Skiathos Palace Hotel

"We booked a last minute trip to Skiathos - a family of 4, 2 children ages 6 and 8. We didn't do our usual detailed research and hoped for the best. Skiathos Palace Hotel over exceeded our expectations and we had the most wonderful time. The staff are extremely friendly and helpful, from Demetra who helps with information (with a bright smile), to Anastasia in the dining area to Yianni the shuttle bus driver to name a few. We were pleasantly surprised to find out there is a shuttle bus that take you to the beach and up again if needed as well as into Skiathos Town. The location is exceptional with breathtaking views. Koukounaries and Maratha beaches are stunning. Highly reccommend and would gladly book to stay here again."

"Well let's start with the best bits first, on arrival got a friendly welcome at reception, and to our delight got a Sea View room which was wonderful, once we finally got to our room which was quite a treck to get there it was well worth it, a nice big room was clean and fresh, a large balcony a view worth a million dollars 💸 Free Safe which is always a bonus and comfy beds n pillows, I do believe there is a pillow menu if needed Outside area consists of a lovely bar and eating area, be aware that it is expensive, a large beer 🍺 is €7, the pool area has plenty of chairs tables and sun loungers which u have to be up early to secure wth a towel as we found out on our first day by the pool, the hotel and Skiathos its self is mainly British holiday makers, hence the Towel on sunbed situation, the pool is very deep so be careful if ur not a strong swimmer like myself but lovely to cool down in, there's a lovely outdoor dining area which make a change from eating inside but hold tight off ur plates, glasses etc as the staff are like hawks and as soon as u let go of anything its gone, there is a roof terrace restaurant but we didn't go up to that, I do believe its quite pricey but ur on holiday so why not I suppose, the hotel its self is situated along the only road through Skiathos bus stop number 23 and its a 15min walk to nearest shop and bar 🍸 but there is a lovely sports type bar which plays all ur familiar tunes to sing along too, but u need to catch bus back as its very dark along round, its €2.20 each for one stop lol 😆 but worth it, the hotel has got a free shuttle in to the town of Skiathos but we hired a scooter and went round the island for 2 days and is well worth it and its quite cheap to hire transport Most people you speak to are regulars to the island and I can see why, its stunning 😍 the airport is a dream compared to others as its very small wth only one plane landing at a time and hotel is only half hour away Now the only downside to the hotel and I am probably been picky here is that there is no airer on balcony for ur wet beach clothes and yes there is a kettle in room but no condiments to use ur kettle for so best to take ur own and we had to plug kettle in on the bedside cabinet as there was no socket where the cups/kettle tray was, bit strange but still at least there was one NOW, the one major fault wth this hotel is that Jet 2, Google both rate the hotel as a 4star. Google has an official rating of 4 star BUT the hotel charges 5 star room tax which is €15 and €10 for 4 star, now, its not the money its the principal, and also u pay when u check out, we were told when we checked in so I had kept the money to one side, when I did question the rating at reception she tried to say it was officially a 5 star and proceeded to bring out a certificate in Greek but I saw the '5' and I also saw the expiry date on this certificate as 2023, I then questioned that and she still said we are a officially a 5 star, but officially they aren't and no where on the building does it show any stars inside or out, obviously I could have stood there all day but I paid it but if u are Officially 5 star, then display ur stars on the building and an up to date certificate, this is the only reason that I probably would choose a different hotel next time we visit Skiathos Also be aware that if u do have mobility issues there are no lifts and plenty of steps 😉"

"The hotel and the surrounding area are just beautiful. Sat on the terrace with a drink, watching the sun go down over distant mountains with Koukanaries bay and the pine forest in the foreground is a wonderful experience. The views from the room balconies are stunning, if you have a sea view room. It's hard for a picture to do it justice. The local beaches are some of the best I've been to, both visually with golden sands and clear waters, but they also gently shelve so great for kids. The hotel itself is one of the most well run I've stayed in. They don't scrimp on staff in terms of numbers and quality, the service is very efficient, friendly and professional which just adds up to a very relaxing stay. It's spotlessly clean. The cocktails are good! The food is good - no 'Brits abroad' stuff, lots of local dishes and even my picky child was happy. There were families with young children, being May half term, but I wouldn't say it was focused on being 'family funtime' hotel. To me, it felt a special place to go as a couple for a relaxing escape. Downsides - the pool isn't at all child friendly if your child isn't water confident. The shallow end isn't shallow and shelves to 2m quite quickly. Also, lots of steps down or a steep road to the road and the beach, no lift in the hotel so if you're restricted in your mobility, it's not going to work for you. We loved our stay at the Palace, Koukanaries and Skiathos in general."