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Lotza Studios: Traveller Reviews

Finikia, Oia 84702, Greece
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Lotza Studios
Ranked #21 of 42 Speciality lodging in Oia
4.5 of 5 stars 9 Reviews
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9 reviews from our community

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Dublin, Ireland
Reviewer
4 reviews 4 reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
“Lovely, but seriously in need of on site staff and support”
3 of 5 stars Reviewed 15 August 2011

My husband and I chose Lotza Studios for a long awaited month off. We had been in e-mail communication with Gianna (who we assumed to be the manager) prior to arriving and she had been very helpful with her responses.

On arrival, we had arranged to be dropped off by taxi in the nearby carpark, as one has to travel by foot (or donkey!) through most of Finikia where Lotza Studios is located. We were met by a young local girl who walked us to Lotza, showed us our studio and pointed out how the hot water worked. We asked would we be seeing Gianna the next day, however we were not sure she understood as she didn't really respond. However, we were not too worried, as we assumed we'd see Gianna at some stage during the next day.

We didn't see Gianna once during the entirety of our month long stay. The only member of staff on site was the very pleasant cleaner, who however had no English. There was no information in the studio on basics:- where the local shop was, local restaurants, how to get around etc. The only thing we could find was a folder in Dutch, which seemed to be a review of local restaurants etc. done up by a previous visitor.

During our stay we had guests almost on a daily basis knocking on our door at all hours of the day and night, as there was no staff presence on site. This was because our studio's (Studio 3) proximity to the reception led guests to believe that it formed part of the reception. On two occasions, guests actually walked straight into the room while I was alone resting during the day. Suffice to say, I got quite a fright and we got to the stage where we were always worried that someone would knock on our door yet again.

We raised this issue by e-mail with Gianna a few days before departure, as we also didn't know how we were to pay the bill, due to lack of people on reception. We even suggested that perhaps she might make it more obvious where the reception was compared to the studios or make sure all guests were aware that there were no regular staff present, to stop this problem arising in the future. Her response to this was that we were the first people to complain!

On speaking to her later by phone to organise checkout, my husband again reiterated the problem and said he was surprised no one had mentioned this before, as it happened so often during our stay. Her response to this was that maybe it was just because we had stayed so long and most people only stayed for a few nights! She seemed to have no interest at all in following up the complaint.

We were not at all happy with this response and we now feel that her priorities are solely getting bookings and taking payment : anything that happens during your stay is your own problem. We found this attitude to be very bizarre for someone in the hospitality industry and indeed the whole set up with no staff, apart from a cleaner on site to be very unusual and certainly not the norm based on our previous stays on the Greek islands.

Lotza Studios certainly show a unique view of Santorini life from a local perspective, but it needs to re-evaluate its attitude towards the care of guests.

Room Tip: Avoid Studio 3. If the option is available, consider Studio 1 or 2.
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  • Stayed August 2011, travelled as a couple
    • 3 of 5 stars Value
    • 2 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 2 of 5 stars Service
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
Gianna Stamataki, Owner at Lotza Studios, responded to this review
11 December 2011
Dear Guest,

I would like to begin by thanking you for your kind and honest comments which will indeed help us provide better service, but also help fellow tripadvisor users.
We are very sorry to hear that you were disturbed by walk in tourists. This has not happened in the past. However we do have in all our units a 'do not disturb sign' which can be used for the cleaning service but also in general. Since we are a small self catering complex with a few apartments we do not have reception service. However we are always available for any questions or other information needed.
It would have been helpfull if you could have informed us earlier while you were here, in order for us to be able to solve the problem.

Again we would like to thank you for your comments and hope that you may still have fond memories in general from your stay in Santorini.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC
MASS
Contributor
14 reviews 14 reviews
Reviews in 11 cities Reviews in 11 cities
20 helpful votes 20 helpful votes
“Great Hidden Gem”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 8 May 2011
2
people found this review helpful

Our family of 4 (teenage daughter & son) stayed here in a quad for 6 nights.

Lotza Studios is utterly charming. It is located within the traditional settlement of Finikia, about a 15 minute pleasant walk from the heart of Oia. Finikia is a quaint, small settlement of winding, whitewashed alleyways formed by stuccoed homes and cave houses built into the hillside. It appears to consist mostly of homes of local people, with one nice restaurant and one other guest house in addition to Lotza Studios. It is quiet and off the beaten track.

