Marillia Village Reviews

Best thing I can say is hotel prettiest have stayed at from outside but as the saying goes looks can be deceiving. The room was the most basic we have ever stayed in [because we were with first choice] no storage for clothes except a small damp smelling cupboard. Bed for 16yrs old at 5'9" only just big enough. Double bed like concrete everyone complaining around pool of bad backs. Hotel staff informed us that the best rooms were kept for Thomson and internet bookings as they are B&B not self catering as First Choice. We found our swimwear turned green as did our bodies within first few days, on mentioning this to Iliana told we were mistaken on showing her the clothes she again was not happy. We reported it to our rep Tim who requested the pool log which was not available as apparantly not kept on site[very convienient]. Apparently samples taken and showed nothing but only tested for PH and Chlorine content. We found massive activity around pool at nights but various people but rep totally unaware of this until told. We were treated very wearily after this and avoided if possible. We still had a problem after 2 weeks but had a car and went to beach. We are now home and peeling green! Wedding Party arrived second week and everyone else could have gone home as became invisible, the hotel staff fell over themselves to accomadate them, even the owner made daily appearances but not for anyone else but the Wedding Party. On the Saturday Gelo{Fab} the hard worked Jack of all trades suggested a BBQ on Monday but later said it was up to the Wedding Party who had been asked if they wanted one or if there was one could other guests be invited despite a 12euro cost, they didn't want one so everyone else missed out. Towels changed daily but only 1 bed change in 2 weeks sheets green by end. Rooms are obviously only geared to 2 as admitted to by staff and rep as everything came in 2s chairs on small terrace and in room. Was very disappointed as had read all write ups. It would suit couples but not families. Reccommend a car although you only need one for 2 days the best beach is by the airport has life guard and is shallow. You need to be a goat and wear trainers for red beach but very diappointing dirty and full of cigarette butts, also charged by hour for sunbeds. Thira is lovely but hilly but you must walk down to harbour 588 steps or use donkey[but very cruel as uses stick with nail in to control]Cable car 4euros each way. Book trips hotel as cheaper.

We had the misfortune to travel with First Choice; you will find that if you are with First Choice you are allocated inferior rooms to Thomson Customers. Also you will become 3rd class citizens if there is a wedding party in town (as we had the misfortune to encounter on our last week). The staff can’t do enough for their wedding guests but as you have paid the same you should all be treated equally – we were not!! We were allocated Room 15 which was about the size of your average household garage with a mezzanine floor for the adult bedroom, you have to climb near vertical steps to reach this bedroom and it would have been safer to abseil down to reach the ground floor/bathroom. Headroom in the upstairs bedroom is very limited, to say the least, as I am 6’ 5” tall I have returned home looking like Quasimodo. The two teenage sons were shoe horned into converted settee/beds (If you are over 5’8” these beds mean you have to sleep curled up as your feet stick over the edge). There was one wardrobe and 4 draws for 4 suitcases of clothes; therefore we had to live out of suitcases. The information on the door indicated that this was really a room suitable for 2 people. The apartments are cleaned daily with clean towels provided daily, although we only had one change of bed linen in the 2 weeks we stayed there and that was within the first couple of days of our stay. On a positive side the free air conditioning is very welcome and the shower was probably the best one I have encountered in my many visits to Greek Islands and the Greek mainland. A safety deposit box is available at 21euro for a fortnight – payable to reception. The staff at the apartments are helpful; unless you complain!! Lianna on reception is very pleasant and most helpful and can organise trips and excursions at a cheaper rate than Thomsons. We hired a jeep for 6 days and went on the Greek evening (we saved 12 euros per person compared to Thomson prices and ended up travelling with people who had booked through Thomson). Gelu who runs the pool bar is very friendly and always has a smile and a greeting for guests, he has an array of card tricks and you will also have the “pleasure” of hearing the suitcase joke!! We had a problem with the pool, our swimming clothes and towels turned green, our complaints led to a frosty atmosphere from the rep and the staff. Our concern was how safe was the water to ingest the Owners were very defensive – strangely enough the pool was cleaned more often.

We had a wonderful holiday at the Marillia. Just like all the other reviews have said, the place is very clean, very friendly and has very good facilities. It is the best place we have stayed in Greece for 15 years.

