Hermes Apartments

We have been to Hermes 5 times now and cannot recommend it enough. We went this year after a break of two years to find the the whole place has been upgraded to a high standard- we liked it anyway but now we would find it hard to fault the accomodation. We stayed in the 3 bedroom apartment which was roomy and nicely furnished. Yes there is a fairly steep incline to reach the rooms but cannot see this would be a problem for any able bodied person young or old. In fact the rooms and pool location being fairly high only add to the views with pine trees behind the complex and the sea in front - fantastic. We like to eat in different places every night but have to say that the food in the bar is as good and as reasonably priced as any that we have found on the island. We have always found the staff friendly and helpful at any time of the day or evening, yes there are occasionally insects in the pool but what do you expect? Generally speaking the whole complex is one of the cleanest we have been to and the maid service is excellent. The only criticism we would make is that the noise from the bar can continue until the early hours but this is a personal dislike and has never proved to be more than an occasional annoyance. The double glazed windows provide fairly good soundproofing when required. Although we like to retire by midnight obviously a lot of people enjoy the bar atmosphere so fair enough in our book. We reckon the Hermes location is perfect on the island with lovely easy walks to Vrololimnos and Kolios beaches, both of which have friendly tavernas whilst about midway on the island between Skiathos town one end and Koukanaries on the other. The sea is clean and clear, the beaches are great, people friendly, almost non-existent crime - for a family like us what more could you want ( our kids 14, 12, 8) See you there next year.

We had a studio for 2 people, room 204, for the first 2 weeks of this season. Fixtures and fittings are of a good quality, beds comfortable, plenty of drawer storage and a double wardrobe with an electronic safe in the base, this is free of charge. A hairdryer is provided by the dresser. The bathroom was modern with lever taps. Even though there was a shower curtain, a luxury in Greece, this did not stop the floor from getting soaked, a bath mat was provided.Bath and hand towels were thick and fluffy. Linen/towels were changed 5 times in the 2 weeks. In the kitchen area a toaster, electric kettle, grill/oven combination and full size fridge freezer were provided. A niggle we had was that the sink was big enough to bath a toddler but there wasn't a drainer, the work surface was tiny so making a simple snack wasn't easy. It would have been much better having a standard size fridge providing a useful extra worktop. There wasn't an indoor table/ chairs so any sitting had to be done on the beds. In the crummiest of studios we have stayed at previously there has always been a place to sit at inside. There are 3 beaches within easy walking distance, Nostros, Vromolimnos and Kolios. Our favourite was Nostros because the taverna Nafsika did food and drink at good prices. Their toasties on Pitta bread at 3euros were a tasty lunchtime snack, large beers 2 euros and a litre house wine 6 euros. Sunbeds by the taverna were free, we always managed to get a couple no matter what time of day we arrived but this was the start of the season. The water taxi to Skiathos town is 2.50 euros from the jetty here. It is 1.10 euro on the bus from the apartments. Vromolimnos has the softest sand which is great for kids but there is a steep hill to climb there and back, plus there seemed to be more bugs here. kolios is the easiest to get to along a track or by the main road. We did not eat at the Hermes as we like to go off site and feel as if we are "going out" . A lot of people did spend day and night there, each to their own. We ate many times at Johnnys taverna on the Kanapitsa road. The welcome was so friendly and the service excellent, food was good too. We tried Infinity Blue after reading about it but found it to be pretentious and not a relaxing atmosphere. They tried to take my plate away before I had finished my starter!! It wasn't busy so couldn't understand that. We had a great holiday and would consider staying at the Hermes again. Word of warning- when walking at night on the main road make sure you face on coming traffic and take extra care at bends. The local drivers are mad especially taxis. We nearly had an incident on our first night but fortunately we always face the traffic so managed to avoid an accident.

Can't fault great accomodation, great staff and a great location!

