Our balcony view was beautiful

We stayed at the Aegialis Hotel between August 2nd and 16th 2005, in room 146. We had a splendid holiday. The views from our balcony over Aegialis Bay were wonderful. The hotel staff were friendly and helpful, and did their best to meet our needs. The bathroom was well appointed and comfortable as was our double bed. The room was adequately spacious for two. There is maid service each day. We nicknamed her Miss Click-Clack owing to her cork sandals skittling across the tiled floors.

You can use the hotel bus to go down to the village of Ormos which is the port in Aegialis where there are some shops, a mini market, newsagent and several Tavernas, one behind the little church has a roof terrace and specialises in sea food (we had lobster and very good it was too).

The hotel offers a massage service, which we availed ourselves of. The masseuse was a Ukranian lady by the name of Eugenie, and she gave us both a one hour massage each afternoon. She had very strong fingers! The trouble is you become addicted to it, and suffer acute withdrawal symptoms when you get home. Certainly toned up those tired old muscles. Each massage after the introductory free one was €50. An expensive addiction.

The staff at the pool bar were attentive. They keep you supplied with iced water, and we greatly enjoyed their iced coffee frapais.

Breakfast in the hotel restaurant was a set buffet, but the permutations were soon exhausted, and it became too much of a muchness, so we sometimes walked down to Ormos and got something there instead. The evening meal was, well different! If you like simple fare, and stews especially, or chips, you're in. If however you want a more adventurous menu, you're in for a bit of a disappointment. In fact a menu that held up would be a start. They did print a set menu, but withdrew it for want of foodstuffs. Why a daily menu wasn't printed off based on what was available is a mystery to us. The only way you could find out what was on offer, was by grilling the head waiter, who although as helpful as he could be, he was not able to do anything about the situation. The irony is the owner also has a taverna on the promenade in Ormos, where there is an al'acarte menu that is very varied, and most meals on the menu are available at any time after 11am.

On several evenings the hotel restaurant had a pair of local musicians who strangled cats on an acoustic guitar and an electric mandolin, whilst wailing in true Zorba the Greek tradition. Personally we prefer the sounds of nature, i.e. the lapping of the sea on the shore, and the cicadas and the breeze in the Fida trees. Unfortunately background canned Muzak was deriggeur; by the pool, in the hotel bus, in some of the tavernas. They seemed to imagine we would suddenly die of ennui if silence was allowed to descend.

There is a small ferry boat service that sails round the top of the island to the monastery, from Ormos, and back again. You get tickets from reception. On the day we decided to go the boat arrived full of passengers already, and a lot of people pushed their way aboard who did not have tickets. The boat was restricted to 45 passengers, but there ended up with well over that number, so much so it was lying very low in the water. The boat was too small to have an onboard loo, and the weather looked as though it was going to be choppy later that afternoon, so we didn't alite. We later learned the boat had to turn back, and that several of the passengers were sea sick. No doubt over other passengers.

Our room had air conditioning and it was quite sophisticated. You could set the temperature and air flow, and we were very impressed. With the double glazed French Doors closed, and the air conditioning on, we could enjoy a sound night's sleep, free from the incessant attention of mosquitoes and the never ending mindless synthesised cacophony carried on the breeze from the night club down in the village. If you like clubbing Ormos is the place to be evidently. Wasted semi-comatose bodies of the great unwashed littered the strand every morning, all no doubt thoroughly hung over and with thumping head aches to match. The hotel was about to open its own night club, 'Corte'. Fortunately we left three days before its grand opening.

Amorgos is very rugged, arid and precipitous. And because it is at the end of a lengthy ferry route (8-9hrs) relatively remote. Sadly it is not remote enough. Whether Ormos acquires the seedy reputation of Cavos on Corfu or Falaracci on Rhodes remains to be seen. It's unfortunate that it should be heading that way at all.

Sia vanilla cafe

I visited aegialis hotel in july and august and I really enjoyed my stay..with the exception of a few misfortunes..

I stayed in the aegialis hotel....and hated the dirty room and awful food which was provided..loved the view though and vanilla...the only reason I enjoyed my stay was due to the pretty little girl working in vanilla...i think her name was sia! I enjoyed seing her smile everyday and always was sweet and cute! she lightened the entire cafe...and all the credit is on her..for any customers coming and visiting vanilla!

I was very sad when I went again and she was not there...no wonder it is empty now..

The Awful Aegialis Hotel !

Hello everybody

I have many experience from Aegialis Hotel too. My name is Anouck and I am guide for 10 years. I am from Paris and I visit very often Greece. Especially Amorgos island 3 years now.

