Esperides Beach Hotel Reviews

The hotel is ideal for holidaymakers who wish to spend a relaxing time and are not concerned about being entertained all the time. We booked thro and flew by Thomas Cook airlines, the flight and food were good the only issue I have is the seat pitch but you can pay extra for the extra leg room of the door seats. We were transferred from the airport in the hotels mini bus which made the transfer time less than 15 mins, upon arrival the check in was smooth with a porter waiting to take our cases to the room. Meal times were well attended with the choice of food good but could have been a little hotter. The rooms were cleaned to a high standard every day and all the staff were helpful and friendly. The pool area was well used with the Sunbed grand prix starting at 7:50 with a gates open at 8:00 and all the beds towelled by 8:10.Extra beds were available on the beach at a cost of 8 euros for two beds and umbrella The pool is not suitable for non-swimmers as the depth ranges from 1.75m to 2.25m, however the lack of children meant that adults could supervise the young non-swimmers easily. There is a boat service from the beach in front of the hotel and for a cost of 2 euros you can cross the bay into Skiathos town, The holiday was intended to be a "getaway and unwind” break and it met all the criteria. Guests looking for activities or entertainment would need to travel to other resorts and use this hotel as a tranquil base

just returned from a week in the esperides. we could not fault it.it was brilliant. staff excellent. maid service was unbelievable. we were there for our sons wedding and i can thoroughly recommend the whole thing. we had a lovely time in skiathos and we hope to return in the future. skiathos is beautiful, word of warning though, its a lot hotter than spain!

Having read most of the reviews on this site, and having just returned from Skiathos, we have to agree that most comments are accurate about this hotel and about Skiathos.

Skiathos is a pretty and quiet island with good beaches and is certainly a place to ";chill out."; A week is sufficient to see everything and hiring a car is a complete waste of money, (this, from someone who usually hires a car on the Greek islands),such is the reliability of the bus service and the availability of taxis.Take the bus to the various recommended places and WALK!! There are some beautiful walks through heavily scented trees and shrubs to hidden beaches. What could be better?

The situation of the hotel is truly stunning and the gardens are extremely well-looked after. There is plenty of space for an additional sun lounge area near the farcical pool but this is not utilised although this is NOT to force you onto the hotel's sun loungers on the beach because the money from these is set by, and goes to, the local municipality.
The beach is ideal, small, clean (the water is transparent) and peaceful and the beach tavernas are excellent for lunch. The water taxi is a handy and useful way of getting to the pretty capital, Skiathos Town.

In the debate on this site as to whether the hotel is 4 star or 3 star, it is probably 4 star by Greek island standards but certainly only 3 star by Western European standards. Some of the plus factors are items such as the charming and pleasant hotel staff, the standard of room cleanliness, the availability of an empty fridge in the bedroom and the reasonable price of table wine. The decor is a little tired (but this could be said about many widely-used hotels) and the room is somewhat basic without the little touches one expects in a 4 star hotel (the 3 star Hotel Jazz in Barcelona would be 5 star plus in Greece).

As many point out on this site, the meals are monotonous, you can forecast what is going to appear at breakfast and at the evening meal. There is plenty of food but the presentation leaves a great deal to be desired - small plates, tiny bowls for cereals, the fruit presented in an unappetising manner (a bowl of apples, a bowl of bananas, a bowl of pears). Just think how, in some hotels, fruit can be presented in a wonderful display. Again what happens to the fruit in the morning? On an island where shops have an abundance of fruit, the only fruit EVERY morning of our stay, was sliced apples. In the same context, tinned carrots and peas in the evening are hardly what you would expect in a top hotel. (along with sprouts in June!!!)Each morning, we had to feed bread through the rotating toaster 3 times to get it slightly brown. A fellow guest informed me that it had been like that for 5 years!! A 4 star hotel would replace this immediately. We could go on like this about the food but we were fed, we didn't get poisoned and the fish was particularly good!!

Overall, we enjoyed the week, we had a good holiday, we loved the peace of Skiathos and we would recommend you to try the hotel and form your own judgement. The hotel was not in the luxury class but it WAS good value for money and and different things appeal to different people.

Skiathos is the most beautiful island.The town is very pretty and relaxing,great place for people watching. We hired a car for two days and explored the interior. The scenery was amazing.

Unfortunately we found the Hotel Esperides very disappointing. The position is stunning with fabulous views but the hotel leaves alot to be desired. The food is not only monotonous and boring ( what sort of hotel serves exactly the same deserts every evening we were there? You can only stand so much creme caramel!) it was also a health hazard. We did not find lukewarm food covered in flys very appetising!We complained to the rep but nothing was done. We ended up eating out which we hadn't budgeted for. The room was dark and smelly with poor air conditioning.The view was very nice but the way the balconies are built if you are sitting down you cant see over the wall. There are only two very small lifts which are very tempremental!We also found the First Choice rep utterly useless. She didn't even know about the water sports at the far end of the beach. Also beware if you are travelling on a Friday. There are eighteen flights that day and the airport cannot cope with the amount of people. we were herded about like cattle and some people were taken ill through having to queue for so long.

