Alexander Beach Hotel & Village Resort

The breakfast was probably the best I've ever had at a hotel, and there are loads of nearby restaurants serving great food. The location is brilliant. Everything was spotless, and there are so many facilities. The staff were wonderful and friendly, and couldn't do enough for us. This hotel is amazing.

The hotel menu works in an unusual way. Even with all-inclusive, drinks cost extra, and a glass of water or coffee is quite expensive. We ended up having our parties separately in our rooms. Still, the location was great, and my family enjoyed swimming in the sea and the fact that Greece is proudly Orthodox. A great place, with excellent rooms, pretty good service, and tasty food.

The staff were incredibly kind and always smiling, though they seemed to work from sunrise to sunset. The sea in front of the hotel was beautifully clean, and the watermelon was reliably sweet and delicious. But the price really sticks with me. It's sold and priced as a 5-star resort, while the experience felt more like a 3-star place with an attitude. At half the price, I'd have thought, “you get what you pay for.” At these rates, the 5-star label feels like a punchline. There were plenty of frustrations during our stay. Housekeeping was unreliable: even after we asked at reception, they didn't empty our bin full of baby diapers. The supposed double bed was two single beds that drifted apart, and the baby cot came with a folded adult sheet that became a nightly wrestling match. The AC glowed all night like a lamp, and with no elevator in the main building, carrying a stroller upstairs felt like a daily workout. Food was the biggest letdown. Vegetarian options were poor, salads often had surprise ham or fish, and there was little protein. Breakfast pastries and desserts tasted cheap and artificial, the juices were basically liquid candy, and the croissants only made sense if you've never had a real croissant. Our only good dinner was at La Oliva, the à la carte restaurant. The restaurants and bars were right beside each other, playing different music at once, so it felt like trying to eat between competing DJs. The gym had no mats or weights, the promised welcome fruit plate never came, and we only accidentally found out about the free spa massage for new guests. At the pool, people put towels on sunbeds in the morning to reserve them while they were still at breakfast, and the hotel didn't enforce its rules. The kids' pool had a nice shaded area, but most of the water attractions didn't work, and its water was somehow the coldest in the resort.

We had a great week here, and the staff were very nice and welcoming. The hotel has a lovely beach, comfortable rooms, and a beautiful view from the breakfast area. Breakfast was a highlight, with lots to choose from and omelettes made to order. There are also several pools for when you want a break from the sea. My one concern was that the room floors always seemed sandy, so I wondered whether they were being cleaned properly. The hotel has a few restaurants, but I'd suggest having breakfast there and eating out for the other meals. There are so many good places nearby that you'd miss out by not trying them.