Aristide Hotel - Small Luxury Hotels of the World

We had an excellent staying, Aristide hotel it’s a real gem. An extremely comfortable, bright and spacious room, very carefully decorated with works of art and beautiful objects chosen with inspiration. The bathroom is simply stunning: elegant and stylish, it asserts refined luxury. A very good chef and creative bartender made our stay tasty and sparkling. The very friendly and warm staff round out this experience with panache.

You can read endless reviews of this hotel gushing about the design and decor, but just know what you are getting for your money before you decide to stay here. You need to really, really care about the name brand of the light fixtures (Tom Dixon!), and the art on the walls. If those are the biggest determining factor in which hotels you pick—if you are that kind of traveler, then you'll just melt at this place. But if you are a more typical traveler, there is very little that you will find "luxurious" about this place, much less any kind of value for money. The guest suites do have opulent decor to be sure but they are laid out very strangely: the beds are in the back room, right by the door, and the adjoining room is given over to an enormous bathroom with a dead palm tree and/or plastic bust blocking access to the little balcony, while the toilet is just in the middle of the room, so if you are sitting on the bed you can watch your companion use the toilet...? Normally you would have a bathroom by the door and the space with the nice view and balcony for the bedroom? Very trendy but not thoughtful design. The hotel's sole "amenities" —the garden and the rooftop restaurant that everyone mentions—can be visited without having to stay here; just be sure to keep out of the way of the staff, who spend the day hanging out drinking coffee in the little bar, which doesn't lend to an atmosphere of great customer service. To be a guest here is to adhere to a lot of rules, and if you ask for something you get a lecture in why they do things that way... which is the opposite of "top-notch service." For instance, there is no TV because That's How We Want You To Relax, and there are no telephones so you have to WhatsApp the hotel if you want anything (you are not supposed to want anything, you are suppose to take what they give you and absolutely love it). Also evening "turndown service" consists of the staff coming in and shutting off the a/c so you come back from dinner to a stuffy room and have to wait for it to cool off again. Because they're ecological, is the lecture you're given when you ask how this makes for a good guest experience. Also note that there are only private plunge pools in certain rooms, you will see on some websites that an outdoor pool is listed but this is incorrect. The owners obviously have amazing PR as there has been an article in every single travel magazine since this place opened, and have translated that into room rates 30-50% over what the other nice hotels nearby charge. But I recommend that you see through the hype: this was definitely the biggest disappointment of our 2 week trip in Greece.

Our second stay at The Aristide & we again did not want to leave. All the staff welcomed us back with such warmth. This time we were able to join the picnic which added to our whole experience at The Aristide. The food was prepared with such care & attention to detail, the farm was beautiful & charming & the company was a delight! We also enjoyed a very special evening of live music on the spectacular rooftop under the stars whilst enjoying delicious cocktails by the amazing Konstantinos. A stay at The Aristide would not be complete without hugs from Alexia & a great catch up with Oana. Our thanks & gratitude to all the staff for another super stay, we shall be back to stay in the Spring 🐾

Incredible place to stay. service is exceptional, they very kindly booked taxis and advised on places to eat etc. Would highly recommended. Terrace and garden are perfect places to unwind and relax.

The hotel was not up to our expectations . For what they said a luxurious hotel, the room has no minibar no cupboards no safe. No black out curtains no interphone. There was a poor choice of breakfast . For 800eiros a night it’s not worth it at all. Lots of noise in the morning we couldn’t sleep properly. Very average service. Design items don’t make it comfortable.

A beautifully restored hotel in a more than beautiful spot on the island of Syros. The atmosphere and ambiance, in one word, GREAT. Don't forget to enjoy the special cocktails made by Mr. Konstantinos on the beautiful roof terrace! And last but not least Oana's hospitality is truly remarkable and she is a beautiful person!

It all started when I read a about The Aristide Hotel on a travel blog. The description and the photos simply stunned me and I made Syros a stop on our island hopping vacation mostly because I really wanted to stay at the hotel. And dare I say all of my expectations have been exceeded. The Aristide Hotel does it so well from every aspect. The rooms are meticulously designed, decorated, and maintained. Every corner is art to the eyes. We stayed in the Oasis Suite and honestly, I could lay in bed and just stare at the beautiful pink ceiling all day. I had the pleasure to see all of the other Suites too. The pictures online do not do them justice as each of them exudes its own character and charm in person, and I still could not pick out a favourite for my stay next time :) We also had breakfast/brunch and dinner at the hotel restaurant. The ingredients are all locally sourced and organic. Breakfast in the garden with the lovely company of Alexia (the cutest dog who knows how to vacation) was such a lovely way to start the day. The dinner we had on the rooftop was so romantic, with great food, music and excellent service. A special mention to the hotel bar where I literally had the BEST cocktail ever and I still could not believe it was made with tequila (which I don't like)! If you can catch it, I would also recommend doing the picnic tasting experience with the hotel. It remains one of the most memorable experiences, both in terms of the actual food and the experience itself that we have had on a trip. Last but not least, Oana and the whole team have been so professional yet super personal all the way from email communications before our stay to saying goodbye to us on our last day. We could feel the heart and soul of the people that enjoy doing what they do here at the hotel. For me, that is always the marker of a truly exceptional place. The Aristide Hotel is a gem on a beautiful island that has casted its magic on me. Never have I experienced a place that is as grand and fancy as a true five-star hotel, but at the same time, surrounds you with the bubbly feeling of a warm and welcoming home. On that note, I look forward to returning to this special place with all of its beauty, charms and delight.

For a discerning traveller visiting Syros, Hotel Aristide is hands-down the best hotel on the island, skilfully managed by co-owner Oana and her friendly and ever-helpful team, particularly Chrysa and Margarita who are delightful. And the food prepared by the hotel's head chef, Petros Braikidis, is excellent. Don’t miss his homemade beef 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘪 (dumplings) - they are divine! (see photo)