The Alley Hotel

There isn't any parking, so you'll need to find a spot along the Main Street. Still, the hotel is steps from the city's main square and plenty of restaurants, bars, and shops. The rooms are lovely, very new, clean, and well looked after. Breakfast is included from 8-10, with lots of options. I'd recommend it to anyone visiting Kefalonia.

The central location was the one good part of our stay. After a 6-7 hour drive, we found the key cards weren't working, and then discovered the toilet in our room was unusable. We were told to wait for a plumber before we could use it. The room felt more like an attic than a proper hotel room, with low ceilings that I hit my head on several times. Many things were broken or damaged, and we even found a cockroach on the floor on our last day. The breakfast was a letdown too. The scrambled eggs tasted like cardboard and were practically inedible, and nothing else looked fresh or appealing. A staff member, an older woman with black hair, made my coffee wrong and responded rudely instead of fixing the mistake politely. We asked her what times massage appointments were available and she said none until Monday. Then we went to the spa and were told we could book whenever we wanted. Seriously? We went to nearby Omnia Spa instead and had a great time there. This place needs a deep clean, major renovation, and staff retraining. Based on our experience, it wasn't worth the price or the high ratings it seems to have received elsewhere.

A small, attractive hotel, nicely designed with a nod to yoga and healthy living. It's central and close to the sea, and breakfast is varied and tasty. There's also a basic gym with a treadmill, elliptical, weights, and mats. Our suite's layout was a bit odd, with a double bed in the main space and a separate room with a single bed, probably meant for a couple and child. Storage was very limited, and the shower was open. The design looks good, but it isn't very practical. A curtain for some shower privacy would help.

The rooms are really spacious, and the balconies have room for three or four people. We stayed for a week and found it a perfect base for exploring the area. The staff were as helpful as could be. Their affiliated sister hotel is a short taxi ride away, or about a 35 minute walk, and gives access to the beach.