If you are looking to stay in a lively, working Greek town, not dominated by tourism, with beautiful architecture and food, then Ermoupolis is a great location. If you want... read more to stay in one of its traditional mansions overlooking the town and port then this property is perfect. The rooms are large and beautifully decorated and kostas was on hand throughout to help with any questions. The kitchen is quite small and the outdoor space is shared with 2 other apartments but this was never a problem as there is space for everyone.

  We had a great time! The flat is perfectly located and equipped and the rooftop has a great view! Kostas had great recommendations for us! The check in and out... read more was flexible! Highly recommended!

  Very nice room with amazing view on the port from the balcony !

  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 !

  The apartment was perfect for our group of four. It was cute and clean and the roof terrace was perfect for enjoying a glass of wine in the evenings. We... read more only stayed two nights but would have liked to stay longer and tried Elisa’s cooking class. There are a lot of stairs up to the apartment and we had large suitcases but we made it happen with a little teamwork and help from Kostas. He gave us some great tips for exploring the town. I would absolutely recommend!

  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.

  While we visited Syros in the “off-season” in December, Kostas ensured we had a wonderful experience with his excellent hospitality including meeting us after we arrived by ferry. His local... read more tips were essential and all excellent - from restaurants to local sites to see. As others have mentioned the location is ideal - close to the town square but quiet on a pedestrian only street. The view from the rooftop terrace was wonderful and relaxing as well. We look forward to coming back during the spring/summer.

  If you love historic homes, you will love this house! It's absolutely gorgeous, restored and refurbished with meticulous sensitivity to the period of its construction. Some of my favorite elements... read more included the high ceilings and gorgeous original windows. Great views of the Hermopoulis port from one of the bedrooms as well, and of course from the rooftop patio!

The house was incredibly cool and surprisingly quiet. Only one bedroom in this unit has A/C, but the other rooms have ceiling fans and I actually got cold at night (in June!) if the fan was left on. They do a great job of keeping the house very comfortable. And it's so quiet at night! The only noise we noticed was from the occasional cat-fight outside, and, well, you're going to find that anywhere you go on the island. 😉

The one thing you must know about this house is the STAIRS. There are a LOT of stairs to get up to the house. More than I expected. It wasn't so bad when we had nothing in our hands, but with loaded suitcases, or carrying a backpack filled with groceries, or a tired preschooler in your arms, it can be rough. Luckily, there is another -slightly longer- way to reach the house, which only has a handful of steps, so we took that route for most of our time. (You can also have a taxi drop you at either of the two nearby churches - Metamorphosis or St Nicholas, and walk the slightly shorter route from there. Particularly if you are coming from the port, have lots of bags, and/or it's very hot outside.)

Kostas and Elisa were completely wonderful hosts, answering all our questions, helping us with everything we needed, and even having us out to their house for coffee! We were so impressed with their thoughtful restoration of Villa Maria, and enjoyed getting to know them during our stay. If you have a chance to stay at this property, you should definitely do so.

  Villa María se convierte durante los dias de estancia en un espacio agradable y cercano con una gran atención por parte de Kostas el cuál te recibe y te da... read more una serie de recomendaciones locales para poder disfrutar aún más de la ciudad. La habitación es amplia y las vistas que ofrece son de las que se quedan en la memoria. También dispone de una pequeña cocina de uso común así como de una zona exterior agradable siempre que no haga demasiado calor.

  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.

  Everything was perfect. Highly recommend booking for your stay in Syros.

  What I loved..... a gorgeous mansion, ginormous bed, fresh breeze through the French doors and windows, walkable to everything, gorgeous places to swim! I love this town and of course... read more Kostas beautiful home!