The Hermes Apartments would provide most people with a good base for a trip to Skiathos. They are located in the small resort of Kolios which boasts 3 lovely sandy beaches all within 10-15 mins walking distance, a well-stocked supermarket (conveniently on site at The Hermes) and one or two traditional Greek tavernas close by. There is a bus stop directly outside the accommodation which will take you anywhere along the coastal road which runs along the southern part of the island. There is only one main road and this is it, so it is near impossible to get lost. The bus runs approximately every 15 minutes and will take you to Skiathos Town in approximately 10-15 minutes where you will find a wonderful selection of bars, tavernas, restaurants, shops and even an open-air cinema (definitely worth visiting!). However, Skiathos, by comparison to some other Greek destinations is not a party island and, as such, Kolios resort remains true to that description. The apartments themselves are modern and, in our opinion, slightly better than "basic" - i.e. even in the smallest studio you will find an electric oven, grill, toaster, electric kettle, pots, pans, cheese grater, bottle opener - in fact everything you might need to cook a meal if the mood took you! The maid service is excellent and is provided 6 days per week with towels/sheets changed every 3 days. Each apartment has a balcony with a table and chairs and most, if not all, have a partial sea view. The main drive-way up to the apartments from the road is very steep indeed and so will not suit those with mobility difficulties. The facilities provided on site at The Hermes include a rectangular-shaped pool (big enough to swim lengths and surprisingly deep at one end) with around 20 comfortable sunloungers around it on a new, crazy-paving style patio. The taverna runs along the length of one side of the pool and extends out onto the patio where there is a large shaded area to sit and eat or have drinks. The pool bar has a good drinks selection. There is also a small children's pool and a games room (pool table and table tennis). The staff, in our opinion, could perhaps have been a little more present around the bar and pool area. We would often find ourselves standing waiting for quite a while before anyone would appear. On one particular day the pool filters had not been working over night and the surface of the water in the morning was covered in wasps, flies, leaves etc. Four different people, including myself, politely asked for the debris to be skimmed off the surface with a net before it was actually done a couple of hours later. In the end, I had to personally stand there pointing out each insect to the member of staff with the net. Dramatic as this may sound, there was an overwhelming feeling of "so what" when we pointed this particular problem out. However, this only happened once, and on the whole everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves around the pool area. The pool bar proved extremely popular with some guests in the evenings. There is no formal closing time and so the bar will stay open more or less as long as you would like it to. The music is a mixture of traditional Greek and more popular tracks and tended to get louder as the evenings wore on. This could pose a problem if you are a light sleeper. Most nights we would hear music, shouting and laughing until around 3am. Some times it bothered us and others we would sleep through. On one occasion we were kept awake for over and hour at 1.30am in the morning and so we decided to call the holiday company's (Thomson) 24 hour helpline. They were very efficient and helpful and managed to have the music turned down within about half an hour which was great. When there are so many fantastic bars on rooftops and cliffs with panoramic views and great music in Skiathos town, we were at a loss as to why you would want to spend every night of your holiday at the pool bar. However, this is merely our opinion. It would help enormously if the staff at the bar could try to encourage their guests to quieten down a little after midnight by turning the music down and asking for their cooperation rather than encouraging the noise, as often appeared to be the case. Moving slightly away from The Hermes itself and on a more positive note, there are some wonderful restaurants to be visited in and around the area if you are a bit of a foodie. 10 minutes' walk from The Hermes heading away from Skiathos town (turn right out of the main exit from the apartments and keep walking until you see it) wil bring you to a cliff-top restaurant overlooking Kolios bay - "Infinity Blue". It's a steep walk up quite a lot of steps to get up there but it really is worth it if you can make the trekk. A good time to go is around 7pm as you will catch the sun setting. Prices here are very reasonable (3 course meal for 2 with a bottle of wine, water, bread and olive tapenade/garlic butter came to 60 euros) and the Beef Stifado completely blew me away! Another good taverna is on Kolios beach - turn right and walk to Infinity Blue as above and then take a left turning down to the beach (it is clearly sign-posted). There is only one taverna so you cannot miss it. This really is a true find as the food is prepared to an exceptional standard and the prices are insanely cheap. Try the mixed cheese and fruit plate for dessert - 4 euros for a huge plate of local cheeses, fresh melon, nectarine, grapes and walnuts. One between two is ample and it was truly delicious. In Skiathos town, "En Plo" is a lovely restaurant over in the new port. Staff are very friendly and the menu offers a good variety of dishes including the most amazing panna cotta with sour cherries. Really very good indeed.

The Hermes apartments are located some 3 miles from Skiathos town. They are situated like many buildings in Skiathos on a steep piece of land. There is quiet a climb to the apartments. The entire complex has been refurbished and looks clean and modern. The rooms vary from studio apartments to 2 & 3 bedroom apartments. We had the only 3 bedroom apartment in the complex. The apartment had a balcony, living room, two bathrooms and a small living room area. This area contained a fridge, sink and electric oven. The apartment had air conditioning as do all the apartments. The problem with the 3 bedroom apartment was that the air conditioning cooled the living room but not the bedrooms which became very hot. The bathrooms were not equipped with shower curtains and the tiled floors became very slippy. The swimming pool is very nice and provides a good facility for swimmers and sunbathers alike. The Hermes has its own Taverna located alongside the pool. The food is very good and reasonably priced. The noise that eminates from the taverna late in the evening is problematic when you are trying to sleep especially if the windows are open because the bedrooms are hot! The complex has a supermarket which will provide most things that you may need. The staff at the complex are fine and Kristos (the owner) is a gent. There is a pool table and table tennis table in a games room but you pay for their use. The Hermes is located on a road that runs north to south alongside the eastern side of the island. The road is somewhat dangerous for pedestrians especially at night. The road does not have a pavement once it leaves Skiathos town. Apart from the main town dont expect to see other towns or villages as each place consists of a few tavernas, apartments and supermarkets. The beaches near the Hermes are nice - Nostos is very pretty. The beaches compare favourably with any of the main beaches on the island. There is a bus stop outside the Hermes which allows travel to Skiathos town or the main beaches for a cost of 1 euro. The buses become over full at the peak times - when people are leaving the beaches. There is a water taxi that travels to Skiathos town from Nostos beach for a cost of 2 euros. Skiathos is a very pretty and green island and the people are friendly. There isnt a great deal to do above and beyond the pool and beach. Teenagers might struggle to remain occupied. A number of boat trips go from Skiathos town to nearby islands and beaches. The island of Skopolos is well worth a visit. Skiathos town is an attractive town and a good place to visit for shopping or restaurants it also has a few clubs and a new gym/fitness spa (10 euros for admission).