The rooms were very well decorated and with nice furniture and a comfortable bed. The kitchen had all the necessary utensils - not that we used them - as the food and drink available at the pool bar were very reasonable and good, so we usually went there for lunch. Hard working Camillia at the bar was always helpful and friendly, in spite of being busy all day (";Oh my God"; Camillia). Breakfast was excellent and it was nice to be able to eat it either inside or outside by the pool.

The pool was very good - just the right size and there was plenty of sunbeds, although a few more umbrellas would have been better.

The grounds were very attractive and well looked after with lots of flowers and trees.

Iliana on reception was extremely helpful and friendly and was able to organise trips and taxis for us. These were much better value than those provided by Thompsons, and, talking to those who used the Thompson trips, they seem to have been much better quality as well - particularly the food on the sunset cruises. Iliana gave us a bottle of wine from her family's vineyard on the day we left - a nice gesture.

The bus stop is just outside and there is a good supermarket about 10 minutes walk away. The Marillia has a handful of tavernas close by, but also, we didn't mind the walk into Perissa to find a few more places.

We really want to go back again next year (well tomorrow actually!)

We felt delighted with the accommodation here. It was quaint, picturesque and spotlessly clean. The staff were unobtrusive but very efficient and they certainly made our stay an enjoyable one. Breakfast served around the pool with the gentle breeze blowing was idyllic.

The resort was actually the Perivilios end of Perissa and in September was quite quiet, however, it was an enjoyable walk to the livlier part in Perissa and we found that with all the irresistable food on offer, the walk was necessary for our waistbands!

Restaurants we liked were Volcano and Forum but we wouldn't recommend Meteor for the simple reason that she overcharged us considerably.

Excursions organised by Thomson were interesting, The Santorini Impressions was particularly good. We did feel the Sunset Cruise was a little misleading in that you were told you could sample the hot springs and the special muds on this trip when in actual fact you had to jump from the boat and swim a fair way (no good if you are a weak swimmer) and the muds are a murky part of the sea where you really have to dig down deep below the rocks! The final straw was when the courageous members of our party all returned with nasty jelly fish stings....

We found the bus service quite easy to use and went into Fira. The price is very reasonable and the buses are more like air-conditioned coaches.

Fira was a fascinating mix of cobbled streets, jewellery and craft shops and we had a lovely light lunch in a restaurant overlooking the fabulous Caldera.

We were thoroughly enjoying the experience until we encountered the poor donkeys providing the transport up the cliff for the lazy tourists. It was quite distressing to see many, many donkeys loaded up with overweight human beings and being forced to walk up the sheer cliff in the burning sun. To do the walk you need sensible footwear as with the sheer volume of donkeys the walkway becomes quite treacherous underfoot, also, when new donkeys are sent charging down the hill to do the next shift you nearly get trodden on. To say the experience was quite shocking would be an understatement and as we walked we were aware of discent from many other pedestrian holiday makers.

All in all we had a wonderful, relaxing holiday, but I do feel the exploitation of animals is wrong and I would advise any animal lover such as myself to use the chair lift or stay looking around the shops instead!

These apartments are theideal place for q quiet relaxing holiday. Everywhere is kept spotlessly clean and the owners obviously take great pride in their accomodation. The salt water swimming pool and jacuzzi are wonderful We stayed on a bed and breakfast basis, the breakfast was buffet style and consisted on everything from fruit and cereal to cakes and biscuits!

The owner's daughter Lianna works in reception and is lovely - expremely friendly and helpful - she even gave us a bottle of their own Marillia Village wine as we were leaving which was a lovely touch. Michael who sets up breakfast, mans the bar, makes, lunch, keeps the area around the pool clean and tidy and a hundred and one other things is a great, hard working, friendly and very cute young man. Our room was cleaned to a high standard with clean towels every day. It was more than spacious enough for the two of us, our only complaint being that the shower was a bit cramped, but you don't spend more time in there than you have to do you? The beaches and tavernas are only a five minute stroll away and a further 20 mins takes you into the livlier resort of Perissa. The tavernas here are slightly cheaper than in Perivolos - everywhere we ate was good. Take care with younger children in the sea though as it is quite shallow at the edge then shelves very steeply into deep water. The capital Fira is a must for its beautiful views, charming little cobbled streets and shops. You can catch the bus to Fira just outside Marillia Village - just ask Lianna for the bus times, she will also organise trips for you with a local agent which are much cheaper that the tour operators.

All in all a wonderful holiday.