Iolida Beach

"1.5/5 – One of the most disappointing hotel experiences we have had We have travelled quite a lot and stayed at many different hotels, and unfortunately this has been one of our most disappointing hotel experiences – particularly considering the price, the All Inclusive concept and the standard the hotel presents itself as offering. Let me start with the positives: the staff are generally friendly and welcoming, and the housekeeping has been very good. They deserve credit, and they are certainly not the reason for our low rating. The problem is the hotel itself and the overall experience. In our opinion, the hotel completely lacks atmosphere, character and any real sense of being on holiday. The common areas feel clinical and soulless, the pool areas are uninspiring, and the bar area does little to make you want to sit down, relax and spend your evening there. The “restaurant” is probably the best example. It feels much more like a large canteen or dining hall than a restaurant. There is virtually no atmosphere, and the acoustics are absolutely terrible. Conversations, chairs, cutlery and plates echo around the room, creating a very high level of noise and making the canteen feeling even worse. Rather than wanting to stay after dinner and enjoy a glass of wine, we generally just wanted to finish eating and leave. We have actually ended up eating dinner outside the hotel almost every evening despite already having paid for All Inclusive. Of course, this has meant spending considerably more money, but it has also been where we have discovered the Greece we were hoping to experience: lovely restaurants, good food, atmosphere, hospitality and places where you genuinely want to sit and enjoy the evening. Had we spent our entire holiday eating and staying at this hotel, I honestly doubt I would have wanted to return to Greece. Thankfully, leaving the hotel and experiencing the local restaurants and surrounding area showed us a completely different and much better side of the country. The All Inclusive concept itself has also been disappointing. The selection feels limited, particularly when it comes to drinks, and there are very few proper sugar-free alternatives. When guests who have already paid for All Inclusive voluntarily choose to pay for dinner and drinks elsewhere almost every evening, that says quite a lot. The TV situation is frankly bizarre. Our accommodation has two televisions, yet there are virtually no useful channels and no built-in streaming functionality. Why provide two TVs if guests cannot actually watch anything on them? If you want to use Netflix, YouTube or another streaming service, you effectively need to bring your own streaming device from home. Naturally, we did not expect that we would need to pack additional TV equipment for an All Inclusive holiday. We even tried to buy a Chromecast or similar streaming device locally. We travelled around specifically looking for one, but were unable to find anywhere selling one within approximately 20 km of the hotel. So unless you bring your own equipment from home, the two televisions are essentially useless. In 2026, having two TVs in the accommodation but virtually nothing to watch and no built-in streaming option feels incredibly outdated and poorly thought out. The bathroom has more serious problems. There is a very strong sewage smell coming from the toilet – strong enough that we have to keep the bathroom door closed at all times to prevent the smell spreading into the rest of the accommodation. When taking a shower, water also spreads across the bathroom floor and actually runs underneath the bathroom door and out into the accommodation. This simply should not be happening at a hotel of this supposed standard. We specifically chose and paid extra for accommodation with a private pool because we wanted privacy. It has therefore been extremely uncomfortable that the pool maintenance person has repeatedly entered our private pool area without any warning whatsoever. This has happened while we were naked and being intimate. That is completely unacceptable and a serious invasion of privacy. If a hotel advertises and charges extra for a private pool, the absolute minimum should be for staff to knock, announce themselves or otherwise give guests notice before entering the private area. What makes the experience particularly frustrating is that the staff and housekeeping are actually good. Our criticism is not directed at them. It is the facilities, atmosphere, design and several very basic aspects of the hotel that let the experience down. Every time we leave the hotel and visit local restaurants, we experience the warm, charming and enjoyable Greece we had hoped for. Every time we return to the hotel, that feeling disappears again. Perhaps this hotel works well for someone simply looking for a very quiet, functional place to sleep and eat without caring much about atmosphere, entertainment or inviting common areas. But if you are looking for character, atmosphere, enjoyable facilities, privacy and the feeling of actually being on holiday, we would personally recommend choosing somewhere else. 1.5 out of 5 stars. The 1.5 stars are primarily for the friendly staff and very good housekeeping. Had we not chosen to spend additional money eating out and experiencing places away from the hotel, this would have been a very poor holiday experience."

"Great location! Beach front resort! Really friendly and helpful staff especially the Guest Relations team! A little dated in area’s but would still return!"

"We arrived at the end of August for 10 days. On arrival, we were disappointed that our room was across the road and quite far away. However, the sea view was amazing and we did have lots of privacy so in hindsight was a blessing. The room was great, clean and tidy. The room was cleaned everyday and we were provided with fresh towels daily. Very impressed with the room cleanliness and overall cleanliness of the hotel, never did we see any rubbish or dirt. It really is kept on top of. There are two pools at the hotel, one by the beach and the second by the Bridge restaurant. The pool by the beach is busy, with loungers being reserved early and no hope of getting a free lounger in the afternoon. The pool by the Bridge restaurant however was bliss, quiet and a swim up bar and able to get loungers whatever time of day. We were very pleased with the food quality for all inclusive. There was always something we liked and different themes every day. There are also snacks all afternoon and a street food snack bar on some days, which was very delicious. The staff in the restaurant were very quick with clearing plates etc away. There is definitely room for improvement with the food, but we were more than happy. The location of the hotel is fantastic, right on the beach with tavernas and shops aplenty. We were disappointed that the loungers on the beach were chargeable, as didn't see this information before booking and was a big draw. We would 100% visit Iolida Beach again, the staff couldn't do more for you and we had the best time. Giving it a 4 star review as feel there could be room for improvement with the food and communication that the beach loungers are chargeable, however very impressed."