Xenios Dolphin Beach Hotel

The sea was wonderfully clear and blue, and the beach had a seating area with towels provided and changed every three days. The sun is strong, so tanning comes quickly. We also enjoyed the two friendly dogs outside, who could be petted and fed, and the bartender made us feel like family. Everyone on staff was caring and pleasant, including the room service team. The views from breakfast, lunch, and especially dinner were stunning, and the food was very good. We had a great time and felt the week was money well spent, though honestly one week wasn't enough. I'd love to return for another one 😁😁😁

The beach had a mix of sand and small stones, which seemed great for children, and the water was clean. There are rocks and bricks once you first enter the sea, but farther out the water is very clear and you can feel sand below. We were the first guests of the 2025 season, and the staff were really nice. The food was delicious, and eating outside on the seaside terrace was a plus since the restaurant is quite small. Our room was clean and everything worked, though it was a bit old. Even though we were there for just two nights, the housekeeping ladies came the next day to tidy and change the room.

The only genuinely good part of our stay was the staff. They worked hard from early morning to late at night, stayed polite, and clearly tried their best. Everything else was a terrible experience, and I wish I could rate it zero. I had seen negative reviews before booking, but thought they might be exaggerated or fake, perhaps from competitors. I was wrong, so I'm sharing what happened to us. Our first room was in the basement and smelled damp and moldy. After we complained, we were moved to a ground-floor room that wasn't much better. Both rooms felt old, unrenovated, and stale. The mattresses were worn out and so uncomfortable that we woke with back pain after the first night. Bathrooms were dated too, with broken taps and showers that sprayed water everywhere. The all-inclusive package still required payment for bottled water. The only free option was tap water in a glass, which was undrinkable. Espresso, cappuccino, and bottled water all cost extra. For children, there was just one diluted orange drink. Meals were nearly identical each day and lacked flavor, with too much black pepper and dill apparently covering for that. Breakfast omelet seemed steamed without oil rather than fried; lunch rice was steamed and bland. Beef and pork in sauces were the one decent part, though those were over-spiced too. Desserts were cheap jellies and tasteless creams. The soups were said to vary between vegetable, chicken, and veal, but each tasted like water with flour and pasta. It also seemed that leftovers were reused, for instance breakfast hummus became falafel at lunch.

For the price of an all-inclusive holiday, this felt like a waste of money. The food and drinks had very little choice, with nothing for children like fries or pizza. Pizza cost extra. The staff were moderately helpful, spoke poor English, and couldn't sort out bigger problems such as the water shortage. Their service was far below what I'd expect from a three-star hotel. The room was small, with a tiny bathroom and old furniture. Things creaked, the shower, toilet, and sink were old, and there was barely room to turn around. During the day, water hardly ran at all, just a few drops from the sink now and then, and there was no running water before 22:00. The pool was small, unlike the misleading photos on the hotel's website. The beach was also small, a mix of sand and stones. Sunbeds were included, but people left towels on them around the clock, and staff did nothing about it. This was a terrible hotel, nowhere near three-star service.