Maria House Studios

2 readers found this review helpful

My girlfriend and I stayed in one studio here, my parents in another.
We were met on arrival by Maria, the owner. She is very welcoming, but speaks little English. Her daughter was around much of the time, whose English is excellent and she was always happy to help.
The studio themselves are basic as much of this type of accommodation is. This isn't a criticism, just something to be aware of if you are used to posh hotels. They were very clean on arrival, and cleaned very well throughout (daily) the holiday. We had 1st floor apartments and I would definitely recommend these over the ground floor ones - you are looking across an unfinished rooftop but do have a nice view of the sea, which you don't have from the ground floor rooms that sit opposite a building. Cutlery was a little stingey (no large knife, only very short tumblers) but towels were provided, despite our joining instructions stating they weren't.
Whilst it is true to say the apartments are set up a fairly steep hill, I think it is fair to say that those of average fitness will have no problems here - my parents are 60ish and coped without any problems.
The pool that these apartments share belongs to the hotel next door (less than 100m from the studios). It is terrific - clean, a good size, sloped (1.4m shallow end), with a small bar and sun loungers and a nice patio terrace. It also has great views out over the bay. For the more adventurous the sea is a 100m walk down from the pool, and a ladder allows you to climb down and swim in the sea.
The town is really pleasant. The sea front has a number of tavernas, but avoids much of the 'touristy' feel that more popular locations are susceptible to. Some of the side streets in particularly up towards the apartments are very pretty.
I must also add that our operator, Kosmar, were very efficient and we had no problems from this side.
Something to note when travelling across from Skiathos is that if you end up travelling on the hydrofoil (there is a ferry that is used when the sea is too rough for the hydrofoil) it can be a bit choppy - if you get sea sickness then it may be worth chucking some travel sickness pills in, just in case you catch it on a rough-ish day. Don't worry unduly though, the rides only just over an hour long.
I'd heartily recommend both Alonissos and Marias Studios for anyone,looking for an unspoilt Greek getaway - I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.