Bastas Complex

I have recently returned from a holiday in Paxos where we were unfortunate enough to stay at the Bastas "hotel" ( I use the term very loosely). We stayed in apartment 58, which is some 94 steps (some broken) from the swimming pool. The pool area is in itself very well maintained although the prices are ridiculously high. If you buy a local beer and an Ouzo it costs an incredible 9 Euros. There are 5 star hotels in Edinburgh which are cheaper than this. There are no toilet facilities at the pool, so if you need to use the toilet, get your hiking boots on. The rooms are spacious which is the nicest you can say about them. The kitchen windows were siezed/painted closed, leaving a rather stale smell there. There are no kitchen shelves or cupboards (they've been boarded over) so God knows what lurks in there. There is no kettle ( you can hire one!!! ) and the cooker is rustier than the Titanic. We have 3 bathrooms, one with a hole in the floor and broken soap holder complete with sharp edges, and water which doesn't drain away after a shower. The second bathroom cannot flush away human waste, which is a shame as this is what it was built to do. The third bathroom has the added luxury of overlooking neighbours balconies, so you can watch them as you defecate, and vice versa. The beds were not the most comfortable I had ever slept in, in fact each morning I was walking like Douglas Bader for a good ten minutes before my spinal cloumn reverted to it's normal shape. The cleaners try their best, but one cannot help but think of the expression "polishing a turd". The island and resort are indeed very nice, although the constant view of olive groves as you walk round gives everywhere a similar feel. The tavernas are horrendously expensive, one was charging 14 Euros for an octopus starter. At lunch time most of the tavernas are closed, presumably because no one can afford to eat out twice a day. The constant tinkling of cutlery from the balconies as you leave the hotel every night would seem to confirm this. Don't get me wrong - this is an incredibly pretty island, Logos is a gorgeous little village and harbour, the sea front at Lakka is nice as well - but it isn't jaw droppingly beautiful. It must be the most expensive island in Greece, I just fail to see how it can justify this. It's well worth a visit, but take twice as much money as you would for any other Greek island, and stay well clear of the Bastas!

Having spent the past 30 years travelling the Greek islands, Paxos is no doubt one of our favourite islands. We have recently returned from the Bastas Complex and thoroughly enjoyed it. Greece is notorious for having basic accommodation so it was no surprise to us to see the shower without a shower curtain or limited wardrobe space or that towels were only changed on a Thursday. Upon arrival of the hotel, we were greeted with flowers in our room which had been hand picked by the Olympic rep, Tracey, as we had mentioned in our pre booking that we were celebrating our Pearl Wedding anniversary. Tracey was very friendly, knowledgeable about the island and was on hand at the hotel every morning for any queries. We had stayed at the hotel 5 years ago, when it was our Silver Wedding anniversary, albeit with a different rep, but there were no flowers provided. We were intially disappointed that we were allocated a room on the side of the building rather than on the front as last time, however, we soon realised the benefit of the location as it was protected from the days hot sun and was therefore much cooler in the evening. The rooftop pool bar was beautiful with fantastic scenery that literally took your breath away. For sun worshipers this was a sun trap area. There are ample sunbeds with plenty of shaded areas. The pool bar is open from 8.30 am until 8.00 pm and is run by Babbis the son of the hotel owner and his partner, Georgina (who used to be the Olympic rep). Georgina makes the best salads in Paxos for 5 euros and Babbis was a dab hand at making Banana Milkshakes which he served to our sunbeds around the pool. They have Happy Hour from 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm and though this is only for cocktails and shorts (two for one) Babbis and Georgina never failed to lead the guests to the bar area during this period. The 14 restaurants in Lakka are only a stroll away from the hotel, our favourite being The Garden, closely followed by Alexandros. The island is very hilly with lots of enjoyable walks, if you can stand the heat but the highlight of our holiday was the boat trip (about 30 minutes) to the island of Anti Paxos. For those who can remember, this is where they filmed the 'Bounty Hunters' - who came in search of Paradise. The island boasts white sand and turquoise waters with a scenery of high rise trees and hills. You can also hire boats and sail across yourself. Paxos is a small, romantic, peaceful and pictureseque island, worlds apart from the other Ionean islands of Corfu, Zante and Kefalonia. If you like clubbing and late nights then this is not the island for you.

