Отель для непривередливых Hotel for the picky

Traveled with my husband in 2012. Aug 29 -9 Sep.
First of all, I want to speak in defense of the hotel. Yes, the rooms need refurbishment. Yes, I didn't like the food. But why is everyone in such wild indignation, if all this is honestly and in detail described in the reviews? Why do people think that if they pay 2 times less than for the top five in Turkey, they will get 2 times better conditions for staying? )) After all, you have to pay for everything. We rested in the fives of Egypt and Turkey. Finnish this year. the state did not allow this and we decided to save money and see a new country. The trip cost us 1620 euros - 11 days (without personal expenses) with the AI ​ ​ system. Previously, I calculated the cost of holidays in the Crimea, and Greece came out cheaper under similar conditions. But the sea, climate, color and “something new” are much better compared to Crimea. So about the indignation: what you paid for, you got. Personally, I abstracted from the shortcomings of the hotel and got a lot of pleasure from the rest.
More about the holiday and the hotel:

TOUR OPERATOR: We went with BOMO. At first I was worried, because in all the reviews only Mouzenidis. It turned out that this is almost the same thing: you can contact the hotel guide from both Bomo and Mouzenidis. We were taken from the airport by Bomo bus, and back by Mouzenidis. When a doctor was needed, they asked for a guide, she called, arrived in 40 minutes, listened, did tests and an injection, called the insurance company himself and settled everything. No extras. No payments were needed, although it was an exacerbation of a chronic illness that insurance does not cover. This is very nice and much more important than some old furniture in the room.
FLIGHT: Astra airline……. . departure from Kyiv was delayed for 5 hours…. the day on the beach was gone…. but on the way back we realized that the airline is not so guilty, because the airport in Thessaloniki is a quiet horror…. only check-in, we went through 40 minutes... all stages of registration - 2.5 hours... and this is without trips to duty free....this is stupid queuing . . there is no time left for a duty cycle, and there are again huge queues)) in addition , everything is more expensive than in Kiev (alcohol is on average 5 euros a bottle). So my advice is to buy everything in your hometown, there will be no time in Thessaloniki.
LOCATION OF THE HOTEL: some wrote that they managed to walk to Leptokarya in 10 minutes....they are probably athletes)) it always took us about 40 minutes to reach the main street. Of course, we went “to the junction”, but after the sea, the sun, abundant food and alcohol, you don’t really run around))) In the evenings, a train runs every half an hour - 1.5 euros / person one way.
It turns out faster if you go along the upper road, along the railway. But in the morning there is no shade, but in the evening it's scary))
Leptokarya is the most ordinary modern resort town: a million cafes, shops, tourists and does not represent any aesthetic and cultural value. Market on Tuesdays from 8 am to 2 pm. You can buy fruits, vegetables, olives by weight, at home. wine and moonshine, honey and a lot of Chinese-Turkish consumer goods: from shorts to curtains. A lot of clothes and shoes are sold in Leptokarya itself, so if you didn’t have time to buy a T-shirt, flip flops, shorts before the trip, buy it even cheaper on the spot.
HOTEL TERRITORY: quite large and green. There is where to walk (even with a stroller) and get acquainted with the local flora.

BEACH AND POOL: the sea is beautiful: calm in the morning, waves begin in the afternoon. A beautiful view of the mountains and the red tiled roofs of the houses of the towns, which seem to have grown out of these mountains. I highly recommend taking a book about the history of Greece or the myths of ancient Greece with you - then everything around delights even more and is enveloped in some special meaning)) The beach is wide, more sandy than pebbly, a little dirty (cigarette butts). The entrance to the sea is small smooth pebbles, quite sharp. Further - sand and meters through 20 shallows (on the chest). Getting a sunbed on the beach is really a problem. We lay by the pool in the shade of trees and walked to the sea (approx. 100m) along shady paths. It’s even more pleasant: it doesn’t sweep sand, the free bar is closer, quieter and there are no blacks who walk along the beach and sell everything - from pasties to sneakers, and at the same time, for some reason, whistle all the time . .
ROOMS: lived in a bungalow on the 2nd floor. The very location of the bungalow is very good: all the windows face the east side, it is not hot during the day, the air conditioner was almost never used. From the windows there is a view of the hotel grounds, trees and the entrance group of the neighboring bungalow, i. e. the situation “the neighbor opposite today in red shorts” is completely excluded. The rooms are in urgent need of refurbishment, especially the bathrooms. However, almost all the time we were awake in the room, we spent on a large balcony with furniture. TIP: don't forget a long clothesline and clothespins.
FOOD: quite varied (compared to Egypt), but too oily for me. Among the vacationers there were a lot of families with children 2-3 years old, it’s a mystery to me, what they were fed and what were the consequences. Fruit is really a problem: for lunch, only melon and grapes, for dinner, watermelon and grapes. For myself, I realized that it makes no sense to go to Greece on AI, since there are unlimited taverns with reasonable prices: a meat dish with a side dish 6-7 euros, a salad 4 euros, beer 2-3 euros. In the market (there are several of them in Leptokarya), you can buy sausage, cheese, fruits and vegetables, cereals, wine from 4 euros / liter and beer for 0.8. Many private bakeries and pastry shops. In general, you will not remain hungry and ruined.
SERVICE: yes, everything is fine with the service. Yes, the beds were changed every 3 days, but I don't think you change more often at home. Towels, shampoos, gels - every day. At the entrance, half of the light bulbs did not work, they said at the reception, in the morning they changed everything. In our bungalow, someone did not have air conditioning, so they came to us to check, although everything was in order with us. The towel holder was broken, but we forgot to say and somehow adapted, but apparently the maid did not adapt, so the master himself came and repaired without our requests. They cleaned relatively normally (a dry leaf was covered under the chair, it wasn’t there the next day))) It’s just that no cleaning will help what needs to be repainted or thrown away))) In general, I noticed one feature: the more order you put in the room when you leave (all things in their places), the better the maid cleans)))) so set an example))) In the restaurant, sometimes you had to wait for the waiter, but no more than 5 minutes, and then, if it was time for a large influx of people. The safe was closed from the very beginning and we were warned by the guides about thefts and offered to store valuables in the hotel safe at the reception for free. We kept the main amount of money and documents there, at any time they came and took what we needed - no problems. We calmly left things by the pool and went to the sea for 1.5 hours - everything is in order. True, on the beach itself, my old flip flops were stolen)) I wonder who needed them? ))) but oh well, they still bothered me.