Lotza Studios is built on two levels, with 3 studios on the upper level and 2 on the lower level. Each level has a nice patio with expansive views looking northward over fields and farms reaching to the sea (but no caldera view). The upper level has a very small pool. Lotza is very well maintained; spotlessly clean.

Our quad was a partial cave-dwelling on the lower level. The bathroom and the small kitchen were cave-like, charming, with pretty tiling and thoughtful design details. We ate breakfast each morning in our room or on our patio (depending on the weather), buying provisions the night before at the nice mini-market at the edge of the settlement. The kitchen had a small fridge, sink, hot plate, and plates, cups, and utensils for 4. The pretty bathroom had a good shower (and hair dryer). The room had a working TV (and the Greek networks appear to show English language movies every night). There was no wireless Internet.

Our whole family loved staying there, for the village charm, comfort, and peace and quiet. The only noise to mention was the occasional sound of the donkey clacking on by carrying materials into and out of the settlement.

There are two possible drawbacks to staying at Lotza Studios.

First, Lotza Studios is not handicapped accessible. It's a couple of hundred yards walk from the common parking area near the mini-market to Lotza Studios down a winding, lane with some steps and plenty of bumps. It's not so rough that my wife and daughter weren't able to pull their roller-bags down it, but it would be a tough haul for someone with mobilitiy issues.

Second, when we stayed there during the off-season, the only staff person was the housekeeper, who spoke almost no English. She was a very sweet person who clearly took great pride and care in maintaining the facilities, but due to her lack of English, she couldn't provide any help to us with our questions about our stay (where to eat, how to get somewhere, where to catch the bus, etc.). Note that the young woman who ran the mini-market did speak English and was friendly and helpful in answering our questions. When check-out time came, we used the housekeeper's cellphone to communicate with the owner to arrange things.

Also, Lotza Studios arranged our airport transfers, which went smoothly.

  • Stayed May 2011, travelled with family
    • 4 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 5 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 4 of 5 stars Service
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
USA
1 review
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
“Nice”
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 23 May 2007
1
person found this review helpful

Great for a quiet weekend away. A bit far from Oia, but walking distance if you're brave enough to take the streets. I do want to note, however, that this is NOT affiliated with the Rick Steves-recommended Lotza Restaurant/traditional houses. Use his phone number for that!

Stayed May 2007
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Brussels, Belgium
Reviewer
3 reviews 3 reviews
10 helpful votes 10 helpful votes
“True authenticity on an island overwhelmed by tourists”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 17 September 2006
5
people found this review helpful

I couldn't imagine there could be such a charming little place to stay on over-touristic (yet beautiful) Santorini.
Lotza Studios consists of 5 big beautifully decorated studios in the middle of THE most charming, traditional & peaceful village of Santorini, Finikia (1km from Oia, really within walking distance). From your terrace you see the local life pass by, old men walking around on their donkeys (and not for tourist purposes!), children playing in the small cobbled streets.
We stayed in one of the two studios on the lower level, wich I think were more private than the ones around the pool.
The studios are really cosy and at a bargain price (60€/2p for the end of august) considering the incredible high rates for a decent room on Santorini.
There's even a (small) swimmingpool. No "caldera-view", but that didn't bother us at all.
And last but not least, there's the charming lady of the house. A very nice woman always ready to help you.
A real gem for people looking for a comfortable, charming & peaceful place to stay in a traditional setting.

  • Liked — The location
  • Disliked — Nothing!
  • Stayed August 2006, travelled as a couple
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 4 of 5 stars Check-in / front desk
    • 4 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
    • 3 of 5 stars Business service (e.g., internet access)
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Verona
Reviewer
4 reviews 4 reviews
Reviews in 3 cities Reviews in 3 cities
“Tranquillo, accogliente e caratteristico.”
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 27 July 2010
Google Translation

  • Stayed August 2009, travelled as a couple
    • 3 of 5 stars Value
    • 3 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 5 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 4 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 4 of 5 stars Service
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Additional Information about Lotza Studios

Finikia, Oia 84702, Greece
Price range (per night):* 79 AUD - 125 AUD

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