Domotel Xenia Volos

The room had a moldy smell, so I had to buy an air freshener, and the shower barely had any water pressure. The hotel’s day beach was very dirty, with no properly arranged places to sit. The nearby beach was clean and organized, with benches. Breakfast was very basic and poor compared with hotels in Athens or the southern Greek islands. Also, the hotel has an outdoor saltwater pool, while the indoor freshwater pool is inside the spa and children can’t use it. It’s a shame nobody clearly told us that.

This seems to be an older hotel, but it’s very well maintained, and the rooms are clean with all the basics. We had two rooms, and the second-floor one with a sea view was much better than the first-floor room. Breakfast has plenty of choices and is served somewhere with a sea view. They can also make traditional Greek coffee.

The sea views from the communal areas are lovely, the location is fantastic, and there’s a good car park. Breakfast has lots of options, though the food quality is mediocre. For a five-star hotel, it falls well short. At three stars it would beat expectations, and at four it might meet them. The bathrooms are so cramped it’s hard to get in and close the door, the mattresses are lumpy, and housekeeping is inconsistent. In October, only the small pool inside the spa is open, and that’s closed on Sundays and Mondays. I understand not offering treatments, but closing the pool, jacuzzi, steam room, and sauna to paying guests two days out of seven is hard to accept. It’s a thoroughly mediocre hotel that doesn’t live up to its marketing.

The sea-view room was excellent, with a spectacular view, and it was clean and comfortable. There’s a huge parking lot, and the hotel is worth the price and its five-star rating. Check-in was friendly, the staff were very helpful, and room service was excellent. The food tasted great too.