Hydra Beach Resort — Hotel in Municipality of Ermionida

We stayed at Hydra beach resort for 5 nights in mid-September with our 2.5-year-old child and our parents. In advance, we requested two rooms close to each other and without stairs. We were pleasantly surprised to be upgraded to two neighboring Deluxe rooms with sea view (314-315). Thank you very much for this! The rooms were spacious, clean, and had large balconies. Everything we needed was provided, and housekeeping was regular. We had no issues with ants in the room - perhaps they are more common in the bungalows, along with mosquitoes.

The hotel grounds are green and beautiful, with easy access everywhere, even with a stroller. It would be even better if the pathways had more resting spots - benches, swings, or cozy corners to relax.

We were quite happy with the food. The choice was sufficient, always replenished, and even our parents, who are usually very picky eaters, always found something they enjoyed.

The pool area is lovely - a large, beautiful pool with sea views and a children’s pool nearby. There were always enough sunbeds available.

The sea itself was clean but nothing special - in Greece you can find much more stunning turquoise waters and soft sandy beaches. However, the advantage here is the variety of beaches nearby, so everyone can find their favorite spot. Sunbeds and umbrellas were always available. We especially enjoyed the left side (facing the sea from the hotel), where it was quiet and shaded by trees. However, the entrance to the sea there was very poor - rocky with flat stones, not suitable for small children. It would be very helpful to have water taps along the beach paths to wash sand off feet. At the moment, there is only one shower for all beaches, which is not convenient.

We absolutely loved the SPA and went there every day! Two saunas, different massage showers, and an indoor pool - really great! The jacuzzi was out of order, though. There is also a gym next to the spa, but we didn’t use it.

The golf cars system is convenient, though we only used it at check-in and check-out. Otherwise, everything is walkable.

The biggest downside of this hotel is the lack of infrastructure and entertainment for children, as well as weak animation for adults. The kids’ club wasn’t working at all, and no activities for children were organized. When I asked at reception why there was no mini-disco, I was told, “there are no children in the hotel.” That was quite funny, because the hotel was full of kids, especially on weekends. It seems that only French children were counted as “children,” while Greek or other nationalities were ignored - which was disappointing. If the hotel doesn’t plan to provide kids’ activities, at least a playground would be a great solution.

For adults, the only real highlight was the Greek dance show on Tuesday evenings. On other nights, they just played music, and whoever wanted could dance – but that’s not proper animation. Anyone who has been to good Turkish hotels knows how professional and vibrant evening shows can be. Here, unfortunately, it was very weak. During the day I only saw aqua aerobics, and the music choice felt very out of place.

Overall, we had a wonderful stay and truly enjoyed our time here! With the addition of a kids’ playground, maybe a small aqua park, and by cleaning the beach of rocks and slabs, this hotel could be...

IF YOU ARE PLANNING TO BOOK, READ THIS MESSAGE FIRST.

I am extremely disappointed and angry following my stay at Hydra Beach Resort. It was a dreadful experience, completely at odds with the impression given by the official photos on their website and on Booking. It is simply false advertising.

From the moment we arrived, the tone was set: as soon as our car stopped, the porter opened our trunk without saying a word. No politeness, no respect for privacy. A fitting introduction to the general level of service.

We had booked a “deluxe” room, supposedly modern and comfortable. What a disappointment to discover an outdated, dirty room that was clearly poorly maintained (see photos) — nothing like what’s shown on the website. The floor obviously hadn’t been cleaned in weeks: our feet turned black with dirt just after taking a shower. Unacceptable for a place that claims to be high-end.

When we reported this to reception, the response was nothing short of arrogant: we were told it was “stupid to rely on photos” because they’re only for marketing purposes, and that the room dimensions were as described. To top it off, they claimed we had been “upgraded” because we had booked a garden-view room and were given one with a “sea view.” In reality? The vegetation is so tall that there is no view at all. Just another baseless excuse.

The main restaurant, which serves breakfast and dinner, is nothing more than a giant noisy cafeteria. You queue up like in a school canteen, the food selection is limited, and the quality very poor: hard rice, uncooked pizza dough, dried-out salads… The atmosphere is unbearable, with deafening noise levels. I’ve stayed at many all-inclusive hotels, and rarely have I had such a bad experience.

