Goulielmos Hotel & Spa

Goulielmos Hotel takes a serious, practical approach to responsible hospitality and is Green Key certified. Through the ESPA Green Transformation funding scheme, the hotel has completed major energy upgrades: high-insulation window frames, roof and façade thermal insulation, and a fully renewed central air-conditioning system with heat-recovery technology. The property has permanently eliminated oil-based heating, cutting CO₂ emissions sharply. Solar systems and recovered heat from the central cooling system now produce domestic hot water, which lowers heat-pump use and overall energy consumption. A photovoltaic installation is currently underway to push the hotel further toward energy autonomy.

The Edge Restaurant sits, as its name promises, right on the caldera’s rim, with panoramic views over the volcano and the sea. The kitchen serves Greek and Mediterranean dishes built around authentic Santorini flavors and island produce, with a menu developed by chef Katsarou Mary. The hotel bar offers refreshing drinks throughout the day. Much of what reaches the table reflects a strong local-sourcing policy: roughly 80% of supplies are Greek and around 30% come from Santorini and the wider Cyclades.

The on-site spa gives guests a quiet space to unwind after a day in the sun, complementing the pools and the laid-back atmosphere around the property. Families are well looked after, with larger rooms that sleep up to four and several accommodation types featuring their own private pools, so children and parents can spread out in comfort.

Beyond energy, the hotel protects the marine environment that defines Santorini. Staff have worked to eliminate single-use plastics wherever possible, reducing the waste that can reach the sea and threaten local marine ecosystems. Recycling runs throughout the operation, including 100% recycling of used cooking oils and full recycling of glass and paper with the local municipality. The gardens lean on native, drought-tolerant species closely tied to the island’s character — caper bushes, rosemary and thyme — which need little water while supporting local biodiversity. Cleaning relies on professional Ecolab products used responsibly, and a regular laboratory program with Veltia tests potable water, pool water, food and Legionella to keep hygiene standards high.

The hotel’s privately owned traditional vineyard turns a stay into a hands-on encounter with island life. During harvest season, guests can join the grape picking and learn the viticultural methods Santorini has preserved for generations. The hotel also runs its own farm, cultivating traditional local crops — eggplants, Santorini cherry tomatoes, katsouni (the local cucumber) and fava — which bring authentic island flavors straight to the kitchen. Traditional cooking classes let guests prepare regional recipes with these ingredients and discover culinary traditions passed down through families.

Santorini opens up easily from this base. The signature outing is a cruise to the active volcano aboard traditional wooden boats. Guests can also book wine tours to local wineries — the hotel partners with Nomikos Estate for tastings and cooking lessons, and with Hatzidakis Winery and Santo Wines for tastings of the island’s volcanic grape varieties. Horse-riding experiences reach secluded beaches and lesser-known corners of the island, while the Akrotiri archaeological site, the lighthouse and the dramatic colored beaches of the peninsula all sit close by.

Goulielmos Hotel rewards travelers who want Santorini at its most authentic and unhurried. It invites you to wake to the caldera, eat food grown on its own land, walk down to a beach few others find, and explore the island’s vineyards, ruins and volcanic shores — all from a family-run hotel that treats sustainability and hospitality as the same promise.

For guests of Select Green Hotels, Goulielmos Hotel & Spa offers a welcome drink and a complimentary 15-minute steam bath session.