Summer Palace Hotel Review

Overall Rating

relaxing

a lot of stairs

Summer Palace is a very well designed place, granted you are on the side of a mountain so there are lots of steps and hills to climb, if you have trouble walking or are disabled then this is not the place for you. Each arpartment is spacious and clean with air con, you have a small fridge, hairdryer and there is nobody staying below or above you so noise is not a problem. The only problem I found with the rooms are that the electricity comes on when you place you room key fob into a magnetic socket which means when you leave the room you have to take the key with you which in turn turns the elec supply off, so you cannot charge phones or batteries up or leave the air con on. Our balcony was very private so you can sit there not feeling you had to strike up a conversation with your neighbour.

There are seven outdoor pools and one indoor pool so you had no problem getting a sunbed and unbrella ( free) and you are not sitting on top of every one. The main pool shown in most of the brochures is exactly how the picture looks clean well designed, but the water at this pool is extremely saltey, to the point of making you heave if you swallow it, My 5 year old son lasted an hour before he refused to go in again and we moved back up to the pool closest to are room these pools don't seem to be saltey at all.The beach was shingle and if you have sensitive feet then walking on it is agony, but every day it was packed.The hotel was spotless and I found the staff very polite and eager to help, my balcony flooded due to heavy rain and the soak away was blocked, in minites I had 6 or 7 cleaners in my room sorting the problem out. There was a large variety of food and for adults it was faultless, but with a five year old it was hard work finding food he would eat.

Euros have ruined what was a cheap holiday, the bar served either Stella, or lowenbrau, which for a large glass was E3.60 and a small was E3.00 all soft drinks were E3.60. The mini mart is basically a gift shop that sells English papers, for bottles of water or wines and bottled drinks you either paid through the nose at the bar or went into Kardamena.

Getting to Kardamena you could walk ( yeh right) or taxi which was E7.00 each way, free hotel bus that you had to book well in advance or as we did take a short walk to the main gates of the complex and use the local bus for 90 cents each, these run evey 30 mins or so and the time table is at reception.The night time entertainment was poor and the childrens club which is run by the hotel opened once when we were there to the disapointment of my lad.

Overall I would go again and I don't usually say that, if you are looking to relax next to a pool and can entertain yourselves, then this is the place for you, but if you looking for blackpool( no offence) style entertainment then try Benidorm!.

Members' Comments ondrargo's Review

• Well Travelled Man on 21st Jul 2004

  Don't go there, you may be the first poor 'brit in a box' to leave this hotel....be warned, it's a potential death trap and that's only the food!!!