Being in our 60th wedding anniversary year we decided to take our family of nine for a nine day holiday at the Athina Palace Resort and Spa with ages ranging from 11 to ourselves in our eighties. Our initial impression regarding our accommodation was that it warranted a four star rather than a five star rating. However, with my wife and I being in our eighties, we were very pleased to find ourselves situated in a room 274 which was equidistant from the reception /restaurants area and main pool ….. approximately 150 metres from each. With the complex being situated on quite an incline, had we been given a room in the ‘lower properties’ I suspect that it would have been more problematic due to the steps and incline (oldies please note) ! The youngsters in the party of course, housed in lower down accommodation’ didn’t find this a problem at all !! The reception staff were extremely welcoming and very efficient at all times and many thanks in particular the three female receptionists for all the advice and information you gave to us during our stay. The restaurant areas produced a good and varied selection of food at all times with the constant renewal of freshly cooked food. Special thanks to Kostas and Luca in the breakfast veranda…….. always amiable with their welcoming smiles and efficient service. The local coach service to Helrakion which runs from the hotel is certainly worth consideration for a mere €3 euros each way with good shopping areas and a very good selection of bars and restaurants etc. there. (Approx. a half hour journey). Agia Pelagia beach is worthy of a trip with a few boutique shops and a good selection of restaurants although the beach is very narrow and consequently rather crowded. The only disadvantage is that taxis seem to have the monopoly and charge €15 per trip for a ten to fifteen minute journey !! In conclusion, apart from our initial reaction to our room, we all thoroughly enjoyed our nine days at the Athina Palace. The complex itself is very impressive and well maintained with great views and we would like to thank all members of staff for a truly memorable holiday.

So I will start by saying that the hotel isn’t a 5* however we still thoroughly enjoyed our stay! The room was light and spacious. Excellent shower! The room was cleaned every day with the added touch of bottled water and sometimes a bottle of wine, I even got a rose on our last day. The staff are lovely we didn’t have a problem with anyone. The food was not what I would call great however I am a very fussy eater so that’s on me, hubby always had a full plate and enjoyed the food. I always managed to find something to my taste. The evening meal was always accompanied with water and your choice of wine or beer. The views are spectacular! There is a very well priced bus that goes into the city which we used twice. I didn’t particularly like the use of the plastic cups but I understand why they would use them around the pool area however they could of been bigger. The pools are lovely, we didn’t use any of them as the weather has not been the best but we have enjoyed sitting around the adult pool reading and relaxing. All in all we really enjoyed our stay here, don’t let the bad reviews put you off.

Obviously my opening comment depends on how much you paid for your stay. We got an excellent deal for a week on all inclusive basis with the flight from Barcelona included. Let me begin with the positives. Very friendly and helpfull staff. A large renovated bedroom with magnificent views ( room 136 ). A good shuttle bus to the rooms some of which are a long way from reception ( we had to walk up 155 steps to the dining room ) The pools are good and not overcrowded.We only drink wine so had no issues as reasonable quality wine was available everywhere. Now the not so good points . Despite the room and bathroom being large there is very little storage space for your clothes and the bathroom is rather dark . We twice requested early wake up calls but didn't get them. The hotel is not suitable for people with mobilty problems as everywhere you go is either up or down steep slopes. The food is not very exciting and usually it's cold . However, despite my complaints I still consider it to be good value.