Patmos Aktis, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa, Greece — Hotel in Patmos Municipality

I was fortunate to be one of the very first guests (or THE very first guest, depending on who we were talking to) of the Patmos Aktis following its rebranding to Marriott’s Luxury Collection. And what an honor it was! We received spectacular treatment from every member of the staff we encountered, from the general manager who greeted us when we pulled in to the driveway to the check in clerk who presented us with gifts for being the first Platinum level guests at the hotel, to the wonderful beach attendant and the managers of the various dining rooms. Really top notch service. It helped that the staff to guest ratio was about 20 to 1, but we certainly felt that the people working at the Aktis were proud of their resort and were very well trained.

We were upgraded to a very nice suite and then subsequently further upgraded to a two bedroom suite when the HVAC system went wonky in the first room - growing pains of a new resort but laudably handled by management. Both rooms were beautiful and let me tell you, they have the best bath towels I have ever used anywhere, made by Frette (as were the bed linens). They’re lucky this was early in our trip or a couple of those towels would’ve made their way into my suitcase, although they were so plush they probably wouldn’t have fit.

The location of the hotel is terrific, on a fairly secluded cove with the beach part of the property. The beach is pebbled, like most in Greece, so bring water shoes, but it’s a very nice beach with provided loungers and towels and whatnot. We had drinks and appetizers while lounging and again the service was perfect. We ate breakfast each morning in the breakfast-only restaurant and dinner in Cielo e Mare. The breakfast buffet was very nice and had a wide selection of hot and cold items, which was intimidating as we were the only guests eating the entire buffet. Dinner was also very good, and we were treated to every dessert on the menu to celebrate the GM’s birthday. It was a terrific meal and a great gesture by the manager, though he will be getting the bill from my cardiologist shortly.

All in all we had a wonderful stay at the Patmos Aktis and believe it has to be the best hotel on the island. There is still construction finishing up (June 2025) but that did not affect us at all. The minor issues we had during our stay seemed to be more growing pains than anything else and were expertly handled by management. So if you’re on the fence about where to stay in Patmos, don’t hesitate to stay at the Patmos Aktis. It’s a very luxurious and beautiful property. It feels like a place that is waiting to be discovered then it will explode and become hard to book - so...

It’s taken me a few days to decide whether this hotel should be allocated 4 or 5 stars, but in the end I opted for 5 because the 2 irritations didn’t warrant the loss of a star - half maybe, but not one.||Let’s start with those two issues. Rooms are ridiculously small. We had a two-bedroom suite, which comprised two bedrooms and a living room, each smaller than the next. Total size can’t have been much more than 42m2…… in reality, this should be a one bedroom suite. It turns out that all the suites and rooms in the main building are minuscule, but the stand-alone villas are much bigger - almost double the size, many with pool, and quite wonderful. This said, the view was spectacular, the rooms impeccably clean, strong shower pressure and lovely amenities. | |Second issue was an arrogant, cocky little kid, seemingly of Australian-Greek descent, masquerading as a fully trained Receptionist. She told one of our party “why have you come to the hotel with an attitude?” No matter what the circumstances, it is not for any staff member to use provocative and disrespectful language to a customer……btw, at no point did she proffer an apology to the person concerned, so yet a further testimony to her lack of maturity, experience and training. ||The plus points are numerous. Incredibly warm, professional and friendly staff throughout the hotel, who couldn’t do enough to assist and make the stay extremely memorable. They are an asset to the hotel. Interestingly, a few of them were clearly new to their role and lacked a bit of confidence, but their obvious willingness to please and improve shone through, to create an entire team that really does lead me to say “the best we have encountered in the whole of Greece.” The charm of the elegant and delightful Guest Relations lady, the expertise of the GM and Rooms Divisions Manager all the way thru F&B, housekeeping, beach staff and others - a pure delight that makes a huge impact on us.||Delicious food in all of the outlets, cooked as we asked it with no flaws. Unbelievably, every single order for our party of 7 was correct every time. That’s excellent work from the wait-staff and good communication with the kitchen. Even the drinks were made to perfection.||The beach is spectacular, sun-beds well spaced from each other, beautiful calm sea and a vista of unmatched levels.||So, if you’re looking for true 5* service on a Greek island, with an exceptional product,...

It is hard to say what it is that makes the Patmos Aktis the ultimate destination for a relaxed holiday. Is it the perfect location by Grikos Bay where there is alway boats coming and going, the excellent breakfast, the lounging all day by the beach or the overall very good service? It’s probably a bit of everything combined with the charm of the island, the for such a small island offer of very good restaurants, the sophisticated and relaxed international crowd and the vicinity of everything. Yes, it’s a hassle to get there, but it is totally worth it.

Our 10 days stay went by too fast, and without a glitch from the hotel. Great food all over, the beach taverna is probably one of the best on the island, impressively good service everywhere, especially considering post Covid. Only room for improvement would be an upgrade of the gym.

Patmos recommendations: Tsipouradiko, Skala: Very nice and busy seafood restaurant, where one sits in the sand almost with feet in the water. Amazing caramelised octopus on fava. Bring a sweater as it can be windy. Reservation needed in high season. Vaggelis: On a little square in Chora, excellent Greek food. One of the best restaurants on the island. There is a nice bar opposite. Reservation required. Benetos: Between Aktis and Skala. Excellent food, nice cocktail bar. They have a restaurant part where reservation is required and a light meal part by the bar where there is always space. Benetos in Chora: Right by the parking area, great view, nice cafe for breakfast lunch and coffee. Ktima Petra: Petra Beach, basic looking place, has huge greenhouses and grow everything they serve. Rustic and traditional. Probably the cleanest and best maintained restating Greece! Daphne’s ice-cream in Skala for ice cream and cakes Kampos Beach: Sand beach, shallow water, great for kids. Water sports. Atmos Beach club, modern beach club, Mykonos Style, book sun chairs when busy. 40 EUR for a set. Lampis Beach: Pretty small basic beach with bigger stones. Lampi Fish Tavern for lunch and dinner. Dolphin Lampi for coffee and ice-cream, has sun loungers as well. Marathi Island: perfect destination for day boat trip, beautiful bay near by for swimming, then go to Pantelis for a delicious...