Elafonisi Resort by Kalomirakis Family — Hotel in Municipality of Kantanos-Selinon

disappointing experience despite beautiful location and good memories:

I recently stayed at this hotel in Elafonissi with my fiancé, hoping to enjoy the stunning beach and share my favorite place for the first time with him. Unfortunately, our experience was marred by several issues that overshadowed the otherwise beautiful location. The beach itself is gorgeous, though it is becoming increasingly crowded and slightly polluted due to tourism. While this is beyond the hotel's control, it added to our disappointment. Initially, we were warmly welcomed, and the aesthetic of the studio was pleasing. However, we soon encountered significant problems. The bathroom emitted a foul odor, likely from the drainage system I think, making it impossible for us to sleep or shower for the first night. Given our sensitivity to smells and allergies, this was particularly distressing. The manager promised to move us to a different studio the next day, but his behavior took a turn for the worse. He loudly and unprofessionally scolded my fiancé, an experience that was both shocking and disappointing, especially since I had previously had a positive impression of him. We also faced issues with cleanliness. The kitchen had ants, which seemed to result from inadequate cleaning rather than the natural environment, as evidenced by dead ants near the coffee machine. The utensils and surfaces were dirty, and despite our polite request for improvements, the cleaning staff's efforts were insufficient. We ended up spending our first day cleaning the studio ourselves, using the cleaning supplies provided by the hotel because we also felt bad for the cleaning personal and unfortunately we didn’t want to bother her anymore. Though we were eventually moved to a bungalow, which was visually appealing and had a good-smelling bathroom, we encountered another problem which might also just be a personal problem but the towels smelled just as bad as the previous bathroom, leading to skin issues for both of us. Despite receiving new towels, they sadly had the same unpleasant odor. :( Throughout our stay, the hotel did not offer any compensation or apologies for the issues we faced, including the initial day spent cleaning rather than enjoying our vacation. Although the food was delicious, we experienced daily stomachaches, potentially linked to the water issues I guess. If you don't have allergies or sensitivity issues, you might enjoy this hotel. However, given our experience with cleanliness, odor problems, and lack of proper customer service, I would advise those with similar sensitivities to consider other options. On a positive note, the sweet cats on the property were a charming touch, and I would be glad if guests would be encouraged...

I stayed at this "resort" for three nights, based on the reviews on Booking and Google Reviews. The location is very good, a maximum of a 10-minute walk to reach the famous Elafonisi beach.

Cons:

The shower leaks outside the bathroom and is poorly maintained. It’s full of rust and mold. You can’t take a proper shower because all the water spills out. A bad smell comes from the bathroom, which floods the entire room no matter what you do. The kitchenette countertop and table are old and worn out. The bathroom sink countertop is moldy and dirty. The bed linens are clean but stained. The towels are old and worn out. Breakfast is not included in the price paid. The entrance door to the accommodation is old and dirty, definitely not giving the impression of a resort. The refrigerator in the room made continuous noises, and we had to unplug it to be able to sleep. There is a restaurant on-site, but we didn't like the food (we had a Greek salad, but the feta cheese was not feta—it was salty cow cheese, and the cucumber in the salad was old and bitter). The tables were dirty and we picked different placea. This restaurant is a scam for tourists, they take advantage of being close to this beach.

Pros:

Staff was pretty nice. Free parking right in front of the building. Spacious room. Terrace with a view of the olive garden and the sea. The location is in a beautiful olive garden. Large bed. Air conditioning in the room. Bathroom window. Towels changed daily and some cleaning done every day. Very good communication with us. Close to the beach.

In conclusion, we will not return here and cannot recommend this place considering the price charged.The conditions offered do not reflect the price. The place has gigantic potential if annual improvements are made—functional bathrooms, repairs, and addressing the other mentioned issues. It's kinda bad to go out on vacation and be worried that you will flood the bathroom by taking a shower and after you payed 200 Euros/day. And the smell from the bathroom was disgusting. Pick this only if you want to be very close to a crowded beach, if not, pick something else, it's just a tourist trap taking advantage of...

I'm starting with the negative aspects because that's why people read reviews after all: the water in our sink in the bathroom had a nasty smell (it disappeared after about 5 seconds of leaving the faucet on) and the showerhead wasn't attached to the wall which kinda made it a bit hard to wash your hair as a woman. Also, we had a minor water leakage in our room but the problem was quickly resolved by staff. That's all. If you want an unforgettable experience in Elafonisi with affordable and very delicious food, absolutely book a room at this Resort. The staff was super friendly and welcoming. The resort is surrounded by beautiful olive trees that truly enhanced the greek/cretan experience to the max. The room we booked was very spacious and furnished with nice modern furniture. The beds were absolutely comfortable, altough a bit on the softer side. My boyfriend prefers hard matresses but still managed to sleep well. The balcony was very spacious as well. Now to their Restaurant. I've had the best shrimps of my life there. Very delicious. The food is delicious overall, there wasn't one dish that I ordered that I did not like except for the chocolate ice cream as dessert. It was bland. My boyfriend still raves about the baklava, saying it's the best baklava he's had in his entire life. I feel the same about their chocolate soufflé. Also, if you choose to dine at their restaurant, you'll have a dinner with an incredible view, as you can see the spectacular cretan sunset perfectly well from there. Elafonisi beach is a good 8 minute walk and easy to find. Overall, this was a very pleasant experience, I recommend the Elafonisi Resort by Kalomirakis Family to 1000% and whenever we're returning to Elafonisi, we will definitely book at this...