Gerakina Beach - Sithonia Village Hotel & Bungalows Resort

My boyfriend and I had booked a room for a week. Unfortunately,we were disappointed even from the moment we entered the room. It was very poor but that wasn't the problem. Soon we discovered a terrible smell in the atmosphere. I don't know and I can hardly guess when was the last time the room was cleaned! The curtains were all dusty and the towels in the bathroom had stains on them! The next morning we discovered that all their towels had similar marks that looked like blood stains. On one occasion, one of the towels was moist, as if it had never been replaced. I really thought it was the same one I left in the bathroom earlier in the morning. In addition, the beach was terrible. I live in Greece and I have visited Chalkidiki lots of times but this area isn't famous for its beaches. Another bad point was the pool area, as there was no shade at all for us to lie and relax. There were only few umbrellas and as you can imagine, there were no free sunbeds for us who decided to go to the pool at 10 a.m. The food was OK, nothing special, really. The gardens were nice. The hotel looked quite old, 50 years old at least, with no recent renovations made. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

2 readers found this review helpful

We had a lovely time at the gerakina beach. Yes the bungalow was a little small but quite adequate and very clean. we took a kettle with us for our morning and evening coffe sitting outside. The food we thought was very good, but other nationalities were very rude and ignorant pushing and shoving reaching over you like it was their last meal but just take it in your stride your on holiday and their is plenty of food we usually went a bit later when the rush had quietened down. Our bungalow overlooked the pool and we used to sit and watch the mad rush for the beds when it opened at 10am as there aren't enough. George who looks after the pool area is a lovely man and takes pride in keeping everyone safe and the pool and surrounding area is spotless. The beach is lovely and a lovely beach bar. We used to go to the pool for a couple of hours to swim and play with our 9yr old son we never got a bed couldn't be bothered to join the mad rush at 10am so we sat at a table, then we would go down to the beach you can book and pay for a bed for the entire stay we paid 84 euros for the 2 weeks. The kids club seemed excellent as were the staff all the kids had a great time both day and night. The entire staff were all lovely. There are some lovely eating places outside the complex but we thought the taverna on site next to the pool was brilliant the meals were outstanding. This isn't the kind of holiday we normally go for but we did have a lovely time I am sure you will too.

My husband and I have enjoyed holidays at the Gerakina Beach hotel for 20 years. I am a wheelchair user, and find the accommodation and complex easy to negotiate. There is plenty of room for a wheelchair in the bungalows, the air-conditioning is excellent, and the full-size fridge a bonus. The hotel staff are always friendly and helpful. We book bed & breakfast, because we like to eat traditional Greek food in a local tavena, Mouragio, just a short walk from the hotel. The sea is beautifully clear, so it is easy to see the sea urchins which should be avoided! For the last few years, there has been a lot of Russian and Eastern European tourists, but we always enjoy mixing with other nations, and have experienced no problems with them.

7 readers found this review helpful

Avoid this place at all costs!!! This was truly a holiday from hell! My wife and I have just returned from this "pit of despair" with our 3 children and we have never been so happy to step off a plane onto good old British soil! Firstly, Thomson (whom we will NEVER use again) failed to inform us that this was an almost ENTIRELY German and Russian "Butlins"! Secondly, when one of our children fell into the sea from their ludicrous floating trampoline (in 2 feet of water and jagged rocks) and seriously injured her foot, none of the staff showed ANY concern or interest whatsoever! We had to take a taxi to the (local) hospital which was 40km away. Our child was confined to a wheelchair for the rest of our stay but children were still encouraged to use the potentially lethal contraption. One or two of the staff were lovely and seemed a little embarrassed to be working there, but the majority were extremely rude and unhelpful. The "food" was awful. A bottle of water with your meal cost the same as SIX bottles in the hotel shop and if you dont buy a bottle from the waiter you are treated with the utmost contempt and made to feel like you should leave.At the bar- a pint of local "Lager" plus a small malibu and 3 soft drinks costs 26 Euros! Dont be fooled by the word "bungalow" you actually get a filthy shoebox sized room in a block of 6 grubby flats and the cleaners (who need a lesson in hygiene) woke us up at 6:15 EVERY morning with their incessent racket from their basement HQ directly beneath us! This place isnt fit for the MOSQUITOS (of which they have many) let alone human beings. Unless you are fluent in some East European tongue- dont bother with the "entertainment" which is basically a selection of Eurovisions worst ever entries played at a deafening volume until 1:30am most nights in the "Disco" which was right outside our "Bungalow" (we never had a decent nights sleep). The beach is 20% sand, 30% stones and 50% cigarrette ends! We are not fussy or difficult to please- my wife and I are only in our early thirties and are no "shrinking violets", it takes a lot to annoy us. we have done everything from "Faulty Towers-esque" B&B's in the UK to 5 star hotels in Egypt, but this was by far the worst we have ever had the misfortune to experience. Please dont waste your hard earned money on this place. You have been warned!

