Большой правдивый отзыв об отдыхе, стране Греции и туроператоре. A great truthful review about the holiday, the country of Greece and the tour operator.

We rested with my family (two adults and a teenager of 13 years old) in Greece, on the peninsula of Chalkidiki at the Potidea Palace hotel from June 25 to July 7.2010. Before the trip, choosing a hotel for a holiday, we were guided by the recommendations of friends and the reviews of tourists on the Internet. I had to "go around" many sites in order to form an impression of the hotel from fragmentary information. Having been there with my own eyes, I really wanted to write a long and detailed review, as emotions overwhelm and ask to come out. The opinion is of course subjective, but I will try to describe everything in as much detail and objectively as possible, reflecting both the positive and negative aspects of the rest. I hope my review will help someone in choosing a tour operator and a hotel for a holiday.

Just want to say - vacation was a success ! ! !
We recommend this hotel to everyone for:
1. convenience for families with children,
2. excellent food,
3. staff friendliness,

4. comfort,
5. beautiful, clear sea,
6. short and easy transfer,
7.
location, optimal for trips to the peninsulas and excursions.

And also, for an unforgettable vacation, one of the best we've had to date.
So, who cares, then everything is in order.

THE COUNTRY

Enchanted from the very arrival! We fell in love on the way from the airport to the hotel. Landscapes outside the window - something! Getting off the plane, not yet leaving the airfield of Thessaloniki Airport, you see a view of the mountains - three large peaks and a bunch of small ones. You immediately feel that the air is completely different, you can breathe easily. There is very little industry in Greece, mainly fur coats and agriculture, so the air is the cleanest. On the way to the hotel, the views outside the window are a piece of Thessaloniki, the sea, fields with various plantings, olive groves, hills, hills, everything is green, flowering, life-affirming. Rest for the eyes and the soul, tortured by pre-holiday chores.

TOUR OPERATOR.

We rested with the tour operator MOUZENIDIS TRAVEL (Mouzenidis Travel).

We have never seen such a clear and well-coordinated work of a tour operator, although we have been vacationing abroad for more than a year. I would like to express my gratitude to the tour operator and its representatives, both those who sent from Moscow and those who received in Greece. Representatives of the tour operator sending - recommended including the hotel Potidea. Having chosen it, we have not regretted our choice at all. The host representatives of the tour operator are also at their best, everything is organized clearly: they were met at the airport, delivered to the hotel without delay, during the journey they gave a lot of useful and interesting information. When we flew away, we were taken to the airport and the representative of Mouzenidis was next to the group of those departing and helped if there were problems with registration, sending luggage, etc. I would like to immediately note that the ALL fleet of vehicles provided by the tour operator is comfortable and always with properly working air conditioners.
What pleasantly pleased, because when it is about 30 degrees outside, and the distance is decent (we went on an excursion to Meteora), then comfort is an important matter. In general, there was such an impression that the tour operator’s fleet was either recently updated or completely new (whether it was a one- or two-story large-capacity sightseeing bus, small mini-buses for 6–8 people, as well as a tour operator’s taxi, which we took for a walk around surroundings). An important point: representatives of the tour operator are on site every day for almost the entire day.

The DRIVERS I have encountered are exceptionally calm and knowledgeable people.
I would like to mention Vladimir, who took us in a minibus to Kastoria on a fur coat tour, Christos (emphasis on the first syllable), who took us by taxi for a walk to Kallikratia and, unfortunately, carried away by the guide’s narration, did not have time to remember the names of the two drivers who drove us on an excursion to Meteora.

GUIDES - a separate song. We went on an excursion to Meteora with a guide Panayotis. To say that he is a professional is an understatement. The material is presented in such a way that you will listen, mixed with Greek anecdotes that reflect the life and originality of the country. Information is perceived easily and in one breath. During the tour, he does not stop for a minute, during the journey to the place of the excursion and back he told about the history of Greece, and about its economy, and about its culture, religion, and much, much more. Thank him very much. The man is in his place.
Vladimir - he was both a driver and a guide for us in one person.

