Katerina Studios

I recently stayed at the Katerina for one week. The accomodation was fairly basic,and in need of a few repairs, the shower doors were falling off, the room flooded when there was a thunderstorm, water came in under the door. The menu board was unreadable, I know it was coming to the end of the season but the words had peeled off in the heat.
The pool was clean and well looked after, and it was 2 euros to use sunchairs and a bottle of water. The owner was friendly and very helpful. It is quite a walk to Dassia especially in the heat, but the buses stop near to the property and are cheap to use, and are fairly frequent.
We also hired a car and seen what esle Corfu had to offer, and would recommend this.
All in all for the price we paid which was a last minute deal and had 50% off we were happy for what we got, if we had paid full price I think I would have been very disappointed.

We had a wonderful holiday in Dassia -Corfu makes a great holiday destination. However this was in spite of staying at Katerina studios. Our main issues with the accommodation were
*Cleanliness - lack of
*Location - (long walk down dangerous main rd to Dassia)
* Pool Bar - closed and no sign of owner all week
*Lack of hot water - only available first thing in the morning
*Noise -close to main road
Please note there seems to be quite a difference between Katerina and Katerina 1. They are owned separately and people in Katerina 1 reported a worse time (No hot water at all, no change of towels/bedding).
There are some wonderful places to eat in Dassia, and lots of big hotels (Corfu Chandris, Dassia Chandris eg) as well as other apartments in the centre of Dassia, so I would advise looking at those instead.
The pool bar was closed every evening for the week we were there. We saw the owner once -when she came to charge us an extra 30EURO to keep the room on until our pickup time at 2.30am. People who chose not to pay this fee were left to sit around the pool, in the dark, for several hours. (This was because Olympic Holidays started our booking for the night we flew, despite us not arruving til morning. This meant we were made to pay for an extra night - something I was unable to resolve either over the phone or in person with any Olympic Representative, both before or during the holiday)
Although this was an individual issue because of our flight times, I feel that in general the Olympic Reps seemed unfriendly and disorganised.

If you read my review from last year (below) you can see that we were totally satisfied with this accomodation (Katerina studios ) and would return this year which we did, unfortunately we made a mistake with our online booking and ended up at that Katerina 1.
Iwill keep this short and sweet and just say this was the most appalling accomodation we have ever stayed in, the appartment was disgustingly filthy, no towel or linen change
and we had to mop the floor ourselves, clean the kitchen area and the ant ridden surfaces, also, the kitchen utensils/pots and pans/plates had not been cleaned from the people before us.
DONT STAY HERE, THE APPARTMENTS SHOULD BE CONDEMMED.
IT appears to me that Olympic holidays do not inspect accomodation on approval in there advertising
BAD!!!

Having read the comments by other guests at the Katerina Apts all I can say is they are easily pleased, my partner I stayed there from 22/8 - 6/9/ 2008 although basic were adequate but this is one of the dirtiest places we have stayed, the bins were emptied only 3 times in two weeks we had change of bedding and towels twice which considering the weather conditions was not very good, the owners were only interested in themselves and not really bothered about the guests you even had to pay for the use of sunbeds, as for the reps they were useless we never saw them from start to finnish typical of Olympic holidays a con and a rip off, if this was our first stay in Corfu it would certainly have been our last but luckily enough we had stayed elsewhere on the island which was also 2* but compared to the Katerina it was like 5* it was cleaner friendlier and an altogether better place to stay, we informed the owners of our previous apts about the conditions and they were appalled. We have stayed in many places around the world alot them 2* and we have never come across a place as unwelcoming as here needless to say we won't be recommending the Katerina Apts or Olympic Holidays

We stayed at Katerina (1) Apartments for our 2 week holiday & had a very relaxing & enjoyable time. As with other reviews the apartments are basic but clean & functionable. Our apartment looked out over the busy main road which can be a bit noisy at times. You can purchase A/C at around 6 euro's per night & in July you will definately need it. We found the staff pretty friendly & had no problems here. The pool area was clean, quiet & relaxing, sunbeds a plenty @ 2 euro's each per day. Pool bar was reasonably priced & food was fine.
There are some lovely restaurants around the area. There is one in particular that we liked (can't remember it's name) if go left as you go out the apartments keep walking (around 500 yards) passed a garage & a restaurant called Thomas's & it's on the R/H side off the road. Also the Panorama is a good one to go to but if you go in the evening you will need a torch on your return journey as there is no street lights & it's pitch dark.
Did a few day trips to break up the holiday & these where good value for money. The local blue buses are frequent and we used them to go into Dassia or Corfu Town. Dassia I found a pretty dull holiday resort with only the Shakes bar on a sat with any live bands. In summary a good holiday location if you want it quiet & peaceful or a good base if you want to go out & about.

