Winery Hotel Santorini: Where to Stay for Wine Tasting

No Working Winery Hotel, but a Former Winery in Fira

Santorini has no hotel inside a working winery that sources confirm; the property that matches the search term is Winery Hotel 1870, which occupies a traditional winery building in central Fira that has been restored as suites. The hotel's own site describes the conversion and its Cycladic design, and it does not present itself as an operating winery. Treat the name as a heritage label, not a tasting-room address.

That distinction matters when you book: you are choosing a town-center base with wine history in its walls, and you will travel to wineries for tastings. If your priority is waking up among vineyards, look at village guesthouses near the wine districts instead, and use Fira for the nights when you want restaurants and caldera views on foot.

Where Winery Hotel 1870 Sits: Central Fira

The property is in the heart of Fira, Santorini's capital, which puts restaurants, shops and the caldera viewpoints within walking distance. That location is the main practical argument for staying here: you can spend the day tasting and return to a town where dinner and transport are on the doorstep. The hotel's site lists its address in Fira and contact details for reservations.

Fira is also the island's bus hub, which makes it the most sensible base if you plan to reach wineries without a car. Staying in Oia or the southern beaches means more taxi reliance or longer bus rides; staying in Fira trades caldera quiet for transport convenience. Decide which matters more for a two- or three-night trip.

What the Property Actually Is: Suites, Pools and Group Links

Winery Hotel 1870 markets itself as a suites hotel with a pool area and a range of room sizes, including suites with private indoor or outdoor hot tubs and a large suite with an indoor plunge pool. The hotel's site lists these room categories and capacities, which helps you match a suite to a couple or a group. None of that is a tasting experience, so plan wine separately.

The hotel's site also lists a winery and wine museum among its group businesses, which is the closest thing to a wine add-on in the property's own materials. It does not publish tasting times, prices or a booking procedure for those, so ask the hotel directly when you reserve whether a visit can be arranged and what it includes. For background on the museum side, see the guide to the Santorini wine museum.

Room rates, pool hours and seasonal closures are not published in the sources reviewed here, so compare current rates on the hotel's own booking page or a major booking site before you commit. The Tripadvisor listing collects guest reviews that can help you judge the suites and location.

Fira or the Vineyard Villages: The Base Trade-Off

Fira wins on town life and transport: you can walk to dinner, catch island buses, and use the town as a hub for a tasting day. The vineyard villages in the center and south of the island win on proximity to wineries, but they are quieter in the evening and often need a taxi for dinner. Pick Fira if you want one base for everything; pick a village if wine is the whole point of the trip.

A compromise is to split the stay: two nights in Fira for the town and transport, then a night or two closer to the wineries. That works well on a week-long trip but adds packing time on a short break. For a first visit of three nights or fewer, a single Fira base usually causes less friction.

Santorini Wine in Brief: Assyrtiko and Volcanic Styles

Santorini's signature white is Assyrtiko, a grape that keeps high acidity in a hot, windy climate and gives wines ranging from lean and saline to richer barrel-fermented styles. The island's vines are trained in low baskets called kouloura to shelter them from wind and sun, which is why the vineyards look unlike those elsewhere in Greece. Sweet Vinsanto, made from sun-dried grapes, is the other wine to seek out.

The island's appellation system includes Santorini PDO for dry wines and Vinsanto PDO for the sweet style, so labels tell you a good deal before you taste. Use those terms when you choose which wineries to visit: a producer focused on Assyrtiko shows a different range from one known for sweet wines. For more detail on producers and styles, see the guide to Santorini wineries.

Getting to the Wineries from Fira Without Driving

Fira's bus station connects the capital with villages across the island, and local buses are the cheapest way to reach the wine districts if you are willing to work around timetables. Schedules change with the season, so pick up a current timetable at the station or ask your hotel on arrival rather than relying on an old one. Taxis are the fallback for wineries off the bus lines, and you should agree the fare and return pickup before you set off.

A booked wine tour solves the transport problem in one move: pickup from Fira, a set route of wineries, and a driver who does not drink. The trade-off is less flexibility and a fixed group pace. Compare routes and what is included before booking, and use the Santorini wine tours guide to see how the options differ.

Independent Tasting Day vs a Guided Tour

Going independently gives you control over which wineries you visit, how long you stay and what you spend, but it puts the logistics on you: bus timetables, taxi availability and the need for a non-drinking driver if you hire a car. Tours cost more upfront but bundle transport and often a set number of tastings, which is easier for a short trip or a group. Neither is wrong; match the choice to your patience for planning and your tolerance for fixed schedules. The same tour-versus-bus trade-off shapes a wine day on Crete, so it is worth comparing with wine tasting in Chania before you commit.

If you go independently, build a route around two or three wineries rather than trying to cover the island, and book tastings ahead where the producer requires it. For a benchmark of what a producer visit can include, look at the Domaine Sigalas guide before you set your route.

Whichever you choose, someone in the party should not taste: use spittoons, appoint a designated driver, or take a tour or public transport. This is the one rule that makes a wine day in Santorini work, and it also keeps the driving legal and safe on the island's narrow roads.

Booking the Hotel and Any Tasting Add-Ons

Book the hotel through its own site or a major booking platform and compare the suite categories, since private hot tubs and plunge pools vary by room. When you reserve, ask two questions: whether the group winery or wine museum can be visited during your stay, and what transport the hotel can arrange to wineries. That turns a room booking into a wine plan.

If you want a specific producer, book the tasting directly with the winery and treat the hotel as lodging only. Winery visits on Santorini often run by appointment, and popular slots fill in high season, so sequence your bookings: hotel first, then tastings, then transport. Keep confirmation emails handy for the driver.

Plan Your Visit

Winery Hotel 1870 is a restored winery turned suites hotel in central Fira, not a working estate, and that makes it a strong base for a Santorini wine trip rather than a wine destination in itself. Stay there for town life and bus access, book tastings separately, and decide between independent buses or a guided tour based on how much planning you want. For the full picture of where to taste, start with the guide to wine tasting in Santorini.