Atermono Boutique Resort & Spa

It's a smaller, human-scale hotel in a good location. We had a wonderful week there in May, and the staff looked after us kindly and discreetly. From breakfast through dinner, we were treated like princes. Marina deserves a special mention for the warm welcome she gave us every evening.

The stay was disappointing and didn't feel worth the premium price. The hotel has potential, but its maintenance and guest service need serious improvement, so I wouldn't recommend it right now. The bathroom sink was clogged and had hair and dirt in it when we arrived, which was unpleasant. There was no hot shower water the next morning, and maintenance took about 30 minutes to fix it. The air conditioning also didn't work properly. I contacted the front desk, but nobody came to deal with it. For a property presented as a 5-star hotel, the facilities and service fell short of that standard, and these problems affected our comfort.

The hotel looks very smart, the staff were extremely pleasant and helpful, and I enjoyed my stay. Breakfast was fine, the beach location was nice, and getting to the sunbeds and pools was easy. The view from the top pool was great. One thing to plan for: coaches drop guests on the main road, leaving about a 300 metre walk. The room was my main criticism. We booked a Superior, though I'm not sure what it offers over the other rooms. I suspect it may be their economy option. It looks good but isn't very practical. The toilet and shower are separate but still open into the main room, so there's little privacy. The sink is also in the main room, adding to that. There's no dry shower area, so I had to dry off in the main room, and there was nowhere to hang a towel in the shower room. The bedside tables look nice but have little usable space, and there were just two drawers for two people. We got a complimentary bottle of bubbly and water on arrival, but the water wasn't replenished. My partner found the massage too expensive at 130 euros for 45 minutes, even after it had been reduced to 130 while we were there. I didn't see anyone using the spa facilities, so I suspect they're overpriced. It was a good stay in a smart hotel, but I wouldn't return because better rooms can be found elsewhere.

The hotel restaurant served very good food. Its menu was limited, but the dishes were well done. The rooms were clean, spacious, and very nice, and breakfast was very good. The staff were super friendly and helped with any requests about day trips, food, taxis, and more. I booked several excursions through the hotel. The best was a full-day outing with a local guide, Dimitri. We visited one of the best gorges, Kourtaliotiko, then went to Palm beach for snorkeling and time to relax in the sun. Dimitri showed us how to snorkel, so no previous experience was needed. My favorite part was the wine tasting and visit to a local restaurant with the best food ever. Loved it. If you've got a free day on holiday, just book the trip. It'll be amazing.