Ionian Sea Hotel & Villas - Aqua Park

The kids loved the whole resort, and I felt welcome and safe there. There were sports activities every day, with lots to choose from. The place was generally clean, and every meal had a great range of fresh food. The staff were phenomenal, especially the entertainment and bar teams. They were friendly and attentive, and made the holiday. Andrea and Mikey smashed it. Well done!

The rooms and food were okay, and the beach is about a 10-minute walk. We booked a room with an Ionian Sea view, but couldn't see the sea at all. It's also too far from shops and restaurants for me, so I wouldn't stay again, though the hotel itself was decent. We came at the end of May, when there was no evening entertainment programme. I wish I'd known, because my six-year-old daughter was really bored at night. Staff put on bingo, but we had expected a mini disco and other evening activities. Check-in was a bit of a mess too: the hotel only accepted cash for the tourist tax, and there wasn't an ATM nearby.

If you're travelling with kids, especially young ones, I don't think you'd be disappointed. Mine's a moody teen, but was still entertained. A short taxi ride into Lixouri costs 15 euro if you want to look around. We didn't make it to Argostoli, but were happy with Lixouri. I was a little nervous after reading some bad reviews, though everyone's experience is different. We spent a week here from the 11th to the 18th, and honestly couldn't fault the hotel. The animation team were brilliant and made the holiday, especially with the evening events. I even managed to drink a pint in five seconds 🤣 The bar staff were so friendly and welcoming, and my room was always clean, even with all our stuff. The food was nicely presented, with lots of meats and options. I'm a picky eater, so I had chips a lot, but I was impressed by the choices. Well done to everyone, and another shout-out to the animation team, the best I've seen at any of the holidays and hotels I've been to!

DO NOT STAY HERE. I say this after waiting over a year to write about our June 2024 stay, because the holiday ended with me being arrested and given bail conditions not to post a review during that time. I will say we got our flight that evening, because Jet 2 held the plane for me. DO NOT STAY HERE. CON ARTISTS. The hotel was grubby, the food dreadful, and the drinks watered down or pre-made junk. Staff were rude, confrontational, and homophobic. Things seemed okay when we arrived, but went downhill from there. We had paid for all-inclusive, but not every drink was included. We had also paid in advance for late checkout, then were told at checkout that we still owed a balance. What I assume was a manager came into our room to make us leave while my girlfriend had no clothes on. Staff then intimidated us, swore at us, and shouted abuse in Greek. They said they'd have us arrested if we didn't pay the extra fee. That's what happened, even after we paid. My partner went into the “shop” and paid the €30-odd euros. While she was in there, at least four staff members were yelling at me to get off their property, even though we'd done what they'd asked. It was embarrassing, as they made it look to the other guests waiting for the airport transfer as if we just wanted something for nothing. We left the hotel and waited up the street for the transfer after the managers were aggressive and swearing at us. When the coach arrived, the police were there too. They arrested us and took us to the station for an interview. We were there for hours. My partner, who has multiple sclerosis, was getting stressed and was told she could leave and fly back to England. I told her to go while I stayed, because they said it could be days before I appeared before a judge for sentencing, or so I understood from my Greek. The police were siding with what she was saying, since I hadn't actually committed a crime. The female manager, whose name I can't remember, had darker hair and was “on the larger side.” She told the Jet 2 representative and the police that I could leave without charges, on bail conditions. As I understood them, they were: not to write a bad review while on bail, that she wanted me to miss my flight that evening, and that she wanted €100 euros compensation. The Jet 2 lady told me to agree and get out of there. I did wait to review the hotel, but I paid the €100 in cash then and there.