History
Take a tour to our hotel’s history
Clinging to a steep hillside at the most peaceful spot of the village of Imerovigli HoneyMoonPetra Villas is a 5 star, family owned hotel complex that combines discrete luxury and authenticity, allowing you to experience the wonder of Santorini. A place that needs no embellishment, as the setting is so stunning with 360 views of simply everything the island has to offer. One of the things that make Honeymoon Petra Villas a hotel unique in its kind, other than its amazing location on the Caldera cliff, is the story behind its construction and the personal philosophy behind its hospitality.
1969
In 1969, Yiannis Renieris, the head of the local family running the hotel, left Santorini to work on cargo-ships, with an ultimate goal in mind: he planned to reconstruct the village of Imerovigli, which had been destroyed and abandoned after the earthquake of 1956. When he came back after 10 years at sea and having been round the world three times, he started working on this goal by repairing his parents' house, the one he was born in, which became the first "room to let" in Imerovigli and the first of what would later become the Traditional Wing of the hotel.
The Petra Wing
This, however, wasn't enough: with the help of geologists from Switzerland and a team of top-end architects, he started the big effort of creating a new hotel wing, stunning and uniquely worked into the cliff of the Caldera and in harmony with the landscape of Santorini. The Petra Wing was built right on the place where he used to spend most of his time as a child, and was completed over a period of 20 years, during which, every room was created with the combined work of 55 people digging by hand into the volcanic stone.
Heartfelt Hospitality
This deeply personal bond with the place is apparent to every guest. Yiannis, his family and the staff are proud to give you a heartfelt welcome in the Honeymoon Petra Villas; a hotel that is the result of many years of concentrated effort, and a stunning proof of his special love for Santorini and for the Caldera. The personal philosophy of warmth and hospitality is shared by everyone here. Honeymoon Petra Villas is like a home to us, and we guarantee that after your stay here, that is what it will feel like to you, as well.
Continuing the family tradition
Continuing the family tradition, Yiannis’ three sons, Nikolas, Michalis & Manolis have stepped up and joined the family businesses. Nikolas Renieris is in charge of Honeymoon Petra Villas, Michalis is at his father’s side by the sea at the Santorini Sailing Center and Manolis has taken over the Aegean Restaurant that uses locally grown products from their personal farms.
Sailing Away
Yiannis is also the man behind the Santorini Sailing Center. Inspired and headed by him, the Santorini Sailing Center was established in 1991, in an effort to introduce to others what he has come to love from the sea. He created a fleet of luxurious yachts, speed boats, catamarans, sailing boats that travel around Santorini and the neighboring islands.
Santorini Sailing Center
The Santorini Sailing Center offers island cruises aboard three state-of-the-art yachts: a 52-foot Jenneau, a 40-foot Jenneau, a 45 Lagoon Catamaran, a 44 Lagoon Catamaran and a large and very fast Sunseeker motor launch. Each can be chartered individually or in combination with a stay at the Honeymoon Villa, for inter-island cruises. Yannis, a sailor of vast experience, normally commands the Santa Maria, the larger Jenneau; the other boats are captained by his seafaring sons.