Hotel Fotini

The balcony was lovely, with a beautiful sea and beach view, and the staff were friendly and helpful throughout. We stayed at Fotini for three nights in early October. Our room was spacious and clean, though the bathroom felt a bit cramped and the room could use some maintenance. It was good value for the money and had a pleasant bed-and-breakfast atmosphere. Thank you!

The room was roomy, but it looked as if it hadn’t been updated since the 80s. The shower was terribly cramped, the bed was really bad, and the air conditioner didn’t work. At least the location is great and the pool is big and fun. The staff were sweet and tried hard to help, despite barely knowing English. Probably worth the price.

We left and booked another hotel immediately. The online description and photos were very different from what we actually found, and the service was dismissive and dismal when we tried to talk to management. We paid good money based on how the room had been described, but in reality, they should have paid us to stay there. We found beachfront accommodation for half the price, in a room that felt like the Hilton by comparison. This was by far the worst place we stayed in Kalamata. Never again. My name doesn’t need to be in your database, since my friend booked the room.

The hotel is right at the edge of Kalamata’s waterfront, which is convenient, though it sits on the main road. You can still hear traffic through the glassed corridor and thick doors. The rooms are big, with balconies and what seem to be kitchenettes, and the pool is excellent. Everything was clean except for deep-set mould in the tiny bathroom. What I loved was the post-cold-war time warp feeling: 60s fixtures, cabinetry and hot plate that seemed untouched, plus pipes coming out of the walls for the air conditioning. The AC worked perfectly. Breakfast came to the table with no choice: sugary fare, awful coffee, a boiled egg, toast, a cheese and ham roll, and slabs of packaged cake. Housekeeping is only provided if you ask. It’s a three star place, just barely, but it knows what it is and leans into its quaintness. Daggy and fabulous.