Skiathos Palace Hotel

1 reader found this review helpful

We stayed in this hotel 10 years ago and it was very dated but comfortable. The website showed lovely refurbished rooms so we booked again paying over £700 each for 7 nights. Unfortunately, we were allocated a 'classic' room which had not been refurbished and had gone from dated to shabby and smelt of mould throughout out stay! The beds were really uncomfortable and the furniture chipped and tatty. The bedspreads were probably the same ones the Beatles slept under when they stayed at the hotel a few decades ago! The reviews for this hotel seem to go from one extreme to the other and I'm sure that largely depends on which part of the hotel you stay in. The contrast between the refurbished areas and the area we stayed in is enourmous and I'm surprised that a company like First Choice don't make people aware of this before they book. This hotel is probably the worst value for money I've ever experienced and I would advise anyone thinking of booking to make sure that they pay the extra for a 'modern' room or look for somewhere else to stay on what is an incredibly beautiful island!

3 readers found this review helpful

We made the mistake of ignoring all the bad reviews and are now very much regretting this - and having just arrived back we feel really deflated and disappointed.. We went on a half board basis and the waiters (staff in general) are so ignorant that we ended up eating out most nights. The hotel certainly does not deserve a 4 star rating - it's very tired and dated. We stayed in a Modern room - and this was just about acceptable, very basic - but definitely nothing special. Don't be fooled into thinking hotel has a private beach - it's open to everyone - and therefore it's unlikely you'll get a sunbed. Drinks in the hotel are extortionate - we happily like to spend money on holiday and are certainly not tight with our money - but coupled with the rudeness of the waiters the prices leave a real sting. Plus points? Ok I have to be honest the views from the hotel are fabulous - but hey you've seen these on the hotel website - don't waste your money staying there to see them - if you're desperate to take a look, just walk into the hotel one night - they don't control visitors and would never know if you just sat around the bar enjoying the views. Other tips - don't share a taxi in the resort - it's only the taxi driver than wins - he just charges each couple virtually same price - i.e. he doubles up on the fair - he may reduce by a euro for each couple - but ultimately he just gets double fare for the same trip.

4 readers found this review helpful

Skiathos palace hotel nestles snugly into the side of a steep mountain facing the famous Koukounaries beach.
Rated as 4 star the hotel incorporates lavish, well groomed grounds with a spacious pool area and several bars. The standard of cleanliness is excellent throughout the public areas and the facilities in general are consistent with its star rating.
This, sadly, is the good news.
Several points need I feel, to be addressed by the managers of this hotel.
Reception staff are the first ambassadors guests meet and those on duty when we arrived were brusk and stand-offish.
Any subsequent requests made of them were dealt with perfunctorily, mostly with an apathetic finger pointed silently to a pile of maps.
Breakfast was served from 07:30 until 10:30 however on more than one occasion food was cleared almost half an hour earlier and on one occasion guests were following the waiting staff with plates and spoons only to be rebuffed with a shrug.
I have had 'Do Not Disturb' signs bypassed before but mostly with a tentative knock on the door just in case it had been left there by mistake.
Twice we were awoken by a recalcitrant chamber maid with a tapping foot and a hand on her hip (No really!) demanding to be let in.
This may go some way to explaining why the Palaces 'Do Not Disturb' signs are small bags of sand, presumably to be used in self-defense.
The bed was probably the most uncomfortable I have ever barely slept in and I was on intimate terms with every spring. This necessitated covering the mattress with three towels in order to facilitate a modicum of comfort which the chamber maid in a rare act of compassion chose to leave on during bed making seeming to suggest that she understood perfectly.
In turning the mattress to try and find a more comfortable area a large stain emanated a faint aroma of long passed urine left by a previous occupant. Imagine!
The bar staff were again not the most friendly of individuals apart from one and the apparent absence of a provided uniform led them to make up their own which they dutifully kept on without changing for the whole week of our stay. It wasn't encouraging!
Food was generally very good if you were early enough to catch any and the evening buffet was plentiful, however at almost £30 for two beers and two burgers you better bring plenty of cash.
Access to the hotel itself is in no way disabled friendly with a very steep slope or a staircase cut into the rock face which we dubbed the steps of death as they are not lit so bring a torch in fact bring two. I'm not sure if there is a lift inside the hotel as despite a thorough search none could be found. I did ask the reception staff but they just tried to give me another map so I gave up.
If I were the manager of a 4 star establishment I would be encouraging my staff to do all they could to strive for a 5th.
This appeared not to be the case at Skiathos Palace and while I would return to this beautiful island tomorrow I'll be giving this particular hotel a very wide berth.

