Hotel Miramare — Hotel in Eretria Municipality

Review after a 14-day family stay at Hotel Miramare, Eretria

This was our fifth trip to Greece. We always stay in 4 or 4.5-star hotels (Peloponnese, Chalkidiki, Crete, Rhodes).

My ratings range from 1* (terrible) to 5* (world-class).

Here’s my evaluation of the individual areas:

Hotel & Infrastructure – 4,5* Hotel Miramare is the cleanest hotel I’ve stayed at in Greece. While it is older, cleanliness and hygiene in the common areas are impeccable. The mix of modern and classical styles in the lobby made a great impression.

Location – 4* Located on the main road, with a bus stop next to the hotel, and a beach nearby. There are nice walking areas (especially the hill behind the hotel with beautiful views). About 90 minutes to Athens; 70 minutes via ferry from Eretria to Athens (one way - we paid€13 for 2 adults/2 kids + car).

Pool Bar – 2.5* Unfortunately, a very disappointing place. The main bartender (a tall man) was constantly behind schedule—starting his shift by raking leaves instead of serving waiting guests. It’s unclear where to queue—people were served out of turn. Biggest issue: Guests who paid per order were prioritized over All-Inclusive guests.

Drinks were poor: pre-made cocktails stored in containers (I saw the bartender smell one to see if it was still fresh), wine poured from 5-liter plastic jugs (directly to glass), coffee was terrible, sodas were okay, juices were diluted nectar blends.

Beer (usually ALFA) was decent.

No snacks at all—only cheap ice cream (vanilla, chocolate, strawberry) at specific hours. All-Inclusive guests felt like second-class citizens compared to short-term guests paying for drinks. Not acceptable when you’re paying over €1,000 per person for two weeks.

Toilets, Gardens, Sports area, Playground, Parking – 4* All clean, ergonomic, and well-maintained—no complaints here.

Reception – 4* Very kind and polite staff, fluent in English. Big CHEERS to the hotel Manager Lady! However, I deduct 1 star for the lunch box issue. We were away for 10–12 hours on trips for couple of days. We asked for lunch boxes instead of lunch but were met with surprise. After insisting (speaking to the manager), we got only fruit and a bottles of water. They claimed other food spoils in the heat—ridiculous, I’ve had proper lunch boxes in Egypt, Tunisia, and Turkey with sandwiches and pastries.

Beach – 3,5* 6–7 minutes from the hotel via an underpass. Small, narrow, mixed sand/gravel/pebble. Very gentle sea entry—great for kids. Problem: Only 11 umbrellas and about 30 loungers (hotel has 94 rooms - crazy). Frequent lack of shade and “towel reservations” ruined the experience. Hotel could easily add 8 more umbrellas and 16 loungers.

Advice for Management:

Introduce guest surveys after stays

Add drink dispensers at key locations (reception, pools, path to tennis courts)

Improve food variety, especially desserts and breakfast

Add umbrellas and loungers at the beach

Reorganize pool (near to bar) area layout

Fix cleaning service practices

Repair/upgrade central air conditioning

Improve weekend staffing and guest prioritization

You have huge potential—just a few things to fix to truly earn 4 stars.

Put at least 2 bottles of water as starter for every room

Serve a breakfast after early arrival

Strat to use "Do Not Disturb / Please Clean the Room" label

Special smoking areas - no smoking at the restaurant!

Personal Incident – Subjective View: an unpleasant encounter with a young waitress (tall, black hair, tattoos, earings). She yelled at me at the bar after I asked where to queue (after 10 minutes of waiting). Later, she ignored me in the restaurant.

Summary: Hotel Miramare is a family-run business, and cost-cutting is noticeable. Compared to other 4-star hotels, I do not believe it currently meets that standard. However, with the right improvements, it has potential.

Current rating: 3* I would recommend this hotel to less experienced travelers or those with lower expectations. If management addresses the issues above—it could become a truly...

The hotel itself is fine, the staff at the restaurant and at the bar is very nice and hardworking, they try to help you, and they even speak Polish to their guests. The check desk and lobby is very nicely designed. There are only stairs so you won't get there easily with your luggage and stroller and of course no one offers help. There two swimming pools + water park for kids, big garden and a playground. You get swimming pool towel for 3 days, then you can change it at the desk. We went there as an all inclusive offer. I must say that it was the poorest all inclusive hotel I have ever been to. You have to pay for the bottled water, so if you want water for a baby you have to buy it. If you are pregnant and need to eat, you won't, as the snack bar is the poorest I have ever seen. The breakfast, lunch and dinner was alright, however I thought that if we are going to the seaside than there would be a lot of sea food and fish. There was fish from time to time, which wasn't even tasty. Everyday you could choose something for yourself. The dishes were rather nice. The snack bar which supposed to be offered from 4p.m. was usually around 4:30, and it was gone before 5. The pictures attached. I know that Greeks love to smoke, and I accept it when I go to the city, but I don't accept the fact that the OWNERS sit at the table next to you and start to smoke (we were with 3 kids, one little baby). The lady owner isn't very pleasant, she isn't impolite but she's also not very warm person, and they say that they are 'family hotel'. They do not care if you are late or not for a bus, they just don't remind their guest about leaving dates. The breakfast on the leaving night I should not mention... pointless. There were very loud and noisy and naughty two kids who were disturbing everyone at the swimming pool and at the restaurant, no one told them off for few days, on the one evening the erdely lady – I guess she is also an Owner (this lady was very nice and helpful) told them off and asked to keep them quiet. Thank you for that because no one bothered to deal with it. You want to play pool you have to pay. If you want to go to Eretria on Wednesday – don't. Of course no one will tell you that there is no point in going to the town on Wednesday after 1p.m. because everything is closed. People in the town were surprised that no one told us that there is no point in coming to Eretria. There was no internet for 5 days, but the owner said that if you want to work just sit in the lobby (I don't want to come to the lobby at 4 a.m. to do my work, I wanted to do it from my bed and continue to sleep). The beach was 100meters from the hotel, you have to walk there under the street. The beach is small and ok. I must say that there are better places...

Our stay at Miramare Hotel in Evia was absolutely unforgettable and without a doubt one of the best vacation experiences we have ever had. Everything about this hotel is simply perfect.

We live in Denmark and usually choose only the best locations, staying exclusively in 4–5 star hotels. We are used to high standards, yet Miramare didn’t just meet our expectations – it exceeded them in every single way.

The food was extraordinary – fresh, natural, and full of authentic flavor. What makes it truly special is that most of the ingredients come directly from the hotel’s private organic vegetable garden. Everything is bio, eco-friendly, and prepared with love. The homemade Mediterranean cuisine was healthy, delicious, and of the highest quality – every meal was a highlight of our day.

The rooms were absolutely amazing – spacious, beautifully decorated, and kept in spotless condition. They had everything a family could need, making us feel comfortable, relaxed, and truly at home while enjoying the luxury of a high-class hotel.

The staff were beyond excellent – always friendly, smiling, and sincerely happy to assist with anything. Their warmth and professionalism created such a positive atmosphere, and it was clear that they genuinely cared about making our stay perfect.

For families, Miramare is a dream destination. Our 3-year-old daughter was thrilled with the playground and especially the water park, which was ideal for her age. Seeing her so happy made our holiday even more special.

We are already looking forward to returning next year, and we know that Miramare will always remain on our list of top vacation destinations worldwide. It is a true gem, combining natural beauty, incredible comfort, outstanding food, and world-class...