Be aware that hotels found on various websites may not always offer better products or services than the hotels we recommend. They may just spend more money on online advertising! Internet searches usually return hundreds of options in each location. The huge volume of hotels on offer can be quite daunting, and it becomes a challenge to find the right hotel for your needs and at the right price. Our recommended hotels are conveniently located, are well priced, their staffs provide friendly and helpful service and understand the needs of our clientele, that is why in our view, they are best value for money hotels. By selecting our hotel you can be sure that you will stay at a hotel that many of our previous clients used and were happy with. Talk to our team and we will recommend a hotel that meets your budget and expectations. We still retain a wide range of hotels for you to choose from, but have selected for the brochure only a few in each category due to space limitations. Should you wish to book hotel which is not listed in the brochure please do not hesitate contact us as we are able to book hundreds of hotels throughout Greece.
There is no official star rating classification in Greece despite the fact that most hotels display star rating. Greek National Tourist Organization classifies hotels into six categories: “L” (deluxe), A”,”B”, “C”,”D”,”E”. In general as hotels vary significantly in quality, size, facilities and style, classification is based on room sizes, number of restaurants or other facilities for example parking. A-class hotels are usually shown as 4 star, B as 3 or 4 star, C as 3 and D as 2 but this is not a rule. The higher category does not always guarantee that the hotel is better. It is not uncommon to find a 2 or 3 star hotel which is as good as or even better than 4 star. It may be renovated offering a great service while the 4 star maybe be of older style or with poor service. We do not recommend using the official or websites classification when selecting hotels as a rule. Sometimes a hotel in one destination can be of significantly different quality than the same category hotel in another location.
Hotel prices in Greece are very seasonal especially on the island. It is common to find that the same room in high season costs four times or more than in low season. Any internet search will reveal a large number of hotels. The result vary significantly between what can be found in main town like Athens and Thessaloniki, the large island like Crete and Rhodes, and the small islands. Hotels of the same category may vary significantly in price due to its location, not only facilities and services offered. In the main towns where there are large numbers of hotels, the prices are more competitive; while on the islands where the hotels are usually small, some hoteliers may inflate prices due to demand. The hotel owners in Greece can call a room a suite despite the fact that it is a room only – rooms can be called premium, deluxe, superior despite the non-existing differences in order to command a higher price. Descriptions online can be very misleading. Many hoteliers advertise rooms with sea views despite the fact that the sea may be a distance of five to ten kilometres from the hotel which of course affects the price. The cheaper options will not reveal that their location is in a red light district or may describe distance to attractions or restaurants as two minute walk while in fact they are at least two kilometres away. For example to attract bargain hunters some properties in Santorini do not disclose that the hotel is not on the cliff, is facing the other side of the island or that it is in remote location. The large number of steps required to reach the reception or pool is also often omitted.
The latest trend in Greek hotel naming is to include the word “boutique”. This is a general term and no one is quite sure what it really means in Greece. Unfortunately, quite often some hotels called boutique online may just offer small rooms at high prices. The real boutique hotels in Greece fall into two categories – ones that are newly built and others that are renovated. In the case of renovated properties, the actual building may be a vintage structure for example Olive farm, factory or sea captain’s and merchants residence and revamped mansions. When the hotel is newly-built, it usually means that the structure itself is architecturally interesting in some way. Boutique hotel lobbies usually have put a lot of thought, time, and money into the interior furnishings.
The hoteliers as well as many websites offering hotel used loose terms to describe hotel locations. Words commonly used are: access to transport, close to attractions or town, near the beach etc. It is important that some attractions may be suitable for some and not for the others. Close to town may mean next to the nightclubs and near the beach may be a holiday resort in the middle of nowhere. Clients can get surprise on arrival when they realise that that the only way to access they idyllic hotel is by donkey trail or that they have to take a taxi each time when they want to have a dinner in a restaurant different other than the one at the hotel. The descriptions about the hotel location are commonly vague and as there are usually no street names on the islands it is almost impossible to position exact location of the hotel. Distances described on the website usually inaccurate.
We at Greece Travel Corporation inspect the hotels regularly and we are able to describe and compare hotels for you. We do not work with every hotel as we select not to. We represent hotels that provide quality accommodation, professional service at the fair price. We know the hotel actual location, the real standard, the number of steps, which are suitable for honeymooners and which are better for mature travellers. We are a destination specialist and recommend hotels that are suitable for each traveller. You may find hotels for less but you may not like your surroundings or find that the money you save is being spent on getting to and from the archaeological sites, shopping and dining areas. We can advise which hotels are suitable for people looking to enjoy the nightlife or who wish for an authentic boutique experience.