Studios Notos

14 readers found this review helpful

Just got back from the most fabulous 2 week break in katelios. the hotel was so conveniently situated....ooooh, less than 1 minuted from door to lovely sandy beach and about 5-6 taverners within a "stones-throw" from one-another....although we spent 10 nights dining at "captain jerrys"...seafood to die for and the prices were amazingly reasonable. there were 2 supermarkets, but only one opened as it was the end of the season...stocked most items....(no pharmacy in this lovely unspoilt village.
the room was cleaned every other day and ideal that it had all the basic "bits and pieces" ...but don't forget to take your washing up liq. And scourer if you're missing cooking for yourself!!
would definately go back!!!

19 readers found this review helpful

Just returned last night from a fabulous 2 week break at the Notos Appts in Katelios. Much has been said in the other reviews abouts the studios themselves so will not dwell on that aspect too much other to say in total agreement, but our choice was based on location & will try to give additional info. on the resort / island.
Accomodation
We were in room 3 - on the ground floor at the back with a small terrace facing onto a very pleasant, private small garden, shared only by one other studio. We chose not to have the air conditioning & survived the two weeks as the room was always cool to return to in any case. There was never direct sunlight on the patio doors & for the majority of the time there was a pleasant breeze despite the extreem outdoor temperatures.
Location perfect & no sound from the Tavernas in the evenings after our return to the studio at around 10.30-11.00pm.

Transfer
None included in our package so spoke to Taxi at airport & agreed on 45 euro cost for transfer to resort. Takes c.40 mins. Took drivers card & telephoned to arrange return at same cost. No problems.
Katelios
Lovely, sleepy little village consisting of few small appartment blocks, sprinkling of private dwellings, c.8 tavernas on the seafront, couple of bars, small kiosk in the square. 50 yards up the road leading inland from the square are two small shops selling all essentials, a gift shop and a couple of excursion & car hire agents' offices. Further up the roadsoon leads from the village to the 'triangle' - the junction with the coast road along which are well spaced modern appartment blocks with pools & a couple of further shops, tavernas etc. Some of these would be quite a hike from the village & seafront. Prices in the shops may initially appear high (not helped by the current state of the pound) but from our experience were in-line with others elsewhere on the island.
All tavernas similar - you'll find your favourite. Typical costs (euros): Starter 3.00, Main course 7.00 upwards, large draft beer 2.70, 1/2 litre house wine 2.50, bottle Retsina 7.00.
Work is stil ongoing on the new harbour and at the rate it is progressing, wil continue to do so for some considerable time. It's a little way from the main front & away from the beaches. It is not noisy & no inconvenience.

Beach
All beaches in bay are sand with bands of shingle. Sand under the sea but large pebbles at shoreline in places - pick your spot carefully. Sea at the village shelves very gently (50m & you're only up to your waist). Further-on round the bay (5 min walk)the sea deepens quicker but the shallows are still safe for children. Sea crystal clear with only small waves when wind got a bit lively. No real evidence of seaweed in the sea but a bit washed-up in places on the beach. 2x sunbeds + parasol costs 6 euros per day (or part thereof), collected by a man who comes around periodically. Never filled-up when we were there.
Car hire, tours etc.
Village pretty well cut-off. Only one bus a day ventures down to the village & could take you to the big resort of Scala around the headland. Water taxi shuttles between Katelios, Scala & Poros throughout the day. Cost 7 euros per hop but deals for twin hops/returns.
Decided not to hire a car although many others did. Typical cost at local agent from 105 euros for three days.
Booked two tours from Panem agent & got a day-trip to Argostoli free.
Ithika Cruise - our favourite. Lovely boat & good chill-out, stopping of at a couple of bays for swim & to small ports for wander round, lunch. Cost 40 euros pp. (note- cost through tour company at welcome meet 59 pp for identical trip on same transport!)
Island tour - Day on a coach seeing lots of sights & stop-offs. Good for getting out the sun. 20 euros pp.
Day in Argostoli - shortish day. Pickup at 10.00 & back at resort by 4.00. Journey c.1 hour each way. Bustling main town with plenty of shops. Managed to see a turtle in the harbour!

Airport
If buying drinks/tobacco to take back, choice & prices not as good as in the local shops. Don't buy anything of this type at the airport before going through passport control. Airside is a much bigger/better/cheaper shop.
Most of the above can be identified on Google Earth by searching Katelios. From the open square at the sea-front, the row of tavernas are concealed under the trees running south & the Notos is located on the second little side-road running inland.
Hope the above is helpful. Definitely recommend Notos & Katelios for traditional Greek chill-out. If it's bustle, nightlife, seasports you're after - best look elswhere.

