Poseidon Beach

A very honest review of Poseidon Beach Resort

This isn’t the type of hotel I would normally choose, but this trip was a life-experience celebration for my friend & I , so we chose it very deliberately for its location.

We wanted to be right by the beach, close to the action, bars, restaurants and the strip, and somewhere we could simply have a really good time — and on that front, it absolutely delivered. We had a fantastic time and made some brilliant memories.

So, while I have quite a few criticisms of the hotel itself, it’s important to put them into context. We weren’t expecting luxury and we knew what type of accommodation we’d booked. For us, the location was the priority, and it was absolutely perfect for the holiday we wanted.

Location

The location is excellent. You’re right on Laganas Beach and can walk straight onto the beach, with bars, restaurants and the strip all within easy reach. For the type of holiday we wanted, the location couldn’t really have been better.

Food

The food was perfectly acceptable for the standard of accommodation we booked. There was a good choice at mealtimes and, while it would have benefited from a little more fresh fruit, we found every meal perfectly acceptable and always found something we enjoyed.

The snack bar was also a nice addition, offering pizza, hotdogs, Greek pastries, burgers and ice cream — ideal for grabbing something during the day without having to go back to the main restaurant.

The bedrooms

Unfortunately, the bedroom we were given was extremely poor. I’m not sure I’ve ever been in such a poor room. It was very small and faced the back of the property, so it didn’t have the pleasant outlook we’d hoped for from a beach resort.

The bed coverings in particular looked very shabby and tired. They were a rather dull brown colour, which didn’t help the overall appearance of the room and made it feel dated. A good-quality throw in a more attractive colour and some fresher, more modern bedding would make a huge difference.

Another issue was that the handbasin was situated outside the bathroom. I can see how this might work for some people, but when sharing a room with anyone other than your partner or immediate family, I don’t think it’s particularly appropriate or private.

Our adopted children were initially given a room over the road, which unfortunately was covered in ants. However, to be fair to the resort, they did arrange a room change for them, and the replacement room was much more suitable.

The single beds didn’t look particularly great and, like much of the room, looked rather dated. However, to be fair, they were perfectly comfortable and we both slept well, so I can’t really fault them on comfort.

The resort also offered to move us to another bedroom after our concerns, but we received the email about this quite late and then forgot to go to reception to discuss the move. So we can’t comment on what the alternative room would have been like.

The sun loungers really need addressing

The sun loungers really do need to be addressed. They are just awful — extremely dated and unbelievably uncomfortable. I was practically crippled every day after lying on them.

In fact, this was the first holiday I’ve ever had where I didn’t have a sleep by the pool, simply because the loungers were so bloody uncomfortable! 😂

All of the beach loungers are also payable, so this is something worth bearing in mind. We found ourselves going to a beach bar on several days instead, where they had lovely, thick-cushioned sun loungers. We had a great time there, although obviously you are paying indirectly by buying food and drinks.

It really showed us just how much difference comfortable loungers make. I genuinely think the resort could improve the experience enormously by investing in decent padded loungers around the pool and beach areas.

If the price of the holiday had to increase slightly to pay for it, I’d genuinely rather pay a little more and have comfortable loungers. It’s a relatively straightforward improvement that could make a huge difference and potentially encourage guests to return.

Drinks

Unfortunately, the drinks were one of the biggest disappointments for us. The spirits were all local and, personally, we didn’t find them very pleasant to drink.

The cocktails were particularly poor — they tasted more like syrup than proper cocktails, and we really didn’t enjoy them. The wine was drinkable, but again, it was poor quality.

I appreciate that this is a budget-friendly resort and you can’t expect premium branded spirits or luxury cocktails at this price point, but I do think the quality of the drinks could be improved considerably.

The bar staff

A special mention has to go to Jimmy, Denis and George, who were all extremely pleasant, friendly and welcoming. They really stood out and always made us feel looked after whenever we were at the bar.

Their friendliness and good humour made a real difference to our stay, and they deserve a special thank you. 🍹☀️

Entertainment

Unfortunately, the entertainment was probably the weakest part of the holiday for us.

The Greek night was particularly disappointing. The three dancers looked as though they would rather have been anywhere else, and the music was so slow and depressing that it really didn’t create the lively Greek atmosphere we’d hoped for.

The bingo was fairly boring and karaoke simply isn’t our thing, although obviously that’s down to personal taste.

The daytime entertainment was also very limited. The entertainers appeared for around an hour or so during the day and, unfortunately, lacked the personality, energy and enthusiasm needed to get people involved. There just wasn’t much animation or atmosphere around the activities.

I think the resort could make a huge difference here with a more energetic entertainment team who genuinely engage with guests and create some atmosphere.

Overall appearance

The hotel as a whole is rather dated, both in its appearance and in some of its day-to-day workings. It has a lot of potential and the location is fantastic, but parts of the resort feel as though they haven’t been updated for quite some time.

That said, I don’t think everything requires a huge investment. Some relatively simple improvements — fresher décor, better-quality furnishings and a few modern touches — could make a significant difference to the overall feel of the resort.

Bedrooms and access

One small but surprisingly irritating issue was the bedroom key. The corridors are poorly lit, and trying to get the key into the lock was awkward, particularly when returning to the room in the evening.

It sounds like a minor thing, but when you’re doing it every day, it becomes unnecessarily frustrating. A better-lit corridor and a more modern key-card system would be a very simple improvement.

Additional charges

One thing we really didn’t like was the number of additional charges. Having to pay extra for air-conditioning when temperatures were around 33°C felt particularly disappointing — in that heat, I think air-conditioning should really be included in the room price.

There were also additional charges for Wi-Fi, the safe and local taxes. Individually these may not seem like a huge amount, but when you’re already paying for your holiday, all the extras soon add up.

I would much rather see the room price increased slightly and have these things included from the outset. It would feel much better value and would avoid the feeling of constantly having to pay extra for basic facilities.

The cats 🐈

As an animal lover, I really enjoyed seeing the cats around the resort. There were quite a few of them, and it was lovely to see them around the grounds. They all appeared to be in good condition, which was reassuring to see, and I enjoyed their presence throughout our stay.

And finally, a very unexpected highlight of the trip was Eddie, one of the security guards! My friend took a particular liking to him. In fact, she was apparently ready to marry him — if only he’d been any good at DIY! 😂

The bottom line

Would I book this hotel again? Probably not — but that’s not to say we didn’t have a fantastic holiday.

We chose Poseidon because of its location and because it suited exactly what we wanted from this particular trip. We wanted the beach, the bars, restaurants, nightlife and atmosphere right on our doorstep, and we absolutely got that.

There are definitely things the hotel could improve, particularly the sun loungers, bedrooms, drinks and entertainment. But we had a brilliant time, enjoyed ourselves enormously and made some fantastic memories.

For us, the location and the fun we had outside the hotel were the highlights. The hotel itself is much more basic and dated than I would normally choose, but for the particular holiday we wanted, it served its purpose.

Room. Dirty. was very loose. very basic it was. The pool was just full of Lilo's and rubber rings My bedside table was some orange chair.. For the food ,one word BAD. We went out mainly for much better food. Would we stay again Never, Not even for Free.