This is an excellent hotel which is good value for money.

The laid back attitude of the owners enhances the ambience and we found the whole experience delightful. Everyone was very friendly and helpful and we have not been to a hotel before where you could collect your own key from behind reception on your return from a day out. The hotel is not a long walk along the shoreline into Petra and the shops and tavernas, and the views from the hotel both day and night are exceptional.

On arrival we enquired about a room on level 5 and swapped with a couple who had also just arrived and wanted to be lower down. We were told we could leave our car up there as long as it was not obstructing anyone. We found the best way to go up and down the hill was to use the steps in between the buildings, as this gave a breathing space on the flatter paths before the next set of steps.

The rooms, being in small groups on the hillside amongst the well-maintained gardens, generally make for peace and quiet so it came as a shock to find the dining room quite full some mornings as it looked like the hotel was almost deserted. The rooms and balconies are large, clean and well maintained and, unlike in some hotels, the fridge (which was worth the €3 a day) didn’t keep us awake at night.

We ate at the hotel most evenings, sometimes it appeared we were the only ones who did, but the food was excellent with a reasonable choice on the menu and there was plenty of it. With regard to the breakfast menu, continental breakfast was supplied as standard and there was no restriction on how much you could have, but if you wanted something different this was also available for extra cost. We noticed that guests with special dietary requirements were also accommodated.

The public areas are nice, and we particularly liked the open-plan layout of the main building with reception, lounge, bar and dining area adjacent to each other and the outside dining area and bar overlooks the pool which is illuminated at night. Again all areas were well kept and clean. The library, in a separate room near reception which also contains a PC/internet access, has many more books than shelves in a range of languages. There is also a lot of information about the island and the hotel.

We noted that some people have complained about various aspects of this accommodation but we couldn’t fault it. We would suggest that people do their homework beforehand and select accommodation and locations appropriate to their requirements and expectations.

Finally, we are very disappointed that Thomson have withdrawn from Lesvos because it is ‘not profitable’. We feel we have barely scratched the surface and would love to organise a return to Lesvos and to this hotel in particular.