6 readers found this review helpful

My husband and I have just returned from katelios we stayed at the notos studios and it was out of this world. The notos was very modern and clean all the greek people we came in contact with were very accommadating. We had a very relaxing holiday just lazing about on the beach and swimming in the sea to cool off. We hired a car for three days and drove to Argostoli to do some shopping we stopped off at different beaches but we preferred the beach at Katelios there is plenty of tavernas to choose from but for a change we drove to Skala for two evenings which is only about a ten minute drive. I would reccomend staying at notos if you want there is airconditioning which is lovely at the end of the day. There is a tv and you can watch world news and weather reports. I have been to quite a few different greek islands and this has been one of the best I very much hope that we return soon.

3 readers found this review helpful

Have just come back from a lovely holiday in Katelios, staying at the Notos. There were 5 of us so we had the top two-bedroomed apartment which was lovely. The cleaners came in twice a week which was enough for us.
The owner was lovely and went out of his way to accommodate us. Very helpful on a couple of occasions with regard to travelling around the island and on where to go and visit! Apparently he is a born and bred Kefalonian.
The Notos is a very modern apartment with all amenities nearby. There are a dozen or so taverna's, of which we didn't find a bad one. They all do fresh fish and some have children's menus. There are three supermarkets which are open until 11 at night and where we picked up fresh bread every morning, except Sunday when it was not available.
The beach itself was not perfect, in as much as it was very seaweedy, and they are building a harbour at the end of the beach and by the end of our holiday the sea was the colour of tea!! But on a positive note the beach was gently shelving out for a long way so fantastic for kids. The best beach we found was across the bay - Kaminia Beach. This was gorgeous and sandy and great for building sandcastles. It also had a couple of beach taverna's, the one at the far end of the beach was by far the superior. This is a car journey but well worth it. You can get a water taxi from Katelios but it was very expensive and worked out better for 5 of us to hire a car for 3 days.
Katelios is a very relaxing resort but still has enough going on in the evenings to keep you occupied. There are a couple of music bars but they were down the end of the 'strip' so didn't intrude on us. There is also a kids playground on the beach, consisting of swings, roundabout, monkey bars, slide and seesaw, but being Greek everything is a bit wobbly and broken!! But it kept ours busy after dinner!
All in all the Notos was lovely and we would definately stay there again and Katelios was perfect for us. You should go!

5 readers found this review helpful

We booked this holiday last minute not really expecting much but we were wrong. We arrived at the accomodation. It was more than we expeted and much more modern than previous greek accomodation we have stayed in. It was spotless and modern in terms of Greek standards. The room (studio) was a good size, the air conditioning was efficient (and needed) and the fridge was very efficient too. We were surpised how well equipt the studio was in terms o toasters, plates etc (though we prefered to each out in the local bars and restaurants). However, finding a bottle opener in the drawer when I'd bought a bottle of wine and realised I'd left mine at home also came as a welcoming surprise.
It was quiet and the balacony was in a good location in that you could see the sea and it was shaded i afternoon whih suited me well after long day on beach.
The owner was lovely and very appoachable and the rooms were cleaned twice (not three times like it says).
Katalios was lovely, very relaxing though enough going on. I am in my late 20's and enjoy a bit of night life and found that thee was still enough late bars to keep entertained. I liked the Greek music bar at night and there is a new bar called Cozy at the end of the strip which is run by a lovely young couple who went out of their way to arrange a taxi for us to take us to the aiport on our last day.
I recommend this resort and Notos. Nearlly forgot Notos is seconds away from beach and restaurants - perfect!

Just come back from our lads holiday in Crete today having stayed at the Notos for 2 weeks.
First point to make is ignore the pictures in the brochure of the pool, this has been filled in and a new one has been built, along with a new pool bar and block of apartments which are 2 years old (as of 2008). We never seen inside the new block but it did look alot better than the old block and had extras like air con.
The old block we stayed in was mostly clean and basically what you would expect from Greece - basic, cheap and cheerful. The majority of the rooms in the old block have a sea view looking over Malia, which looks fantastic during the day and even better when the sun sets.
As mentioned the pool area and bar are exceptional, something you would more associate with a 4* Hotel, however the prices do reflect this. It was 3 Euro for a large beer, 3 Euro for a large soft drink, 1.50 Euro for a paket of crisps etc.
The downside to the hotel is its location it is at the top of a little hill, it sounds worse than it is but it is easily walkable, and inevitably we only ever seemed to walk up it after a few drinks and youll have calfs of steel when you come back.
The family who run it we found were mixed. The son George, was fantastic, couldnt ask for a nicer hotelier (he was mostly there on a night time), however we found his parents who are often about during the day to be rather less than friendly for the majority of the time.
One piece of advice i would give is that if you are reading this as of 2008, me and the rest of the party thought that Olympic Holidays didnt relise how much of a good hotel it is and so the price is very low for a hotel of this quality especially if you get to stay in the new apartment block. So it may be worth a late deal if you fancy a week away or two.
The final point about the hotel, which seems trivial but did start to irritate after two weeks, is that you have to provide your own toilet roll.
All in all a good hotel, compromised slightly by the location, some of the management and prices of the bar.