We would go back to Skiathos but not with First Choice and we definitely wouldn't stay at The Hotel Esperides.It is such a shame this hotel is so poor because it is in such a beautiful position.

End of year holiday and our first time on Skiathos........lovely, peaceful relaxing. Well worth a visit for a week, anything longer would have been too long. We would agree with what others have said on Holidays Uncovered about the island. The town of Skiathos is unspoilt and not yet over commercialised. Pleason to sit in a Taverna on the harbour front with an iced coffee watching the world go by.

We hired a car, all be it only for a day, and toured the island. Two days may have been better as we tended to rush around a bit and not fully appreciate the beauty of the island. Found some ";Great"; eating places with some brilliant views from the hills looking down over the coast.

Took the trip to Athens to view the Acropolis, well worth the visit. If you don't like water, don't worry, you wouldn't know you were on it. Travelled to the mainland on a Flying Dolphin and back on a Sea Cat.The Tour Guide was excellent, very knowledgeable and friendly. Athens is an amazing city steeped in mythology intermingled with the modern day culture.

The only downside that we had was that the Hotel Esperides, was classified as a 4*, which in our opinion did not deserve the rating, 3* would have been nearer the mark. The food was average and very monotonous, it lacked imagination. The majority of the staff were friendly but we were asked to move from a table on the verandah one night at dinner as that table was reserved. As far as we knew and were aware tables were not reservable. (I think it depended on the size of the tips as to where you could sit). Enjoyable to get a water taxi into Skiathos town from the hotel rather than the hussle and bussle of the bus, which are frequent but can be crowded.

All in all we had an enjoyable time on the island of Skiathos and will definitely be returning.

Skiathos is a lovely island. The Hotel Esperides is not a 4 star Hotel. Good points are the dining area, pity the food isn't as good. The beach is also good which you will have to use anyway as there's no chance of getting a bed at the hotels small pool. There's no entertainment at night and the tavernas outside are empty. We went into Skiathos Town most nights by water taxi. The port area is the best Ive ever been to, more modern than I expected with a huge variety of restaurants and bars.

I would go back to Skiathos again but not to this hotel

Our first time on Skiathos, peaceful and relaxing. Well worth a visit, we went for two weeks whereas a week would probably have been enough. Agree with what others have said on Holidays Uncovered about the island. The town of Skiathos is unspoilt and not yet over commercialised. Very nice atmosphere and pleasant to have a drink on the harbour front and watch the hustle and bustle of the ferries coming and going.

We hired a car, for a few days, and toured the island. Saw it all, covered all the mountain tracks, saw deserted beaches, monasteries and lots of beautiful rugged scenery, but overall we were glad with our choice of location on the island.

Hotel, fine for the money we paid, three stars would be a more honest classification, not four star. Good points are the beach side position, the dining area, and the food was excellent. The beach sun beds and umbrellas are a must as it does get hot in the summer months. Sea lovely and clear, beach kept clean and a couple of nice beach side tavernas for drinks and lunch. We went into Skiathos Town most nights by water taxi for a drink and stroll round the town.
Poor points about the hotel, rooms not that big, bathrooms need updating and greek plumbing leaves a lot to be desired. Pool area very small and we hardly ever used it.
One night we had dinner at the Windmill Restaurant in Skiathos Town - a must if you can get a table - well worth the expensive prices.
Glad we have been, but probably once is enough as there are lots of other islands to see and places to visit, but don't let this put you off visiting. Watch out for the refuelling stop on the way home, it adds a couple of hours to the return journey.

After reading other comments on this Hotel, we were really looking forward to our holiday. It didn't disappoint us at all.

Our room was on the 5th floor and we had a superb view overlooking the pool and bay. Well worth paying the extra for a sea view. The room was kept very clean by our maid every day. The air con was very efficient and the frige was handy for cold drinks. There was no entertainment at the hotel, which was a bit of a pain as there is nothing ";up the road"; either. There was one Taverna on the beach which held a Greek night every Thursday. Most nights we caught the water taxi into Skiathos Town where there are loads of bars to choose from, also plenty of shops. The beach at the hotel was good with plenty of sun beds. You don't have to get up at the crack of dawn to put a towel on the beds to reserve them!!! There was a great selection of food both for breakfast and the evening meal. The staff in the restaurant and reception were very helpful and friendly.

Most people we met had been to the Esperides more than once and we will definately be going back too .... soon I hope.

It was our first trip to Skiathos and we will defintely be returning again.

We stayed at the hotel Espiredes in Achladies which is just outside the main resort of Skiathos town. The hotel overall was excelent it was right on a beautiful beach (Achladies). The resort had nothing to offer but a couple of tavernas and the hotel bar. However there are a few ways of getting to the main resort of Skiathos Town. The most pleasurable was the Water Taxi. It cost 1.5 euro's and runs reguarly from 9am until 1130 pm. Buses run every 15 minutes however at peak times there is no limit to the number of people they can cram onto them but this all adds to the experience of being on holiday. The last alternative is the good old taxi 5 euro's into town but do not be suprised if he picks up people on the way this will not reduce your fare it is just the greek way.

