Amazing! Can't say that enough. One of the best airbnb's we've stayed on. The view was out of this world, location perfect. The stairs not an issue. Kostas was one... read more of the best hosts we've had - answered all questions fast, very sweet and attentive. Gave us good tips about the Island. The room it self super cozy. Worth going to Syros just to stay here 🙂

  We loved our stay here. Kostas made sure to greet us upon arrival with a map and highlights for us to explore on the island, and made sure we had... read more everything we needed. The room was perfect with beautiful views of the town in nearly every direction. Super central and lovely shared space for breakfast / drinks too. Overall, a very special spot and we hope to be back soon.

  Fantastic place even better than it looks in the photos- and it looks good in the photos. Would highly recommend a visit

  Villa Maria was everything we wished it would be! A rare gem that is centrally located stay (it’s walking distance to everything) as well as an authentic Syros experience (the... read more house was built in the 1800’s). Villa Maria, which was thoughtfully renovated, has the effect of a time machine; it’s filled with vintage furnishings and period decorations. Travelling with another family (4 adults and 3 kids in total) it provided more than adequate space. We’ll fondly remember afternoons spent spread across the beautiful rooms, shutters open to the streaming sunlight with the bougenvalia right outside our window. The rooftop terrace is a particular attraction: it was perfect for breakfasts and a hideaway from the midday sun. Last but not least, Kosta’s hospitality elevated our stay. He was cheerful, friendly and eager to share all that Syros has to offer. A great stay all around!

  Kostas is a great host! He showed us all of the great places in Syros, especially kastri a women's run cafeteria with amazing cheap food! He was so friendly and... read more helpful, even walking us down to the pharmacy when we jumped on sea urchins at the beach :(. If you are trying to decide whether or not to stay here I highly recommend it. It was clean, comfortable, and had an amazing view from the rooftop. Would happily stay there again!

  A beautiful flat in the middle of Ermoupolis, just a short walk away from Ano Syros, the old town, and Asteria Beach. We loved the room and the view from... read more the balcony. Kostas was very helpful and met us when we got there, and gave us a lot of tips on good restaurants to visit and places to see. Would totally recommend staying here!

  Great area not too far from main square and close to taxi service and buses for beaches.

  Kostas Stefanou and Elisa Mavropoulou are wonderful people and gracious hosts, and they made our stay at their Villa Maria a sweet, comfortable, intimate, and very warm experience.
Even before... read more we arrived, Kostas’s prompt responses to our email questions revealed how friendly, knowledgeable, and attentive he is. And when we arrived in Syros, his clear directions brought us quickly from the ferry to the main square, where he was waiting with an easy smile and great enthusiasm for our visit.
Ermoupolis spreads out along the port and uphill from it with many pedestrian-only streets and many, many stairs. Kostas guided us along the few streets and up the stone steps to Ydras Street and the bougainvillea-covered entrance to Villa Maria, an old mansion that he and Elisa have beautifully and lovingly restored. After showing us to our room, Kostas sat with us at a table on the second-floor outdoor courtyard and annotated a map of the city and the island, providing what turned out to be fabulous recommendations for places to eat, towns to visit, beaches to swim at, and trails to hike. He is discerning and knows the most special and the best of the best. And Villa Maria is well located, making it very easy to get to any and all of the places of interest in the city, from the opera house to the Vaporia, St. Nicholas to the ferry terminal.
The information and photos on the Villa Maria website accurately describe it and depict the rooms. We loved our stay in Yakinthos (hyacinth). It is one of two rooms—the other is Narkissos (narcissus)—on the second floor that have balconies. The room has high ceilings, and, as the photos reveal, it is very light, spacious, and airy. The bed was comfy and had extra pillows. The balcony offers a commanding, unobstructed 180 degree view out to the port and beyond, where we witnessed dramatic sunrises daily and sat in the early evening with glasses of Assyrtiko to watch the waning colors. On a more mundane note, we were grateful that Yakinthos, unlike many hotel rooms and Airbnbs, had several electrical sockets so we could recharge everything at the same time.
There is a small communal kitchen down the hallway. It has a refrigerator, double burner hot plate, and sink. The kitchen is sufficiently equipped for one to prepare breakfast, lunch, and even a simple dinner. There is cookware, utensils, and in a hall cabinet, glasses, and dishware. It is stocked with bottles of drinking water, coffee, tea, sugar, etc. We shopped for breakfast food on nearby Chiou Street, a charming market street lined with fish, meat, produce, and specialty food markets as well as bakeries, and every morning we had our juice, tea, coffee, and fresh yoghurt outside in the sunny courtyard.
Concerning food, the ground floor of Villa Maria houses a spacious, professional kitchen, where Elisa conducts cooking classes in traditional Greek cuisine. Being foodies who love to cook, we were very interested in what Elisa had to offer. So we met with her at a café to talk about it. She has a winning smile, a bright, energetic, engaging intelligence, a warm personality, and a profound understanding of food in general and traditional dishes from all over Greece. She provided us with a cookbook worth of options for dishes and several sample menus that she could show us how to prepare. Together we put together a menu comprising mezes, salads, sides, a main, and a dessert. We cooked together for most of an afternoon. Not only did she carefully explain what she did and demonstrate how to do it, but also she provided background on ingredients and nutritional value. It was an amazing culinary experience, devoid of food pretension, preciousness, and fussiness; it was surpassed only by the flavors of the various dishes that we had prepared. A truly peak and very personal experience for us. And as a bonus, Elisa provides copies of the recipes.
Ermopoulis is an authentic city. It is not dominated by the tourist industry and has not been scrubbed and polished so as to give every selfie the perfect background. There is impressive architecture and natural beauty, and there is also graffiti, dilapidated buildings, and cats, lots of cats. There is a shipyard and large ships and ferries coming and going and blowing their horns. There is a hustle and bustle of residents going about their daily lives oblivious to tourists. But for us, this is what made the city and Syros a realistic experience, dramatically different from the crowded, “must see” cruise-ship islands. And if one chooses to visit Syros, one could not stay with more generous and welcoming hosts than Kostas and Elisa at their lovely and special Villa Maria.

  Kostas perfectly knows his Island, Syros and he gaves us very good adresses! The room was perfectly located and cute. A perfect host that has always the smile! Really recomanded.

  just incredible. villa maria is one of the most beautiful places i’ve stayed and kostas was a wonderful host. i plan on coming back every summer!

  Very nice stay in this house very close to the centre, very comfortable! I recommend it fully. !

  Kosta’s quick responses and local tips make staying in this place a great example of what a super host means. The cooking area is amazing but our stay was short... read more so this was under utilized. The outdoor terrace was beautiful but the apartment itself had no views. Please know that you must walk lots of steps from town. But you will be rewarded with a beautiful quiet apartment