Fos Hydra Residence — Hotel in Municipality of Hydra

This hotel is a wonderful new addition to the Hydra hotel scene. The restoration they did of a historic building near the port is exquisite. Rooms are spacious, filled with antiques, and beautifully decorated. The rooms are equipped with all the modern amenities you could ask for - double vanities, luxurious showers with fabulous water pressure, fluffy duvets, Nespresso machines, and abundant storage.||The location is ideal, just steps from the port. No schlepping up and down steep hills needed. The panoramic views over the town of Hydra from some of the rooms and the terraces are stunning.||Additionally the staff couldn't be lovelier. They meet you at your ferry to assist you with your luggage (even though it is super close to the port, there are a few flights of stairs involved in getting up to the hotel). They greet you warmly every time you come and go. They are eager to assist with any request you may have.||Unfortunately there is no gym or pool. This is somewhat to be expected from a small hotel like this (just 9 rooms), however.||The truth however is that this really should have been a four star review based on one factor - the food and beverage program. I just didn't want to ding them publicly given how new they are, and how great the hotel's potential is.||I have two suggestions for them to address this:||First, please do something about the lack of breakfast. I realize there is no kitchen, and the hotel is tiny, so doing a full breakfast would be a big ask. But I suggest that you put fresh fruit and a few pastries out every morning at the coffee station. The fruit that is there currently is basically rotten and inedible. All you need to do is make sure that it is fresh and additionally put out a box of croissants for people to help themselves to. Given the large lunches and dinners everyone is having in Hydra, a croissant and a piece of fruit is all most people really need, and it would make an enormous difference. If people want a more elaborate breakfast, then they could go to the cafe nearby as they need to do today.||Second, please do something about the evening bar service. Today there is a drinks menu out, however all the spirits are kept in a locked cabinet, and there is no attendant to actually make the drinks for you. It's a very frustrating situation! I think there is an easy solution here that I have seen done at several other small boutique hotels. Please just put out an honor bar instead. You wouldn't need an attendant here. People could help themselves to spirits and wine, and then would need to mark down on a sheet of paper their room number and the drinks they took. Given the clientele of this hotel, I don't think you would have a big problem of fraud. In fact, it could become a new revenue stream for the hotel.||But overall we had an amazing stay. If you would just rectify these two things, it would have...

New hotel in a superbly refurbished old building. The room was big and very well appointed.

However, there are a few details that were really disturbing, especially for such an expensive property.

The porter service from the port costs 20 eur, for a 2 minutes walk! On arrival, we chose to carry the bags ourselves. The reception is located atop of long and steep stairs, and the rooms atop another similar climb. We deposited the luggage inside the main gate and asked for help, only to be told that we did not pay the 20 eur. After insisting, we were finally helped. Seriously??

The hotel does not serve breakfast, although they are perfectly equipped for such. The breakfast is offered or suggested in a cafe in the port called Papagalos, a 5 minutes walk. The place itself is very nice though, and the food is very good.

On departure, we chose to pay the porter service, that was supposed to meet us at the port, after breakfast. When we arrived at the port, our porter was nowhere to be found, while the ferry was already embarking passengers. After calling the reception, and scouting the area, we found our luggage stacked in a corner, which we then had to carry ourselves to the ferry bridge.

Overall, the place is nice, but it deserves much more attention from the managers regarding the quality of service offered...

Excellent location, right by the port and close to everything, making it easy to access. - Only 25m from the port with just two flights of stairs, making it manageable even with bags. - The hotel can also arrange assistance with luggage if needed. - The room was modern with charming original features. - High ceilings and well-equipped with every facility: kettle, Nespresso machine, hair dryer, and lovely toiletries. - Stayed in the garden room with a private outdoor space, perfect for enjoying a bottle of wine. - The hotel provided wine glasses and beach towels for our trip to the nearby Spilia Beach, which is a must-visit in Hydra.|- There was a short issue with the hot water during our stay, but the staff handled it really efficiently. - Some may miss having a full breakfast option, though it didn't bother us as we enjoyed visiting the nearby bakeries and using the outdoor area for a relaxed breakfast with available...