Thalia Hotel

Most of the workers were nice and smiley. The man I think was the kitchen manager, who wore a blue shirt, was lovely, and the night barman was very nice too. The housekeepers and receptionist were kind, although reception didn’t help with problems. There were plenty of issues. Wi-Fi only worked at reception, despite all the different indoor and outdoor networks. Our old room had a broken toilet for three days; we asked for it to be fixed, but nothing happened. The hotel had barely been renovated, despite being told the work ended in May. A drip came from the AC even though it was set to 26°C. A mirror was hung so dangerously that it fell and smashed right in front of my face while I was getting ready. I wasn’t hurt, but I had a panic attack. The hotel is apparently family-friendly, yet people were loudly having sex at 1 or 2 AM, loud enough for everyone to hear. Nobody did anything, and I had to go out and call out that there were other people and children staying there. It was rude and very uncomfortable. Staff were rude when I asked if lunch ended at 3, because they’d taken away the food at 2:30. They put a whole pizza on my plate when I only wanted a slice, then laughed and watched me eat. The morning barman was extremely rude too. Apparently he owns the hotel, which is a shame, because he pulls faces when asked for a straw and doesn’t even fill the glass three-quarters full. It’s now called “Pefkos Family Resort & Spa” and the name should be changed on Google. At this point, I should try to get a refund.

The beach was lovely, and there are great restaurants nearby. The bus stop is a couple of minutes’ walk away, with Lindos only a 10-minute ride by bus, taxi, or car. The pools seemed okay, except for the one that smelled like sewage. I wasn’t expecting luxury, but I was still disappointed. The room was dirty, the sheets stained, and the mattresses torn. The bathroom looked as if it had never been cleaned: mould in the shower grout, toothpaste residue everywhere, a disgusting mirror and glass shelf, a broken towel hook, and grimy taps, drains, and metal handles. The sink wasn’t cleaned once during our week. We only got fresh sheets and towels after begging. The floors were barely washed, so ants were everywhere. We had to clean spills ourselves when room service ignored them and take our rubbish out several times to keep the ants away. AC left pools of water on the balcony, which was never washed. The breakfast buffet was rubbish. Dispenser juice was watered down, there was only one type of machine coffee, and the mugs, plates, and cutlery were chipped or dirty. Bread and marmalade were the only vegan choices. I didn’t risk the beans because allergens weren’t labelled. When I asked reception for a kettle, it had dried egg and eggshell inside. There were just two sockets in the room, so we took turns charging phones, and one socket was awkwardly high on the wall. AC cost an extra 70 euros, and we had to pay 10.50 euros in tax when leaving, which I thought was included when booking. I definitely wouldn’t call this a three-star hotel.

Pefkos is a lovely place and the local people are friendly, but I definitely wouldn’t stay at the hotel again. It’s advertised as a family resort, though there isn’t much for children to do. The plastic playground was unfinished, had no shade, and didn’t look like the advertisement. People came back drunk and shouted late at night. The resort has a different name now, Pefkos Breeze Family Resort and Spa, so that needs changing. It’s listed as four stars, but I don’t think it deserves that. The shower had fallen off the wall, and other things were glued up only to fall off too. Food wasn’t great, with little variety or choice for vegetarians. Reception staff were friendly but didn’t offer information or help. We had no water in our room all day when the supply went off. The person at the bar was rude, pulling faces and making us feel unwelcome. We met nicer people outside the resort.

We had a very enjoyable four-night break and are thinking about coming back for longer later this year. We’re easygoing, and for us the main things are cleanliness, feeling safe, and having helpful people around if something needs attention. We were happy with our stay. We arrived around midnight and just wanted to sleep. The hotel looked clean and welcoming, and the man at reception was helpful and got our keys quickly. Our room was large and very clean, with the basic things we needed. We paid for the air conditioning and would recommend it: it was inexpensive, quiet, and effective. The door opened onto a little patio leading straight to the quiet pool. The toilet and shower room was fine. The water was a little unpredictable, but using it outside the busy times seemed to work. The bed was the one drawback. Its mattress seemed brand new, but the large slatted wooden frame creaked badly. I told the Manager, went out for a couple of hours, and it was fixed by the time we got back. The pool area was lovely, quiet, and very clean, with plenty of loungers and parasols. The bar served food and drinks all day. Breakfast worked fine for us, with the usual bread, Greek yoghurt, honey, jam, pastries, cheese, ham, cocktail sausages, beans, tea, coffee, and fruit juice. There are good restaurants a couple of minutes away, and the main stretch of restaurants, bars, and sandy beaches is just up the road. The hotel staff and management were polite and helpful. It seemed family-run, and they were always ready to help. We’d read the reviews and kept our expectations low, but the hotel was a good fit for us.