Note: My stay at this vegan hotel in Santorini was during January 2022, however this post has been updated in July 2023 to reflect current offerings of the hotel.
I had no intention of traveling to Santorini in the foreseeable future, however, word on the street was that a vegan hotel, called MOD Santorini, had recently opened 😳, and next thing you know, I had a trip booked to Greece! I will share my experience I had with the vegan hotel in Santorini. I also decided to book their winter all inclusive package which included all of my meals, a dining experience at a vegan restaurant in town, a trip to a vegan winery for a tasting event (I subbed this for a picnic as I do not consume alcohol), and airport transfers. A massage is included, however, I decided upon arrival that I no longer wanted one and the cost of the massage was subtracted from the cost of the package (cost of the package with the massage was 600€ (500€ without the massage) in January 2022 as a pre-opening deal which I thought was a steal, and is a price that will most likely never be seen again). The hotel didn’t officially open until March of 2022 and my visit was in January of 2022, and therefore you will see signs of construction in my photos.
vegan hotel = solely plant-based food, animal-free furniture and bedding (including the mattress), vegan and no animal tested cosmetics, animal-free excursions through the hotel (and as a bonus but not required, the owners are MOD are vegan)
After enjoying the vegan scene in Athens for the week, I flew into Santorini and had an airport transfer booked through the vegan hotel in Santorini ready to go (cost is 40€ each way as of July 2023 if you forgo the all inclusive package). Port transfers are also offered at 60€ each way, although I’m sure you can work this out into a package deal. I was greeted with warm hospitality from the hosts (hotel owners, but I will refer to them as hosts throughout this post – or host as Christina was the only one I communicated with for the rest of my visit – note that this dynamic has changed since the summer of the first official opening and the other co-owner Argiris now operates all of the excursions). The ride was 10 minutes from the airport to the hotel in Firostefani. The location of the hotel is ideal as it is in a quiet area of Santorini, but is only a 10 minute walk to the village of Fira (one of the most popular tourist areas on the island). I quickly learned that driving on the island is chaotic and it feels as if the roads are only meant for 1.5 cars, and sidewalks are lacking on many roads, so do walk with caution (this is throughout the entire island and not just the location of MOD Santorini).
I arrived at the vegan hotel in Santorini and immediately went to my room. Accessibility wise, there are only stairs and no elevators (although this isn’t exclusive to MOD Santorini, on the island, most hotels will not have elevators). Also there was no railing on the stairs at the time of my visit – I’m unsure if this has changed since. Thankfully as of the summer of 2023, there are ground floor rooms too with a beautiful garden view (although lacking the jacuzzis if you also wanted those), so if the stairs are a major concern, then the ground floor rooms are options.
As the floors are marble, it can be cold at the entrance and the hallways during the winters, but thankfully the room has heating. The bathroom does not have heating, however due to a recent snowstorm that hit Greece during my stay, I had a second heater in the room (I didn’t even ask for it – Christina has an eye for detail!) which I used to warm the bathroom. I’m assuming most reading this will be visiting during the summer and therefore heating will not be a concern (no worries, there also is AC). If you visit during the winter (psst… there’s also discounted rates during this time and the island is quiet), I’m sure you can ask for a second heater if needed, the host was very accommodating and attentive (and was always quick to reply to a WhatsApp message).
There is also a menu in the room with breakfast, lunch, and dinner items to order. And there is a bar with snacks you can purchase (must pay with cash before leaving), most snacks were 1.30€ during my stay, although I’m sure inflation has affected this – but nevertheless, the snacks were affordable. The coffee and tea at the bar are complementary, and as of the summer of 2023, a Nespresso machine has been added to all rooms.
This vegan hotel in Santorini also has wifi, however during my stay at the beginning of 2022, I found it to be slow (especially for upload speeds). However if you’re simply on vacation and can fully unplug from work, I wouldn’t stress about this. Also there’s a good chance this may have drastically changed in the past year so I’d inquire about wifi speeds in a specific room if it’s important to you (mainly if you need to work remotely).
I was also greeted by a mezze board, which had a variety of foods to try. Everything on the board was delicious. As the host seems to customize the experience, my board may not be the same as yours. This was included in my all inclusive package, but you can get one on arrival for 30€ for 2 guests as of July 2023.
Christina baked that delicious cake on the board. However as of summer 2023, the vegan hotel in Santorini now has a chef for high season periods, so Christina most likely won’t be making the meals if your stay is between June-September. Additionally, the hotel now has a restaurant in the garden where non guests can make a reservation to dine, and there’s yoga and breakfast some mornings on the terrace (psst, it has an amazing sea view!).
