Marathon Hotel - All Inclusive

The rooms were spacious, clean, and comfortable, and I’d definitely suggest booking one by the smaller private pool. The evening entertainment was fun. The buffet got a bit repetitive, but the woodfired pizza and gyros were a great addition. There isn’t much to do in Kolympia itself, though public transport makes it easy to get around. We had a really lovely stay, thanks especially to the amazing, friendly, and helpful staff, particularly Dennis and Astar at the bar. I’d recommend it!

The food could be inconsistent. Some dishes were tasty, while others weren’t, and the salad selection was small and repetitive after a week. One day the wine was nice and the next it was terrible, even though I asked for the same red. It felt as if the hotel was trying to save money wherever it could. The gyros, pizza, and grilled meat were delicious and among the highlights. Bartenders served quickly and worked efficiently. At reception, the ladies were kind and understanding, especially the daytime receptionist, who was always attentive and helpful. The noise was the biggest issue. Evening music was often too loud and heavy, like Metallica or heavy metal, and I don’t understand why management thought that suited hotel guests. Relaxing background music would have been much nicer. I raised the volume and style, but my comment was ignored. The animation was extremely loud too. It was fun for the first few days, then became annoying. I came to rest, not wake up to loud sounds every morning. It caused unnecessary stress and wrecked my sleep schedule, and now I can’t fall asleep before 1 a.m. Some other things also made the stay disappointing. Pool sunbeds were old, and some had nails sticking out. Nobody fixed them in nine days, which was unsafe. There were no slippers, bathrobes, or toiletries, which I’d expect at a 4★ hotel. To me, the place felt more like a 3★, and that’s generous. Cleaning was inconsistent, and the towels weren’t always fresh. The bathroom door didn’t lock, and closing the main room door took a lot of effort, which was uncomfortable. I also saw cockroaches twice in the restaurant, with small flies in the food. Overall, I left disappointed. More attention to guest comfort and a few improvements could make the hotel much better, but it didn’t feel like a 4★ experience.

The hotel was a comfortable base for exploring and relaxing, and the food onsite was good. I had a minor issue with two staff at the outdoor bar. After I raised it, the manager handled things brilliantly and mediated the situation satisfactorily. He seemed to genuinely care that we could enjoy our stay.

The food was the standout for us: there was a different spread of meats, seafood, vegetables, sides, sushi, salmon and desserts at lunch and dinner each day. Breakfast had plenty of sweet and savory choices, and pizza and gyros were available by the pool. For this holiday budget, it was well above what I expected. We spent a week at Hotel Marathon. There are two pools, and the one tucked behind the outdoor bar was much quieter. Sunbeds were always available. The hotel isn't really set up for kids: there's a small playground but no slides or water features, which suited us fine, and there weren't many children around. The standard rooms had a safe, balcony, TV and air conditioning, all working properly. There's also a gym, table tennis and billiards. The staff were lovely and quick to help. Our toilet was leaking, so they moved us to another room straight away. When we asked to shower on departure day after giving up our room, reception provided towels without fuss. The evening entertainment was plentiful, though it made getting to sleep before 11 difficult. We didn't mind. The area is a little limited, with only a few streets of bars. Oasis was good, To Nisaki café by the sea is worth a stop for coffee, and we rented a scooter from Max Moto one street from the hotel. The beach is about a 10-minute walk and just average, with paid sunbeds. Wi-Fi was practically unusable, and the coffee was weak and cheap throughout the hotel, apparently from the same machines. The beer was surprisingly good, with about eight cocktails to choose from and no disposable plastic cups. The ice cream was nothing special. We'd happily recommend the hotel.