1 reader found this review helpful

The room was spacious and very clean and for only 5 euros a day (payable up front) we got full air con and use of the safe. The balcony had no real view but the apartment was only a few yards from the beach.
That part of Katelios is basically one street with about 12 Greek tavernas and a local mini-mart at end of street. All the tavernas had free sunbeds outside which anyone could use (and not be hassled to buy drinks or bothered by any time share/boat trip sellers).
It is the perfect holiday for anyone wanting a quiet Shirley Valentine real Greece experience - no English/Irish pubs (though one bar does have Sky TV) and no bingo or karaoke - pure bliss.
Can recommend hiring your own boat for the day - just over 100 euros - no licence required, which allows you to go along the coast and find totally empty beaches to sunbathe on.
The beach at Katelios was decent sand and safe for kids (though not much else for them to do).
A 15min ferry ride takes you to Skala round the coast which was regimented sun beds and a lovely beach.
Notos is a great studio apartment and Katelios a great village for a relaxing, romantic, get away from it all holiday.

2 readers found this review helpful

We have just returned from a lovely relaxing two week holiday in Katelios. The Notos Apartments are practically brand new, simply furnished containing a double bed which is unusual for Greece and a wall mounted flat screen TV (sadly mainly Greek channels).
The apartments were 10 yards from the beach and beach front tavernas. The beach itself was not great, little sand and not very wide. However you don't pay for your parasols if you use the tavernas, its suitable for small children as the water is clear and very shallow. Lots of cats to keep you company and fish, starfish and crabs to see in the water.
If you prefer, all pools are open to the public if you use their pool side bars.
The resort itself is quiet and and laid back. There are about a dozen tavernas altogether, three supermarkets, and a couple of gift shops. A couple of cheap car rental places also. No chemist or cash point however. Food is cheap and caters for all needs.
Katelios is suitable for couples and young families wanting a quiet holiday. If you are wanting music bars or have teenage children try Skala down the road.
Its definitely worth hiring a car to see the rest of the island, or make the most of the tours put on by your tour company. 3 days of hire will be more than enough. Some fabulous scenery, pretty villages and beaches but big mountains and difficult windy coastal roads.
If its the Loggerhead turtles you want to see try Argostili harbour by the fishing boats. Very friendly graceful creatures which are well worth seeing, early morning and lunchtime is best when the fishermen and selling and gutting their catch.
Katelios was a lovely resort, perfect for us and lovely accomodation to boot.

1 reader found this review helpful

We cannot praise this resort and especially the Notos Studios and Apartments enough. The room we stayed in, although only 2 Star, was outstanding. Very spacious, modern and clean. A proper bathroom too - not the usual 'wet room' you usually get on Greek Islands. The kitchen area was well equipped and the balcony (every room has one) overlooked the sea. The great thing is that the sea is literally 20 metres away. Icy cold air conditioning and secure safe - 35 Euros extra.
You MUST stay at the Notos.
Katelios was perfect for us - outstanding fish tavernas which are extremely cheap. We would eat a two course meal each night with a litre of house wine and a couple of beers for 30/35 Euros.
The beach is quiet and there are no idiots - mainly Greek people with the few Brits who are staying nearby.
We will certainly be going to Kefalonia again, would happily stay in Katelios and would recommend Notos to everyone.

2 readers found this review helpful

My wife & I were pleased with our one week stay in the Notos apartments, Katelios. We were in room 1, ground floor. The apartment was clean and modern, including the shower/loo.
There was air con in the main room, which cost us 35 euros for the week. Because we hired the air con, we got the digitally operated 'safe' for free. The safe was easy to use & with the air con, it was well worth it. There was a flat screen TV in the room, as well as a double & single bed, fridge & hob. (& some cups, plates, glasses, pans, cutlery etc.) Furniture also included bedside cabinets, table, small dressing table and large wardrobe with drawers.
The bathroom had quite a large bathroom cabinet, which was nice as you could shut away toothbrushes etc. instead of having to leave them out on a shelf, or in a bag etc. Double glazed patio doors led to a balcony, with table & chairs (& brush, mop & bucket!) This looked over the very quiet road *** outside the hotel and you can easily see the beach, restaurants etc. which are quite close.
We thought Notos apartments were in an excellent location. Although they are very near the restaurants, beach & sea, it was still very quiet (although we went before the start of the school holidays). We didn't hire a car, but we did a couple of excursions, including the Island tour. We didn't use the nearest beach, as you are overlooked by the restaurants, but used one a few minutes walk away. From that beach we had our lunch at the very charming Dreams Bar, which is worth a visit.
A great holiday, the only downside *** there was a dog in some sort of outhouse opposite the apartments. Unfortunately it barked very early every morning (about 6:15.) We found that if we left the air con on all night, the slight hum distracted from the annoying barking (though not very environmentally friendly!) Remembered another downside, the maid only visited twice, though the brochure said it would be 3 times. However, she left us flowers when she saw our 25th Wedding anniversary cards!!