My wife & I have just returned from our holiday to Corfu we stayed at the Katerina Studios, Dassia we had a great holiday here and found all the staff helpful and friendly,the studios are bassic but we found everything we needed for a self carering holiday they were clean and well maintained,the rooms get very hot and next time we will have the air con,the pool and bar area were very clean and tidy with a good selection of food and drink at very reasonable prices we ate there a few times and were never dissapointed with our meal. As an early riser i would watch from our balcony as the pool was cleaned every day witch is good to know.Dassia is a nice little town with plenty of shops,bars and tavernas the beach is narrow but very pleasent, we hired a scooter for a week to explore the island and had great fun finding different towns and beaches Corfu is a beautiful island to see.I did read a lot of bad reports about Katerina studios and i think some of them are harsh and unfair we had a great time and were made to feel very welcome by Katerina ( OWNER ) and all her family we would go back again.Thanks once again for a great holiday.
Dave & sonia
Plymouth

The Olympic Rep.was very helpful (Vicky) she tried to help where she could. We did find out that she worked 48 hours straight which was above and beyond the call of duty.
The owner elizabeth was very nice and she helped where ever she could, she even lent us some of her own childrens bedding for our baby.
The swimming pool was lovely and the pool bar had a good selection of drinks and food.
The accomodation was basic two star but if you want five star accomodation then go and pay five star prices.

we just got back and it was one of the best Greek Islands we have been to. The other reviews are mostly untrue. Accommodation was very basic but you can ask for air conditioning. The staff were very friendly and helpful all the time. The road is very dangerous for the 15min walk into Dassia, with no pavements, best to walk in dayight. We hired a moped which was a great way to see the island, we had it for 2 days and saw most of the north of the island. Some reviews said the pool bar closes early, this was not the case. The bar wasopen late and the food is cheap and nice. We would probably stay there again.

This was our second time at Katerina and we were equally as satisfied as the first.

Yes, it is basic but clean and friendly. We did experience some building work but only patio laying which only lasted a few days and was not intrusive.

We are going back this year to Corfu and will stay at Katerina again as at this time in the season it is very peaceful (no kids) and an extremely reasonable holiday.

I just want to give the Katerina studios abit of a fairer review!

Yes it is basic and not ideal for families due to long walk to Dassia but for me and my partner as a young couple it was fine!

We got a great deal on the holiday about £300 for us both for two weeks! So we did expect basic!

We arrived by taxi transfer as we have been to Dassia many times and prefer the quicker journey! (Don’t forget to wear your seatbelt in taxis!!).

I had braced myself for a dingy little room next to the road but to our surprise it was one of the apartments set back off the road number 12! The room was very basic but clean! The only downside was the small shower and no hot water after 7pm! So get in early!

The family were friendly and helpful but kept themselves to themselves they did shut early a few times, but we were welcome to stay by the pool until we wanted to!

The pool was great and was where we spent most of our days! We found it clean and as most days we were the only ones there it was even better!

If you are looking for a basic but clean apartment just to sleep and whilst you enjoy the bars and restaurant of Dassia and Gouvia this is great!

I would not have spent more than we did on it however but if you can get a good deal on it and request an apartment away from the road do it!

We arrived at the Katerina Studios to find the room not ready, we went to the pool bar to wait.

On passing the pool we noticed that there were large patches of green algae and little furry crawly things on the bottom of the pool. The pool was cleaned 3 days later and then it was cleaned at least every 2 to 3 days. The pool area was never hosed down in the 14 days we stayed there; needless to say we did not use the pool.

This area was locked from as early as 6.30pm with no lights on the pool or gardens when it was dark. The pool bar closed most days at 3pm and was never open after 6pm.

The accommodation was dated especially the bathroom, the room and kitchen were suitable for our needs however the toilet bin and rubbish bin were only emptied only every 4-5 days and the sheets and towels were changed just every 4-5 days.

There was building work next door, not 3 metres from our accommodation, on the owner’s property which entailed the use of heavy plant machinery, wagons, compressors, diggers etc which one morning started at 6.40am. This was for most of our 14 days stay.

The whole family (which was described by Olympic as friendly, family run accommodation) were totally disinterested in any of their guests. We could not fault the Olympic rep, as she was as helpful as the situation allowed.

However apart from the accommodation we had a very good holiday due to the studios being within easy reach of Dassia, Gouvia and Ipsos with a very good bus service which stopped at the end of the road, and the local shop and bar owners were very friendly and of course the weather was hot & sunny.

All in all I would say the Katerina Studios are one to give a miss. We can do basic but not unclean.

