Gaia Royal Hotel

Ed Johnson

Bedding photograph attached sums up the place really. Could do better on all fronts. Only the older lady and dark haired younger lady on reception did their jobs. The food offered was usually lukewarm and was so similar that I just ended up having lemonade over the last few days. The all inclusive offering was a disgrace. You had to pay for all drinks at the beach bar... Even for the beer which was cans of Mythos. You were also meant to pay 25 Euros per person if you wanted to use the beach beds on the beach which was allegedly part of the hotel. The entertainment was far too loud and often competed with the music from the bar. The only all inclusive drinks during the day was from the respective pool bars. The staff there again totally disinterested. For some reason they also had a mini zoo... Far too many deer in their pen, and really damned annoying to be woken up by cockerels and goats at 5.30am Really annoyed at how this hotel was advertised by Jet2. I would not recommend this place to anyone.

Georgina Morrell

Unsure what the negative reviews are about. It was super relaxing staying at this hotel. Staff were lovely, food was really nice. All inclusive drinks is spirits, wine and beer, cocktails not included. There is 3 pools which were kept nice. Entertainment at night was good, live music, games and a dance act on greek night. Beach is super close, the bar at the beach not included in all inclusive but drinks are cheap. Only downfall is if you have kids or have fussy eaters the food is very out there so you may struggle. You can get beach towels at reception for 10 euros and get the money back when towel returned. Would recommend this hotel

Tomáš Kotas

A lot of time has passed since the hotel's much-vaunted renovation, and it was visible here and there in the room, ours still allowed us a pleasant and relaxing stay. The room (Family Superior 2 Bedrooms Side Sea View) was in one of the buildings very close to the beach and the terrace had a really beautiful view of the sea. Room was cleaned daily, including changing towels and also coffee and tea making facilities were regularly replenished. We were prepared for mosquitoes that appeared after dark, thanks to the reviews. However, there was no problem with them in the room, thanks to the nets on the window and door. The hotel staff was helpful, kind and smiling. The food was absolutely great, part of the menu changed every day, and with that variety, it was not a problem to have something different on your plate every day. We always found a free seat in the dining terrace, and the staff did a great job cleaning and re-setting the tables. We hardly used the pools and did not use the animation programs at all. We enjoyed the beautiful sandy beach with a gradual entry into the sea The beach bar is not part of the all-inclusive, but the prices were cool. A standard sunbed on the beach cost €8, a wooden sunbed with a mattress cost €10 and a gazebo cost €14, all for the whole day. The hotel has a varied range of facilities, but unfortunately there is not much else to do in the area around the hotel. The nearest attraction is a water park 2km away. We spent a whole afternoon there and were thrilled, both we and the children. The entrance fee was a bit more expensive (adult €22 and child €14). Not to forget, the hotel was the first stop on the transfer from the airport and the journey did not take more than 20 minutes, as did the journey back to the airport. Overall, the hotel exceeded our expectations and I highly recommend it!

Corel Jo

Title: Not What We Expected This hotel was quite an odd setup overall. The staff at reception and housekeeping were unfortunately quite rude, though the bar staff (both at reception and at the pool) were lovely and friendly — credit where it’s due! Housekeeping Housekeeping operates very strangely here. Instead of checking rooms while guests are out, they knock every single morning at 9 a.m. asking if you want toilet roll or towels. One morning we ignored the knock because we were exhausted from the day before — only for the housekeeper to enter the room to ask anyway. Bizarre. I went to reception to ask that they please don’t knock the next day. The receptionist just stared at me blankly, so I clarified again. She rolled her eyes and said, “Use your do not disturb sign then.” I explained we didn’t have one, she asked for our room number — and yet the next day, they still knocked at 11 a.m., and again at 12, asking us to remove the “do not disturb” sign they’d told us to use. The irony! To make things worse, one of the housekeepers actually came to our room later in the stay and started having a go at my friend for “complaining” at reception. My friend hadn’t complained — she’d simply asked politely for the bed to be changed the next day while we’d be out. The housekeeper banged on the door like we owed her money and started shouting at her about it, even after my friend explained she hadn’t complained. Completely unprofessional and very uncomfortable. Reception The reception staff were another low point. When we checked in, no one gave us the wristbands (and no one mentioned it later either). At one point, we asked about a local pharmacy around 1:45 p.m. The receptionist, Harry, told us the hotel had a deal with a nearby pharmacy that could deliver. While we tried to explain what we needed, he kept chatting in Greek to the colleague next to him, ignoring us. When I tried to clarify again, he cut me off with, “Yes, I’m aware.” After making us wait about 15 minutes, he then said, “You’ve waited too long — the pharmacy’s closed.” I mentioned that online it said open until 9 p.m., and he just shrugged and said, “No, it’s closed. Come back at 5.” To top it off, he made eye contact, spoke to me directly in Greek, and when I said I didn’t understand, he replied, “Why would you? I’m speaking Greek.” Unbelievably rude — genuinely the worst attitude I’ve ever had from hotel staff anywhere. Food The food was… beige. Everything was bland, soggy, and flavorless — ideal only if you have no teeth. The “fruit bar” was just four bowls of unchilled fruit with flies hovering over them. Drinks The drinks were so watered down you’d drown before you got drunk. Only wine (red or white) and beer are included — everything else, including something as simple as hot chocolate, costs extra. The snack bar at the pool serves food that’s been sitting out so long it’s gone rubbery. My friend actually used it as bait when fishing — and even the fish didn’t take it! Beach The hotel is advertised as a beach resort, but the reality is far from that. The beach beds that supposedly belong to the hotel actually cost €8 per day — which really adds up if you’re a family of four. The beach bar attached to the hotel isn’t part of the all-inclusive package either, so you have to pay for every single drink there. Considering it’s part of the resort, that’s just bizarre. Petting Farm There was a dead bird in the cage that stayed there all day. The horses also seemed to have very little space to move around. Positives The public areas — reception, the grounds, and the pools — were generally clean, and again, the bar staff were great. Overall This was not what we expected. Advertised as a 4-star on LoveHolidays, but realistically, it’s closer to a 2-star experience.

K

Awful food and very poor quality drinks, Stuck in the middle of nowhere so had to put up with the lukewarm food that tasted like it came from Wish! staff pleasant enough and the room was fine and kept spotless by the cleaning staff. The holiday was cheap enough but i got what I paid for, I suppose. I definitely don't recommend it and I definitely won't be going again