Ipsario Garden Hotel — Hotel in Thassos Municipality

We turned off the main road. ||||Asphalt gave way to dirt as the path narrowed, and the late summer sun tried it's best to break through the vegetation that formed a wall of green on the sides, blocking any view of what we might find around the next twist or turn. The anticipation and excitement when on the verge of a new and unknown experience is hard to replicate. We couldn't wait to arrive.||||And then the dirt road turned back into fresh asphalt, with impeccably maintained fencing and lighting guiding us towards the entrance to the Ipsario Garden Hotel. ||||We couldn't believe our luck when we saw where we'd be staying. It was beyond our wildest expectations.||||Just 3km away from the relative hustle and bustle of the busy - and beautiful - beachfront that is Golden Beach, the Ipsario Garden Hotel is tucked away. ||||A secret haven. And one with better views than most beachfront hotels anywhere in Thassos due to its elevation. What we hadn't really counted on was the extensive grounds of the hotel. They are stunning. Olive tree are everywhere in Greece and Thassos is no exception, but a boutique hotel experience in a cultivated olive tree grove, with a large botanical and working garden, is quite rare. It was like a dream.||||Our little one loved every second of it. As we hail from a large city, we don't often have the chance to educate and enjoy a garden, and to see where food comes from, and to run around in a safely enclosed large space without worry of where our child might run off too. This was a parent's dream holiday scenario. ||||Other reviews of this hotel hint at how the owners, Sofia and Glen, treat guests like family. I suspect that due to travelling in late Sept 2020, when most hotels in Thassos were closing for the season, we might have had a closer experience of this family atmosphere than others. ||||The other reviews are true to their words. Sofia and Glenn are outstanding hosts. Passionate about their hotel, with a truly amazing ability to produce the most delicious meals we ate on the island, and knowledgable about everything from Sweden's policy on dubbing or subtitling English films and the best way to construct a retaining wall of locally sourced greek stone, to how to make their own olive oil. Great conversationalists and excellent bartenders. And the other guests of this best kept secret hotel were cut from the same cloth too. ||||We were lucky enough to make friends with their children, their two helpful and delightful goats who keep the place looking its best, their two adorable dogs, their one working cat and of course, their turtle too. ||||Our main issue with this perfectly formed hidden hotel is that we didn't...

This amazing small hotel is well signposted and guests should not be put off by the rough track which turns into a proper road again after a few metres. A bucolic vista of beautiful olive trees comes into view setting the tranquil scene for this hidden gem.

On arrival guests are enthusiastically welcomed by the hotel (little in size but big in personality) dog Max. Max entertained us throughout our stay while always being on the lookout! We already miss him.

The rooms are very well appointed with comfortable Coco Matt beds, aircon, a nice balcony with views over the olive groves to the sea and a sizeable bathroom with a good walk-in shower. The building is well constructed and decorated with very little noise being heard from neighbouring rooms.

A highlight of the hotel is the excellent ‘private dining’ offered by the owner Sofia and her amazing assistant Valentina. Evening meal menus are agreed in advance and the meals are outstanding particularly Sofia’s prawn saganaki! The salads are fresh and delicious . The meals are competitively priced too. For breakfast Valentina prepares amazing hot and cold selections on big trays. We particularly enjoyed the Greek yogurt with local honey and crushed walnuts. The venue for the meals outside is amazing too.

The hotel has a nice large pool which we did not have time to use but looks great. There is an extensive garden with some ancient olive trees offering further enjoyable relaxation.

The beach can be reached in about 25 mins by foot or 5 mins by car.

Owner Sofia is very generous with her recommendations of where to go and where to eat. We particularly enjoyed her restaurant recommendations.

If you are looking for a quiet, comfortable haven of relaxation on Thassos, this is the hotel for you! Our only regret is that we did not stay...

||This amazing small hotel is well signposted and guests should not be put off by the rough track which turns into a proper road again after a few metres. A bucolic vista of beautiful olive trees comes into view setting the tranquil scene for this hidden gem.||On arrival guests are enthusiastically welcomed by the hotel (little in size but big in personality) dog Max. Max entertained us throughout our stay while always being on the lookout! We already miss him.||The rooms are very well appointed with comfortable Coco Matt beds, aircon, a nice balcony with views over the olive groves to the sea and a sizeable bathroom with a good walk-in shower. The building is well constructed and decorated with very little noise being heard from neighbouring rooms.||A highlight of the hotel is the excellent ‘private dining’ offered by the owner Sofia and her amazing assistant Valentina. Evening meal menus are agreed in advance and the meals are outstanding particularly Sofia’s prawn saganaki! The salads are fresh and delicious . The meals are competitively priced too. For breakfast Valentina prepares amazing hot and cold selections on big trays. We particularly enjoyed the Greek yogurt with local honey and crushed walnuts. The venue for the meals outside is amazing too.||The hotel has a nice large pool which we did not have time to use but looks great. There is an extensive garden with some ancient olive trees offering further enjoyable relaxation.||The beach can be reached in about 25 mins by foot or 5 mins by car.||Owner Sofia is very generous with her recommendations of where to go and where to eat. We particularly enjoyed her restaurant recommendations.||If you are looking for a quiet, comfortable haven of relaxation on Thassos, this is the hotel for you! Our only regret is that we did not...