We booked this holiday with Olympic and got it at a bargain price so our expectations weren't high. The flight out with monarch was great as we got a free upgrade to seats with extra legroom. We had a night flight and after doing some research we knew that we would have to wait at Corfu port for the first ferry to take us across to Paxos. It turned up to be 4 hours which passed fairly quickly, there is a 24 hour bar/cafe there and with it being the early hours I managed some sleep. The hydrofoil left at 7.15am, can't tell you anymore about the journey because as soon as we sat down we slept the whole way. We woke up pulling into Gaios port at about 8.30 and were soon on the coach and after 15 mins arrived in Lakka. Check-in was quick and only when we opened the door to our room did we realise we had dropped on, it was at the front of the Bastas with a view of hills and to the right the harbour and sea. After reading reviews on here, we expected a terrible view so were prepared and considering the Bastas is cheap and 3 star we weren't expecting much, if people want 5 star views/rooms then I suggest they pay 5 star prices. The room is small with a tiny kitchenette, two rings on top of a oven, sink, and fridge. The bathroom is the usual basic Greek affair, although for the first time in Greece, our shower head hooked up so it could be used like a shower. The balcony was a bonus, nice views, large enough, lined with pretty flowers and an absolute sun trap between 4pm and 7pm when the sun disappeared behind the facing hills. Perfect for a metaxa or two before venturing out to Lakka. The rooms had bins emptied every day, towels and bedding changed about 3 times a week. They did no cleaning of the rooms when we were staying in them so you're responsible for you're own mess. The pool is accessed by many stairs and has a small snack bar, being low season the bar was only open on hot days. I liked the pool area but because of the pretty beaches I only spent one day there. Pleny of sunbeds and quiet. Lakka, wow. Beautiful harbour town, a delight to stroll around whilst choosing a taverna to eat in. You will not get a bad meal in Paxos. The food is slightly more expensive as they import most things from the mainland. There are several beaches within walking distance, yes I said walking, again if you don't like to walk or have any walking difficulties, do not visit Paxos as most hotels have lots of stairs, no lifts and all(bar 2) beaches are very pebbly and the quieter ones have no tavernas and usually accessed by a steep donkey or old goat track. Perfect for finding your own little cove to snorkel and sunbathe. Do purchase the Bleasedale walking map and book, we wouldn't have found the little delights we did without it. Also there is very little to do on Paxos but stroll, sunbathe, swim, snorkel, sample the lovely food made by friendly local families, relax and take the stunning views this little gem of an Island has to offer. We did none of the organised Olympic trips, the one they offered to Anti-Paxos was 25 euros each. Instead we got the local bus (4 times a day, does the length of the Island, return to Gaios 8 euros for the 2 of us) and sea taxi from there to Anti-Paxos, this cost 16 euros for the 2 of us and we got to spend longer on the beautiful white sandy beach than the organised trips. Also sea taxis drop you off at a different beach than the big boats so it's much quieter. Olmypic were fine, the only problem being coming home. As the flight home was early hours of the morning and the last ferry leaving Paxos at 7.15pm we had a few hours in Corfu. I was looking forward to wandering around Corfu town. Unfortunately we were herded onto a coach and taken to a hell hole called Darcia to a Hotel that was a cross between Shameless and Benidorm. Fortunately we found a taverna and had a nice meal and only spent 30mins or so waiting inside the Hotel before we made our escape. It made me appreciate the last 2 weeks on Paxos even more. Overall, this holiday exceeded our expectations, you get what you pay for. I felt I got more than value for money, Paxos is a lovely Island, Bastas is a basic hotel with a basic price.

Paxos has to be one of the most relaxing and peaceful places I have been to. The island is simply untouched by nightlife and clubs which makes it so calm and child friendly. My wife and I took our daughter to Paxos for a much needed get away from England and we all returned extremely relaxed and refreshed! We stayed at the Bastas Complex which didn't disappoint us. It is a 1 minute walk away from the small town of Lakka and the service we recieved there was exceptionally good! We were especially happy with the Olympic Representative, Georgina! We have never been on a Package Holiday, therefore we were anxious as to what we should expect! She was extremely helpful and would go out of her way to make your stay at the Bastas enjoyable and comfortable. Georgina was also very friendly, and joined everyone who was staying at the Bastas at the pool some nights for long chats about their stay at Paxos. She was approachable and went above and beyond what I would have expected from a holiday representative. Kim was also extremely helpful and sorted everyone out at the Nautica Cafe at the port in Corfu, and she stayed very calm and friendly while doing, what I can only imagine to be, a very stressful job! Finally, I would like to highly recommend going to Taverna Nionios for your evening meal, which can be found in the centre of Lakka's town. The service there was exceptional, and Yannis, the waiter was bubbly and friendly which made us go back there for our evening meal each night, all week! Trust me, they don't disappoint! We would like to thank the family-run Bastas Complex for our stay at Paxos but would like to especially thank Georgina, who made our holiday all the more enjoyable and relaxing.