There are several apartments, but ours were apartments 1 & 2 near the road. The road is 'very noisy' until 4AM and the apartments too hot with no air conditioning. The only way to block out the traffic noise was to shut glass patio doors which meant you cooked during the night. In apartment 2 we had no electricity and only had it for a short while with a goldish key fob placed in a device behind the door.

There is no reception and no one tells you anything, we never saw our rep at all (a wise move on her behalf!). I paid £1,700 for an awful week. The pool area is the only good area but that doesn't open until 9.30am and yes you pay €2.00 per sun bed albeit you sometimes get a free bottle of water.

We hired a car and went out days which was the only answer, but be warned the drivers particularly in Corfu Town are worse than bad.

The 6 or so apartments away from road maybe better and I would recommend a different time of the year, as it was 40+ at times.

No I would not recommend Katerina Studios, but it does make you feel happy to be back in England.

I recently stayed at the Katerina studios with two friends and had a really nice time. Yes the studios are basic and the bathrooms are in dire need of redecoration but they are clean and free of bugs etc. The pool is lovely and there were hardly ever more than ten other people around the pool which was nice.

The 2 euro charge for a sun bed was strange but it did include a bottle of water every day, and as Dassia beach is so rank we were happy to pay for sun beds each day. The staff whilst not overly friendly were pleasant and we had no problems with them. Dassia town is nice but fairly bland in a tourist kind of way, same shops selling the same stuff. But a real find was a fruit and veg stall 5 mins walk from the studios which had lovely fruit and really cheap.

The walk to Dassia town was only ten mins but really not advisable at night as there is no pavement and the drivers are all nuts! I wouldn't go back to Dassia again but not just because of these studios, the place is boring and the beach is rubbish.

Me and my partner have recently just come back from Dassia, Katerina studios. Where do I start with the problems, it was awful. The room was in a terrible state and it was very, very basic it was more like a camping holiday to be honest.

Then there’s the bathroom it’s cramped and very dirty, there was no toilet roll and the bins weren’t emptied on a regular basis. Also when you pay good money for something you expect good customer service from the 'friendly' staff as it says in the brochure hah, the real truth is that the staff are ignorant and incompetent unless you want to pay over the odds at the bar then they are willing to help and as for the Olympic, we were held to ransom for our vital departure times to fill out a questionnaire on their customer service which we didn’t want to do.

I wouldn’t say it spoiled my holiday because apart from this the people we met were lovely and we had a good time. The only good point I can make about Katerina studios is that the pool area is nice and that it is close to amenities hope that if you are considering going to Dassia in Corfu you wont be conned like I was, I recommend that you go to 'anis' restaurant / bar if your in the area because its great food, great value, great people that brightened my holiday.

I would go back to Dassia but definitely not to Katerina. There was an important lesson learned from this; don’t go to Katerina and don’t go with Olympic and you won’t have the problems that I had.

***ATTENTION FOR ALL THOSE WISHING TO STAY AT KATARINA!!****

We stayed at the Katarina for two weeks, but not at the poolside apartment, which was shown to us in all the brochures, instead a tiny and separated block, which is situated on the main road. (Road noise is awful).

The room was absolutely disgusting, it wasn’t very clean and neither was the cutlery. The bathroom was in a hideous condition!! We also had to buy our own toilet paper, which usually self catering apartments provide. Throughout the two weeks stay, we were given fresh towels and clean sheets maybe twice!

As stated before there is a 2 euro each sunbed charge if you want to relax by the pool! This is excessive. To have air conditioning in your room will cost you 7 euros a night, but be warned it gets turned off at midnight...so really there’s no point, as not many people come back before then. If you have requested air conditioning in your room, even if its not used, you will still be charged so be careful.

The cost of food and drink at the poolside bar is excessive, its more worthwhile going to anis (across the road) where you get more for your money. I bought 2 vodka and sprites at the poolside bar (couldn’t even taste the vodka) for 10 euros, at Aniss (across the road) we got them for around 3-4 euros!!!

You have to pay an extra 25-30 euros to hire your room on the day of departure as you have to vacate the room by 12:00. Which is what we decided to do, we paid the extra money to find that they had turned off the hot water! To be honest, the only reason for the room hire was so that we could have a good shower before going home!!!

Staff at the Katarina are not at all friendly, you would find that during the afternoon, they pack up and leave the poolside, which means that even if you did want food or drink, there was no one there to serve you!!!!

Overall, we did enjoy our time in Dassia because we made the most of our time and met some lovely people.

In regards to Katarina, the apartments were in a terrible state and the staff are not friendly. There is no customer service...

We would go back to dassia, but not to the Katarina! I advise anyone who is wishing to stay there, to seriously think twice.