"The designer digs Istoria means ‘story’ in Greek. And when Antonis and Kalia Eliopoulos drove down a narrow track to Perivolos beach to explore socialite Christina Tassou’s abandoned mansion and stables, they saw the chance to tell a very different one; not of Santorini’s hotel-clogged western caldera but of human obsession and the wild, black sands of the remote southeast. At the age of 15, Tassou caught the attentions of a Saudi sovereign, 35 years her senior, at the Greek royal court where her father was equerry. The king doggedly pursued her across Europe but to no avail. To trim a very long tale, she eventually escaped here and seems to have preferred horses: her home was hung with oil paintings of her five steeds. Captivated by her epic life, the maverick hoteliers behind Mystique and hilltop Vedema engaged Athens-based Interior Design Laboratorium to create a barefoot retreat, a homage less to Tassou than to organic storytelling by design. The departure from the whitewashed hotels and Jet Skis of Oia, and the physical isolation here, are reinforced by a stripped-down ethos which allows the original stone structure—and wilderness itself—to dominate. Its translucent waters are arch-framed from 12 suites, six of which are converted from the original stables, where nature’s palette is repainted in blush plaster, polished cement floors and clay-toned linens. On a taverna-less part of the coast, quantity is replaced with an impressive strike of quality at Mr E, the invention of Noma alum Alexandros Tsiotinis. Ingredients for his retellings of classics are sourced from Tassou’s former gardens. Her spirit remains in little reminders: water troughs and bridles are the hotel’s art. But the showpiece here is the 98-foot slate pool, with the caldera-rivaling drama of monolithic Mesa Vouno range rising behind. It’s said to be the largest pool on the island—or perhaps that’s just a fable. Either way, Istoria opens a new chapter in Santorini’s story. —Roxy Kavousi-Walker" - Becky Lucas
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