Gardenia Hotel

This is not going to be a one line review. HOTEL INFO My feelings about this hotel are complicated. First of all the staff are lovely, Flora who runs the Pool Bar and her lovely son are wonderful and we thoroughly enjoyed anything we ate there (I had Yoghurt and Fruit for Breakfast each day) and the prices were pretty reasonable. The Greek Salad is also wonderful. The Mythos is draft and served in a cold glass. Our Albanian cleaner did not have much English but was also very hard working and pleasant. The guy on reception who checked us in was also very helpful and pleasant. Our S/C studio was 5 Euros a night for room tax (Climate Resilience Levy). We went Self catering. Please note (if you are not a regular visitor to Greece) that there are 3 options to this hotel - you can book bed and breakfast, Self catering or room only. The S/C option includes a kettle. This may not be the case with the other two options although I understand kettles can be hired from reception. We had no safe in our room which I did not like. However, there are safe boxes on reception for 1 Euro a day. First time visitors to Greece may not be aware of this but in S/C accommodation quite often loo rolls are provided at first but not replaced after the second one. However in Gardenia I am happy to report that we were supplied continuously. Our studio was adequate but I was extremely disappointed that it was a double bed and not twin beds. Either the Hotel or Jet2 ought to make this an option you can choose when you book- with my daughter it was not ideal but we managed. If I had travelled here with one of my female friends I would have been VERY cheesed off at a double bed and all my friends would have objected too. I understand other guests had complained about this and been moved to a different room, some seemed to have paid extra to do this and others had not. We were too tired to kick off about it. The air con is an utter gift and worked well and not charged. Our balcony was spacious too. Washing line but no pegs so bring pegs because it gets windy. The furniture inside the room was very old (almost 1950s) dark brown wood - and the drawers were incredibly wonky and difficult to ease in and out (and probably disturbed our neighbours). The wardrobe was an open affair and had approx. 14 coat hangers. When I read the reviews previously about people saying it needed upgrading I thought they were being picky but they are not. And this is based on my using S/C accommodation for over 30 years in Greece so I know what I am talking about. Our fridge freezer looked brand new. Our room had a hairdryer but it was one of those low powered ones - fine if you have short hair but no good to me (we brought our own). We found the WIFI worked well both in the room AND the pool (two separate WIFIs) WATER - The hotel charges a ludicrous fee of 2.5 Euros for a one and a half litre bottle. Needless to say it is MUCH cheaper in the supermarket at the end of the road

What a lovely find... small, charming and authentic. Lovely staff, who couldn't have been more helpful and spotlessly clean. Perfectly positioned - turn left out of the hotel and in two minutes you're at the beach with masses of restaurant choices- the Poseidon and the Apollon both offer good, traditional Greek food and wine at competitive prices; turn right and in two minutes you're in the village, with a supermarket and more bars and restaurants - and the bus stops for regular services to Fira, Oia and Kamari - at €2.50 a trip. The Gardenia isn't the most trendy hotel we've stayed in. It isn't the most luxurious, but with its super pool and pool bar it provides a clean, comfortable and value-for-money base for a memorable holiday on this glorious island.

The Gardenia was perfect. We stayed in a pool side room which was absolutely perfect for us, as we had our 21 month old daughter with us. The room was big and was cleaned very well every day, with fresh towels daily changed. The pool was cold at first, but once you were in it was nice. The location was great for the beach ,tavernas and restaurants. The supermarket was a 2 minute walk too, which makes the Gardenia the perfect location for your stay. All the staff were amazing and were a credit to the hotel. I would recommend the highly hotel, for the laidback chilled atmosphere, and was perfect for us.

This is a lovely little hotel, it was very clean and the staff were very friendly. We were in a double room which also had a fridge and air conditioning as well as a TV. We brought our own kettle and cups to make a brew when we wanted. Breakfast was OK with a choice of cereals, eggs and bacon, salad, cheese and ham, white sliced bread and cakes. Good size pool with plenty of sunbeds. Like much of the island the piped water is salty which took a bit of getting used to. I would definitely stay here again

What a lovely place. Our room was fantastic, huge balcony, slight sea view, very quiet and peaceful. The air-conditioning was a godsend as it was quite warm for May. The room was cleaned every day, with fresh towels which were fluffy. We had a fridge in our room which was great for water and snacks. The staff were super friendly and helpful and the pool and poolside bar great. There was no rush for loungers and the place was really relaxed and laid back. What a fantastic holiday. Would definitely recommend.

This hotel is small and beautiful. It's In a great location, a short walk to the beach, shops and restaurants. The rooms are clean and basic. Unfortunately the kitchenettes have a fridge freezer, plates, cutlery etc but no kettle, no cooker, no microwave. So self catering is a bit of a challenge. The air con is very effective the bathrooms are clean, tidy and functional. The Internet constantly drops in and out, and the tv in the room connected to the Internet the first day but did not from then on. Reception staff insisted the tv was not a smart one...it definitely was. The pool is lovely, the bar is ok but if you want a coffee, it's not their strong point. And of course, it depends who is around the pool. On our second to last day we gained a couple of old guys who liked to drink and sing at the top of their voices....constantly!!! What a pleasure lol.