Greece is one of the most amazing countries where they sacredly keep their great past, live brightly and beautifully in the present and carefully take care of the future. Every corner of this land is beautiful, from Halkidiki in the north to Crete in the south. And everywhere the tourism business is well developed. Hotels in Greece for every taste, from simple, cheap “kopecks” to chic, but expensive “fours” and “fives”. Three-star hotels occupy an intermediate position. The prices are quite affordable, the service and living conditions are at a fairly high level. That is why hotels with 3 stars are so popular. Ilios Hotel, which will be discussed in this article, is translated from Greek as “sunny”. The beautiful name is fully consistent with the atmosphere of kindness and light that guests feel there. The only caveat - in Greece there are three hotels with the same name: in Crete, in Halkidiki and in Kos.
Halkidiki: how to get there
Greek Mr. Halkidiki is very easy to find on the map, because it looks like a trident located in the north-eastern region of the country and directed from land to the Aegean Sea. There is even a myth that Poseidon was angry with the titans Athos and Seaton, who quarreled over the mermaid.
He threw his trident in them and split the earth. There was one peninsula in that place, it became 3. Ilios Hotel is located on Kassandra in the village of Kriopigi, whose name literally means "very cold key", in the sense of a spring. The other two are Athos and Sithonia. Thessaloniki is 90 km from the village of Kriopigi, and 10 km less to the international airport. Air traffic between Russia and Greece is well established. Wim Avia and Aegean Airlines fly to Thessaloniki. Flights are both direct and with transfers in some European countries. There are also flights from Ukraine operated by Aerosvit. From the airport, the hotel can be reached by bus or taxi.
Description of Ilios Hotel Kriopigi 3 (Halkidiki)
This nice and cozy three-star hotel is a two-story building, located from each other a couple of tens of meters. One of them is new, the second is a bit older. Also on the territory there is a spacious pool with sunbeds and umbrellas around, a bar, a restaurant, free WI-FI, free parking and a small but amazingly beautiful garden with evergreen trees and shrubs.
The staff at Ilios Hotel Kriopigi 3 (Halkidiki) is a family: Vagelis husband, Denis wife, their son Yorgos, a couple of maids, a gardener and a cook. They all try very hard to please every guest, always friendly, always ready to solve any problem. They don’t speak Russian, but speak English fluently. The village of Kriopigi is located on a picturesque hill. Hotel Ilios is also located on a hill, which can be somewhat inconvenient for vacationers who find it difficult to overcome the ups and downs. Room price per night varies depending on the season, but averages 40-50 euros.
Rooms
The 3-star Ilios Hotel is a so-called studio hotel, which means that the rooms have a small kitchen with a set of dishes and electric stoves. This is convenient for families with children, because you can always cook for your baby, there are a lot of grocery stores near the hotel. True, in the old kitchen building there is not everywhere, which must be checked with a tour operator. But each room has a balcony or terrace with the necessary set of plastic furniture. The view from the windows is unusually picturesque. It opens either to the garden or to the sea and surroundings. Each room at Ilios Hotel Kriopigi 3 stars is equipped with a refrigerator, safe, TV, hairdryer, toilet, wash basin and shower. Cleaning is done every day, linen and towels are changed every three days.
Nutrition
Most tourists buy tours to Ilios Hotel Kriopigi 3 on a half-board basis, which includes breakfast and dinner, or only breakfast. A tour is cheaper without dinner, but this option in this case is not entirely convenient for those who are not going to rent a car. The hotel is located on a hillside, so every day after dinner in the village you will either have to climb or walk by taxi or take a taxi. Half Board is preferred. Breakfast at the hotel is held according to the European buffet system. Their menu is constant, but all products are fresh and of high quality. Tourists are offered: granola, cereal, milk, cheese, sausage (ham), scrambled eggs or boiled eggs, butter, jam, honey, coffee, tea, juice. Dinners are held at the restaurant. The chef at the hotel is a master of his craft, so all the dishes are amazing to taste. The menu includes meat, fish, vegetable dishes of Greek and European cuisines, salads. On the side dish - pasta, rice or french fries. Plus, the chef treats himself to an ouzo. Lunch can be ordered at the hotel's restaurant throughout the day.
Sea
The beach is about a 10-15 minute leisurely walk downhill from Ilios Hotel 3. Halkidiki is considered the most environmentally friendly resort in the country. Here all year round the eye is pleased with the abundance of greenery, and pine trees descend from the hills almost to the sea itself. The beaches of Kriopigi are no exception. In a narrow strip, they stretch along the coast for several kilometers, on one side framed by a forest, and on the other, caressed by sea waves. There is almost no wind here, and the sun does not cause trouble, since in the afternoon hours a pleasant shade falls on the beach.
Sunset in the sea is good here, the bottom is sandy with small pebbles. Sun beds and umbrellas are always available. As such, there are no hotels on the first line in Kriopigi, only a small campsite. Toilets and changing cabins are his property, but other tourists are also allowed to use them. Pine trees bordering the beach give vacationers a delightful aroma, and birds in the branches of trees entertain with cheerful twittering. On the beach, you can really relax not only with your body, but also with your soul, completely forgetting about all worldly problems. And up the hill there is a cozy tavern with an open terrace, sitting on which with a cup of coffee it is pleasant to admire the sea views. You can go down to the beach not only on foot, but also on the small train that leaves from the Kriopigi Beach Hotel.
