Alea Resort

We were a group of 9 and had the best week. The staff really went out of their way to make us feel welcome, and nothing was too much trouble. Rooms were immaculately cleaned every day, and the pool area and toilets stayed clean all day. We had the best holiday and will definitely return!

The pool bar cocktails were excellent and reasonably priced. The location is lovely, with great views and polite staff, and our stay was pleasant. The Wi-Fi was totally unreliable, so make sure you have an active data plan. There were some issues with the room, though. We reported the A/C swing to the front office about an hour after arriving and were told it would be fixed. It still hadn't been fixed when we checked out, so we used a clothes hanger to hold the swing up and get some cold air flowing. There's a real shortage of staff in Greek lodgings this year, so I chose not to be too strict with the rating, but the rooms definitely need maintenance and upgrades.

The rooms felt outdated, and insects and small animals could get inside even with the windows closed. We had to remove two salamanders and several grasshoppers ourselves. The hotel is also far from the beach. It advertises a free shuttle, but it runs infrequently, so you'll often need a taxi. The breakfast buffet was the worst part of the stay. It's in a tiny corner by the pool, no more than 5 square meters, with very limited food options. The only drinks are water, coffee, and orange juice that tastes like sugary syrup rather than real juice. The hotel claims to be 4-star, but to me it barely reaches 2+. It's completely overrated, a 2.5-star hotel at best. I would never advise anyone to visit and will never return.

We stayed off season, when the hotel had barely opened, so the pool wasn't ready and breakfast wasn't available yet. It was clean and quiet, with a nice view, and the five-person room was big and spacious. The place is pretty close to the main city. If the brochure is right, shuttle buses run fairly often to and from the city. The breakfast area looked like a nice spot with a view over the city. Wi-Fi worked on and off depending on the time of day, but overall we had a positive experience. I'd recommend it to anyone with pets or small children, or anyone looking for a quiet stay.