Athina

Iv stayed here a few times now it's such a nice place. I love how the staff are so kind and friendly. Me an geroge are very good friends now we talk all through dinner no and off , you only need a sense of humor to like him . The food is great we always eat breakfast and dinner thier . However for lunch , without doubt we go over to the Aquarius bar it's run my a English man his local wife, the atmosphere is great and the foods lovely and as for the barmans magic tricks well you will have to go over and see for yourself . The pool is amazing massive clean nice pool with plenty of seating area. If you need a form of transport I reccomend spiros at the end of the road for a quadbike or buggy in the summer you need the wind on your face it's too hot in a car . As for the rooms they are Always spotless the cleaners are very good as we are quite a messy family the cleaners are always on top.

Just back from a lovely relaxing week with my partner at the Athina Hotel in San Stefanos! It is definately the place to go for a chilled out holiday with a friendly and welcoming atmosphere!
The hotel, surroundings and beach were spotlessly clean, rooms quite basic but what we were expecting! We had a sea view room with 2 balconys (ground floor) and were not disappointed, amazing views of the sunset from here or the restaurant!! Only downside would be the noisy fan/generator outside but you soon get used to it...BEWARE..some rooms looks directly onto this and the alotment which is quite scruffy and not exactly a nice view...so i personally think it's worth paying the extra for seaview!
Temperatures reaching 40 degrees plus while we were there...aircon in the room is about 25 euros per week and there is a safe-box for free. Hotel staff all very friendly and and it's lovely to see all the family working there and in the restaurant...yes George the head-waiter is often grumpy and comes across a bit rude but it doesn't exactly spoil the holiday! Spiros at the bar was excellent...lots of seating areas inside and out with pool tables and plasma TV's!
The pool is excellent..the biggest in the resort and plently of sunbeds! Just walk down the path to the beach, 2 sunbeds + umbrella cost 8 euros for the day, so not too bad...sea is crystal clear and shallow!
So after hearing a lot about the food at the hotel we had not set our expectations very high and unfortunately they were confirmed...At dinner there is a choice from 4 starters and 4 mains, I always chose the Greek option as this was often the best.. about 3 nights the food was nice but otherwise quite average, basic and un-appetising, which is a huge shame as the views of the sunset at dinner are priceless!!! Breakfast is basic..tea, coffee, toast and a choice of something else..but that was fine we us! There are many nice restaurants in the village so we ate out a few times, Zorbas (which has Greek dancing), 2 Star (Gyros Plate lovely!) and Olympia were all excellent!
San Stefanos as a resort is quiet but then again we didn't want anything too crazy! An ideal place for couples or older families...it was our first vist but everyone we met and spoke to had been time and time again!!!
Overall we had a lovely week in the sun and would recommend this hotel and return but only for B&B!

1 reader found this review helpful

Just returned from a 2 week holiday at the athina lovely hotel all communal areas very spacious staff very friendly and helpful family run their children bring you bread at meal times and practice their english with you. The waiters are really nice and good fun. The views from the restaurant and sea view rooms are amazing the sunsets across the sea are worth taking photos of. The sea view rooms are very spacious with very large balconies and well worth paying the extra for room could do with up dating carpets curtains and bedspreads but all very clean with clean towels and sheets everyday. The food in the hotel is all homecooked mostly greek dishes not fancy no frills but all perfectly nice with a choice of about four starters and four or five mains with a salad and about four desserts. I would definately return to the athina in the future.

1 reader found this review helpful

we stayed at the athina for 7 days the staff was helpful and friendly.our room was always clean with fresh towels the food was good and there was a good choice.there was lovely walks to arillas and avolotis through the olive groves.we are going back this year for two weeks (2011)

1 reader found this review helpful

We visited the Athina in July 2010 and are now on the countdown to our return this year (4 weeks, 5 days, 10 hours if you're interested!)
The Athina is just perfect, clean, friendly and in an idyllic position on the beach. I am astonished that anyone could have anything but a great holiday there. If you are concerned by some of the negative reviews please don't be! The staff really make this hotel, they are kind, helpful and good fun. George is a real character and my boys loved him, he spent time teaching us all a little greek and we are looking forward to trying it out again on our return. The food is very good and catered for my one fussy son and my 'try anything' son equally well.
San Stefanos is a nice little resort with just enough to do whilst retaining a laid back, peaceful atmosphere.
If you are thinking of booking at the Athina, Do! If you already have sit back and congratulate yourself on your good taste!!

1 reader found this review helpful

very sad to report that this hotel is as bad as many of the reviews posted have described is more like a endurance test.The rooms are clean beds and pillows are like concrete hardly slept all week.George the waiter was awful barked WHAT DO YOU WANT was off putting Yainis the under waiter was very nice he got a good tip for excellent service the other one George went for a fag and a spit half way through service charming i must say.Wouldnt go there again.Dont start me on the food it was too awful my husband broke a tooth on the hard toast.Shame about hotel because beach and resort was lovely except for the DEAD RAT that laid by the supermarket for 4 days.

4 readers found this review helpful

Athina is a family run hotel, all of which make everyone welcome. The food is homemade and cooked by the family.The rooms are cleaned everyday and clean towels provided. Anyone who feels that eating in the Aquarius must question why he sends you to Athina for the toilet.We had a fab holiday and will return!!