We went with him to Kastoria on a fur coat tour (if I have the strength and patience, I will write a separate review about this trip). While we were driving there, I turned on a mini-film about how the skins bought by furriers are processed and how finished products are then sewn from them. Explained how to identify quality fur. His help on this trip was indispensable. Including thanks to him, none of us was left without a purchase. Thank him very much.

REPRESENTATIVES OF THE TOUR OPERATOR AT THE HOTEL: Many thanks to the girls Natalia and Anna - representatives of Mouzenidis in the hotel for their kindness and responsiveness. On the day of arrival, in the evening, new arrivals are told in detail about the working hours of bars, restaurants at the hotel, the time of various events and other information about the hotel. They also tell in detail and accompany the story with a display on the big screen (which is very convenient) about the excursions provided.
We signed up for several excursions - they always call the night before and remind where we are going and what to take with us. A trifle, but nice. But seriously, this once again speaks of the high level of services of the tour operator. Including the little things, too, one gets the impression of his work. The tour operator was satisfied. Next year we won't have a problem with choosing a tour operator.
A small, very convenient detail - all Mouzenidis representatives are dressed in bright orange T-shirts. They are always visible from afar, so wherever you are, it is very difficult to lose sight of the representative of the tour operator and this is also a positive thing.

Having returned home, reflecting on their wonderfully spent vacation, they nevertheless decided to dig deeper into their memories and find the negative aspects in the work of a tour operator. Everything was so organized, clear and well-coordinated that we could not find any negative points in his work.
HOTEL


The territory of the hotel is small, but very cozy and beautiful. Everything on it is located conveniently and very ergonomically. Wherever you want to go, everything is nearby. First, a small series of buildings stretched out to the sea with numbers. There is a riot of greenery around: these are pines, and palm trees, and magnolias, and oleanders, and rose bushes that look like lilacs from afar, and small bushes of roses, petunias, and much, much more. Everything is neatly cut, blooms and is put in order in a timely manner. Only during our vacation we caught trimming bushes and pruning dried branches near palm trees twice. Gardener - five.
Further, closer to the sea, there is a smaller copy of the Parthenon, inside of which there are tables and chairs, as well as wicker sofas with pillows. All in light milky tones. When you are inside it, as if you are touching a piece of history.
Around the Parthenon are: a swimming pool (adults and children), a pool bar, a terrace for lunch, a main restaurant for breakfast and dinner, an amphitheater for evening performances.
Also on the territory there is a mini - club, gym, spa, sauna, football field, two tennis courts. Vacationers call the mini-club a kindergarten, because the children squeal with delight from the children's animators and disappear there all day long.
If adults were not shy about squealing with delight like children, the screech of adults would constantly stand by the pool, because there is such an abundance of places for sitting, lying, reclining and others. These are wide comfortable wicker beds with mattresses, sun loungers, hammocks on a green lawn, tables and chairs along one side of the pool, wicker sofas with pillows under a canopy in the shade, everyone will find a place to their liking.

RECEPTION. Works like clockwork.
In terms of the fact that no matter what request you make, everything is resolved within no more than five minutes. My family and I usually see the reception desk twice during the holidays - on the day of arrival and the day of departure. And then it burst, then the card demagnetized, then the safe accidentally slammed shut, then something else ...The girls are friendly and helpful, they help to solve any problem. I especially remember the girl Julia.


Our room was standard. Not very big, but the three of us had enough, because we were rarely there, to sleep and change. The room has a TV, DVD, refrigerator (water, juice, beer - two bottles every day (free of charge)), bathroom, hair dryer, balcony. Cleaned up in the room well. No claims. Yes, they completely forgot, there is still an electric kettle in the room, and next to it is a box replenished every day with tea bags, coffee, sugar and cream. At first they thought that it was too much on vacation, on the territory from 9-00 to 23-00 you can drink tea and coffee.
But rest is what rest is, sometimes you go to bed much later than you think, so a teapot came in handy several times.

