The Rock Suites

I booked through Booking.com for a family member. When we tried to get to the hotel, locals told us it had changed location. The information on the website was misleading, so I asked for a refund, but they refused to give anything back. Don't bother. There are much better hotels that treat their customers with more respect.

Our double room, room R, was on the ground floor. The view is the big plus, but only from one of the patios. The other looks onto the neighbour's conservatory, which is what the double bed faces. The room layout could be better too. The building's main door opens straight from the street into a hall serving two rooms, so we could hear street noise at night because it's a main thoroughfare. The listing mentions the steps, so they shouldn't come as a surprise. They aren't an issue if you're reasonably fit. It's about a three-minute walk to the quayside.

Dimitris and his staff did an excellent job helping us through a very difficult stay. During the September 2023 cyclone over the Sporades, the island had strong winds and rain, flooding and no running water or internet. The team stayed available at any hour, gave us useful recommendations and kept us updated on what was happening around the island. The storm affected everyone, and it was even impossible for them to get home. We were unlucky with the timing, but their help made the stay memorable, if not comfortable. The room was nicely furnished, with a wonderful sea and harbour view, a Nespresso machine, a small fridge and a very comfortable shower. The location is just a stone's throw from the busy harbour bar and restaurant streets, or the quieter inner streets up the promontory. Plakes and Megali Beach are walkable if you're okay with stairs, which aren't unusual on Greek islands. I'd recommend staying here even during a natural disaster, and would love to return in sunnier weather.

After many trips to Greek islands over the years, I suppose an experience as disgraceful as this one at "The Rock" was statistically bound to happen. I won't go through the whole miserable two days from start to finish. One photo says enough about how they take advantage of tourists: the place is described as 50m from the ferries, but after a 700-metre walk from the ferries, you still have to climb one of two flights of stairs to get there. Beware. I repeat, DO NOT give these people any money.