1 reader found this review helpful

Skiathos Palace Hotel gives the best view over koukanaries its worth going to the hotel for that. The amount of steps from the hotel would be a real problem for the not so nimble. Also there are no lifts which adds extra steps within the hotel. We booked on a bed and breakfast basis but on the first 2 nights we did eat there in the evening. This was very expensive 50 to 80 euros so we found very good value tavernas after that. We can fully recommend Nectar and Ambrosia at bus stop 19 and El Greco's on the waterfront in town. There are also lots of wasps and flies which can be a real nuisance when you are trying to eat outside. I saw flies walking across the uncovered food in the restaurant area which is very offputting.
Our main critisism are the rooms. We would not recommend anyone accepting a room in the 100's and 200's as they are badly in need of renovation. We were given room 123 and after spending 2 nights there we couldn't stand it any longer as we were booked in for 2 weeks. After much wrangling with the unhelpful reception manager and standing our ground we finally moved to room 602 which then gave us a brilliant view with a modern bathroom and up to date room. The room sevice was excellent for clean bedding and towels and the maid was really nice, pleasant and helpful.
The pool area is relaxing that is unless you have children who cannot swim. The pool starts at 1 Meter and sharply drops away to 4 meters.I'm sure no one with a small family or indeed a family with someone that can't swim would ever want that depth of water. There is no seperate childrens pool so that would be a big worry.
We would certainly go back to Skiathos as its a beautiful island but not to stay at the Palace. We couldn't go with the uncertainty of getting one of those awful rooms in what we can only describe as a dark dungeon. There is such a good bus service we will look to staying a bit nearer the lovely skiathos town maybe at the Skiathos Princess.

1 reader found this review helpful

2 adults and 1 child aged 3
No Aircon working !! fobbed off with many excuses "its a part comming from athens" or "its automatic and comes in at 30c" It was not high season so we managed without it but would not like to have no aircon in july/aug as it was already hitting above 30c a day.
We have just returned from the Palace, the location provides excelent views if you have a sea view room which I believe most are. The hotel is on a hillside and the steps are certainly not for the faint hearted, the drive is a safer option. The beach is lovely very clean and safe for children 2 beds 1 parasol 8euros' the beach toilets put most british public toilets to shame kept clean throughout the day and even have nice handwash. A variety of watersports & couple of beach tavernas, I would reccomend the one with the green covering on the floor half way along the beach as its cleaner and staff are more welcoming.
The resort has a couple of places to eat and is quiet so certainly not for a lively holiday crowd. Most evenings we travelled by bus or taxi into Skiathos town, taxi depending on driver 13euro's bus 3.60 and to be honest far better than the taxi (try it and see) the stop is outside the hotel and its a public transport system that works, frequency is 20/30mins.
Eating out cost us between 40/80 Euro including wine, there is a variety of places in the town more expensive around the harbour the best meal we had was on a reccomendation by som frequent travellers to the island. Its a small apartment complex called "Green Park" near bus stop 16 down dirt track it opens into a small oasis of apartments and a few tables around the pool area, quality price and quantity was great.
Ok, back to the hotel I suppose its all about expectations we are well travelled and have stayed in a variety of hotel clases. The rooms are basic and in need of updating this has not been done since the 1980's but they are functunal although the beds very uncomfortable, unfortunatly they are not cleaned to a great standard.
Hotel food, the first evening we had room service being quite tired from the supposed a-la-carte menu it was poor quality and very expensive on further investigation by popping upstairs to the main restaurant we had been provided with that food at a-la-carte prices. The restaurant choice was ok maybe for a few nights but no longer and the food was ok, breakfast was the usual choice abroad and quality was good.
Pool/childrems area, be warned no childrens pool, even the shallow end is deep and the deep end 4mtrs its not far from the breakfast area so keep an eye on the little ones. Childrens play area is ok but some equipment needs replacing as its very warn/crecked and has sharp edges.
The beach/views and eating out made it a nice holiday we would go to the island again just not the hotel use it as a base expect no more you will have a good time.

2 readers found this review helpful

The views from this hotel are fantastic. I have been to this hotel 3 times now and each time we have been given a room with views directly over Koukounaries beach. Most of the staff have been the same people each time we have been. They are friendly and kind and nothing is too much trouble.
September is not a good month to go as it is their rainy month but you just have to go with it and don’t let a bit of rain ruin the holiday! We still enjoyed ourselves and went out on a boat and saw dolphins etc.
The hotel runs a bus service to both the beach and into town. The driver is really nice guy who will pickyou up if he sees you at any point rather than just the normal pick up and drop off points. That hill up to the hotel can be a struggle after a few ouzos!
It may need a little updating but who cares! After all, you are on holiday and should be out seeing things. We were only in the room to sleep and then were off out again and it is absolutely fine for that. Beds were made and room was cleaned every day.
The roof top pool is fantastic. You can sunbath whilst looking out over the neighbouring islands and drinking a cocktail made in the pool bar and then in the evening you can join in a little Greek dancing.
Its a fab holiday place and hotel, don’t know what all the other people are going on about! We've been there 3 times now and have had absolutely no complaints to make.

1 reader found this review helpful

We used this hotel a couple of weeks ago. The only thing going for this hotel is the views from the terrace.
Anything else is very basic with dirty carpets and outdated furniture. The breakfast room was full of flies and wasps. The staff do not seem very friendly.
Not a three+ stars hotel, more like a one star, we will never go to this hotel again.

1 reader found this review helpful

Overpriced, overrated, and under cleaned! I have stayed in better B&B's.
At breakfast time the cereals and fruit salads were covered in little flies, not very appetising. In the evening a 4 Euro service charge was added to the bill per couple we only had 1 meal. Food under cooked.
The only good thing about this hotel was the views over Koukounaria beach. Skiathos itself though is a beautiful island with crystal clear seas but don’t go in October as it rains a lot and 75% of facilities are closed down for end of season.