NUTRITION. I'm afraid that in this section of my review, all words will be only superlatives. The food is so delicious, high quality and varied that it is beyond praise. The chef or head waiter of the restaurant meets guests before breakfast and dinner at the entrance to the main restaurant. Eating at this hotel is a feast for the stomach. ! It is impossible to resist, I want to try a little of everything. In general, like this, little by little - little by little, each of us gained + 3 kilos in two weeks.
Judge for yourself whether you can easily refuse this: in addition to all kinds of vegetables, both raw and boiled-stewed with all kinds of sauces, I remember the following - stuffed squid almost every day, several times there were mussels, awesome cuttlefish with rice, artichokes as by themselves , and stuffed, fried lamb (softest), the same beef, pork in various forms (stewed, fried, in the form of kebabs on skewers), several times there were even rolls for dinner, mothers of the kids were delighted with chicken pieces-fillet, the children flew away with a bang, the turkey was the same, there was an awesome duck. This is only a part of what I managed to remember. For breakfast, the cottage cheese was such that you will eat your mind. Something between cottage cheese and our suluguni cheese is a delicious thing! ! ! Many people said that for the first time they tried such a tender and tasty home-made cottage cheese.

I sprinkled it with walnuts for breakfast and sprinkled it with honey - you will lick your fingers. Fruits: watermelon, melon, apricots, peaches, nectarines, delicious cherries, plums, and even kiwi (bananas and other things I just don’t mention). Freshly squeezed orange juice for breakfast (no limit). In between meals, on the open veranda, where lunch is held, you can have a bite of hot dogs. Another very convenient detail: the main restaurant opens at 5-30 in the morning for those who leave early for an excursion. You can have breakfast in peace. There is already tea, coffee, cheese, ham, cottage cheese, fruits, pastries and more.

BEACH along the sea across the entire width of the hotel. There is always enough space for everyone. The beach is sandy with a small amount of pebbles, the entrance to the sea is about a meter of small pebbles, then sand. Water is the purest. We swam far into the sea on a water bike - you can see the fish and the bottom, the water is as clear as near the shore.
The entrance to the sea is gentle, very convenient for both children and adults, everyone swims at their own depth. The beach is cleaned every day, sometimes more than once (depending on the upbringing of vacationers).

There is only one drawback on the beach - umbrellas with a straw top are located a little low. A person of ordinary average height, without bending down, touches him. A couple of scratches on the forehead are guaranteed until you get used to bending down before you hit.

ANIMATION in the hotel is unobtrusive, but sufficient. Every day they invite you to football, volleyball, boccia, darts, water aerobics, to learn the sirtaki dance, belly dance, step aerobics (maybe I forgot something). Those who do not want to are not disturbed by harassment, and those who have a desire, go themselves. All the animators are smiling, looking at them I want to respond to their offer and go "animate". All of them are good, but our hearts were won by Vitaly, who conducts boccia, darts and water gymnastics.

The person plays masterfully, and not some mournful classics, but well-known melodies (including classical ones) in modern processing - you will hear. People, regardless of gender and age, are delighted. Who is sitting at the tables, who is dancing a little away from the violinist. Here's what set it up. The kids, inspired by the music, also danced, it's wonderful. But they danced very close to the violinist, almost stepping on his feet, then they became hooligans and miraculously did not knock him off his feet. He politely walked back and forth several times. Of course, I understand that the parents are on vacation, but somehow it turns out ugly, the person works, he needs to concentrate, in the end it’s elementary not to lose the rhythm, and he also has to balance on one leg between the rowdy children. There were evenings when they chose Mr. , and then Miss of the hotel - cool.

That seems to be all. Although it will not be enough to describe everything and books.
Yes, indeed, a great response turned out. But it could not be otherwise, since the whole family fell in love with this country, the hotel staff charmed us with its friendliness, and the tour operator impressed us with its clear and well-coordinated work.

Go on vacation to Greece, to the Potidea Palace hotel, you won't regret it!
Have a good holiday everyone! ! !

Natalia.