ANIMATION: as it were: girls and boys in T-shirts with the inscription "animation team" are all the time in the pool area, while they play cards among themselves, drink at the bar, communicate with each other, in short, have a good time and every day in 17.00 they turn on loud music and dance (unchanged for 11 days) 2 dances and leave))) But everyone wakes up, cheers up, goes for an evening swim and, as it were, it's time to gather for dinner. At first it was annoying, but then I realized the need for such an "alarm clock")) and in the evening there was a children's disco for about 20 minutes, also with the same repertoire, but the children learned all the movements and words))))
EXCURSIONS: 9 km from the hotel there is a Byzantine fortress 10 st. buildings (KASTRO PLATAMONA). It is clearly visible from the beach. Frankly, the outside of the fortress is much more beautiful than inside. But from there, stunning views of the sea, beaches and mountains open up. It's worth the trip.
You can get there by intercity bus from Leptokarya for 1.6 euros / person. The stop is located to the left of the transition under the railway from the sea, there is also a sign with a schedule. The schedule of buses and trains can be taken at the reception, but it is a bit untrue. So immediately check with the driver when there will be flights back. Entrance to the fortress costs 2 euros. Check with your hotel guide for hours of operation. If you missed the bus back, you can walk, but it’s hard)))) tested on personal experience)) there is nothing particularly remarkable along the way, but you get a unique “potato-collective farm” tan and the contour of your T-shirt will remain for a long time.
METEOR - A MUST! This is an indescribable beauty. The hotel guide offers a tour for 60 euros. In Leptokarya you can buy for 15. We took it in Leptokarya at the Trump Travel agency (to the right of the railway station near the bank). There were people traveling with us from the hotel who bought from another agency for the same 15 euros, but Trump Travel was written on the bus. Special thanks to our guide Matina, who helped to find drachmas for the collection of coins, and painkillers for kidney stones, which for some reason decided to get out in Meteora)). So there will be no problems with a “non-hotel” excursion, on the contrary, they will help in any way they can. The bus is comfortable, from the center. air conditioner. The majority were Hungarian pensioners. There were 2 guides on the bus, and they took turns in Hungarian, then in Russian, telling where and why we were going. In general, the trip is very well put together, there is enough time. We visited an icon shop in Kalambaka, 2 monasteries in Meteora and a monastery with St. source on the way back. You go around the monasteries without a guide, but you can join groups with a guide)) . We also brought you to a roadside tavern: for 6 euros you can take a choice of meat or fish with a side dish + for 3 euros a salad + 3 euros beer. The selection and portions are large.

RENT A CAR: you can rent a car for 50-60 euros + fuel (1.9 euros/l). There is a rental directly at the hotel, the prices do not differ from the prices in Leptokarya, but the insurance conditions and the daily limit for km at the hotel are better.
LITOCHOR. Kidney stones were not allowed to go to this town, but we were recommended. True, getting there is extremely inconvenient: by bus to Paralia Litochoro and there again either by bus or taxi. It's probably best to take a taxi directly from the hotel, but I don't know the cost.
LANGUAGE BARRIER: I don't speak Greek, like many others. English leaves much to be desired)) But there were no particular problems: everyone understands sign language))) most Greeks speak English at my primitive level, many workers of the tourist infrastructure understand Russian. The Greeks themselves are very smiling, sociable and sympathetic people: they always try to help, even