We came to Paxos for a wedding and booked a package deal through Olympic Holidays. We stayed on Paxos for two weeks which was log enough. It is a really small island and feels very safe and relaxed. However we went the last week of September - first week of October and found that a lot of the taverns and trips were winding down at the end of the season. The hotel itself is a bit dated and faded but you only really sleep in your room and the pool is a real sun trap. Again, as we were there are the end of the season the pool bar's hours were somewhat reduced but when it was open the beer was always cold. As one of the other reviewers says is a Greek 3* so the self catering kitchenette is not going to let you cook yourself a three course meal but, you can sort yourself out lunch and breakfast. The bathroom is adequate but watch out for the hot water which seems to come on at 8.30 in the morning, is on for a couple of hours then goes off until about four in the afternoon. We found that the towels were changed four times in two weeks which is fine, but we did have two weeks with the tiniest towels in the world, so it might be worth taking your own. We were really lucky we had a room on the front and could see the bay however I realise that the majority of the rooms are at the back of the hotel and that could have a negative impact on a person's holiday. Olympic offer two hotel choices in Lakka, the Amfrititi or Bastas. If you are in anyway unsteady on your feet I would steer clear of the Amfrititi, you have to take an uneven, not very well lit path to the hotel. The rooms themselves are bigger and more modern than in the Bastas but the self catering facilities are not as good as in the Bastas complex. However the Amfritit does face right out on to the beach. Not too keen on the Olympic rep though initially made a good impression but became very off hand after the initial coach pick up.

We have just returned from a week in Paxos staying at the Bastas Complex. It was a last minute deal and we were desperate to get away due to the lousy English summer that we had. The ferry from Corfu took around 2hrs and 20mn, it was the most amazing experience we followed the sun from Corfu port to setting near Kavos - just on the tip. The scenery was out of this world. The hotel itself is basic - it is after all only three stars but exceptionally clean, fantastic pool and very friendly and attentive staff. The hotel is ideally situated, all the restaurants and bars are only a hop away. The food was fantastic and so cheap. Wine in a carafe is drinkeable and only 6 euros - I would recommend Stasinos they have a beautiful garden and are so friendly. Great food. A must to do is the boat trip to Anti Paxos and if you can make it climb the 120 steps up to the taverna at the top it has a view to die for. The only thing we didn't like were the transfers we basically lost a day as the hydrofoil was broken and we were all herded at 6am on to one ferry. Our flight left at 17.30. I would certainly return to Paxos, perhaps not in August, lots of noisy italians and their scooters. Apart from that very peaceful time and lovely holiday the sea is to die for. The rep Georgina is a real sweetie and is very helpful worth going along to the welcome meeting to find all what is going on. Enjoy your stay

hello i and my wife both about fifty decided to have a week in paxos and booked our holiday at the last minute through olympic holidays. Olympic dont say much about the bastas hotel on their website but do class it as a three star hotel. As usual i checked tripadvisor for reviews but there are hardly any reviews about this hotel on tripadvisor or anywhere else for that matter and what reviews there are really dont say much that is good and tend to be critical of things that in my opinion are misleading i will explain later what i mean by that in fact there isnt much about the island of paxos either so i thought id say a bit about that too. Okay to start with the hotel is typically greek yes it has a hand held shower old style and a shower curtain (if you are lucky) in a bathroom where the water bouces straight off your body missing the shower tray landing on the bathroom floor but that is what most self catering accom in greece has always provided and this hotel is really self catering with a reception a pool and few other facilities.Some people have complained that the rooms are small the kitchen utensils old and inadequate and the cooker just a two ring affair but hey when you go to greece you should plan to eat out and go to the beach and pool greek food is fab thats part of the experience i reckon repeat visitors to greece will understand what i mean, we dont use the cooker we dont need modern facilities just as long as its clean and comfortable and that is what the bastas is.The pool is fab rooftop loads of sun plenty of shady areas plenty of sunbeds a good bar serving great snacks and chicken kebabs barbecued fish etc etc beer glasses kept in the freezer so the beer tastes excellent when poured .The rooms have aircon it works really well 50 euros a week for total 24 hour control from your room, worth having.A balcony ten feet by four feet with table and two chairs and clothes drying screen none of the rooms have a sea view some look over the road at the front of the hotel some over the side facing a wall mine faced the wall but it was great to sit there in the shade after being out in the hot hot sun all day.The floors in your room and elsewhere throughout the hotel are marble very cool to walk on.The walls in your room are rough plaster whitewashed .The beds are wood frame solid mattress but i like that, some people dont, some have complained about them being hard but it depends on your personal preference and i think most of those people who have complained about this hotel in reviews ive read have complained about things that involve personal preference and that is misleading for future visitors.The tv is a portable hanging on the wall remote control 20 channels all greek except one or two italian and french and one in english bbc 24 news.The snackbar at poolside opens at ten am til about seven pm.The staff in the hotel are laid back a couple in their fifties and their son the couple run the front desk the son the poolside bar they are all very very friendly and helpful.This is a superb bargain for the price that olympic sell it for, if you have difficulty with stairs dont go because there are about 15 stairs to the first floor rooms another fifteen to second floor rooms and then about thirty to the pool area so to get from reception to poolside you have to go up sixty stairs. The pool is great for children. Now a little about paxos.You arrive at corfu airport and an olympic rep with direct you to their bus and take you to the harbour where you will get a ferry or hydrofoil to paxos island it takes an hour to get there if the sea is calm but longer if rough. At paxos you are met by another rep and bussed to your hotel it takes 20 mins. The bastas hotel is in lakka a small village about two hundred metres by three hundred metres the hotel is on the main road into lakka about two hundred metres from the sea there are loads of restaurants and cafes all serve excellent food the prices are not expensive cotrary to some reports but are a bit more than some other greek resorts but remember everything on paxos has to be transported there by sea at a cost.The restaurants begin about fifty yards from the bastas hotel and continue all the way to the harbour its a small but very compact and very greek village. Dont worry about reports of lots of italians holidaying there they are there to have a good time just like you.Enjoy this fabulous resort, the bastas is a super place to stay. If you need any more info please just get in touch with me,thanks and good luck.

