Grand Resort Lagonissi

"This was our third visit to the Grand Resort Lagonissi (GRL) and in this review I’ll cover the main aspects that matter to us: the location, the staff, the rooms and bungalows, the restaurants, the facilities, and what makes GRL our preferred choice for a truly relaxing holiday in Greece. I didn't cover the SPA which looks great since we didn't have the chance to try it out. > The location: The resort has an excellent location on the Athenian Riviera, particularly for guests arriving through Athens International Airport. The drive normally takes less than 30 minutes. It is also close to a wide variety of restaurants, ranging from authentic local places within a 5–10-minute drive to Michelin-starred dining options approximately 15 minutes away. During previous visits, we also travelled into central Athens in the morning and returned to the resort in the afternoon. Depending on traffic, the journey usually took no more than an hour, making it possible to combine a relaxing resort holiday with time in the city. > The staff: The entire staff is highly professional, genuinely friendly and consistently helpful. We had conversations with many members of the team, and several of them mentioned that they feel well treated and well managed by the hotel’s management. To us, this is a very positive sign. It reflects a hotel that is properly managed, fair towards its employees and supported by a healthy organisational culture. This is also noticeable in the service. The friendliness does not feel forced or scripted; it feels authentic. We would also like to extend a special thank you to Mr Thanassis Karvounis, who was exceptionally helpful and played an important role in making our stay truly unforgettable. > The rooms and bungalows: For couples, we highly recommend the Mediterranean Bungalows. They may not be the cheapest room category, but in our experience they offer the best value for money. The bungalows are spacious, have exceptional sea views and are conveniently located close to everything that matters: the quieter natural beaches, which can feel almost private, the main beach, the main building where breakfast is served, and two of the resort’s restaurants. Families will also find many excellent accommodation options throughout the resort. Most of the rooms, bungalows and villas are not newly built, but they are well maintained, high-quality and pleasantly unpretentious rather than flashy. The quality of the construction is particularly noticeable. The rooms provide very good insulation from heat, noise and outside light. The infrastructure is also reliable, including strong water pressure, effective air conditioning and abundant Wi-Fi coverage throughout the resort. The rooms/bungalows are also well equipped with good coffee machines, refrigerators, generous wardrobe space and everything else required for a comfortable stay. Most Bungalows also include a steam shower, which is a particularly enjoyable feature and adds to the overall sense of relaxation. The restaurants The resort currently offers several dining options, including Japanese, Greek and Mediterranean restaurants, as well as Aphrodite, where breakfast is served. Although we are quite demanding when it comes to food, we enjoyed all of them. The Mediterranean restaurant is located directly on the main beach and also provides food and drinks to the sunbeds, which is extremely convenient. Across all the restaurants, the quality of the ingredients was excellent, from fresh Greek tomatoes, fish and olive oil to high-quality Japanese Wagyu beef. > The facilities and beaches: I’ll mention only the facilities we personally used. We visited several of the resort’s beaches, and all of them were clean, comfortable and well equipped. The water-sports centre is also well equipped and offers a variety of activities, including kayaks, banana boats and jet skis. I spent a lot of time snorkelling and freediving around the resort. Being able to enter the water directly from different parts of the property made the experience especially convenient and relaxing. The resort also operates an efficient buggy service to transport guests around the property. Given the size of the resort, this service is extremely convenient, and we found the buggies readily available and the transfers quick and well organised. > Overall: What makes Grand Resort Lagonissi the best choice for us for a relaxing getaway in Greece is the consistent quality. High quality is the common denominator across the accommodation, the service, the location, the facilities, the food and even the overall atmosphere and crowd. It is not a resort that relies only on flashy design or superficial luxury. Its strength is the combination of comfort, space, natural beauty, professional service and a genuine feeling of relaxation. After three visits, we would definitely be back."

"Hmmmmm.... This is a supposedly 5 star hotel with prices to match with some definite Pros and some Cons. On the positive side the staff are lovely and extremely helpful as you find in most places in Greece. The facilities are decent and the food too. On the less good side the fabric of the hotel is extremely dated and even though it was apparently refitted and reopened in 2001 it looks and feels like a hotel built in the 80s. The rooms and décor across the hotel are very old fashioned and in need of a serious refresh. Like everything in Greece and Turkey these days the prices have gone nuts so considering the price you pay the condition of the hotel is disappointing. I'd like to give it a higher rating because of the warmth of the staff but the state of the hotel let's it down unfortunately."

"Disappointed, we are in a bungalow by the sea. Had we been here 30 years ago it would be the height of sophistication, the rest of the resort is beautiful, however, our room is very tired, in desperate need of a refit. In room 403."