Grace Hotel, Auberge Resorts Collection

Where Imerovigli's Caldera Edge Defines the Guest Experience

Approaching Grace Hotel from Imerovigli's main path, the first impression is architectural compression: whitewashed volumes stacked into the volcanic cliff face in the manner of a Cycladic village, where walls and terraces fold into one another until the property reads less like a hotel and more like a settlement that grew organically from the rock. That reading is not accidental. Auberge Resorts Collection properties tend to foreground a strong sense of place over branded uniformity, and Grace Hotel follows that logic with conviction. The caldera drops away below, the Aegean fills the middle distance, and by the time you reach the infinity pool terrace, the built environment and the natural one have merged to the point where the boundary between room, terrace, and horizon becomes genuinely ambiguous.

Imerovigli occupies the highest ridge point of Santorini's caldera arc, sitting above both Fira and Oia in elevation and, by most accounts, in the quietness of its atmosphere. The village attracts a smaller flow of day visitors than either of its neighbours, which means evenings on the caldera path here run at a different pace. Among the premium properties positioned along this ridge, [Iconic Santorini](https://www.enprimeurclub.com/hotels/iconic-santorini-imerovigli-hotel) and [Katikies Chromata](https://www.enprimeurclub.com/hotels/katikies-chromata-imerovigli-hotel) occupy the same narrow competitive band, where caldera-edge position and personalised service are the primary differentiators rather than scale. See our [full Imerovigli hotels guide](https://www.enprimeurclub.com/hotels/imerovigli) for the wider picture.

Service as Architecture: How the Property Is Designed Around Anticipation

The editorial angle that La Liste's 2026 ranking of 93.5 points implies is one of consistent delivery across a demanding guest set. Properties at that tier are not scored on facilities alone; the evaluation weighs how service behaves under pressure, whether staff operate from scripts or from contextual awareness, and how the property handles the gap between what a guest books and what a guest actually needs. At Grace Hotel, that gap is addressed partly through physical design: balcony doors that open into both bedroom and living room allow natural light to work as a morning signal rather than an alarm, and the option to select a room fragrance from a curated diffuser menu transforms what is usually a passive amenity into a low-key act of personalisation that most hotels in this category miss entirely.

The suites and villas with heated plunge pools on the terrace extend that logic outward. A private pool at this altitude, facing the caldera, removes the need for the guest to manage timing around a shared facility, which is a form of service that never requires a staff member to deliver it. Marble-lined bathrooms stocked with Apivita products and fitted with rain showers large enough for two follow the same principle: the room is configured to remove friction before friction arrives. In-room spa treatments can be added on as an extension of the same approach. For comparison, [Amanzoe in Porto Heli](https://www.enprimeurclub.com/hotels/amanzoe-porto-heli-hotel), which holds Michelin 2 Keys, applies a structurally similar philosophy at larger scale across its pavilion format, while [Andronis Arcadia in Santorini](https://www.enprimeurclub.com/hotels/andronis-arcadia-santorini-hotel) operates within the same island tier. The broader Greek luxury conversation also includes [Four Seasons Astir Palace Hotel Athens](https://www.enprimeurclub.com/hotels/four-seasons-astir-palace-hotel-athens-athens-hotel), which anchors the mainland end of the premium bracket.

Varoulko Santorini and the Role of the Restaurant

Greek fine dining has undergone significant repositioning over the past decade, with a generation of chefs reframing traditional ingredients through more technical preparations while keeping provenance at the centre. Lefteris Lazarou, the chef behind Varoulko Santorini at Grace Hotel, represents a recognisable strand of that shift: a reputation built on seafood-forward cooking with documented award recognition. The restaurant's dishes, as identified in the property's own records, include squid with pesto Genovese, crayfish tartare with basil and yuzu, and sea bass with fennel risotto. These compositions sit at the intersection of local sourcing and Mediterranean technique, with the yuzu reference in the crayfish preparation signalling the kind of cross-cultural precision that has become a marker of Greek fine dining at the upper end. The caldera view from the restaurant's terrace operates as a full contextual frame for the meal, not merely a backdrop.

For those exploring Imerovigli's wider dining scene, our [full Imerovigli restaurants guide](https://www.enprimeurclub.com/restaurants/imerovigli) maps the options beyond the hotel. Drinking options are covered in our [Imerovigli bars guide](https://www.enprimeurclub.com/bars/imerovigli), and for island wine, the [Imerovigli wineries guide](https://www.enprimeurclub.com/wineries/imerovigli) covers Santorini's Assyrtiko-dominated production in context.

The Infrastructure of Place

The infinity pool is, by the property's own account, the largest in Imerovigli village. At caldera elevation, with lounge chairs, towel service, and café access, it functions as a primary social and experiential anchor during the afternoon hours when the light on the western cliffs is at its most direct. The pool terrace is also where Grace Hotel's sunset credentials are most directly tested: Imerovigli's ridge position means the sun drops over the caldera's western rim with the full width of the Aegean behind it, a geometry that differs from Oia's more concentrated viewing point and tends to attract guests who prefer a less crowded version of the same phenomenon.

The property's amenity list covers the core requirements for an extended stay: bar, gym, outdoor pool, restaurant, spa, and beach access below the cliff. Santorini's beaches, formed from volcanic pebble rather than sand, run red and black at the island's two most distinctive stretches, and reaching them from Imerovigli involves the cliff-edge paths or a short transfer. The ancient site of Akrotiri, one of the Aegean's most intact Bronze Age settlements, is accessible from the southern part of the island. Sailboat hire from Santorini's ports provides the most direct way to see the caldera from water level, a perspective that reverses the hotel's usual vantage point entirely.

