Hotel, Guesthouse and B&B Reviews

These are my personal notes on some of the places I have stayed on my travels. I have chosen to only comment on those places that I was generally satisfied with; I see no point on this website in describing accommodation that I would not recommend to anyone else. For the same reason, I have not attempted to rank or score the places. However, where I have particularly liked somewhere, I believe that the tone and content of my review will make that obvious. The opinions below are my own and are just that – opinions formed on the occasion of my visit. For this reason, I have given the date of my visit at the bottom of each comment; things may have changed since.

Greece: Corfu

Hotel Arion, Corfu Town. My plane landed in Corfu at 9 pm, I was waved through passport control, and I set off walking to the hotel, which I had chosen for its proximity to the airport. It was dark and I got slightly lost at first, but Corfu Town is small and, once I had arrived at the shoreline, the hotel was easily located. I arrived at 9.30 pm, so no more than 15-20 min walking really. The reception area is very smart and my room was clean, air-conditioned, and typically sparsely furnished. I went out to dinner in one of the many tavernas nearby. Breakfast the next morning was good, although again it was typically simple in the standard Greek fashion, although there were some cooked items. Overall, I was very happy and felt I got good value for my money.

Date of stay: 17 September 2015

Malibu, Pelakas–Glyfada. The rooms are clean, quite spacious, and mine at least had a pleasant balcony – I think they all do. There is a clean and well-maintained shared kitchen for (e.g.) making coffee. For dinner in the evening, I walked back into Pelekas, which is a pleasant stroll; remember to take a torch if it is dark. The establishment is run with great efficiency and energy by the utterly lovely Amalia. Overall, I was delighted with my short stay and wished I could have stayed longer.

Date of stay: 18 September 2015

Hotel Orpheus, Gouvia. The hotel is in the centre of the Gouvia "strip" that runs behind the beach. My welcome was very friendly and my room was very pleasant indeed – one of the nicest I found on the island – and had a small balcony from which the coast could just about be spied. The following morning I had a simple breakfast for €5. Overall, I was very pleased with my choice and would return. Gouvia itself was less to my taste, catering too much to the "Full English and Sky Sports" scene, but did have the advantage of being on all the main bus routes coming north out of Corfu Town.

Date of stay: 19 September 2015

Medusa Lux, Liapades. My room was very swish and modern – most untypical for Greece – and had a nice balcony. There was a huge and impressive thunderstorm overnight and I watched it from this balcony; the weather was cooler from then on, much to my approval. In the morning, an excellent although simple breakfast was served in the attached Medusa bar. Overall, I was very impressed with everything about these lovely apartments and would happily return.

Date of stay: 20 September 2015

The 3 Brothers, Afionas. Afion(as) is a lovely hilltop village, relatively untouched by mass tourism because it is on the top of a hill and the local beaches can only be reached by stiff climbs. What Afion(as) does have, however, is stunning views, both to the West (sunsets to die for!) and, from parts of the village, the East (across Agios Georgios Bay). It was my favourite place in Corfu as it was the least spoiled. The 3 Brothers is mainly a restaurant/taverna but has a few simple rooms for rent, which is where I stayed. My room was more basic than I had imagined in advance but it had a private balcony with a stunning sea view to the West. I was served a simple breakfast each morning. Unfortunately, I did not have dinner in the restaurant and so cannot comment on this.

Date of stay: 21-22 September 2015

Greece: Crete

Hotel Sofia, Heraklion. My flight landed at Heraklion Airport at close to midnight so I needed somewhere to stay near to the airport. The Sofia seemed to be the only option and I had pre-booked it including breakfast. I walked from the airport, which was a little unnerving, in about 15-20 minutes; I found the hotel a little tricky to find. I was greeted at the hotel in typical Greek fashion: "Service with a shrug!" But I'm an old Greece hand and find (nearly) everything about the country pleasing, even the offhandedness/pride of the Greeks. My room was clean, the breakfast very good, and I enjoyed my dip in the pool in the morning. The receptionist Maria was very pleasant and helpful.

Date of stay: 7 September 2010

Hotel Rea, Paleochora. Pleasant small hotel in the centre of Paleochora. Clean and with a decent breakfast included. Pomegranates grow in the garden.

Date of stay: 8 September 2010

Neos Omalos Hotel, Omalos. I have stayed here twice: in 2004 and in 2010. In 2004, I paid 10 euros and the hotel was quite busy; in 2010, I paid 25 euros and the hotel was very quiet. In 2010, I arrived at Xyloskala by bus from Sougia, climbed mighty Gingilos (6 hrs), and then caught the 3 pm bus to Omalos and booked into this hotel. It is very nice, although it is perhaps a little lacking in character in view of the beautiful and peaceful mountain surroundings. The manager/owner is very helpful and pleasant and will give you a lift to Xyloskala in the morning. I was a little disappointed this time with the quality/value of the evening meal (but, sadly again, this was what I found elsewhere in Crete in 2010). If you stay here, I would recommend that you do have some warmer clothes with you, even in summer, as the nights can be a little chilly at this altitude. But take a walk up the road after dark and look at those wonderful stars...

Date of stay: 11 September 2010

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