The Varos Residences Hotel

The breakfast setup was a letdown: it’s on the street beside the post office and an industrial garage, with traffic passing right by the tables. The parking area is very dusty and has no shade. Old pallets with rusty nails block the lane leading to it, and there are rat traps along the way, which didn’t feel suitable when travelling with a small child. The accommodation is scattered houses around Varos, a small town on the island, while reception is in another old building a few blocks away. The listing photos make it look like a resort, which is misleading. They also seem far removed from the current condition, perhaps taken years ago when the place was new. Our apartment, or villa, number 605 was poorly maintained and falling apart. Even the bathroom on the ferryboat was in much better shape than ours. To me, this feels like a two- or three-star hotel, definitely not four-star. We’ve stayed at many other four-star hotels in Greece, and they were much, much better.

For our four-night stay, the bed linens were never changed, and the room was cleaned just once, around 8 p.m. It felt like a guesthouse experience, with rooms in different buildings around the village, despite having booked and paid for a four-star hotel. We tried for several days to sort out an issue with reservations, but no one was available or called back. They seemed too busy with their jobs. Customer service was very poor: they didn’t answer emails for days, and phone calls went the same way. Clients clearly aren’t a priority. What we received was very different from what had been presented, and the stay was deeply disappointing.

The location is central, so it’s easy to explore by car. Our room was clean and spacious, the bed comfortable, and the air conditioning worked well. The shower was on the small side but did the job. Breakfast was tasty and cozy under the tree, and the staff were friendly, helpful, and happy to share information. A nice bonus was being able to use the huge swimming pool at the nearby hotel for free.

Breakfast was excellent, with really good local food, and the staff were friendly. We stayed one night in the residences, which are on a separate property from the hotel, so getting to reception or breakfast meant a short walk or drive. The rooms were large and comfortable, though a bit worn around the edges. It’s a nice resort hotel close to the airport.