This hotel is perfect if you are looking for a quiet holiday lazing round the pool which I was told is one of the largest in the resort. Although not the poshest hotel, the staff were all pleasant, the rooms were cleaned thoroughly every day except Sunday and the pool bar was well-stocked and cheap. For us, this is perfect! We travelled with our 7 year old son and 16 year old daughter and had two rooms next to each other. The rooms are basic and could possibly benefit from a chest of drawers to put your T-shirts in although there was a large wardrobe with a dozen or so hangers in it. We just left our folding clothes in the cases in the bottom of the wardrobe. There was a mirror with a light over and small dressing table and chair under. You pay extra for the air-conditioning at 4 Euros/day but in the heat of August this is essential. The kitchen is basic but has a fridge, two ring cooker [which we didn't use], Kettle and sink. We tended to stick to self-catering for breakfast with cereal, fruit, coffee and doughnuts [you have got to try them from the 24 hour bakery on the high street - amazing!]. The only problem I had was the bathroom - maybe I'm spoilt - the shower was rather weak and the temperature fluctuated rather. The tiles in the bathroom were badly maintained also and really let the accommodation down for me.

HOWEVER - we had a great holiday here. Just a 5-7 minute walk to the beach if that is your preference - we went on a couple of days but the sea was a bit rough for our youngest - sunbeds and umbrellas are abundant on the beach and the hotels/restaurants will bring you lunch and drinks. You can also have a massage on the beach or buy CDs and sunglasses from the inevitable hawkers.

We preferred the pool after a few days - we could always get a bed, no matter how late we awoke as the owner doesn't allow non-residents to use the pool in high season. The bar snacks are great and all served by the very cheerful Olga - have a chat to her, she is really interesting! The hotel has safety deposit boxes in the reception area [1 euro/day], a TV with news and music channels and a great book exchange which we made use of.

Be aware that there is no doctor or hole-in-the-wall cashpoint in Perissa. The cashpoint is over a mile out of town at a supermarket, however we found out that there is one inside the Tourist Office next to the campsite in Perissa which you can use when the office is open. The nearest doctor is in Emporio a couple of miles away and you may have to wait for a while for a bus in the morning, if they are full, you just have to wait for the next one! Taxis come from Fira and are very reasonable - just 12 Euros from Perissa to Fira. There are only 37 taxis on the entire island, so be prepared to share one or wait for a while if you order one.

There is no evening entertainment at the Gardenia, however we spent most evenings at God's Garden Restaurant just a few yards up the road. No matter where you stay in Perissa, you have to try this restaurant. The four of us ate for approx Euro 50 per night for two courses and drinks, including wine - I would recommend their steaks [The God's Garden Special] and the tuna salad and my son enjoyed the Silver Snapper so much he had it over the delicious burgers four times! There are lots of bars and restaurants along the sea front and high street - I would recommend Finikas on the High Street for a lovely meal [we paid 70something Euro for the four of us] with linen table cloths and excellent service but watch out for the huge portions! For great cocktails try The Veggera Hotel on the seafront but take plenty of Euros - our bar bill for about two hours came to 83 Euros... The Veggera restaurant was also good and reasonable - I had a great Moussaka there!

With regard to the island, the volcano tour is a must but wear good shoes, take plenty of water, a hat and a T-shirt as there is NO SHADE and don't go unless you are physically up to it as one of our fellow tour-takers collapsed in the 40C heat at the top of the 250M volcano. I enjoyed my visit to the island's villages [remember not to wear shorts and to take a cover for your shoulders to visit the churches] and culminating with Oia [pronounced ee-a] but the sunset which is famous from this beautiful village was not as good as the one we witnessed in Fira - the most charming part of which was the way everyone burst into spontaneous applause as the sun disappeared!.

All in all, Santorini is a destination well worth visiting - I found myself looking forward to my next visit before I left.