Our Honeymoon Disaster

To say that this hotel is rated as a 4* hotel is an absolute farce! We booked this hotel as it was deemed as 'The best hotel on the island', however our stay was less than satisfactory. We actually paid an extra £70 for a 'sea view room' - this view was of an 40 foot tree. The staff are extremely rude and miserable and the hotel bar is absolutely extortionate. To buy a fresh orange juice is the equivalent of £2.00 whereas a small beer is £1.25!

Also, the brochure stated that there where many exclusive features including Sky TV (one english speaking channel!), air conditioning (a dated 1970's system which made us have sore throats!) and many more features which, in reality, would have been exclusive when the hotel was originally built. A total disappointment for our honeymoon holiday

Fantastic - dont know why everyone is complaining!

This is the best place I have ever been to, the rooms are fantastic, we didnt have a view at all but we werent in long enough tot want to view anything anyway! The hotel was fantastic, staff really helpful. Food wasnt great for me as I am a vegetarian. The pool is lovely, Koukanries beach is out of this world. Banana beach worth the trek, very amusing!

Skiathos town is fantastic, we went to a cocktail bar and had every drink on the menu! They do great excursions the only thing is there isnt a water park, but apart from that I would live there if I could!

Wonderful location, shame about the rooms

The best location on the island, fantastic beach with shuttle bus that takes you there and back....fabuous views across the islands....so what is wrong....the rooms are old and dated, like in a time warp...needs some tlc....the swimming pool gave my children and I ear infections, which seemed to be common amongst the guests, but was not recognised by the tour reps. It was a lovely location, very relaxing but no way a 4 star hotel. If they spend some money on it maybe.

Beautiful Setting

The Hotel is in a beautiful setting, we were lucky enough to have a lovely sea view room with a balcony. The first room we were given had a tiny little balcony but we had to pay to upgrade so that would be worth checking at the time of booking.If you are looking for a peaceful holiday then the hotel is fine as the pool bar and it's setting is it's biggest asset along with the quiet beach at the back of the hotel. Be warned though it is set up quite high and could be a climb for anyone not 100% fit. I loved it and would go back this year but for anyone used to 5* Hotels then the service and furbishment might be a disappointment.

4 Star? I think not!!!!

In the distant past when the universe was still young and galaxies collided casting stars out of their normal orbits. A couple of these wayward stars were obviously snatched by the owners of the Skiathos Palace!!!!Yes thats right, this 4 star hotel is in fact, at best, a two star.If like me you expect a modicum of honesty you will not go to the trouble of looking at the hotels web site. The site like the hotel was obviously constructed in the early seventies when the Skiathos Palace was probably one of the islands best hotels, but unfortunately neither the web site nor the hotel has been updated, or in fact maintained since it was built.As for the food at the Palace, and I use the word food in the looses possible sense, it must be embarrassing for the chef, if thats what he is to serve this stuff!!! They cant even make a decent cup of coffee!!On the plus side of the equation you will find the staff genuinely pleasant and the younger of the bar staff quite capable of mixing most cocktails accurately.The rooms, even though poorly decorated and maintained, are kept clean on a daily basis by the excellent cleaning staff.

Disappointing room but great location

The whole hotel is stuck in a 70's time warp. The yellow andbrown floral pattern had all but worn off the tiles in the bathroom of this 'luxury' hotel. When we complained we were told by 'Lili' on reception in a mono tone voice that all the rooms were the same and that if we squinted through the trees and bushes outside we could glimpse the sea and so had a 'sea view'. That said though, the romm was bearable, was immaculately cleaned every day and the view from the pool area was fantastic. Everyone I spoke to that were staying in hotels on the island also said that the decor and rooms were 'tired' and in need of a revamp. Didn't completely spoil a week on a beautiful island though!

Wonderful hotel but watch for the sea view

The Skiathos Palace Hotel was absolutely fabulous. The American breakfasts offered such a wide choice of food and kept us going all day. The swimming pool and area was so clean and the views were absolutely unbelievable. The only slight problem we had was that we had asked for a sea view and the first room we were shown to had bushes four feet high immediately outside out balcony and we could only see the sea by standing on our tiptoes. However, we complained and were offered a far better room with a wonderful sea view. So if you are going to this hotel make sure torequest a high level room as opposed to a first floor. But don't be put off it is a beautiful place and we are going again!

So relaxing , a week's not enough!

Just back from a week at the Skiathos Palace hotel. The hotel is high up with fab views. We stayed at the sister hotel the Princess hotel last year but this felt more like a hotel . Get a room on an upper floor to avoid the balcony staring into bushes! Also email the hotel before you go and request a room with a good sea view with no trees to spoil the view! The hotel by Greek standards was good . I would recommend B&B only and catch the hotel bus at 8.30pm into Skiathos Town . great restaurants there including "1901" , "Scuna" (on the waterfront , fab!) Mediterranean" (roof top ) We did this every night and paid 8 Euros to get back by taxi. The beaches are amazing and the water superb. Best beach for us was Koukanaries and Big Banana (turn right as you get onto the beach to avoid the nude part ,,, not a pretty sight!!!!!!!,,, and don't go snorkelling over to the nude side especially after eating!) From the hotel the beach is 138 steps down ! ,,,, but the hotel does put a 1980 Mercedes Bus on to take you there and back. We ate such good food all week that we felt compelled to walk the steps. Watersports are good. Go to Octopus Diving school on a boat on the harbour front. Theo takes you out with excellent tuition for 50 Euros for a 3 hour trip , fantastic !!!!!!!!!! Take care if you hire a boat to go around the island. the first 2 hours were nice & smooth ,, then the wind picked up and it was *** scary !!!!!! Overall a superb holiday , great beaches , great food (if you go into town) , lovely people , nice hotel , ,,, yep we'll be going back!

Horrible Experience

Oh what a beautiful island, but what a horrible hotel. We were under the impression the the "Palace" would be a nice hotel since it was one of the most expensive on the island. Upon check in we were informed all of the rooms were air-conditioned. However, at 2:45 am it was quite obvious that the a/c was broken. Maintenance was unable to fix it and we were told to talk to management in the morning. The arrogant front desk clerk would not let us speak to the manager, refused to even compensate us for the sauna like room, even though she was well aware of problems with the a/c. "Lili" said that the a/c would be fixed the next day and that was the end of it. She offered us a "plate of fruit"which would have actually been appreciated after their hideous buffet breakfast. After I noticed a massive leak from the ceiling puddling on the tiled floor in the lobby, she ignored me and just left the water there for someone to slip on. The Skiathos Palace's glory days are long behind it.

Paradise

Most rooms have stunning views across kookanaries golden arc of sand washed by shallow turquoise sea (perfect for children) and the marina below. There are woodland walks or pony trecking, fishing or snorkeling in the clear water. The hotel offers the best breakfasts ever, a fantastic pool and sauna, and a walled garden play area complete with toys for younger children. If there is a drawback then its it's high position on the hill, but a courtesy bus is offered to the beach each day and into skiathos town.