Poseidon of Paros

Valerie made arranging our vow renewal ceremony so easy to work out, and the staff felt like family throughout our stay. The made-to-order breakfast on the veranda was a delight in the light breeze. We had a private pool, and seeing it lit up at night was magical. The view is incredible, and everyone was so welcoming and courteous. Nothing but five stars, wish I could give more. We’re already checking the calendar to see when we can return. If you want to relax and get superior service, this is the place.

The service was the highlight, from reception through the restaurant, bar, and room service. Dimitria and the team were incredibly attentive. It’s a beautiful hotel by the beach, which feels almost private, with hammocks, umbrellas, and staff regularly coming by. Between the pool and the service, you could stay here all day. The food is great and fairly priced. The rooms are cute and cozy, with everything you need and views of the sea. I’d happily come back again and again.

The one thing that bothered me was that the hotel wasn’t directly on the beach. Golden Beach was only a very short walk away, but the website gave a misleading impression, since there were no Poseidon of Paros chairs on the beach. Aside from that, it was one of my favorite hotels in Greece. My family stayed in June and loved it. The rooms were spacious, the staff friendly, and breakfast had delicious pastries, fruit, and plenty of other options. The pool was great, with lots of chairs and a good pool bar.

The property is beautiful, right on Golden Beach, with stylish rooms and professional staff, but the stay never felt welcoming or homelike. Breakfast was included, yet coffee and tea cost extra, even though we’d paid a premium. Guests also had to pay to use the hotel’s own beach lounges. I asked for checkout at noon instead of 11, especially since check-in was much later in the afternoon, but they refused. I only used the pool once in six days, and when I brought the rest of a beer from my room to finish by the pool, a staff member immediately said outside drinks weren’t allowed. The last night, we found a medication box and about a gram of weed on a chair outside the church. Since it was with anxiety medication, we thought it might belong to someone with a prescription. We put it in our safe, planning to hand it to reception in the morning, but forgot in the checkout rush. Five minutes down the road we remembered, went back, and told reception. We were shocked to hear the manager had already called the police without first trying to contact me. I was told it was the manager’s decision. The whole thing felt unprofessional and left me with an impression of discrimination. My disappointment is mainly with reception and management, not the restaurant staff, who were consistently friendly and professional. The next night, ironically, I stayed at a much cheaper, simple family-run hotel near the port. It felt warm, welcoming, and genuine, everything this so-called luxury hotel failed to deliver. A fancy hotel isn’t needed for a good stay. Sometimes the simplest places offer the most authentic, human, and warming experience.