"We stayed at Katrin Hotel & Bungalows in Stalis for 9 nights and honestly left feeling very underwhelmed. I’m genuinely shocked this hotel is rated 4 star, because our experience didn’t reflect that at all.
When we first arrived, we were really disappointed with our initial room – it was very dated and the beds were rock hard. We hardly slept the first night. To the hotel’s credit, they handled it brilliantly and moved us straight away to a much nicer room. The adult pool area was lovely and relaxing, and most of the staff around the hotel were friendly and helpful. The location is definitely one of the highlights – just a few minutes’ walk from the main strip, shops, and the beach.
Unfortunately, the negatives far outweighed the positives. The food was repetitive and bland. Breakfast and dinner were poor, with only Greek cuisine offered once during our entire 9-day stay, which was really disappointing. The lunches were the best meal of the day, but overall, the food quality didn’t live up to expectations. On top of that, there was a strong sewage smell around the hotel on most days.
The cats roaming around the restaurant were another issue. They were rubbing against guests’ legs and even jumping up for food, and the staff just ignored it completely.
The drinks were terrible. The water tasted like sun cream, the soft drinks were overly sweet, and the only diet option was a cola that was undrinkable. The spirits were awful – they tasted like nail varnish remover. I’ve been to plenty of all-inclusives and never expected premium brands, but these were so bad we ended up buying our own drinks from the supermarket.
The pool bars were hardly manned, and when they were, there was hardly anything on offer. The “snacks” were just a few cakes in a plastic box on the bar. The main bar didn’t even open until 6pm, and overall, there was no atmosphere anywhere in the hotel.
The entertainment was practically non-existent. The schedule advertised evening shows, but we waited for several that never actually happened. The facilities were also poor – pool tables were in bad condition, the ping pong table and racquets were broken, and there was no water polo because the nets were damaged.
Our room cleaning was disappointing too – the bathroom and toilet were rarely cleaned properly, and it seemed like the cleaners just straightened the beds rather than doing a full clean. The fridge in the room didn’t get cold, so drinks stayed warm.
We also enquired about late checkout for our evening flight and were told it would cost €50, which is the most we’ve ever been asked to pay for this anywhere.
What really surprised us is how many positive reviews this hotel has online – it’s the reason we booked in the first place, but our experience just didn’t match up at all.
Overall, while the location and a few of the staff were lovely, the food, drinks, entertainment, and facilities were a huge letdown. With better management and some serious improvements, this could be a great hotel, but as it stands, I wouldn’t rate it 4-star and sadly wouldn’t return."