Vouros Palace

Eleni and her sister, whose name I don't know how to spell, were wonderful hosts. From day one of our two-week stay they treated us like family, and the staff were always sweet and helpful. Our room was cleaned and reset every day with fresh towels and sheets, and they even did our laundry for free. The air conditioning was phenomenal. Breakfast was complimentary and better than what we tried elsewhere on the island. They had a juicer for fantastic fresh orange juice, and the omelets were great. There were over-medium eggs, bacon, toast, yogurt, cereal, sweet treats, coffee, tea, muesli, and other little things. Having the excellent restaurant Prego downstairs was a big plus too.

We won't book this hotel again. We were told on the first day we'd get 10% off meals at the hotel's restaurant, Prego, but we ate there twice and never received the discount. Breakfast started out good, but the same sausages and cake came every day. The sausages turned brown, and the cake was the exact same one for at least 16 days, so it was dry and really not good anymore. The butter was never kept cold, became oily, and had mold after about 10 days. Coffee and feta cheese were the only breakfast items we liked. My boyfriend was so put off that he bought a croissant from the nearby supermarket every day. When we arrived, we waited about an hour for our room because the staff had forgotten we were coming. The shower was dirty, though the rest of the room was okay. The bathroom was really small, and sitting on the balcony meant smelling the restaurant. They said there'd be soap and shower gel, but there wasn't.

The view is spectacular, and there was plenty of hot water. The place could use a refresh, though: there were dead plants in the pots and a broken sun umbrella on the patio. Breakfast was an odd setup. You had to pick it up from a small room with too little seating, so I took it back to my room. Prego downstairs is lovely. Fine for a short stay, and the location is central, though there are lots of steps.

Four rooms share a huge balcony with a great view of Telendos Island. The bathrooms have been nicely renovated with modern appliances, and the rooms are amazing value for money in Kalymnos.