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Opa! J. Crew and Tablet Hotels Giving Away a Greek Vacay

If you fail to see a connection between prepster-outfitter J. Crew and the country of Greece, pause for a moment and think of this: White. Linen. Pants.

You're on a balcony in Santorini; the wind's in your hair as you gaze out onto the sparkling sea... while you're wearing a royal blue shirt and white linen pants from J. Crew, naturally. Or a white cotton sundress and a big floppy hat, even! Forget the cashmere, cardigans and suiting of the Connecticut-country-club J. Crew you're thinking of; J. Crew is also known for their killer beachwear.

And, appropriately, they're teaming up with Tablet Hotels to give you some of that beachy stuff — plus the opportunity to wear it on your hotel balcony in Santorini. One lucky (seriously, seriously lucky) winner will receive a $2,000 J.Crew gift card, round-trip airfare for two to Greece and a 5-night stay at the ultra-luxe Tsitouras Collection Hotel in Santorini.

You can put yourself in the running for the sweepstakes here, though it's only open to residents U.S. and Canada and, um, only one person wins the grand prize and a lot of people will probably enter. But! They're also giving away those cute J. Crew metallic passport covers every day, so you can always shoot for one of those.

[UPDATE]: There seems to have been some confusion about whether Canadian residents could enter the contest or not. Sadly for our friends up North, the official word from Tablet: "The Sweepstakes is not open to Canadians - we apologize for any confusion."

Greece Hotel Guide / Santorini Hotels / Fira Hotels / Monica Guy / → All Tags

Greece Hotel Guide: The Aigialos Hotel in Santorini

Where: Fira Town, Santorini, Greece

Our far-flung correspondent Monica Guy has once again slapped together a guide to city we have only dreamed about visiting. This time, she's summing up various hotels in Greece. Got a tip, question or suggestion about where to stay? Send it our way.

One HotelChatter reader had a bad time on the island of Santorini (Thira), Greece.

It's a shame, because Santorini has tons to offer. It's unlike the other islands in the Cyclades in that it's a volcanic island, with black sand beaches, a huge caldera (parts of which you can swim in), and some of the most fantastically clear light you've ever seen (or seen through) in your life. Volcanic soil is also fertile and Santorini makes some of the only good Greek wine you'll drink.

There are donkeys all over the island. In fact, if you reach it by ferry you'll take a donkey from the port up to the main town of Fira, which is perched high on the rim of the caldera. Despite the large number of tourists that flock there, Santorini's a must-see on the list of most visitors to Greece.

You can skimp on the other islands - here, in the town of Fira at least, it's worth paying for luxury. The Aigialos Hotel is the place in which to pay for it.

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Hotel Infinity Pools / Greek Island Hotels / → All Tags

The Infinity Pool at the Perivolas Hotel Puts All Other Pools to Shame

Where: Oia, Santorini, Greece, 847 02

A while back we tipped you off that the pool at Perivolas on Santorini, Greece had the best views from a pool in the world--but we failed to mention that this pool is one of our most favorite variety, an infinity pool.

And it's one helluva infinity pool. Not only does its edge drop into the horizon, the horizon is a picturesque Greek island scene of more blue water and uninhabited islands. It's their own publicity that says this, but it mightn't be too far from the truth: this pool is "one of the most magnificent settings on earth".

As far as accommodation goes (unless you really do want to spend your entire holiday next to this pool, which we could understand), Perivolas is a set of 17 luxury apartments restored from long-used caves on the coast. They're alongside a wellness center with steam bath and sauna and a fitness studio too. But when we visit Perivolas, all we see is the pool.

[Photo: macsima]

Related Stories:
· Daily Candy Lists World's Bests Pools [HotelChatter]
· Hotels on Santorini [HotelChatter]
· Travel Stories in Greece [Jaunted]

Hotel Hells / Oia Hotel Reviews / Greece Hotels / → All Tags

Hotel Hell in Santorini

Where: Oia, Santorini, Greece, 84702

[Ed. Note: Hotel Maven MontrealCanajan alerted us to a place to avoid in Santorini. As always, this is just one person's experience.]

We stayed at several hotels on Santorini and nearby Paros Island, and have nice things to say about all of them except this one: Volcano Villas - Don't stay there.

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Greece Hotel Reviews / Greek Island Hotels / → All Tags

Care for a Cocktail at the Margarita, Santorini?

Where: Firostefani, Santorini, Greece

Think sunny Greece, think warm Greek islands, think photogenic architecture and you're on Santorini. Our tip this week for a place to stay is the Hotel Margarita at Firostefani, allegedly one of the most beautiful parts of Santorini. The rooms at the Margarita look pretty much like an interior version of the external white and blue Santorini, with bright, happy color and a relaxed summer feel. There's a swimming pool for kids, and the adults version which includes a pool bar. And they say you can see the sunrise from the balcony of every room.

On top of all that, you get airconditioning, a fridge for any drinks you don't get from the pool bar, and satellite TV as well. We could say it's missing Wifi, but if you're holidaying on Santorini and can't live without constant internet access, you might be missing the point.

[Photo: Morehoos]

Related Stories:
· Hotel Margarita reviews [TripAdvisor]