Marti Resort

The beach is only 20m away, with shade all around and water that stays crystal clear through the day. Our room had a beautiful view, and the food was great. The staff were friendly and polite. One of the best vacations I’ve had, and I’d highly recommend it if you’re after some peace of mind.

The owners seemed kind and well meaning, but the property was poorly maintained. Water overflowed from the shower, the TV wasn’t connected, and breakfast was meager with bees all over the area. We’d paid for two nights but left after just one.

Marti Resort sits in a beautiful spot, with a landscaped garden and three separate accommodation buildings. But if you’re expecting a West-European-style resort, this isn’t it. It’s promoted as a luxurious five-star place with fully working facilities. That didn’t match what we found. Many of the amenities shown on the website were closed or barely available, especially during my first two days, which cost 240 euro. Staff were almost nowhere to be seen. There was no daily cleaning, rubbish removal, or fresh towels; no chef, lunch menu or buffet, proper dinner menu or buffet, or baby meals for ages 0-4. The pool wasn’t ready and, judging by the photos, had dangerous toxicity levels. The private beach didn’t have full service. There were lots of nasty cats around and the place was overrun with wasps. Their administration, finances, and information about guests were also not in order. When I raised the mismatch, they said they weren’t a five-star resort, just a small family business that showed the most beautiful things and listed what they might offer in certain cases. The website described these as promises and guarantees, though. I was told to use my imagination and take it “Balkan style,” as if I wanted a Bulgarian-style holiday. It seemed they didn’t understand how West-Europeans take clear wording, promises, and guarantees. There were also loud families with children who stayed up screaming late. You could easily think the whole island had been taken over by Bulgarians and Romanians. All the things I’ve listed were presented on their website. It might be a beautiful place if you don’t expect the advertised facilities and can cope with services being cut without warning. That wasn’t right for us. We booked a resort for its amenities and service, paying resort prices on Thassos, 120 euro a night. We could have booked a hotel room for 40 till 60 euro a night and had the same experience.

The food and service were both great, and customers get beach chairs and umbrellas for free. Really lovely. I’ll be back!