* Two years ago (2003) I went with my group and stayed in the camping of Aegiali port . My group was children about 18 age years old. They wanted to visit Aegialis Hotel to have fun in the pool. First of all I asked the owner Mrs Giannakopoulou and she asked from us to pay 3 euro per person for swimming only. I explain to her that they are not going to swim everybody and we are going to order drinks and food. She start shouting and I felt very shamed really. My group was waiting for me in the pool bar and when I went at the pool and explained what happened the children felt angry. The girl who working (I didn't see her this year) there Mrs Helene (Eleni) she asked me what happened and she was very polite with me and children. She tried to excuse Mrs Giannakopoulou and she invite us to have fun in the pool. We ordered and the problem gone. The children have passed a very good day with her and they draw a nice picture for her. When I wanted something from Aegialis Hotel (pool bar or Corte) I was looking for Eleni and everything done.

** Last year (2004) I visit again Amorgos with my different group . I went again at Aegialis Hotel to find Mrs Eleni. This time she was working at Vanilla (beach bar) and she recognized me. She asked me if I wanted something special for the children and she arranged special price for them to have fun at Corte Club. She was very nice and polite with us again!

*** This year (2005) I have just return from Greece (Amorgos- Santorini) and I am very disappoint from Aegialis Hotel. First of all I couldn't find Mrs Heleni. They told me that she is not working any more for Aegialis Hotel ( I can imagine why). Second I went with two other guides to have some food at Vanilla and whatever we asked they said "we don't have". We asked to eat from the catalog and they had nothing. The personnel was impolite and not professional . Finally we order toast and the hum smell awful !

Some customers from the Hotel they told me that the Hotel restaurant is awful too and every dishes smell bad. One couple from Paris who stayed there, they left their room at the second day because the room was dirty.....................!

I think that the owner of Aegialis Hotel had to be careful with personnel .

Beware of your bill and of the accomodation quality

We just came back from five nights; found the hotel in the french 'Guide du Routard' and made a reservation for a "Superior Room" by phone.

The PLUSSES: wonderful location above the bay, the view is breathtaking and there is a large swimming pool (very salty water) with the same view.

The many MINUSSES, considering what one may expect from a four stars hotel rather than from a hitch-hikers den:

1. My credit card was immediately charged for 190 EURO upon making the reservation, while the usual practive is for the hotel to create a provision but never to charge a credit card without the customer's explicit authorisation.

2. After making the reservation call, I send a mail requesting a 5% discount promised by the 'Guide' mentioned above but never received any reply.

3. Despite this very much "confirmed" reservation, when we arrived, the "superior room" reserved was not available (no reason given and no alternative room proposed) and we were transferred back down to Lakki Village on the beach, definitely NOT the kind of place we were looking for; promised breakfast was not even available.

4. The place is generally unclean, very far from the standards expected for a **** hotel: there are hairs everywhere, including in the bedsheets. The common areas are unkept; we even saw a guy mopping the perimeter of the swimming pool and dipping his mop in it at the same time.

As for the "Superior" room:

5. Bathroom is dilapidated: very small shower tub and no bath, curtain half-hanging, half-falling...

6. Bedsheets are NOT changed every day, room is hardly made and certainly not cleaned. One day, we came back from a beautiful but tiring walking trip and the room had not been made at all at 5 pm. Explanation given was total BS, obvious bad faith of the smiling manageress.

7. Furniture is a shame: very narrow and very creaky old double bed, hard to sleep on; no real wardrobe, safe deposit box with a big key rather than a code.

8. Never attending to the mini-bar, not even to provide a bottle of fresh water every day.

9. Last but not least: considering the above 'details' we checked our bill item by item. They tried to charge us 152 EUR per day when the price posted inside the room and legally binding was 119 EUR. As usual no explanation given by the always smiling owner / manageress other than 'a girl made a mistake'...

Some minor bar items were charged twice, the requested 5% discount had to be argued for, etc.

We did not try the hotel's restaurant (as you might guess) but warmly recommend Nikos in the lovely vllage of Langada above Egiali or the Karama (Kamara ?) in the less-frequented village of Potamos: simply climb the road and the 552 stairs from Egiali and you will find a genuine welcome in English or French, an unforgettable sundown and some good cooking.

Pity really to have to write a negative review for such a beautiful place...

Management is obviously not professional and doesn't care about anything else than to maximise its profit by hiring a small number of quasi-zombies instead of normal personnel.

You may still want to go for the view from the pool and for this beautiful Island of Amorgos but leave any expectations about the hotel's quality at home : they would be a useless burden.

Very very dirty!!!!

I was there 2 weeks ago. The view and the swimming pool were very nice (very big and cleaned) but many other things were not good at all ! My room was dirty, like it wasn't cleaned for 2 months!!!! hairs, hair, spiders , dust every where!!! I comlplained at the reception but nothing has been done. It was dirty during my 5 nights stay!!! The bathroom was also terrible: very old shower, dirty curtain, sink broken, glasses dirty.... very bad smell....

Also, I rent a bike at the hotel : 18 euros per day , very expensive!!!!

