Menexes Suites Monemvasia

The owners were very friendly, and the large rear balcony has incredible views over the bay. There’s no shade there in the morning, but by evening it’s one of the prettiest places in the city to sit with a glass of wine. The room and view aren’t the problem with the location. Getting around Monemvasia is difficult even without mobility issues, and I’d advise anyone who has them to avoid the town altogether. Reaching this particular place is especially tough: there are many hard-to-access steps, slippery rocks, and then a steep set of steps up to the room.

Staying inside the old fortress town of Monemvasia was such a treat. We were in the Melica suite, a cosy apartment with beautiful traditional decor right in the heart of town. Just lovely, and I recommend it.

The unit needs maintenance: it was very dark, poorly ventilated, had no curtain on the upstairs bedroom window, and the shower was broken. The locks also don’t work properly. The inner door locks automatically and can be very difficult to open with the key, while the heavy inner door frame takes twisting to open. The outer door doesn’t lock. I have arthritic hands and asked the owner for a small wrench to help turn the key, since it takes force. I warned him the locks are unsafe and could trap a child or many adults in a fire or other emergency. He said the locks are “archeological” and was unwilling to repair them or provide a tool to make them easier to open.

A very clean, nice room in a good location. It was just a little hard to find.