Lagada Beach Hotel

The pool was huge and never felt crowded, and the manager was lovely. He treated us to breakfast each day for our honeymoon. The hotel is right by the beach, with the port just a short walk away, so we could get there straight from the ferry without transport. Our room was very dark, though, and the sheet wasn't warm enough, so we had to ask for a blanket and larger towels. The pool bar wasn't open or ready, which meant there wasn't much to do at the hotel besides sleep and swim.

Lagada made a lovely end to my trip in Greece. I felt safe and comfortable, and the owner clearly cares about the guests. I enjoyed meeting him and seeing how he keeps updating the hotel and looking after the property. The staff also made the place feel welcoming and special. It's an older hotel, with classic Greek-style rooms, old-fashioned exterior doors that reminded me of Elsa's ice palace in Frozen, and a well-maintained pool. There are 90 rooms and a big garden you can walk through, with trees and birds. Getting there was easy too, just off the ferry and over to the hotel, where I booked a room without any hassle.

The location is a real plus. It's about five minutes on foot from the port and eight minutes to town, with parking for cars and ATVs. There's a pool and a sort of beach area, and rooms have their own AC and plenty of open storage. For a two-star hotel, the location might almost justify another star. The standard room is very plain, with a hard queen bed, bare white walls, stone flooring, and a TV about the size of a computer monitor. Housekeeping just made the bed and rehung our used towels. On our two-night stay, I don't think anything was replaced or refreshed. The shower was like a garden hose with holes in it. There was hot water and decent pressure, but my hair still didn't feel properly clean. Reception shuts at 10pm, which seems normal for the area, but keep it in mind. Breakfast was very mild and ran on island time, so town is a better bet for a proper meal. Set your expectations and plan to spend most of your time out of the room.

The location is amazing and the pool is nice. That's why I'm giving it two stars. The hotel was gross, and the customer service was terrible. I wouldn't recommend it. We paid for two rooms, one deluxe and one regular, but when we arrived, someone else had been given our deluxe room. There were only two beds for seven people, one in each room. After about an hour they worked something out, but it meant pushing mattresses together, with no pillowcases or blankets, and dingy, smelly, moldy towels. The bathroom was so small that showering flooded the whole room, and there were mosquitoes everywhere. The rooms were ugly, with no decor and old, unupdated bathrooms. When it was time for my three children to go to bed, there were no blankets and the front desk was closed. What a vacation. Do not stay here!