Mistral Mare Hotel

This is a cozy hotel in a remarkable spot, and having breakfast and lunch with that splendid view felt like a real treat. The food was good quality, too. Staff were professional and capable. It isn't a resort, so don't expect lots of entertainment, but for what it offers, it's worth every penny. We're leaving today with lovely memories.

We'd read plenty of negative reviews before arriving, but our stay turned out much better than expected. The view was stunning, the food was good, and reception staff were friendly. Drinks were limited to soft drinks, coffee, beer, wine and liquor, but that was fine with us. The hotel was overbooked for the first night, so we had to stay at istron bay hotel. After that, we moved into a golden wing room. I'm satisfied with the hotel and would like to return.

The spectacular views, peaceful setting, and clean, tidy hotel were real positives. It's close to a beautiful beach, though getting there means going downhill and down steps. We paid €50 to upgrade to a sea-front golden wing room for all six nights. Reception staff, especially Mary, were helpful, Girgos at the pool bar was good, and the young cleaner working at 7am by golden wing was a ray of sunshine. Some other staff didn't seem rude, but they weren't welcoming or helpful. One man at the bar barely greeted my partner before abruptly asking about his wristband. When I asked him about a drink, he gave me an annoyed look, so I settled for a beer. He poured it three-quarters foam, and I felt too intimidated to ask him to fix it. He wore a shirt and tie, and I think he was the manager. The all-inclusive package felt stingy, with too many extra charges. We knew there would be tax from past trips to Greece, but this time it was €60 for us. The mini spa cost €40 for an hour. I think WiFi was £3 per device per day, and it didn't work well in some parts of the room, so we didn't pay for it. Coffee wasn't available between 10 and 11, so I bought instant sachets at the gift shop; they weren't provided in the room. Food hours also felt much shorter than at other all-inclusive places I've stayed. I really disliked the drinks. Options were limited and poor quality: machine coffee tasted like cheap instant, breakfast soft drinks were either too sour or too sweet, the spirits were horrible, and the dispenser drinks tasted cheap. Beer was probably the best choice, but at the main bar it was almost always half foam, except at the golden wing pool bar. Breakfast was lovely on the days we ate there, though I wanted more fruit. We only had lunch twice and dinner twice; both were very average, with different options but not the quality I'd expect from a 4-star hotel. On checkout day, breakfast is available until checkout at 12, but we didn't use it because we spent the day at the beach before our midnight flight. We got vouchers for one drink and lunch. In my experience, other all-inclusive hotels let you use all the facilities on your last day, but this one didn't. I wouldn't recommend staying here all-inclusive, since we spent much more than planned. Still, the hotel was clean and the views were spectacular.

The food was very good, and the staff were polite, which were the main things in the hotel's favor. Our room was clean, though it felt more like a 3-star than a 4-star standard, and the advertised “mountain view” was actually a wall. There isn't much to do outside the hotel. It's by a tiny village with just a few restaurants and no shops or attractions. The beach was a disappointment too: much of it is taken up by paid sunbeds, and reaching it means going down about 100 steps, which isn't suitable for older guests. At the end of August, strong meltemi winds brought storms, leaving rubbish in the water and only a narrow strip of sand to use.