As for the beach, every other chair is broken or filthy, and the Bali beds are torn and stained. We had to ask the young man in charge for beach towels and his response was: “There are no more.” Despite our insistence, he just replied: “There’s nothing I can do.” It was only after two hours and the intervention of a towel delivery guy – who scolded his colleague, saying “Customers are paying and shouldn’t hear that” – that towels mysteriously appeared. Clearly, he needs to better organize and manage his towel stock.

The pool is no better: overcrowded, loungers crammed together, broken umbrellas, and a “lifeguard” doing nothing but smoking his cigar and ignoring guests.

The snack bar? Just like the rest — a small fridge on the bar with a few stale half-baguette sandwiches, rock-hard bread, no ice cream, no crêpes, no fruits, and absolutely nothing kid-friendly. Cold coffee drinks were also not included and had to be paid for separately. A disgrace for a hotel claiming to offer all-inclusive service.

And to finish it off, for two days in a row, a foul sewage smell hung in the air outside, making it impossible to enjoy a walk, to stay by the pool, or even remain in our room. Absolutely unacceptable.

In short, this is not a resort — it’s a disorganized campground (and to be fair, some campgrounds are much more welcoming). A total scam, a huge disappointment, and a disgrace for a so-called 4-star establishment.

I strongly advise against staying at Hydra...

This is NOT a 5-star hotel experience, and it's NOT all-inclusive.

SERVICE: Nice employees overall, but it looks like it's understaffed. Waiters??? None.

ROOM CLEANING: Satisfactory overall. Room cleaning is up to 4pm. Bed sheets are changed every other day and towels daily. The bathroom is clean but there's a bad smell.

BEACH TOWELS: Not available at the cafe by the beach. You have to walk to the pool every other day if you want to exchange and get clean ones.

NIGHT LIFE: Only one available option. Don't get your teens here- unless they enjoy French karaoke family nights and 80s disco.

EXCURSIONS: Are you French? You're in luck. The only guided tours are in French. Hydra is close by boat if you want to visit. For everything else you need a car.

SEA: Meh. We were assigned an umbrella and bed at the beach in front of the "theater" which is rocky and a bit hard to get in and out of. To shower, you need to walk all the way to the other side of the cafe. The beds look dirty. There's no waiters- even though you pay for your coffee you have to go to the cafe to get it. Overall, a mediocre experience. I wouldn't recommend it for people with mobility issues. (P.S. The hotel has a designated "private" beach-you need to book a bed and pay extra to go there. Maybe the sea is better, but I didn't go so I can't speak to that).

ACCESSIBILITY: DO check the room and hotel plan before you book, if you have mobility issues. Some rooms have stairs, others require quite a bit of walking.

FOOD: Nothing exciting, nothing exceptional. Rather mediocre food choices and not that many options. Food is adequate in quantity and bottled water is free which is a plus. I liked the reminder to not waste food.

HIDDEN FEES: Coffee by the sea, drinks at the "club" you have to pay for. At least they could have a waiter.

BOUTIQUE: FANTASTIC. DO check it out. A very kind and friendly lady, an interesting collection, and the prices are fair.

POOL: We preferred the beach. Nothing was impressive-or exciting-about the pool here.

ROOMS: Fair. They could have some more space (or separated spaces for bigger families). If you're expecting luxurious accommodation look elsewhere. A drying rack in the balcony, a second waste bin and more towel hangers in the bathroom are needed for bigger families. There's nothing in the fridge or a mini bar so remember to bring whatever you may need.

LOCATION: Serene views. If you're looking for night life, the archeological sites, anything interesting to do outside of the hotel is more than 30 minutes away and the local roads are not the best. Drive carefully.

KIDS: For families with little kids, I recommend this place. The rooms are clean and little kids will enjoy the food, karaoke and disco nights.

OVERALL EXPERIENCE: If this was rated as a 4-star hotel it would make sense. This isn't a 5-star facility, or suitable for those looking for exceptional accommodation and service. However, if you have little kids, and you're looking for a clean hotel with decent rooms by the sea that covers breakfast, lunch and dinner, this might be a great...