Villa Aikia

Max at the front desk was friendly and helpful from before we arrived, answering questions and arranging a taxi. His local restaurant suggestions were all spot on. The hotel and staff were amazing, our room was gorgeous with a beautiful view of the pool and ocean, and the restaurant food was great. I really can’t think of anything negative. We’ll definitely be back next year.

The walk back from town has quite a few stairs, and the hotel itself is built into the beach cliffs with lots more steps. That was fine for us, but it may not suit less active guests or anyone with mobility issues unless they want to take a taxi each time. We liked that Villa Aikia wasn’t right in town, since some other hotels apparently get loud and party-like at night. It was peaceful. Getting back after dark was a fun walk for me, with lanterns along the dirt path and old stone steps, though I was glad we’d brought headlamps after reading the suggestion. Town, shops, restaurants, beach bars and the beach are less than a 10-minute walk away. The path is mostly dirt, so keep that in mind. Our room was a good size, the A/C worked well, and unlike some reviews we had no trouble with hot water. It was very hot, in fact, and we even had a little plunge pool on the terrace. The pool was gorgeous, cool and refreshing, and clothing optional. We wanted a clothing-optional hotel because Zipolite beach is clothing optional too, and there’s nothing like a dip in the buff. The cocktails and food from the kitchen were tasty and served poolside. I had a delicious breakfast salad and pina colada. The servers were friendly and great at their jobs; we hugged everyone goodbye. Max was warm and welcoming, with that personal touch. He made sure we could reach him anytime and gave us local food and activity recommendations. We were celebrating my partner turning 50, and Max even left us a bottle of wine. The service was impeccable. The hotel had been under renovation, so I expected the pool might be closed. I was delighted it had reopened, and we still got the complimentary room upgrade Max had offered in case the pool was closed. The view was unreal, just stunning. It was an excellent stay.

The terrace has nice views, but the advertised “pool party” we went to was a letdown. The marketing was pure lies, the quality was bad, and only their friends seemed to be there. It felt like a social network experiment among their own crowd. They seem more interested in naive older men than in service or quality. We had to wait in line to pay while their system wasn’t working, and they made us wait for it to come back. Why hold onto the money when we were there to pay? What kind of people make customers wait to give them money? It felt like a tourist trap.

I loved my time at this hotel. The atmosphere was calm and relaxed, and I had a large private balcony overlooking the lovely hotel and the beach below. Perfect setting. I’ll come again.