Villa Maria is a listed 19th century neo-classical mansion. Built by a local factory owner in 1873 at the height of Ermoupolis’ prosperity, it is a fine example of the architecture of the period. In restoring it we have preserved all the original features —wooden floors and ceilings, marble bathrooms, decorative mouldings— and used antique furniture to give it a comfortable but authentic feel.
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We absolutely LOVED this space. Perfect. So much character, amazing views, location ideal, charming as heck and quiet street but super close to the square... can’t recommend it enough. Will... read more stay here again for sure. Kostas was such a sweetheart and helped my friend with her ridiculously heavy suitcase to and from our meeting point and gave us great tips for the town. Can’t wait to return to Syros and this space
Karlyn
08/14/2020
Ηταν ολα πολυ (Website hidden by Airbnb) δωματιο πολυ καθαρο και με απιστευτη θεα οπως φαινεται και στις φωτο και ακομα καλυτερα!Ο ιδιοκτητης κ.Κωστας ηταν προθυμος να μας βοηθησει σε οτι χρειαστηκαμε και εκτιμησαμε οτι με το που βρεθηκαμε αφιερωσε χρονο για να μας υποδειξει αρκετα μερη για να κινηθουμε στο νησι!Το συστηνω ανεπιφυλακτα.
Angelos
04/25/2022 -
Fantastic place even better than it looks in the photos- and it looks good in the photos. Would highly recommend a visit
Kim
09/14/2020
Superbe logement au cœur d’Ermoupoli !!!! Très bien situé dans la ville ! Nous avons été reçu par Kostas qui nous à très bien acceuilli et donner plein d’adresses locales... read more pour qu’on passe un magnifique séjour à Syros! Le logement était très propre, très bien décoré et équipé avec une bonne literie et surtout un rooftop avec une vue exceptionnelle !
Nous recommandons sans hésiter ! Encore merci Kostas !
Clémence
10/02/2019 -
Perfect apartment in an amazing location. Exactly as described and then some. One of the best Airbnb’s I’ve stayed in. Kostas is a great host who goes out of his... read more way to make sure you have a compfortable stay. Great local tips! Hope to be back again!! Thanks!!!
Matt
11/12/2019 -
Villa Maria is a wonderful space right next to the center of Syros. An absolutely beautiful island, you can expect to find amazingly authentic experiences at incredibly reasonable prices, with... read more many beaches, restaurants, shops, and cafes. The classical architecture is quite beautiful, and the Villa itself has a lovely courtyard and roof for looking out into the bay and up to Ano Syros. If you are looking for a wonderful central location, this spot is perfect for you as it allows you an easy walk to all you need as well as a great space to relax privately. Kostas provided wonderful recommendations - every place we visited on his recommendation was fantastic. As a clean space with a small kitchenette and beautiful outdoor spaces, it is wonderfully complemented by the authentic beauty of Syros. Look no further and stay here!
Craig
05/21/2019
Une magnifique demeure parfaitement décorée, chaleureuse et agréable, un rooftop parfait pour les petits déjeuners ou plus selon vos envies. Kostas est disponible et très serviable, merveilleux séjour trop... read more court !
Nous reviendrons...
Sophie
08/13/2018 -
I don't think I've ever been so well cared for by a host (of any capacity) in my entire life. Kostas is not only generous and hospitable, but a truly... read more wonderful human being who really cares about the people who stay here. He waited patiently for me at the square when I was 30 minutes late getting off the ferry, and carried my luggage up the many, many stairs to Villa Maria (if you aren't a fan of stairs, this is unfortunately not the place for you!). He took the time that first evening to point out some places he recommended I check out on a map of Syros, and went into even more detail the next day. Kostas went above and beyond, and all of the rooms in this building are absolutely beautiful and well cared for. Syros is a magical island not to be missed, and Kostas & his tending of the Villa Maria made my experience unforgettable.
Sarinea
08/29/2021
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.
Amy
09/23/2019 -
We had a fantastic Easter break at Villa Maria. A great place and super helpful hosts. We’ll be coming back soon!
Alexis
04/08/2018
Villa Maria was my first Airbnb experience and I feel it has certainly set the bar high! Kostas was super welcoming as soon as we arrived. He has provided a... read more beautiful environment for guests to stay in and offered lots of useful insight to the surrounding area. Everything about Villa Maria I felt was clean, safe, well organized, charming, perfect place 🙂 I hope to return again! Thank you!
Lauren
09/14/2018












