoglou's claim to the contrary. She responded to our complaint stating that, "transparency is a fundamental principle" of their operation and that all rates and fees are "clearly detailed throughout the reservation process." Ms. Anastasoglou should consult a dictionary to learn what the word 'transparency' means. This claim couldn't be further from the truth and Hilton Corporate acknowledged that the over-charge was completely unsubstantiated. Unfortunately, much time was spent on this issue, which detracted from our vacation.
The problems did not end there. Overall, the accommodations left much to be desired. For example, the showers in the suite were so small that I felt like I was in a box and could barely move. The king room was very small and did not have a luggage rack or adequate space to put our belongings. The private pool is also very small and essentially useless. The cramped accomodations seem odd given that there is ample space on the property, which is quite spread out. Upon check-in, we were given a tour of the facilities, including the "spa" and gym. They were unimpressive and somewhat depressing.
The layout of the property is very awkward and undesirable. Although it is advertised as a "beachfront resort," only part of the property is adjacent to the beach, while the majority of the property/rooms require walking past three parking lots to get to the beach, pool and restaurant. The hotel is located far from the main attractions of Santorini and require at least a 20+ minute drive to Fira or 40 minutes to Oia, where you find the iconic white cliffside buildings and breathtaking views. There is really nothing of interest where Sea Breeze is located. Luckily we rented a car; otherwise one would have to rely on expensive taxis to see the island from this hotel.
On our first day, we ordered room service and when we finished, we placed the tableware outside of our room. It was not picked up until two days later. This was not an isolated incident because as we walked to the pool/restaurant area, we saw a pizza box and other discarded items on the ground outside of another room with a trail of thousands of ants marching to and from the pizza box, along the main path where all the guests walk. We also had to go to the reception to request that our room be cleaned. Even still, the cleaning staff did not remove or replace used glassware from our room.
It should be noted that several members of the staff were friendly and made an effort to provide good service, particularly Julia at reception, Dimitris at the bar, as well as the pool/wait staff. The pool is adequate and the adjacent bar/restaurant offer views of the nearby Mediterranean. Although the à la carte breakfast and coffee/juice were included in our rate, when we asked for sparkling water, the staff said there would be a charge. This is simply unacceptable when paying these types of rates. We ate dinner at Aura (the only restaurant) one night and were very disappointed. The prices were some of the most expensive on the island and much of the food was unrecognizable (for example, the "olive tart" had no signs of either an olive or a tart). You can find much better food and value elsewhere.
The few, if any, positive attributes were unfortunately overshadowed by the poor management and other deficiencies that we experienced in a short stay. Ms. Anastasoglou is clearly unfit for her position and should probably start looking for a new job. Hilton should be embarrassed by this property, which severely fails to meet the standards of a reputable international hotel brand. Even had we been charged the actual rate of our confirmed reservation, we would have grossly overpaid for what this hotel provided. There are much better options on Santorini. Save yourself from a huge disappointment and hassle."
