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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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.
Marco
10/01/2020
Kostas was excellent throughout: easy to communicate with, fast replying and always accommodating.
The room is up on the hill, so expect some stair climbing , but it is... read more totally worth it and part of the charm. Beautiful views over the city and port from the balcony. Very spacious room, and good facilities overall.
Can recommend and would definitely come back.
André
07/18/2021 -
This was an outstanding airbnb experience. Kostas was an incredible host, the building itself is spectacular, the amenities provided and his tips for what to see and do in Syros... read more where spot on. Value for money is really good, this is a 19th century very well preserved building, interior decorated with great aesthetic taste, something you don't usually come upon. The view incredible, the sleep and rest you get outstanding.The perfect place to stay in Syros, looking forward to visiting Kostas & Elisa soon again.
Stephanos
07/21/2018
When traveling to a place as beautiful as Syros, Greece, it can be overwhelming as what to do to get the most out of your visit. Kostas and Elisa immediately... read more made us feel so at home and shared incredible recommendations for food and beaches. The rooms are newly renovated and the views are spectacular! A beautiful five minute walk from the town square, the Villa Maria is in the heart of the breathtaking city of Syros. The views from the room and not to mention the roof top that overlooks the harbor, were unmatched. Wither it be a romantic weekend, corporate trip, or family get away, you will not regret choosing this lovey accommodation.
Emma
06/17/2019 -
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.
Mario
07/27/2018
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!
Aundrea
08/11/2018 -
Linda
05/16/2019
This was the perfect place to enjoy the beauty of a truly spectacular Greek island, complete with great people and crystal clear waters just a short walk away from this... read more home. Kostas was always around to answer questions and make sure we were comfortable. The kitchen was a great place to prepare meals as it had every tool you could ever need. Also a very short walk from the port, perfect for day trips and just very convenient distance from the port to the home. Kostas met us in the town square so we had no problems locating the home! Great stay I hope to come back.
Mary
07/09/2019 -
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!
Ingvild Alette
07/24/2022
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














