Ialyssos, Forum Beach Hotel Review

“We too arrived at the Forum Beach Aparthotel to be...”

Written on: 03/08/2008 by vicner

We too arrived at the Forum Beach Aparthotel to be told that we were not staying at this hotel due to the Earthquake, it was only 3 days later when it was confirmed by the rep that the hotel was actually over booked!! We were moved to the sister hotel which was only half board and not geared up for the All Inclusive at all. The beer was like water and like someone else said the spirits represented petrol. All the mixers were cheap panda pop type and there was no diet cola so on a daily basis we would have to purchase our own from one of the local supermarkets ( of which there are plenty)

We were able to use both hotels but it was a hike with the kids in tow, it was a bit of a nightmare. On the few occasions that we ate at the forum beach the food was O.K but unless you got there when the doors opened it was like a cattle market and the later you went the more likely it was that things were running out and weren't being replenished.

The evening entertainment at the Forum Beach was way below standard for a 4* hotel and was very repetitive and during our 2 week stay we saw the same entertainment 3 - 4 times. All that said the entertainment team were fab and tried and worked really hard. On more than one occasion the electric tripped during entertainment and they could do not more than pack up and go home for the night and try again tomorrow.

The beach was very pebbly and there was not beach bar in sight. The sea was very rough at time and could be quite dangerous for small children as it shelves quite deeply. I did go on my own for a swim a few times and thoroughly enjoyed it.

The staff in general were really friendly and helpful and all spoke very good english, people have said in other reviews that it was very German based, but we did not find this to be the case and there were lots of people from all over the world and they were all expected to speak english.

We were moved to the Residence Hotel and although it is the sister hotel it was a bit more subdued. There was only one adult pool and one child pool but you couldn't really use the child pool as the majority of sunbeds there were broken and not really usable, however it was a great depth for the kids. The adults pool (which by the end of the holiday was just a mass of inflatables) was of good standard and was very clean and well maintained and yes there were a few broken sunbeds here they were being replace over the last few days of our holiday. The food at the residence was o.k ish but all the other restaurants that you can use were a bit naff, Cafe Hallos the Greek one was the best by far but that had more to do with the manager who does loads of entertaining than the food. If you have any sense then you will advoid Naftillo's and Garibaldi's.

The hotel as stated was in the flight path for all the incoming planes but this did not cause us any problems just added a bit of daytime entertainment.

The was my first time in Greece and unfortunately due to our experience at the forum beach and the sister hotel it will be our last. All of the above said it was a family holiday and OUR KIDS loved it.

If you go there good luck