Athos Palace Hotel

There's plenty to do on the water, with the sea-sport department offering ski-jets, boat rentals, and other fun activities. The pool has good entertainment, and the beach has umbrellas and sunbeds. The food is good and varied, and you get wonderful views from the sea-facing side. Wi-Fi is available in the lounge and pool bar, even at suite level. The staff were kind and attentive wherever we met them, whether at reception, in the restaurant, at the pool bar, or on the beach. They work hard to keep the hotel looking ancient while still giving visitors modern facilities. To me, it deserves its four-star rating.

This review comes from a Doctor's Seminar held at the hotel. If that is how they treated us, I can only imagine the respect they show regular customers. What ruined the experience was the staff's unprofessional response to comments like mine, and there are a lot of them. They were unwilling to help. Their replies only made me more certain that my 1/5 rating was right. In the end, it isn't the pool water I'm rating.

The suites are comfortable, with enough room for five people. Still, I'd rate the hotel somewhere between three and four stars. When it's not full, it deserves four. At full capacity, getting through the restaurant is difficult and eating there isn't pleasant. Wi-Fi also doesn't reach the higher floors, so you have to go down to the lobby to use it.

We tried to keep our stay as positive as possible, but on the final day the hotel left us without food or drinks from 10 AM until 10 PM. I understand the issue may have been related to the travel agency, but guests who aren't at fault shouldn't be made to bear the cost. In 30-degree heat, we were left without armbands and told at reception that we no longer belonged there, while travelling with a small child and no money.