Litochoro House with a View

The sea and mountain views are amazing, and the host is a wonderful person. We spent a week here and had a really pleasant stay. The facilities were great, with everything we needed. I'd recommend it without hesitation.

The owner was super friendly, and the view takes in both Olympus and the sea. It felt like a little heaven.

Our eight-day holiday left us with mixed feelings. The owner seemed helpful at first, but communication was difficult because his English was poor and he often smiled as if he hadn't understood. It felt like the responsiveness was only there if you were Greek. The apartment did have spices, dishes, sheets and blankets, probably because someone lives there when it isn't rented. But it was packed with personal belongings and unnecessary furniture. The wardrobes were full, and the children's room had just one cupboard. The bathroom was still full of someone's personal toiletries, so we had to find somewhere to put them to make room for ours. The third bedroom turned out to be a child's room with a child's bed, not a room with two large beds. We had been assured that six people and a child could stay comfortably, but there wasn't even a proper bedroom for two adults. Hot water was another problem. There was enough for two people, and the rest of us had cold showers. We were told water was precious and not to waste it. Only during the last two days, when guests with a baby arrived downstairs, did the owner reveal there was a water heater, and then everyone had hot water. Even then, we had to tell him whenever we needed it so he could switch it on. There was no air conditioning, which was a serious issue in 40-degree heat, especially with no breeze through the open windows. The sun-damaged insect screens were torn and had gaps. Also watch out for the yard cat: it came in at night looking for food and managed to get through holes in the screens. It ate well on two nights. And forget having a signal or internet. There was no mobile service or WiFi, and the owner's connection couldn't even load a browser. This place didn't feel set up for tourists, but like a way to make money at their expense. For the price, there are much nicer places to stay.

The house was spacious and luxurious, with an excellent kitchen and a beautifully kept garden. The hosts were lovely and treated us to olives they'd prepared and other dishes. It's in a quiet, pleasant area. We knew when booking that there was no air conditioning, but we still found the end of July hot. At times there was no hot water, though the hosts switched on the heater when we let them know.