"The biggest positive of our stay was the friendliness and helpfulness of the family running the hotel, especially Daphne and Eleanor, who were always pleasant and accommodating. To be fair, we didn't interact much with other staff as we spent most of our days exploring the area.
We booked quite late and unfortunately ended up with what was probably the worst balcony in the hotel. The rooms are very dated, basic and somewhat drab, even by the standards of many Greek hotels I've stayed in. A few pictures on the walls would make a big difference. There were also some maintenance issues, including a broken blind, dangerous-looking electrical sockets, dirty spoons left in the room, and no Wi-Fi signal in our room.
The hotel's description and location didn't really match our expectations. Kryopigi was presented as a more traditional, rural Greek destination, but in reality it felt very different. We actually overheard other guests making similar comments around the pool.
The nearby beach is lovely and definitely worth visiting. However, the walk back is extremely steep, so I'd recommend taking the shuttle bus back if it's running. Unfortunately, it appears to stop around 6th September, leaving you with either a taxi or a very challenging uphill walk. Taxi availability can also be hit and miss, as there seems to be only one regular driver. Most of the time this was fine, but on one occasion he was doing an airport transfer and no alternative taxis were available.
The pool area wasn't for us. It was very busy, and groups of older children and teenagers were constantly throwing balls around with little consideration for younger children or other guests. There didn't seem to be any staff supervision, so the behaviour continued unchecked.
Other disappointing points included:
• Clean towels only every four days, which felt a bit too infrequent.
• No card machine at the bar; purchases had to be settled at reception.
• Tourist tax had to be paid in cash.
• The whole area seemed to favour cash over card payments, which feels very outdated nowadays.
• Check-in was poor. After travelling from the early hours of the morning, having to wait over an hour for a room was frustrating.
On the positive side, there are some excellent restaurants nearby:
• Bistro was our favourite – easily the classiest and best overall.
• Nikos Taverna was very good.
• Balatsos Fish Restaurant was also worth a visit.
We also enjoyed visiting Afitos, which we found much more attractive and authentic. Hanioti was okay, although some of the public areas were untidy, with litter and even discarded nappies visible on the grass.
Overall, this is a very budget-friendly holiday option. If you're looking for a cheap break, don't mind extremely basic accommodation and enjoy a lively, crowded pool atmosphere, it may suit you. For us, however, it wasn't the right fit. Having visited Greece many times, this destination felt closer to a package holiday resort than the traditional Greek experience we were hoping for.
Sadly, it's not somewhere we'd return to. Next year we'll either head back to Parga, which we much prefer, or return to renting private villas for a bit more privacy and a better overall experience.
We scored a 3 because of the owners. Or for us it sadly would've been a 2. Sorry."