Guests considering the broader Cycladic premium tier might also look at [Andronis Minois in Paros](https://www.enprimeurclub.com/hotels/andronis-minois-paros-hotel), [Archipelagos Hotel in Mykonos](https://www.enprimeurclub.com/hotels/archipelagos-hotel-mykonos-hotel), [Avant Mar in Naoussa Paros](https://www.enprimeurclub.com/hotels/avant-mar-naoussa-paros-hotel), and [Aristide Hotel in Syros](https://www.enprimeurclub.com/hotels/aristide-hotel-syros-hotel). For mainland Greece, [Aristi Mountain Resort in Zagori](https://www.enprimeurclub.com/hotels/aristi-mountain-resort-zagori-hotel) occupies a very different terrain. Elsewhere in the Greek island arc, [Acro Suites in Agia Pelagia](https://www.enprimeurclub.com/hotels/acro-suites-agia-pelagia-hotel), [Domes Aulūs Elounda in Elounda](https://www.enprimeurclub.com/hotels/domes-auls-elounda-elounda-hotel), [Casa Delfino Hotel & Spa in Chania](https://www.enprimeurclub.com/hotels/casa-delfino-hotel-spa-chania-hotel), and [100 Rizes Seaside Resort in Gytheio](https://www.enprimeurclub.com/hotels/100-rizes-seaside-resort-gytheio-hotel) each cover distinct coastal registers. The [Imerovigli experiences guide](https://www.enprimeurclub.com/experiences/imerovigli) covers on-island activities beyond the property itself.

Planning a Stay

Grace Hotel operates as part of the Auberge Resorts Collection, which manages bookings centrally through the collection's reservations infrastructure. Santorini's peak season runs from late May through September, with July and August representing the highest-demand window across all caldera-edge properties; guests targeting the leading combination of weather, light quality, and manageably sized crowds tend to find late May, early June, and the first two weeks of September the more considered choice. For international arrivals, Santorini's Thira airport connects to Athens and several European hubs with seasonal frequency; the transfer from the airport to Imerovigli by car takes under twenty minutes. Additional options at a similar international luxury tier include [Avaton Luxury Beach Resort in Halkidiki](https://www.enprimeurclub.com/hotels/avaton-luxury-beach-resort-halkidiki-hotel), [Eliamos Villas Hotel & Spa in Leivathou](https://www.enprimeurclub.com/hotels/eliamos-villas-hotel-spa-leivathou-hotel), and [Dexamenes Seaside Hotel in Kourouta](https://www.enprimeurclub.com/hotels/dexamenes-seaside-hotel-kourouta-hotel). Travellers placing Greece within a wider European itinerary can also reference [The Fifth Avenue Hotel in New York City](https://www.enprimeurclub.com/hotels/the-fifth-avenue-hotel-new-york-city-hotel), [Aman New York](https://www.enprimeurclub.com/hotels/aman-new-york-new-york-city-hotel), and [Aman Venice](https://www.enprimeurclub.com/hotels/aman-venice-venice-hotel) for comparable positioning in other markets.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the atmosphere like at Grace Hotel, Auberge Resorts Collection?

The atmosphere sits at the quieter, more contemplative end of the Santorini caldera spectrum. Imerovigli's refined ridge position above Fira and Oia keeps foot traffic lower than either of those villages, and the property's Cycladic architecture reinforces a sense of seclusion within a recognisably high-specification setting. If you are looking for a social, high-energy scene, the property is not calibrated for that; it is designed around stillness, views, and deliberate service.

Which room category do guests tend to prefer at Grace Hotel, Auberge Resorts Collection?

Given the property's caldera-edge position and its signature caldera views, rooms and suites with a private heated plunge pool on the terrace represent the accommodation format most aligned with what Grace Hotel does leading. The combination of direct caldera outlook, private water, and the room's personalisation options (including the fragrance menu) makes that tier the most coherent expression of what distinguishes this property within Auberge's collection. La Liste's 93.5-point 2026 ranking implies consistent delivery at this level across the property.

Why do people choose Grace Hotel, Auberge Resorts Collection over other Santorini hotels?

The combination of Imerovigli's caldera-edge position, Auberge's service framework, and Lefteris Lazarou's restaurant places Grace Hotel in a specific subset of Santorini premium accommodation where dining, views, and personalised service reinforce one another rather than operating independently. The infinity pool, cited as the largest in the village, and the La Liste 2026 recognition at 93.5 points signal consistent quality benchmarked against international luxury peers.

Does Grace Hotel, Auberge Resorts Collection take walk-in guests?

As an Auberge Resorts Collection property operating in one of the Mediterranean's highest-demand summer markets, advance booking is the reliable approach. Santorini's peak season from July through August sees caldera-edge properties fill weeks or months ahead; arriving without a reservation during that window is a significant risk. Booking through Auberge's central reservations or directly via the property's official channels is the standard method. Walk-in availability, if it exists at all, would be rare during high season.

What distinguishes the dining at Grace Hotel from other caldera-edge restaurants in Santorini?

Varoulko Santorini, Grace Hotel's restaurant, brings Lefteris Lazarou's award-documented cooking to the caldera setting. The menu draws on locally sourced Greek seafood and produce, with preparations such as crayfish tartare with basil and yuzu reflecting a technical register above the standard taverna or hotel-restaurant fare common on the island. The restaurant sits within the caldera-view terrace framework but is anchored by a chef with a track record that extends beyond this single location, placing it in a narrower tier of hotel dining on the island.