Abrazo Villas

We left before our final night because we felt threatened and no longer safe or welcome. I was especially disappointed by the owner’s replies. Rather than hear us out or try to resolve anything, they made excuses and even claimed we had done things we hadn’t. As a paying guest, I expected to be listened to and to have someone try to address the problems. I do not recommend this place. The stay was nowhere near what was advertised and wasn’t worth the price. The pool bar, which was advertised, stayed closed the whole time. There was almost no privacy in the room, it smelled moldy from the humidity, and the breakfast was very poor for the hotel’s supposed level. Outside, the area was dirty: the jacuzzi hadn’t been cleaned, and the cushions and table were dusty. The later claim that we had left towels in the jacuzzi and made it dirty was completely false. We left nothing that could have caused that. When we arrived, someone was smoking inside reception. I found that disrespectful and unprofessional, especially since the website clearly says smoking isn’t allowed in the rooms. It seemed like the rule only applied to certain people. We waited over two hours for hand towels after asking for them. We had also arranged to meet the owner at 9 a.m. to discuss these issues, but nobody showed up.

I’d stay here again and recommend it. The views are very good, and having a private jacuzzi and pool is great. A few things could be better, though. The glasses weren’t clean, and there was old coffee in a dirty coffee machine. Breakfast had no eggs, just honey, butter and two kinds of jam. There wasn’t real orange juice either, only a drink with a similar taste to the kind you get at “not top restaurants”.

The hotel was beautiful and clean. The receptionist helped us with everything, and thanks to Jacob for all the information he gave me.

This is a three-star hotel, and it feels about that level. Keep that in mind when booking, since the amenities aren’t perfect. We asked for early check-in because our ferry arrived early, and Panos at reception kindly made it happen. There’s daily room cleaning, shampoo, shower gel and individual slippers, plus tea and coffee with a small machine and kettle, a little fridge, and two large bottles of water provided free. Breakfast is served; it’s not great, but fine if you’re hungry, though the orange juice doesn’t taste like juice. The sunrise around 7 a.m. is beautiful. The location is away from crowds and tourists, but you need a car. The Anatoli villa is spacious and works for four to six people, though two would need to sleep on the couch. Downstairs there’s a large suite with its own bathroom and toilet. It’s a good base for seeing the island, since nothing is too far. Imerovigli village is a doable seven-minute uphill walk, and Carrefour supermarket is nearby and open late. There are a few villa levels, going down the hill from the road toward the pool and sea. The first level, including Coralie, is closest to the road, and the road noise is definitely loud there. You hear it less in the downstairs bedrooms of second-level villas such as Anatoli and Thalassa, but it’s still audible. The villas below the pool seem best: they’re farther from the road, should be quieter, and have a hot tub looking toward the hill and sea rather than the pool. Still, groups using the couch should know that road noise may be right above your head until 2-3 a.m. The couch is very firm, so it won’t suit everyone. The mattresses weren’t very comfortable either. Some Booking.com reviewers said the beds were too firm; I found them too soft, with my lower body sinking below my head. I weigh under 50 kg. The villas could use a deep clean, perhaps before next season. The tap water is desalinated seawater, tastes a bit salty and isn’t recommended for drinking, so you need to buy bottled water anywhere on the island. The road gets noisier at night as tourists drive back to their hotels, sometimes with their windows open and music playing. In the upstairs bathroom of Anatoli, the toilet has heavy gray limescale inside and needs replacing; using it feels like using a dirty toilet. There’s also a constant unpleasant drain smell in that bathroom, which can spread a little into the rooms on that floor. Perhaps the desalinated water damages the drain. The hairdryer is tiny and cheap, and a better one would be welcome. The downstairs shower is poorly designed and water spreads everywhere. The gray egg-shaped pool seats shown in the photos are all torn and need replacing, though the black mattress beds around the pool are relatively clean. The outdoor sofa cushions are stained and have water marks, so need cleaning. There aren’t blackout shutters, so daylight comes into the room early. Also, these villas face the island’s east coast and have sunrise views, but no caldera, or volcanic crater, view if that’s what you’re looking for. The bottle of wine was overpriced at 35 euros, compared with 10 at the supermarket.