I also got a chance to explore my room. Each room at this vegan hotel in Santorini is different. I stayed in the Beta Suite which comes with a jacuzzi and a sea view of the Caldera. The cost of my room was 200€ nightly during pre-official opening (at the time it was 220USD), now the same room for January 2024 is 300€ nightly. The rooms with a view of the street (village view) and without the jacuzzi are cheaper. It was great being in a hotel room for the first time (at least to my knowledge) that didn’t include any animal products in it. Also as of July 2023, the hotel has 3 apartments with garden views you can book, with discounted pricing during the winter. Also all of the rooms have TVs in them now, which wasn’t the case during my stay.
We then went and explored Fira together for the day and I was served lunch in my room. Lunch was Greek “big beans” (gigantes). The beans were cooked with celery, carrot, and tomato, and the beans were bursting with flavor (I need to step up my bean game!). Lunch was also served with a feta salad (Violife for the cheese, did you know Violife is a Greek brand by the way? 👀), roasted potatoes, and bread (served as a great dip for the beans).
For dinner I was served pad thai (topped with peanuts, but the host is accommodating and will modify dishes for your allergens) with fried spring rolls. Overall I thought the dishes were just okay on their own, however, the sauces did help enhance the flavor of the dishes.
On day 2 at the vegan hotel in Santorini, I enjoyed the sunrise from my balcony and then had breakfast. I was able to choose from the menu or just let Christina surprise me. I decided to try the chocolate hazelnut pancakes. I was expecting fluffy pancakes but the texture instead was somewhat chewy (not that it was problematic, I just think of “fluffiness” when it comes to sweet breakfast pancakes). However I know not all pancakes are meant to be fluffy and there are many types around the globe. Flavor wise though, the pancakes were delicious! I was also served a sweet granola with a tangy yogurt and the combination paired well together. I was also served freshly squeezed orange juice (yum!) – it tasted natural and wasn’t full of sugar.
We then spent a few hours exploring Santorini. We spent the day exploring Pyrgos, Emporio, Perissa Beach, and Kamari Beach.
After exploring, I was served lunch, which was mushroom gyros, tzatziki, potato chips, and pita bread. The gyros didn’t taste “meaty”, however they were flavorful and the texture wasn’t rubbery and difficult to chew (like how some mushroom dishes can be, I find them to be hit or miss texture wise, this one was a hit). The tzatziki was bursting with flavor and paired well with the gyros and pita bread (and as a potato chip dip!).
For dinner at the vegan hotel in Santorini, I was served pesto pasta, which was delicious and filling. I was also served this “3 layered ice cream” dish which was chocolate and peanut butter flavored. The top layer was difficult to initially bite as it was the most frozen one (and the bottom one was the layer that melted quickly), however once the top layer started to melt some, it was easy to eat and was yummy as the dish both had a strong chocolate and peanut butter taste.
The next morning I was served the typical “complimentary breakfast” (which is a chickpea omelet, with toast/bread, jam, and orange juice) with a smoothie as an add on which I requested (I didn’t have to pay for the smoothie, not sure if this was because I paid for the all inclusive and the non complementary breakfast items are included in that – or if she was being generous (thanks if you’re reading!)) Note that as of July 2023, there is now a FREAKING BREAKFAST BUFFET SERVED EVERY MORNING THAT ROTATES DAILY (at least during high season). The chickpea omelet at this vegan hotel in Santorini usually comes with avocado, however as I had a sensitivity to it at the time, Christina topped it with sunflower seeds instead. The chickpea omelet was yummy, it didn’t taste like eggs (some may expect an egg replacement with the word “omelet” – at least if you’re from the USA). I’d describe it more so as a chickpea veggie crepe. The toast was okay, it may have been slightly burnt (for me), but the jam redeemed the toast. It was *fantastic*, it was sweet and had a great berry taste. Christina said it’s her grandma’s recipe and that she will start selling the jams at the hotel soon 👀. I also had a smoothie which was okay, it was not as sweet as I was expecting it to be for a fruit smoothie, however this is a personal preference.
For the day we explored Megalochori (the largest village on the island), Vlychada Beach, and Akrotiri Beach.
