From the moment we arrived on Syros it felt like we were at home. Kostas met us and walked us to the house, all the while explaining the best things... read more to do around the town and island. Kostas and Elisa are the most gracious hosts, helping in any way possible to make your stay enjoyable and comfortable. The view from the top floor is incredible, watching he sunset with a glass of wine in hand is a must. The furnishings and layout of the house is perfect, as well as impeccably clean. Very comfortable beds, and AC for the hot days. We spent breakfasts out on the shared courtyard. The shared kitchen is well equipped for your short stay. We did a cooking class with Elisa one evening and learned some traditional Greek recipes that were absolutely delicious! We plan to come back with the rest of our family— this place is a true gem.

  The restored historic Villa Maria is a calming and stunningly beautiful place to stay - each moment of the day revealed something unique about the house, situated in gorgeous hill... read more town of Ermoupolis. The views from the house survey the rooftops of the city and offer broad vistas all the way to the port. The house is well stocked and you will find everything thing you need. Elisa prepared a welcome basket of the most heavenly jams and bread. Kostas provided excellent suggestions for where to find the best places to swim and to dine across the island. Tavernas and restaurants offer a range from traditional to modern cuisine--all quite tasty. I've been to several islands and found Syros to be quite unique--especially since Ermoupolis is a 19th century city quite different from the traditional Cycladic town chora. We rented a car to tour the island but I can imagine it is very easy to stay here without one and take taxis to various destinations outside of town. Kostas and Elisa have made Villa Maria one of the most memorable places I've ever visited, for that pleasure I will be always be grateful.

  A very nice old traditional decorated restored villa in a very nice neighbourhood just north of Ermoupolis’ center. Kostas was very friendly and very helpful with tips for places to... read more visit and where to eat.

Water pressure could be a little better and the place a bit cleaner altogether.

Certainly value for money and a great experience.

Thank you Kostas !

  Konstas and Elisa were great hosts! Any time again 🙂

  We had a wonderful stay at Kostas/Elisa wonderful 19th century house! Hosts were so kind and nice, always there when needed and ready to help, and full of nice advices... read more about the town and the island.
The house was incredibly elegant and beautiful, very well situated, just above the main, wonderful square of Ermoupoli, but still very quiet.
We falled in love with the house, and also with this incredible city of Ermoupoli.
Would love to come again!

  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.

  Appartamento in posizione perfetta a pochi passi da piazza Miaouli. La scalinata per raggiungerlo non lo rende adattto a chi ha problemi di deambulazione. Per il resto solo note... read more positive. Appartamento molto bello con il "plus" del terrazzino privato sul tetto con vista mare. Accoglienza perfetta e ci sente a casa propria. Avevamo il traghetto il pomeriggio e ci hanno consentito il check out ritardato. Consigliatissimo.

  It’s a beautiful location. The view is fantastic and you are nearby everything. Kostas and Elisa are responsive, helpful, and wonderful hosts. I highly recommend staying at this place!

  We stayed seven people here for several days and nights. A nice and relaxing place with a home away from home warm feeling. Very friendly and kind hosts. Though, if... read more you have problems to walk on stairs, look for something else. This is in an area where you need to walk many stairs. No possibility to take a car here. However, if you don’t mind, this is very nice with an modern old feeling.

  Syros was our second stop on our island hopping journey and it was perfect to offset everything of Mykonos. Villa Maria was a beautifully up kept building with a lot... read more of "old work charm" just like the description says. Kostas was awesome and provided easy directions for meeting him when we arrived off of our ferry. He gives great recommendations for foods and activities as well! It does require a little jaunt up a few flights of stairs through the town but once there it's a perfect getaway.

  Love it so much. We really loved our room at Kostas/Elisa’s place. They are amazing hosts. When we arrived, Kostas met us at the port. He was... read more super kind, and helped us with our luggages . Words are not enough to describe his kindness. He recommended great restaurants with beautiful ambiance and great food. The place is sea front, and we loved our balcony and the view. This place is near to the main town. The place is super clean. We will definitely be back. Thank you again for the great hospitality.