Aquarium View Hotel

The service was the best part of the stay. Front desk staff, breakfast team, and housekeepers were consistently warm, polite, and helpful. At first I wondered if it was just polished hotel friendliness, but after a few days it felt sincere. The staff seemed to enjoy working there, and that made a real difference. We also needed late checkout for an evening flight, and they arranged a standard room without a view for the extra hours. It suited us perfectly, and they handled it smoothly. We’d booked a standard sea-view room. There was nothing actually wrong with it, but it felt dated in that familiar Greek hotel way, like it had been through many summers. It wasn’t the worst room we’ve stayed in. Because one of us had a recent knee injury, the bathtub shower quickly seemed like a bad idea, so we asked about an upgrade. The hotel offered a superior sea-view room for a very reasonable price, and it was worth it. On the fifth floor, it was brighter and calmer, with a lovely view and simple but comfortable decor. There were USB-A charging ports and a TV with mostly Greek and German channels. The lighting options were surprisingly good. I especially liked the bathroom’s low-light setting for trips in the middle of the night, when you don’t want to blind yourself awake. There were some nuisances. The bright balcony lights seeped around the edges of the blackout curtains, which seemed slightly too narrow for the window wall. Sound insulation from the doors was poor, and room 508 was right beside the cleaning cupboard, so mornings came with housekeeping noise. The air conditioning was very loud, making a forceful reappearance whenever the temperature changed. The biggest issue was that smoking was allowed on balconies. Our neighbors smoked, and we ended up breathing it second-hand several times while watching the sea. I’m still surprised a modern, civilized country caters to smokers like it’s the 1990s. Breakfast was perfectly acceptable, though nothing memorable, and it kept us fed. There are quirks and noise issues, but the staff were excellent, and the room upgrade was worthwhile if you can manage it.