Great location and lovely pool, but let down by housekeeping, food and management
Great location and lovely pool, but let down by housekeeping, food and management Overall, we enjoyed our holiday, but the hotel itself was only average. It’s a very basic hotel – clean in places but quite dated – and although there were some positives, there were enough negatives that we wouldn’t choose to stay here again unless it was an exceptionally cheap deal. The room There were three of us staying in the room. On arrival we found a pair of dirty socks behind the safe and a tub of cottage cheese left in the fridge from previous guests. The fridge itself was wonky, standing on only three legs, so the door didn’t open properly. The balcony was very small and only had two chairs despite the room being booked for three people. Housekeeping was disappointing. The beds were not made at all during our stay, and the room wasn’t properly cleaned. The floor wasn’t swept, bins often became full, and housekeeping didn’t come every day. We regularly had to ask for clean towels and toilet paper, and on one occasion we were told there were no clean towels available until the following day. On the first day there wasn’t even a shower mat. Two days before we left, the beds were given fresh top sheets, but the fitted sheet and pillowcases weren’t changed. That said, the beds were comfortable, the air conditioning worked brilliantly, and when I asked for extra pillows they were provided straight away. Our room overlooked the main street, which made it nice to sit on the balcony and watch the world go by. Food The food was very basic with limited choice. There was always plenty of salad, which suited us, but none of the dishes were labelled, so you were left guessing what everything was. One evening I helped myself to pasta and what I assumed was Bolognese sauce. After taking a bite, I realised it contained fish, which I really don’t like, so I couldn’t eat it. Simply labelling the food would make a huge difference. Hotel manager Unfortunately, my final impression of the hotel wasn’t a good one. On our last day, the manager began shouting very aggressively in Greek at the receptionist. He was raising his voice, slamming his hand on the reception desk, and the whole incident happened in full view of guests. It made me and my daughter feel very uncomfortable. Whatever the issue was, disagreements with staff should be dealt with privately rather than in front of guests. After the argument, the manager walked straight past us without even acknowledging us or apologising for the disturbance. It felt very unprofessional. All-inclusive drinks I wasn’t expecting premium branded drinks, but I did expect a little more variety. The alcoholic options were limited to ouzo, raki, brandy, wine, beer and grenadine, while the soft drinks were all local brands and there wasn’t a diet option available. The barman was friendly and did his best, even making a really nice cocktail with the ingredients he had available, but overall the drinks selection was very limited. The all-inclusive bar also closed at 10pm, which felt very early. At most all-inclusive hotels I’ve stayed at previously, the bar has remained open until at least 11pm, so this was a little disappointing. The positives The location is excellent. It’s only around a 30-minute transfer from the airport (around €45 by taxi). The hotel is perfectly situated on the main street with plenty of shops, supermarkets, bars, restaurants, excursion offices and car or bike hire nearby. The beach is only a two-minute walk away, with even more restaurants and bars along the seafront. The pool area was probably the best part of the hotel. Although it’s a fairly small hotel, there were always plenty of sunbeds available in both the sunshine and the shade. We never struggled to find three beds together, regardless of the time of day, and thankfully there was none of the usual early-morning towel reserving. The pool was clean and there was also a lovely jacuzzi. The dining area had both indoor and outdoor seating and there was always plenty of room to find a table. Overall We had a lovely holiday, but that was largely because of the fantastic location, the pool and everything the surrounding area had to offer rather than the hotel itself. The hotel has potential, but better housekeeping, clearer food labelling, a wider choice of food and drinks, and more professional management would make a huge difference. For us, it’s a 3 out of 5. We wouldn’t return unless it was available at a very low price. Next time we’d probably book room only, or choose a hotel with a wider choice of food and drinks.