For lunch, I went to the all vegan restaurant a 10 minute walk from the vegan hotel in Santorini, 5 Senses. It was previously vegetarian but had recently turned fully plant based in the winter of 2021-2022. I should note that the day before this, I swung by for dessert, I ordered baklava and ice cream. Both were delicious, however the restaurant is somewhat pricey for Greek standards – for reference the (somewhat large) slice of baklava and ice cream was 11€ – pre-inflation (I’m assuming Santorini may be more expensive, but comparing it to MOD Santorini prices, the portion sizes in general are small for the price). The all inclusive package covered 30€ of food here. For lunch on this day I ordered tomato fritters, sarmadakia, ravioli, and the citrus temptation tart. Overall the food was okay. The main complaint is that every dish I had was *sweet*. I do (personally) think the sweet sauce under the sarmadakia paired well together (also the inside was delicious). However, the dip for the tomato fritters and ravioli was also sweet, and the sweet sauces didn’t (for me) pair well together. However I will say that the tomato fritters and ravioli without the sauces were not bad! The dessert (citrus temptation) was delicious, it was tart and sweet, and I enjoyed the texture of the bottom crust.
For dinner, I had arakas, which is a Greek stew. It had a tomato base with green peas, potatoes, and was topped with olives. It was another tasty and flavor bursting Greek dish from MOD Santorini (had a rich tomato and veggie flavor). I was also served soft bread with a large side of vegan butter. For dessert I was served melomakarona cookies, which are traditionally made with honey. However, the host made them with agave instead. They were more so shaped as balls than flat cookies and were slightly crumbly but WOW, the taste was delicious. It also had some hint of spices to it.
The next morning (my last full day at the vegan hotel in Santorini, boo! 👎🏾), we went to a mountain top, although we couldn’t stay for long as it was too windy. And then we checked out another beautiful beach, and then we spent the rest of the day at Oia: we had a picnic at the bottom of the village and then walked around the village and then enjoyed the sunset.
For breakfast on this day I was served a smoothie bowl, with a side of pineapple chunks, a donut from a local grocery store celebrating Veganuary, and a classic MOD orange juice. Texture wise, I expected the smoothie bowl to be slightly thicker (it was more so at the consistency you would drink a smoothie with – personal preference), but flavor wise, it was good. It had a berry base and the flavor was enhanced from the toppings (cacao nibs, coconut flakes, banana slices, and granola). The donut wasn’t bad considering it came from a grocery store. I don’t think I have to leave a review for fruit, but in case I do, the pineapple was sweet and refreshing and of course, as usual, I enjoyed the orange juice.
For lunch, we had our picnic! The main course was stuffed bell peppers with well seasoned rice, and a cucumber feta salad and bread for the side. We also had these carob cookies (think of carob as a “chocolate alternative” but with a less intense taste as chocolate and is also caffeine free). The hotel also has other picnic styles such as being able to have private ones on top of the terrace facing the sea, or instead of a picnic, having a private romantic candle lit dinner on the terrace.
After the tranquil picnic, we enjoyed Oia until sunset.
And for dinner I had orzo, a Greek soup pasta, and bougatsa (semolina custard phyllo pastry). The pastry was flakey and filled with this sweet and spicy (as in the cinnamon type spice) sauce. The pasta in the dish was okay (as I find most pastas), however, the roasted veggies added a depth of flavor to the soup though and it made the dish tasty. The bougatsa was crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside, had a lovely combination of sweetness, spices, and cream, and it was one of my favorite desserts from this vegan hotel in Santorini.
For my final morning before departure, I was served a grilled cheese sandwich with veggies on the side. It was just okay, the cheese wasn’t really melted like it usually is in a grilled cheese sandwich, although flavor wise I did enjoy the flavor of the solid cheese (however I feel as if melted cheese has a different flavor and it being more melted would’ve enhanced the flavor). I was also served a bowl of yogurt with blueberries, cacao powder, and with a carob cookie. I thought it was okay, the yogurt was very tangy and I would’ve preferred a more sweeter balance (although this is a personal yogurt preference). I then was served a cherry juice, which I was surprised to find out it was cherry based as I dislike eating cherries, however the juice was delicious and refreshing; it was sweet but not too sweet.
I then said goodbye to the beautiful view of the Caldera and the plant on the table I made friends with, did the dreaded walk to the van leaving the first vegan hotel in Santorini, and Christina dropped me off at the airport.
Overall I enjoyed my stay here along with most of the dishes. I thought the product was worth the monetary value, and cannot wait to visit again within the next year or two from now to see what MOD Santorini has evolved to.