6 readers found this review helpful

Some people must really struggle to enjoy themselves - pity!
Just come back from two weeks at the Athena, a really great holiday. All the staff went out of their way to make this a truly lovely holiday. We were always welcomed with a smile by everyone. Having breakfast in the restaurant overlooking the sea was the best way to wake up in the morning, and then to top this the sunsets were spectacular when having the evening meal.
The food was really good and there was always more than enough to eat, both at breakfast and in the evening. Try the squid, moussaka and stifado which were excellent.
Our room was cleaned and towels changed every day by the excellent cleaners. Could not fault them.
Well done to everyone at the Athina for making this one of the best holidays we have had - do not believe everything you read as I am sure that those with the recent poor review (1 out ot 10) must have had a hidden agenda, sad really.

6 readers found this review helpful

This hotel was by far the best i have ever stayed at, the service was impeccable and the atmosphere was so family orientated, i have not had an experience like it, everyone knew everyone and i couldnt possibly fault the staff in any way. They treated us like one of the family. As for the food, i am particually fussy and i thought it was delicious, in no way, shape or form could i descriobe it like a "school dinner", the service at dinner was great, george is a lovely man with a great sense of humour when given the chance to come across. As for the rooms i must say the cleaner did a fantastic job everyday to ensure our room was left sparkling, the rooms smelt lovely and we had 3 different rooms with 3 different views and each view was not fautable in any way, it was lovely to see the local children that were actually related to the hotel staff running around and making friends with the english children that were there.
very lovely area and there was nothing to worry about as all the staff constantly look out for everyone. It is amazing to see the young greek boys and girls who are related to the hotel staff talking such great english and seeing them help out in the restaurent was lovely. lastly i would just like to say this was the best hotel pool i had seen throughout corfu, it was very large, very clean and there was always enough chairs free no matter what time of the day, infact the pool was so nice that people from other hotels normally spent atleast one day by the Athina pool and commented on how much better it was compared to their hotels.I was also amazed to see that they had won best accomodation in Corfu for about 6 years running.
To sum up, my stay was amazing and please dont listen to the comment below as some people are clearly never satisfied.
Georgie Phillips

3 readers found this review helpful

My wife and I have just returned from a 2 week stay at the Athina. It has been by far the most dreadful hotel experience in 30 years of world travel. The room we were given was tatty, smelt of bleach and damp and despite requesting a high room was four feet below ground level and overlooked waste ground. The immediate frontage to the balcony 'bunker' was a piece of grass where local children played. We politely expressed our disappointment and asked to be moved twice but 'no.'
Breakfast is NOT continental breakfast as stated in the brochure but little more than (cheap ) tea or coffee and toast. Be prepared to buy full lunches! You'll soon be hungry again. Dinner is not much better, three courses of 'Greek school dinner' fayre, all over seen and controlled by George, quite the rudest man we have ever met. The whole restaurant experience was like something from Oliver Twist! Mean, frugal and oppressive.
The pool area is indeed HUGE, all murky water, concrete and peeling paint sides, surrounded by dead tree stumps, weeds and urns full of long dead plants. Together with a scruffy 4' 6" plank fence across the width of the property, completely obliterating any view of the beach or sea from the whole pool area, the ambiance was more like a 1960's muncipal public baths. We ate lunch once at the poolside bar which was to the same standard as the restaurant food, then we realised the pool bar kitchen staff used the same toilet as the guests and there was no handwash/soap facilities. Nuff said!
We asked for a packed lunch one day to replace our 3-course evening meal, politely explaining we had hired a car for the day and would be back late. We were told by Olga on the desk that 'It wasn't the hotels fault we weren't going to be back on time for dinner and it wasn't their responsibility to supply packed lunches instead.' The motto of the hotel seemed to be ' the answers NO! Now what's the question.
There seemed to be a lot of dissent and complaints amongst 'first time' guests, a marked difference to the repeat guests who seem to be quite happy. They also appeared to be in the best rooms and be given little extras at dinner! Petty but annoying. There definately seemed to be a first class and second class guest system operating.
On our third day we politely voiced our opinions about the quality of our room and the food to our rep and she approached the hotel again on our behalf, still to no avail, but from then on our 'cards' were well and truly 'marked.' Over the next few days, apart from the frostiness from the front desk, the rudeness and animosity turned to insults from George in the restaurant, until we were actually forced to walk out of the restaurant mid-meal and asked to be moved to another hotel!
If you do want to stay at this hotel (although we can't imagine why! ) you will definately want to go out at night as the place has about as much atmosphere as the moon! So here is at least a more positive end to this report.
For a 'cracking' baguette and chips lunch, or just a drink with a very warm friendly welcome and a nice atmosphere, try the Aquarius Bar right outside the hotel run by Glen, a Sheffield lad and his lovely Greek wife.
If you abandon the hotel food for one or more nights (Oh yes you will!) and eat out, for a very passable three course set meal for around 9 euros try the Two Stars restaurant in town, but if you want something really special visit Ozzy Oil on the edge of town, reputed to be one of the top ten eating places in the whole of Corfu, and deservedly so. It's an understated little gem. It's run and hosted by Kerry, an Aussie and her Greek husband chef Nicos. The mix of wholesome Aussie grub and Greek cuisine has to be sampled to be believed, and it won't break the bank! Don't miss their Greek night when Kerry sings. Great food. Great company.
For what we found to be a much nicer poolside expereince than the Athina, try the Thomas Bay Hotel across the road. It's quieter, a nicer atmosphere the gardens are lovely and the staff are very welcoming and friendly.
Another great 'day by the pool place' or 'Greek Night ' venue fun night out is the Thereza Appartments with a truly stunning elevated poolside view right across the bay, run by a smashing family who give you a genuinely warm welcome. If ever we went back to San Stef this is where we would opt to stay.
GOOD LUCK!