Hersonissos: how to get there
The second Ilios Hotel 3 stars is located on the island of Crete in the center of the wonderful town of Hersonissos, on the lands of the ancient Minoans. It is about 25 km from the capital city of Heraklion, where the airport and the large seaport are located. Nearby (2 km) there is another major port.
There are many flights to Heraklion from Russia. Further to the hotel you can take a taxi (about 50 euros) or catch the number one bus (runs from 6 a.m. to 1 a.m.) and go to the bus station, and then change to the bus going to Hersonissos. The trip takes three quarters of an hour; the ticket costs 3.5 euros. You can also get to Crete by sea. Modern comfortable ferries depart from Athens and from some large islands.
Description of the hotel Ilios Hotel 3 (Crete)
This hotel is one three-story building surrounded by a beautiful garden. The hotel area is small, the pool is located in an unusual place - on the roof of the building. Everything is as it should be - sunbeds, umbrellas, a bar. Pros: gorgeous views of the surroundings open from above, there is no noise from neighboring hotels. Cons: entrance to the pool in time, it opens at 9-00, closes at 19-00. Inside the hotel guests will find a cozy foyer with a TV, a breakfast buffet, a restaurant, a small shop, a currency exchange and billiards tables. At the reception (open 24 hours a day) you can order tickets, excursions, rent a vehicle, use the safe and postal services, and put things into the laundry and dry cleaning. The average room rate per person is 37-50 euros per night.
Rooms
Ilios Hotel 3 (Hersonissos) offers 73 standard rooms for 1, 2 or 3 people. There are balconies starting from the second floor. The rooms overlooking the road are very noisy. The rooms are quite spacious in size (up to 18 sq. M.), The design is modest. The furniture in them is the most necessary, but solid. The bathroom has a toilet, washbasin and shower. Of the equipment presented TV, refrigerator, telephone, internet, hairdryer. Tourists staying here leave about the same reviews about the rooms. Ilios Hotel 3 evokes the most pleasant emotions, as the rooms are always clean and tidy. Cleaning and linen change is carried out daily, the view from the windows (2nd floor and above) is fantastic, but there are also complaints. A big minus is a paid air conditioning (7 euros per day) or a fan (3 euros). The rooms, especially on the sunny side, are very hot, and not everyone has the opportunity to pay such money daily. The second minus is a short curtain in the shower, which is why after bathing on the floor there is always a lot of water.
Nutrition
Like any Greek 3-star hotel, Ilios Hotel offers its guests standard continental breakfasts, whose menu includes 2 types of cereal, milk, coffee, tea, juice, cheese, sausages, pastries, honey, eggs, jam, butter, toasts. For dinner, a variety of Greek dishes are served. From meat - lamb, pork, chicken. Also on the menu are fish, vegetable dishes, pastries, fruits. Guests take salads on their own ("buffet"). The rest is given in batches. Alcoholic beverages are available for a fee. The hotel also has early breakfasts (if necessary), consisting of coffee or tea and pastries. Lunches are also organized here, including salad, juice, sausage and cheese. Near the hotel there are many taverns and restaurants where you can have a snack if there is not enough hotel food.
Beach
Many just for the sake of the sea and snow-white sand go to Ilios Hotel 3. Crete is world famous for its beaches, of which there are several. About a 5-10 minute walk from the hotel along the street with a bunch of shops there is a good free beach with convenient entry into the sea and crystal clear waters. Half an hour walk there is another wonderful beach. But in the town there are some more fantastic free beaches, for example Drepanos at the Nana Beach hotel, Lychnostatis near the museum, Star Beach, which boasts not only the Blue Flag, but also a water park. And the widest opportunities for entertainment can be found on the beach at the Greta Maris Hotel. The only caveat - not everywhere there is a convenient entry into the water. There are those where the bottom is covered with large slippery stones.
Sunny hotel on Kos
K. Ilios Hotel 3 is located on the island of Kos, about 12 km from its capital and 14 km from the island international airport. There are no direct flights from Russia there. You need to fly to Athens, and there you need to transfer either by ferry (14 hours on the way) or by plane of local airlines. The location of the hotel is extremely convenient. The sandy Tigaki Beach is just 850 meters away. Shops, restaurants, bars are also 10 minutes away (walking distance).
Infrastructure K. Ilios Hotel includes three two-story buildings, free parking, a large pool for adults and a children's pool, gym, sauna, theater, tennis court, restaurant and bar. All buildings are surrounded by a wonderful garden. The hotel has 125 very spacious standard studios for 3 people and apartments that can accommodate 5 people. The rooms have all the amenities, air conditioning, telephone, safe, TV, kitchenette with a set of dishes, refrigerator, large balcony with furniture, toilet with bathtub.
For kids in the hotel, in addition to the pool, there is a wonderful playground. Meals are organized according to the "half board" system. The menu features Greek and European cuisine. Continental breakfasts (buffet). The hotel staff, as vacationers say, is friendly, professionally fulfills its duties, tries very hard to make guests absolutely enjoy everything. The cost of a double room for 7 nights is from 644 euros.