Just returned from two wonderful weeks at the hermes apartments, and sat here now wishing myself back there. We stayed in a studio room which was large and spacious with excellent facilities. Not that there's any need to cook when staying at the hermes, it has a wonderful on site taverna and delicious meals prepared by a great chef. The apartments are family run and by the end of the holiday the staff all feel like lifelong friends. The apartments are in close proximity to three beaches we preferred kolios and nostros and the bus service into skiathos town is easy to use. You must try the cushion bars at the end of the old port in skiathos the atmosphere is amazing. All in all a fantastic holiday for couples of all ages and we will definately be going back just as soon as we can.

Just got back from skiathos and the hermes apartments. Had to shed a few tears when we left. We had a 2 bed apartement to ourselves as we booked quite late- it was fantastic. Ample living area with 2 good sized bedrooms upstairs, However the pool area, bar, restaurant and, most of all the staff are what makes the hermes sooo special.The owner Kristos is fantastic and even rang when we got home to make sure we arrived safe, saying that the staff aren't pushy or in your face and will leave you be if you so wish. The food is some of the best i've ever eaten you have to try the village meat dish its an absolute delight. My husband and i normally go further afield to long haul destinations and weren't sure how much we'd enjoy it but, skiathos really does have it all. The town is quite cosmopolitan great for people watching especially around the port area, the beaches are gorgeous and, the apartments were ideal. I can't imagine anyone could not enjoy skiathos its the nicest place i've ever been. We'll be going back to stay in the hermes many times in the future for sure!

We have just come back from the Hermes in Kolios, and all we can say is absolutley brilliant. (honestly) the Hermes were more than we ever expected, we had one of the appartments and we had a FULL size fridge/freezer, hairdryer, shower curtain (not normal for greece) good size balcony, the whole place was very clean, modern, excellent location skiathos town is very easliy accessable via the local bus outside, the staff are very friendly. The best place to eat in Kolios is the taverna at the Hermes... the prices are one of the cheapest on the island and the food is fresh..... There are many sandy beaches within walking distance (beware no footpaths).. Restaurants in Skiathos town = the one's on the port side are very expensive, BUT walk down the narrow streets and look for the more traditional and more cheaper ones, there are many.. Skiathos is a beautiful Island and YOU wont be dissapointed if you like a more traditional holiday... We did however have 6 days of dodgy weather (most amazing thunderstorm!!!) would go back tommorow if i could.... enjoy...

My partner and I stayed at the Hermes appartments in June last year and I have to say that it surpassed all of our expectations! We booked our holiday through the local travel agents and were a little apprehensive as it was sooo cheap, but upon arrival we really couldn't fault it at all. The nearest beach (Vromolimnos) was absolutely gorgeous - only about 10-15 mins walk - and it was so beautiful you felt like you could have been in Barbados or anywhere, but for about 1/8th of the price!!! The appartments themselves were basic, but spotless. The pool was lovely (3M deep at one end) and the terrace area looked brand new. We spent many lazy mornings (often hungover!) lying on the sunbeds with stunning views of the surrounding hillside. I would definitely go back to Skiathos and stay in the same accomodation, the only bad part of our stay was having to leave! For anyone visiting Skiathos, I would recommend that you book a boat trip around the island, as you get to visit some gorgeous beaches that are only accessible by boat and have them all to yourself! I hope that this review has been useful, in case you can't tell by what I've written I definitely recommend this place!

The apartments were absolutley lovely! We had our own little terrace, en-suite, small kitchen area. Remember to put key in hole to turn on lights! The apartments had just been refurbished & looked beautiful. Everyone we spoke to loved it aswell. The location is great - Just opposite a bus stop. You need not worry if you get on wrong bus because you can't - There is one bus route for whole of island. Just a short stroll away from nearest beach & taverners on beach front we can recommend! Absolutley gorgeous would definatley go back. However, we went in Early May & the weather wasn't too great so we would go around June time & onwards for the sun.