Hermes Hotel

"We have recently returned from a stay at the Hermes Hotel in Skiathos and came away feeling rather disappointed. There are some positives, but they are outweighed by a number of issues that make the hotel's official 4-star rating difficult to justify. Firstly, the staff were genuinely lovely throughout our stay. Everyone we encountered was friendly, polite and always willing to help. Breakfast was also good, with plenty of choice and particularly nice coffee that was strong and fresh each morning. Lory’s souvlaki shop on the main road next to the hotel was very good and many guests used it at lunchtime. Unfortunately, that's where the positives largely end. The manager was somewhat unusual. Whilst never rude and generally pleasant enough, he wasn't especially welcoming. One thing that left us uncomfortable was being required to pay the tourist tax in cash despite everything else in the hotel operating on a card-only basis. No receipt was provided, which also seemed odd. The photographs used by TUI are also extremely selective and do not provide a true reflection of the hotel's condition. We felt somewhat misled. Throughout the property there is a noticeable sense of dilapidation and deferred maintenance. Examples included cracked basins in our room, a missing bathroom lightbulb, rusting railings, worn and uneven decking and an ancient sofa that looked long overdue for replacement. The decking around the dining area was particularly concerning. In places the boards are lifting, paint has worn away and it genuinely feels as though sections could give way underfoot. Across the entire property there are countless small maintenance issues which combine to create a generally run-down atmosphere. Our room had a kitchenette complete with a full-sized cooker and fridge, yet no crockery, cutlery, glasses, plates or cooking utensils were supplied. This rendered the kitchen virtually useless. What's even more confusing is that guests are reportedly not permitted to bring their own food into the hotel, so it is difficult to understand the purpose of providing cooking facilities at all. The hotel advertises itself as non-smoking, yet ashtrays are positioned around the pool area and smoking appeared commonplace and completely unchallenged. There were also numerous lists of rules displayed throughout the property, many of which came across as unnecessarily passive-aggressive rather than welcoming. One of the biggest frustrations was the pool area. Pool towels are provided, but there are only 14 sun loungers for the entire hotel. This is simply nowhere near enough and meant many guests had no realistic opportunity to use the pool comfortably. There appeared to be plenty of room for additional loungers, making the shortage even more baffling. Prospective guests should also pay close attention to the hotel's warning about access. The TUI website suggests the approach may not be suitable for guests with mobility issues. This is a huge understatement. The slope leading to the hotel is extraordinarily steep. Walking down it requires care and hauling suitcases up was genuinely exhausting. Anyone wearing heels would struggle enormously and, in our opinion, a handrail should be installed for safety. There were plenty of other small frustrations. Doors in our room would not stay closed properly and frequently popped open. None of the bathroom or toilet doors had locks. The air-conditioning unit was extremely old and noisy, forcing a choice between being hot and uncomfortable or trying to sleep through constant noise. Breakfast, while enjoyable, also suffered from a poor layout. Guests had to lean over other items to reach the coffee and juice stations. A simple rearrangement with an additional table would make a significant difference. The location is reasonably good for beach access, with two beaches each around a 10-minute walk away. However, there are very few restaurants or bars nearby. We found ourselves catching buses almost every evening to Agia Paraskevi, Troulos or Skiathos Town just to have some dining and entertainment options. Overall, this hotel is simply not a 4-star property. In our opinion it is closer to a 2-star hotel, or perhaps a modest 3-star at a push. We were particularly disappointed because TUI properties normally align much more closely with their advertised ratings. We absolutely love Skiathos and will certainly return to the island, but would we stay at the Hermes Hotel again? Absolutely not."

"Amazing stay at Hermes Hotel! Great location, lovely and clean, and the food was really nice. Most importantly, Billy and Panos were absolutely brilliant all week — so friendly, helpful and welcoming. They really made our stay special!"

"Unfortunately I can’t give more stars, as even though the price reflects the accommodation, there are certainly easy fixes which the owner just purely ignores (even though it was mentioned number of times in previous comments) The biggest let downs are: No wifi in the room. I have spoken to reception and they made me feel like I am telling the lie, as apparently ALL other roomes have no problem. I did invite the guy to come and check our room. No other room “with wifi” was offered either. Breakfast as everyone mentioned is not great. No pastries at all. So basic. However little market just next door sell freshly baked pastries every morning! Perhaps the biggest disappointment was the amount of sunbeds near the pool. Yes, they are very nice but there are very few and they are never available. I wanted to “reserve” with towel at 8am to celebrate my husband’s Birthday, however when I came back an hour later all was removed and all beds taken. It absolutely ruined our day as we were prepared to spend money at the bar and stay there for the day before heading to the town for the evening. No signs to say you can’t have towels. I did see myself every morning towels placed on beds with no people and for whatever reasons this was ok. Super disappointed and upset as no clear communication. Want to confirm, that towels were definitely removed by staff (even though staff was there when I placed them and didn’t say anything) I feel it’s important to have attention to details, however this hotel has so much potential, but clearly not interested in any improvement, only to say that as excuse. The Kolios beach is 10min walk which is nice, so if you not planning to eat or stay for the day near the pool, then definitely the hotel is ok to stay. A few restaurants around, which is convenient. Small car park if you want to rent a car. No activities or entertainment in hotel. I certainly would love to see this place genuinely improve!"