Hotel Magda — Hotel in Municipality of Aegina

We just spent a week staying at the Hotel Magda. It is a clean hotel with spacious rooms that have wonderful views of the sea. The beds are hard but that is to be expected in Greece. The deep pool is a boon and it is only 200metres from the town by the sea. Also, therefore from some lovely swimmable coves.||||The service was the only drawback. I realize that some find Magda and her family helpful but most of our group of five couples did not. Maybe a smile is possible for an extra charge? When asked for a second key we received a stern lecture by the male proprietor, and even though we acknowledged his concern about power usage if a key was left in the power activator and that we would not do so, he remained rude and terse and stated that we would be charged 20% extra if we did so. The promise is: 'we will do anything for you' but the reality is different. Greetings are sometimes not responded to, two tiny cakes of soap were provided for the room for the week and no replacement given after they were finished half way through the week, and you are required to make your own bed each day. Once we did not receive fresh towels, but instead all of the old ones were draped over the balcony. An afternoon rain shower meant we returned to sodden towels. The staff attitude is so unfriendly we did not bother to ask for fresh ones. Towels are not provided by the pool which was a hassle for us traveling from the other side of the world and not having such.||||The breakfast and lunch provided was meager. The breakfast being pop cereals eaten by children, sliced egg and reconstituted luncheon sausage, tomatoes ( sometimes old), cucumber, olives and bread. Very large containers of jam were provided also, but not eaten by guests. At lunch there was a protein ( beware the chicken that is sliced by a cleaver as this results in much bone swallowing), a lot of potatoes, and Greek salad or a vegetable. Quantities were small. Coffee was very weak. ||||Agia Marina is a lovely quiet town. There are numerous restaurants and we would particularly recommend the first one on the left hand side after turning into the town, especially for its freshly made moussaka. We all had our best meal at a restaurant about 3 kms through town on the right hand side, recognized by the large wine barrels out front. A restaurant meal ranges from E5-12 for a main dish. For a cheap meal there are excellent gyros (E2)at a fast food type eatery half way down on the left hand side going into town.||||Getting around Aegina is easy by scooter, quad bike or car. There are two rental places in the town. We used the one on the right hand side of the street, but it had poor power, a bald and flat tyre, and dodgy steering. It costs E20-35 per day. ||||In town are several good clothing shops and two jewelry shops. The goods are cheaper than in Athens but of the...

The hotel is located in a quiet spot, and within easy reach of the very modest little town of Agia Marina. You might put up with the inconsistent housekeeping (bathroom never cleaned really, just a quick once-over, but the shower? Loo? Basin never. Clean towels only sometimes.) and the basic style of the furnishings, for the quiet location and a good enough pool. But the food and hotel service providing food was amazingly bad. Breakfast found us supplying our own fresh fruit and oats each day after putting up with the dismal selection of sugary cereals,(no children were there!) slices of bread, no toaster, not much else. No fresh milk for coffee or tea. And the coffee was undrinkable. Coffee water. yoghurt was available thankfully. Asking for things was an ordeal, dispite being there all week we had to ask for the fresh milk for cereal, etc. every single morning although it was available in the kitchen. Asking for food or coffees, never mind tea, outside of the breakfast "buffet" hours was impossible. Lunch however was provided each day for our small group, but there was no choice, and a very limited selection items offered. You might get a chicken leg. And sliced tomato. And bread and olives. Fruit for desert. That was it. And tap water. Not even coffee (however undrinkable) was offered after lunch each day. It might have been prison food really. We had sympathy for Magda as she was almost the entire staff, certainly when it came to the dining room and the out door bar. The place mats on every table were covered with spilt jam, honey, crumbs, coffee,etc. and never dusted off, much less washed off. Turned them over and found the same condition on the back. Same every day. It cannot be said this is typical of Greek hospitality no matter how economical the hotel. We did have a double bed which we appreciated and the sea was in view...

We have been going to Magda Hotel for the last four years. This year we vacillated. Last year we felt that the breakfast was poor, the pool seemed dirty on occasions and we felt that things had slipped. Inertia took over and we went again. Magda has got her act back together. The rooms remain basic but very good value (35€ @ night), breakfast was not self service but now includes fresh orange juice and whatever we chose, within reason. Magda had a young maid who went round the hotel like a whirlwind and the patterns made out of the towels suggested that she took a pride.||||Hard to beat for value for...