Amorgos surprise

We were made most welcome by the friendly family owners. The view from the room was fantastic over the bay and the dining room and pool were priceless for their locaton. There was plenty of choice at breakfast but the speciality was the evening dinner which was served to a very high standard. We enjoyed ourselves so much that we are returning for 7 days this June (05)

Philip and Stella

Look for another place for your ovecation!!!!

We stay at Aegialis hotel five nights the end of July 2004.Apart from the pool service from Greek and very pretty girl (Heleni if we remember well) all the others (personel) were terible. The people who served the breakfast were unpolite and some times the food it wasn't so fresh. The owner was all the time with a big smile and she was like fooling us . Me and my housband we noticed from the beginning. Of course we had to say that Aegialis hotel at Amorgos has perfect sea view.....! Now when my housband read this reviews in your site we decided to give you our opinion for all interested for Aegialis Hotel in Amorgos. Another thing is the the hotel is too expencive for this sevice. Our room was very nice.But we had problems with room service and food. They are not very clean in their hotel kitchen and the dishes were the same every day. The only thing that we enjoy was the pool bar. We dont see rat like the others but some clients told us about this matter. We leave after our five days (that we payed before from French) and we went at Naxos and Paros. Sorry About my English I live in Paris but I thing that you understood me well.

Thank you

Wedding

We have recently come back from staying at the hotel. They arranged our wedding for us. The accomodation was superb and the whole family and staff could not do enough for us and made us feel very welcome. The food was plentiful and although we went out of season they did their best to invite us to places in the evening.

The wedding was magical, although the timings were a bit hit and miss.

On the day of the wedding we thought it was to be in the afternoon, then we were told that we had 20 minutes in which to get ready as it was to be at 11am. I had a hairdresser who I do not recommend, as she was very young, and having planned how I wanted my hair I was clearly sure that when I first saw her I new I was not going to get it. She arrived with a little box and produced a hairdryer and some brushes. I had to grin and bear it and when she left I had to try and make some goood to the damage that she had done. They also said that they would do my makeup but this was not so. On the website it says that they have in house massage, personally I cannot see this.

We have been to Greece several times so we know what to expect, they are laid back!! It is a very remote island and I think their website promises more then they can provide so be careful!!

But I must say despite the little set backs we enjoyed ourselves very much and they arrange absolutely everything, but not of a high standard as you would expect.

Amorgos is a beautiful island and well worth a visit!!

Accommodation and service Aegialis Hotel as very poor and unsatisfied.

To all interested,

We spent six nights in this hotel (rooms 117 and 108 for the same price) between the 23rd and the 28th of Sept., 2004. The room 117 was too small for two people. Nevertheless was called "a double room". There was a very strong smell of moisture (also the bed-clothes smelt the same way) and the signs of dry-rot. After the complaint we were transferred to the room no 108. The only good feature of this room seemed to be a huge terrace with a marvelous sea view (the pictures taken from this terrace are available at : ------------ ).

The all Aegialis Hotel**** seems to be in a very poor conditions. Apart from a very nice and cozy main hall and the refectory the other quarters of the building have not seen any restoration activity for ages. Especially bathrooms are in a very bad state. Escaping smells from the sanitation, broken shower facilities, old, broken and dirty tiles, no ventilation system (apart from the windows), the mirror with the trashy frames. The woodwork (doors and windows) requires the general renovation. The signs of multiple, sloppy painting. The electric wall-plugs were pulled out. The pieces of furniture were of different age and design. The terrace furniture was metal instead of wood as was presented on the web. The towels were not changed every day. During our stay they were replaced once. There was a very cold, salt water witch was not circulated and was not disinfected. During two, very windy nights the servicemen did not close the markee over the dining terrace. It was hard to sleep because of the noise made by it. There are also the fun coil boilers over the room no 108 which are extremely ear-splitting. The breakfasts were very monotonous and there was no big choice (every day the same dishes). The breakfasts started at 8 a.m. but there were not hot dishes until 10 a.m.

Before leaving the Aegialis Hotel**** (the 28th of Sept.) we saw a rat in the hotel kitchen. The Belgian guests who also spent the last night there noticed it first.

Having above in mind we would like to estimate the Aegialis hotel conditions, accommodation as very poor and unsatisfied. We are of the opinion that the hotel ought to be deprived of four stars. We are even not sure whether three stars would be appropriate category for the Aegialis hotel. So we strongly recommend to inspect the hotel by IHRA and confirm our bad outcome.

Summarizing: one night in Aegialis Hotel**** in double room - 76€, BB. The price (the lower rate before the out of season period - normally 96€) is much too high.

Aegialis hotel.

Great views, ideal location, but the hotel did not live up to our expectations. It's just not worth paying 115$ for a small room with old furniture, and an extremely noisy air-condition. The pool and the restaurant is a plus to the hotel, but I would rather pay half the price and stay in a hotel in Aegialis. Despite of that, Amorgos is a great island to visit independently on where you stay. The hotel is definitely not the best that Amorgos has to show.