1 reader found this review helpful

Stayed for 2 weeks half board, 2 adults and 2 children. Apartment very basic with no drawer space to unpack. Main light and bathroom light did not work when we arrived but it was resolved the next day but the bathroom light was hit and miss. On the good side the air conditioning was free. Quite nice grounds and a shop on site that sold usual mini market stuff but take your own kettle as there is not one in your room. There is a fridge, hairdryer and a tv but although it says channels 14-16 are english they are just blank. Most guests are russian, croatian, german, polish, hungarian and this is reflected in the meals and also in their lack of patience and manners, they would even barge infront of kids when getting their meals. Sausage and peppered meats at breakfast along with cereals and strangely cold vegetables at times. Food is very bland and consists of salads, pasta and vegetables and some hot dishes but I use the word hot loosely. Even if you are there first we found it lukewarm. There is a poor selection for children and even we got fed up and ended up eating out most nights as the food was very poor. At the shop the prices are quite good and you can get 6 large bottles of water for 1.70 euros but you have to pay for a drink with your meal and you get 1 bottle for 1.50 euros. The drinks are expensive too with a glass of beer and not a pint costing 3.40 euros compared to 2.40 in bars outside the complex. A cocktail will cost you 7.00 euros compared to 4.00. The entertainment was not very good either and indeed most nights after the childrens mini disco most people left. There are about 6 places to eat outside the complex and the food is much better in quality and selection but unfortunately this adds to the cost of your holiday especially when you have paid for half board. There are also about 6 bars outside. The biggest farce was the pool. You could not use the pool or the sunbeds until 10am and it was a daily grand prix to get a sunbed. The complex can have about 1200 plus guests but there are only about 50 beds round the pool. If you are unsuccessfull in the daily race and I kid you not, it is a race. Then you will pay 7.00 euros per day on the beach and again this adds to the cost of your holiday. There is a good selection of watersports reasonably priced, pedalo 10.00 euros an hour, banana and donut the same for a ride and you can rent a small launch for 35.00 euros for an hour. The indoor pool and pool tables etc are not available till 4pm in the main building and the bar there does not open till 5pm. If you have a late flight such as 9pm make sure you book a late checkout otherwise you will have to leave your room by midday. The hotel will cash travellers cheques and exchange currency which was not in our brochure and Thomson did not have a clue when I rang to ask them before we went, indeed when I rang them they said we would be directed to the nearest facility by the hotel staff and the nearest place was half an hour away by bus. There are also safe deposit boxes at an extra charge. If you like a beach holiday and can stomach bland, boring food then this is for you. If however you are looking for a holiday by the pool so you can keep a safe eye on the children then forget it. All of the other British guests we spoke to with the exception of one felt the same and that was they would not go back and would not recommend it to anyone. Oh and if you venture into the sea be careful not to stand on any sea anenomaes.

The Hotel was OK except it was full of at least 90 percent East Europeans that had driven to the resort by car. All the food was aimed at them and at feeding time I couldn't believe that people could be so rude by pushing you out of the way to get something that was continually being topped up. It was also amazing how high people could load their plates. We often spent time counting the number of pieces of water melon they could fit on a plate and manage to get it to a table without falling off.
It was strange seeing people eating peas and carrots for Breakfast. My breakfasts for 2 weeks consisted of boiled eggs, German sausage and toast.
The location of the beach was good but there was far better beaches on the peninsulas. We had a family room for 4 people. My bedroom at home is bigger than the room we got. Good things were Air conditioning and full size fridge.
We hired a very good car from europcar through the Thompson rep at a very good rate and it did break the boredom of staying in Gerakina.
Gerakina is a very small village with a handful of restaurants that are hardly used. There is not a bar in the village to just have a drink and chat.
Prices are expensive in the hotel. 12euro's for 3 cokes and a beer. Soft drink's cost almost the same as beer.
I will not be returning to this resort other than to open a bar.
If you want a good Greek holiday and have not booked yet, I suggest you go to an Island further south.