Holidaying in a closed resort

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Olympic Holidays - www.olympicholidays.com
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renaissancegirl's review of Olympic Holidays - www.olympicholidays.com

“Holidaying in a closed resort”

★★★☆☆

written by renaissancegirl on 06/11/2013

I booked the Belvedere apartmens in Paleokastritsa, Corfu on a accommodation only basis for the October half term week. The resort is undoubtedly very beautiful, but also very strung out along the coast road which is about 3 km long, so check just where your accommodation is. You need to be prepared to do a lot of walking. I knew that the resort would be shutting down for the winter, but was not prepared for just how difficult it would be to get basic supplies.
My first problem was on arrival. I was dropped off by the transfer bus, which I had booked independently. The gates to the Belvedere were shut and bolted, and the smaller gate to the pool bar also firmly shut, but not bolted. I went through and looked at the pool and pool bar - closed without a doubt, and no one around. After a wander around I came across a room in the which there was an elderly gentleman, and after showing him my booking form he rang someone and a young girl collected me and took me to my studio which was in a second block. Nowhere did it say this was part of the Belvedere complex and I certainly would not have found it on my own. If I had arrived late at night, I think I would have been spending the first night on a beach sun lounger!! Surely Olympic should have provided me some basic information on who to contact when I got to the accommodation with phone numbers.
I assume the cleaning staff had also finished for the winter, as, after the first day when I was given clean towels, no one changed the towels or sheets or even emptied the toilet bin.
It turned out I was the only person staying in the apartments, which did not bother me as I nearly always holiday alone. The owner Vasilis and his family were very kind to me and I frequently returned from a day out to find a bowl of food waiting for me. I had gone with basic supplies, which was a good thing as by the end of the week all - yes I mean all - of the supermarkets were closed, and all of the tavernas, except for three on the beach which tended to be very expensive as they were catering for the coach parties form the cruise ships had shut.I never did find any milk, and there was no fresh fruit or veg to be found at all.
Luckily the weather was very good, and I did plenty of long walks and enjoyed the beautiful sunrises from the balcony, and sunsets from the beach.
To sum up - a beautiful resort and basic accommodation, but if Olympic are prepared to sell accommodation here they need to ensure the people booking are aware of anything that they are advertising that will not be open - ie restaurant/pool/pool bar, and that things that every holidaymaker expects, where ever they are, such as change of linen/towels and basic cleaning are just not going to happen.
I had a super time overall, but I don't think I would risk it here again for this week. If the weather had not been so good, I know the only supermarket within walking distance would have closed the day after I arrived.The owner told me he was only staying open for a few more days because there were still a few people around.

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