Sandblu reopened under LXR Hotels & Resorts, a Hilton brand, on 8 April 2026, but its buildings above Kamari were already there. The hotel first opened in July 2024, and the following season added 15 more rooms and suites. So its current layout was planned before the Hilton connection. That matters, because a new brand name can make an existing Santorini hotel seem new.
The setting
Kamari is a village on the eastern shore of Santorini, with black volcanic sand below and the steep mass of Mesa Vouno mountain rising just to the south. The caldera villages, on the rim of the flooded volcanic crater, are on the other side of the island. Sandblu’s white buildings step down the lower slope in several tiers and face the open Aegean.
That geography shapes the day. The black-sand beach is about 10 minutes away on foot, while an evening on the caldera means a drive across the island. From the long central pool and the upper terraces, the main landmark is the bare ridge above the roofs. The famous western cliffs are out of sight.
How the hotel came about
RMKA Private Company owns the hotel. It opened in July 2024 with 51 rooms, suites and villas, and grew to 66 with the 2025 addition. The move to LXR came after both phases were complete, and it made Sandblu the brand’s first hotel in Greece.
The ownership, the buildings and the operator each have their own history. The original design team is still credited, and the rooms and terraces did not start again in April 2026. What changed was the brand the existing hotel trades under, and the international booking network that comes with it.
The design
Rockwell Group worked with Christina Panagiotou of XKS Architects on the architecture and interiors. The layout is easy to read from above: compact white blocks step down around a curved shared pool, with paths and planted roofs filling the gaps. The later brand has not changed how the buildings answer a steep site.
Local stone, whitewashed oak, travertine, marble and plaster are the main materials. Blue appears in the fabrics and the spa tiles, and sage green in the parasols and planting. This restraint keeps attention on the contrast between the dry brown ridge and the ordered white terraces below it.
The rooms
In all there are 66 rooms, suites and villas, 29 with private pools: 36 rooms, 27 suites and three villas. So almost half the guests can swim without using the main terrace. The two larger villas add outdoor living rooms. The 15 rooms and suites added in 2025 use the same materials as the first phase.
For guests arriving under the LXR name, this history matters. The rooms were developed across 2024 and 2025, and nothing was redesigned for the new brand. The useful choices are the category, the position on the hillside and whether to have a private pool.
The restaurants
Six places to eat and drink let guests stay on the eastern side without crossing the island each night. Nectar serves modern Greek food, Plateia is open through the day, Aroma has the wine cellar, and Stari is the bakery. Blu is the exception: a terrace away from the hotel, on the caldera side, which gives guests the western view while they stay in the east.
The wellness
The Aurora Spa has a heated indoor pool, a sauna and a steam room, with the two-storey Nous & Sóma fitness area beside it. These facilities came before or alongside the hotel’s own growth. They are no sign of a new LXR hotel built from scratch.
Who is this for
Sandblu suits guests who want to spend their days on the east coast of Santorini and keep the caldera for an evening. The hotel arranges wine tastings, olive oil experiences, sailing, horse riding and hiking. Tables are laid with blue-checked linen and small pots of herbs on a stone terrace between two olive trees, facing the sea. Outside Stari, pale timber tables and armchairs stand beneath clipped trees, and a colonnade runs through to the water.
