Iolkos

We spent 14 nights here mainly because we wanted somewhere to sleep between exploring the area and sunbathing by the sea. It's a pleasant hotel, not too far from the beach, though the steep hill can make it harder to reach if you have reduced mobility. Breakfast was included, but we only went downstairs for it one morning, and it was okay. I never used the pool, so I can't comment on it. The small menu in the entrance hall listed food available from 11:00 to 14:00. We ordered scrambled eggs with Greek salad, and they were tasty. The omelet was filling, and the salad fresh and good. Staff were friendly. The fridge and air conditioning cost extra. The bed was two small, firm beds pushed together, leaving a gap down the middle. The fridge looked a bit old and partly dismantled. Cleaning was sometimes superficial, so I'd suggest having more staff responsible for it. That's why I gave the room only three stars.

I was traveling alone and stayed five nights. For this price range, it's the best experience I've had so far. Everything in my room worked, and they gave me one overlooking the pool and sea even though I hadn't asked. The breakfast was adequate, but they only serve filter coffee. If that's not your thing, you'll need to pick up a cup elsewhere. Luckily there are coffee shops nearby. The hotel is just five minutes from the bus station, handy if you rely on public transport, and about a 15-minute walk from the port.

The breakfast was good, the staff friendly, and the small pool was nice. The hotel was clean and the price felt fair for what we got. My only real suggestion is to add more power outlets. There are three in the room, but one is occupied by the fridge, another is up by the TV near the ceiling, and the one in the hallway is also used for the hair dryer. Charging two phones at once was awkward, so an extension lead with a few sockets would help.

The evening and night receptionist was lovely, and the staff were kind to the cats. The location is okay, though the hill is really steep. Still, I’d pay a little more for somewhere else. The air conditioner malfunctioned for six nights, with water and bits of ice falling on my face while I slept. It was worked on for three days in a row, and when we mentioned the problem the receptionist laughed. We got only two nights free, even though they must have known about at least three nights of trouble. The Wi-Fi was poor, and the beds were very hard and uncomfortable. The blankets didn’t feel hygienic, and the bathroom flooded when we showered. There was no outlet by the bed. The room had just one usable socket on the far side, and we had to leave the fridge unplugged to get two outlets, including the one intended for the TV. On vacation, we needed to charge phones, headphones, and a power bank. Breakfast was okay but very limited. They used the same utensils for meat and cheese, which is a big problem for vegetarians, and the cucumber smelled and tasted awful. When the coffee ran out well before 9:30 and we asked for more, they laughed and said, “Finished,” without apologizing. There’s no pool bar. To reach the pool, you walk through a cluttered room that used to be the bar area and now has some gym equipment. There’s very little shade by the pool. We usually took the dirt road to the left of the hotel instead of the steep hill. Apart from the older gentleman, the staff weren’t very friendly.