Elafos Spa Hotel — Hotel in Municipality of Gortynia

We squeezed Elliniko into the schedule between Sparta and Epidaurus, and it turned out to be a highlight of our three-week tour through Greece and the islands. Our kids loved it.||||From Sparta, we arrived by the early afternoon at Elafos Hotel. We walked to lunch at Georgantas Tavern, one of those places you picture on a postcard. ||||After lunch, we had a swim in the hotel pool and we then took a short drive followed by a hike to the Monastery of St John the Baptist (Moni Timiou Prodromou). The Monastery was closed, even though according to the listed hours it was supposed to be opened, but the hike alone in the gorge was worth it. Once you reach the monastery, the bottom of the gorge is not that much further. We spent only a few hours, but the trails continued and could easily be worth a day.||||I had friendly drinks with the owner at the hotel bar after dinner. Our room was new and comfortable and cool, and we all slept well. Breakfast was all homemade including an assorted of homemade jams and bread. It was all very personable and friendly.||||After breakfast, we went rafting with Trekking Hellas on the Lousios River (where Zeus was bathed). The morning rafting trip was amazing. We had only called the day before, but somehow, they fit us in. It was July, the water cold, the sun hot, the guides fun, the gorge again spectacular.||||After the rafting, we made it up to Nafplio and to an evening production at Epidaurus.||||Be wary of blindly following Google Maps as you are likely to get lost. On the way to Nafplio we ended up driving down a one-lane dirt road with branches and shrubs scraping the side of the car; better we had followed the road signs although in retrospect it was fun. One of the families on our rafting trip had also been seriously lost. Arriving through from Sparta Google Maps was fine.||||The next time we are in Greece, we are definitely returning to Elafos for a...

The hotel is situated in the small, quiet and remote village of Elliniko and quite inconspicuous when you approach it by car. On arrival we were the only guests. The receptionist spoke hardly any English but contact with the manager was established by phone.||The hotel looks nice from the outside. The same was true for our room on the first floor which was large and offered a good bed. Probably the entire building was recently modernized. The bathroom proved to be pleasant, too. All furnishings worked fine but there was no kettle.||The Wi-Fi was sufficiently fast.||There was a pretty large outdoor pool in the courtyard but at the time of our stay in May the water was still rather cold.||Breakfast was good but simple (no warm dishes).||Considering the price-performance ratio the Elafos Spa is among the more expensive hotels of this category on the...

What an unexpected and utterly pleasant surprise; we booked for one overnight and we ended up staying for a week, cancelling other plans. This oasis of a boutique hotel is the epitome of what I call luxury that can be found in important details such as the unpretentious professionalism of the staff and the intimate approach of the owners , yet keeping their boundaries, in order to make you feel like home. Rooms, breakfast, bathroom amenities, cleanliness, hygiene protocols, cocktails, all impeccable. The location is perfect and as a guest I would love to be here in winter, spring, autumn and summer. I have paid in the past double the price in other similar accommodations and received half of the service. An...