Once in town the places to visit are the bars on the steps for happy hour the Rock n Roll bar and the Slip in were our favorites with very freindly staff. Once we had our fill of half price cocktails we would head to a few english pubs with a nice atmosphere The King and Queen has a lively Karioke. The old Port House has been renovated to a high standard and has air conditioning and sky sports. Finally there is the Roof Top bar and as the name sugests it overlooks the the harbour. He you will always get a warm welcome from Roy and Marg and there bubbly helper ??? Eating out in Skiathos Town was a pleasurable experience. The Windmill came highly recomended however i did not feel it lived upto its billing also if you enjoy eating your meal in the prescence of a multitude of cats then this is the place for you however i did not. In addition to this it is good walk up steep steps to get there as a taxi cannot drop you a the door. Not a problem for us but elderly people would struggle.

If i could suggest one place to visit for a meal it would have to be the Old Port Jailhouse Restaurant The service, views and food were fantastic i could not rate it highly enough. If you enjoy pasta then Maria's next to the Old Port Inn is reccomended. The Town Centre is pretty and well coplemented by the old and new port.There are lots of restaurants, bars and shops.

Skaithos is a relaxing places with beautiful beaches and a cosmopolitan feel.

Just returned from a fantastic holiday at the Esperides Hotel.The staff were excellent and the hotel was spotless.
We had a lovely sea view room which is worth the extra £1 per night as some rooms are at the back and not so nice.
We hired a jeepand toured the island well worth a visit but watch the roads as they are not for the faint hearted!!!
We went to Mandraki beach most days it was fantastic but in the high season attracts a lot of Greeks.
Use the water taxi as its only 1 euro 50 into Skiathos town.

The hotel beach is nice enough but we like to get out.We will definately go back as this hotel attracts repeat guests year after year as the overall holiday was excellent.
1 big downside and it is a big one if you are a pool lover there are only 20 sunbeds and we were never able to get one all holiday.This infuriated a lot of people as you are expected to pay for the hotel ones on the beach.It didnt particularly bother us as we went out but that is the only bad thing about this hotel.

Skiathos is beautiful go and you wont be disappointed.

From our ages users of this site can appreciate the number of package holidays we have been on in 27 years of marital bliss!This point is important because we both agree that,certainly if you are over 40 and yearn for a chilling out sort of break,then we have not come across a hotel in our lives that we would recommend more than the Hotel Espiredes.

Whilst our particular room was only typical of many others in resort hotels across Europe,we feel most people must agree that the site of the hotel is a rare gem and is as near to an idylic setting that you are going to find,at the sort of money most of us are able to afford.The public areas are fabulous with the hotel being old enough to have some quality fixtures and fittings.The maintenance of the hotel,its gardens and surroundings are A1.

From the start you feel special as the hotel collects its own guests from the airport in its own mini coaches,even when you come on a last minute cheap deal with a High Street tour operator like we did....a lovely start to a hassle free holiday we thought......no irritating trip with multiple stop offs etc etc.
Dining is either inside or out on a charming patio area with views of the cove for nearly all.Extremely attractive especially when lit up in the evening.

The staff are certainly 4 star as well and are clearly managed effectively.We believe most people would agree that the food on offer was excellent for this type of beach side hotel,especially in Greece,which is perhaps not renowned for its catering in holiday hotels.The site of the hotel would suit people much older than ourselves as long as they ensured that the wing of the hotel they were in had a lift.....we don't believe all areas had easy access to a lift,although the hotel is not exactly ";high rise";.

The elderly ,or lazy like us ,will be delighted that the dining and bar areas are very close to the beach,separated only by a narrow garden area then a modest pool and sunbathing area.An attractive beach bar,offering plenty of shade is also immediately accessible,as is the pick up point for the boat taxi that takes you to Skiathos town for a modest fare.This runs from early morning to about mid-night and contributes to us saying that this hotal site is idylic really as it takes you very pleasantly (and coolly!)to the only place of note on the island without using the bus service which although cheap and frequent you will find is difficult to get on as ACHLADIES is postioned roughly half way along the coast road between Skiathos Town and popular resorts like Koukanaries.In High season we certainly suggest you stick to the boat or accept a lift from one of the many taxis that seem to cruise the road for customers(a good number are Mercedes)and prices seemed to us very modest,perhaps not too surprising as the places you are most likely to want to go are probably less than twenty minutes away.

The island is only small and most activities concentrated in the town so if ever there was a place,even for the unadventurous amongst us,where you might be persuaded to book your own flight and find accomodation independently,then Skiathos is that place.The airport is only modest and a short distance from town,so you won't get lost!There seemed to be a good supply of simple accomodation available in Skiathos Town, and certainly availability in May.
Enjoy!