I must admit I was a touch sceptical about this accomodation after reading some of the less than complimentary reviews ,,,, all i can say is HOW WRONG CAN SOME PEOPLE BE !!!! I have stayed in a LOT of 3 start Greek 3 star accomodation in the past and this FAR exceeds anything I have EVER been in Kitchen area well equipped , hob actually heats up real time as opposed to GMT ( Greek Maybe Time) - large bedroom - loads of coat hangers - massive balcony The supposed inland view we had on room 25 overlooked the front of the hotel , down into the village center and I COULD SEE THE SEA !!! Admittedly there is a new rep there too -who was fab . Georgina has taken on board any issues the previous rep "left" and has made the atmosphere in the hotel exceptional The Bastas family who run and own the hotel are well known in Paxos -Costas was Mayor for 20yrs !! so they know what they are doing business wise and it shows The pool on the roof is exceptional and clean ( is treated daily and sent weekly for PH testing ) - lunch time food Babbas produces is great too-- If he does his special Chicken and Potaoes dish definately go for it !! All the restaurants in the area are amazing and no where near as expensive as we thought - OK fish prices are steep at 45-55 euros a kg but my hubby and I LOVE to eat and the cheapest 3 course we did was 36euros for 2 of uas and the average about 55euros - thats with bread and olives - 2 starters , 2 mains , coffees, sometimes pudding and drinks too I can recommed drinking the house Roses and reds at 7-9 euros a lites as the shorts at 5 euros for a good single / passable double and mixer may be a bit steep for some All I can say ref recommendations is every reataurant was a good as each other but if you fancy a drink FANNIS bar on the harbour front is great to watch the sun go down and their meze plate at 4 euros is wonderful value - salami . cheeses,island sausage,taramasolata. tsatziki.salad - feeds 2 as a "appetiser" really well Also if you want a good day trip the 25euro round the island inc a stop in antipaxos is well worth it All in all an amazing holiday-fab island that apparently --according to a guest we met --hasnt changed in 27 yrs.......

my husband and i were back on Paxos to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. We were last there on our honeymoon. It was still as beautiful as we remembered, although more built up and lots more traffic. 25 yrs ago there was only one car on the island and the roads were not tarmacced. We found the Bastas hotel was in a very convenient location, just a short walk from the tavernas and beach. The owner and his family were all pleasant and helpful. Our biggest disappointment was the view from our balcony. It was of a stone wall(we were room 53). The room was clean but very basic. A kettle would have been nice. We still had a wonderfully relaxing holiday with great weather. The fod in the tavernas was a great improvement on 25 yrs ago. I would strongly recommend Nionios in the village square. We hope to visit Lakka again soon

We have just returned from the most delightful holiday on the tiny island of Paxos. The Bastas Hotel and Apartments was ideally located just on the edge of the village of Lakka - literally just five minutes stroll to the exquisite harbour. The heatwave of our first week sent temperatures soaring to high eighties but our second week was more in keeping with the usual Greek summer weather. Wonderful! However, we found the cost of eating and in fact general expenses to be exorbitantly high. The previously enjoyable Greek salad seems now to be reduced to cucumber and tomatoes with non of the lovely olives or Feta cheese of the past. Costing around seven euros this was not good value for money. We found we were paying an average of around 40-50 euros each night for a meal for two, truly delicious food but quite small portions; except for the blue and white restaurant called Nautilus on the harbour which served larger sized helpings of beautifully cooked food. Although we have visited many Greek Islands, this was the one to which we would probably choose to return. All in all, a magical holiday BUT expensive!