Black is the new white at Villa Aegean, Mandarin Oriental’s modern luxury villa perched above the Imerovigli Caldera

Away from the bottle-poppers of Mykonos, but hardly removed from the season’s social buzz, the white-washed, flat-roofed villas that wrap the cliffs of Santorini are wonderful places to while away a summer. But, even Santorini’s best villas are—and we hate to say it—a touch samey-samey. The clean Cylandic lines of one 12-guest mini-mansion are much like the others and you can expect luxury amenities that verge on bog standard.

Now, Mandarin Oriental is aiming to disrupt the isle’s luxury villa market with something a touch more modern master of the universe.

In 2022, the Hong-Kong based brand launched Mandarin Oriental Exceptional Homes, an exclusive collection of exceptionally serviced short-stays. Today, there are 25 in the portfolio, stretching from a conical roofed show-stopper in Puglia to a lush, terraced hideaway in Phuket. Today, it officially adds No. 26, Robb Report can exclusively reveal.

Dubbed Villa Aegean, the five-bedroom, six-bathroom home is perched above the Imerovigli Caldera, a famed gathering point to soak in the sunset.

“Our inspiration was the island’s volcanic stone,” says Ria Vogiatzi of Elastic Architects, who rebuilt and redesigned the existing villa using local black basalt stone. “We wanted to create a journey that flows like lava, but also to tell the story of the history of Santorini.”

The result is something unlike anything else on the market on the island. Traditional homes on the island have small openings and entrances, which historically, kept interiors cool. Here, Vogiatzi created a sexy sculptural entrance in that local vernacular that gently curves to capture the wind and increase airflow. Elsewhere, shadow gapes invite light to flow through the property (another reference to the island’s volcanic origins). Inside, vaulted ceilings tower over decidedly modern, convenient interiors that feel more like an urban hotel suite than an up-cycled living room. Outside, the pool is again built in black stone creating a mirror effect on the water.

“The difference here is that we have designed every single aspect with a narrative and a specific architectural approach,” says Vogiatzi, whose firm designs for Aman, Chevel Blanc, Four Seasons, and Banyan Tree. (She’s also handling the overhaul of the much-anticipated relaunch of the Delano on Miami Beach.) “There are a lot of surprises, cultural elements, and the rooftop with an amazing sunset. Most of the projects here in Santorini have very traditional architecture—they follow the path that everybody has taken. We didn’t do that.”

But it’s not simply a villa unafraid to wear black to the white party; it’s a villa with services unlike the rest.

“We call it our ‘exceptional service,’ says Ersev Demiroz, the general manager of Mandarin Oriental Exceptional Homes. “We have on demand, a chef, housekeeping trained in a Mandarin Oriental property and a 24/7 concierge. But more importantly, all the villa managers are fully focused on the guests, so they don’t do anything other than please the guests. They are there for literally any request.”

Some of those requests might be wine tastings, helicopter tours, cooking class, water sports, spa treatments, or even a table at the nearby Nobu.

Less-flashy differentiators for Villa Aegean are health and safety, says Demiroz: “I don’t need to mention the hygiene, the safety standards that we do, but you know, it’s also an important thing, because there are some villas that are not really up to the standards. Fire safety is a big concern and we take it very seriously.”

Unsurprisingly, the villa is expected to be a pretty hot ticket and one of the most competitive rentals on the island. In the summer, you’ll be fighting Americans and Europeans, says Deminroz, as well as Middle Eastern royalty thanks to direct flights to the island from the GCC. Off season, in September and October, the Chinese arrive. Rates will range from roughly $US4,145 to US$7,770 per night.

“This is our second property in Santorini,” says Demiroz. “The first one is also very nice, but this is a brand new, modern property. So it’s very unique, very interesting, and we believe it will be a huge seller.”

This story was first published on Robb Report USA. Featured photo by Mandarin Oriental