Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
though
Easter
and the first two weeks of August
may be in a higher category still.
Urban hotels with
a predominantly business clientele tend to charge
the same rates all year. Elsewhere, places that have
significant domestic tourism, such as Náfplio, the
Pelion or the Argo-Saronic islands, frequently
charge significantly more at weekends.
Many of the smaller places offering rooms
close
from October to April
. In winter, then, you may
have to stay in hotels in the main towns or ports.
On smaller islands, there may be just one hotel and
a single taverna that stays open year-round. Be
warned also that resort or harbour hotels which do
operate through the winter are likely to have a
certain number of prostitutes as long-term guests;
licensed prostitution is legal in Greece, and the
management may consider this the most painless
way to keep the bills paid.
triple and quadruple rooms, and fancier hotels may
have
family
suites
(two rooms sharing one
bathroom), all of which can be very good value.
Private rooms and apartments
Many places categorized as apartments or rooms
are every bit as comfortable as hotels, and in the
lower price ranges are usually more congenial and
better value. At their most basic,
rooms
(
dhomátia
-
but usually spotted by a “Rooms for Rent” or Zimmer
Frei sign) might be literally a room in someone's
house, a bare space with a bed and a hook on the
back of the door, and washing facilities outside; the
sparse facilities offset by the disarming hospitality
you'll be offered as part of the family. However,
these days almost all are purpose-built, with
comfortable en-suite accommodation and
balconies - at the fancier end of the scale you'll find
studio and apartment complexes with marble floors,
pools, bars and children's playgrounds. Many have a
variety of rooms at different prices, so if possible
always ask to see the room first. Places described as
studios usually have a small kitchenette - a fridge,
sink and a couple of hotplates in the room itself -
while apartments generally have at least one
bedroom and separate kitchen/living room.
Areas to
look for rooms
, along with recommen-
dations of the best places, are included in the
guide. The rooms may also find you, as owners
descend on ferry or bus arrivals to fill any space
they have, sometimes with photos of their
premises. This can be great, but you can also be in
for a nasty surprise - usually because the rooms are
much further than you had been led to believe, or
bear no relation to the pictures. In some places the
practice has been outlawed. In the more developed
island resorts, where package holiday-makers
predominate, room owners may insist on a
minimum stay of a few days, or even a week.
Rooms proprietors usually ask to keep your
passport
: ostensibly “for the tourist police”, but in
Hotels
The tourist police set o
cial
categories
for hotels,
starting with L (Luxury) and then from A down to
the rarely encountered E class; all except the top
category have to keep within set price limits. The
letter system is being slowly replaced with a star
grading system; L is five-star, E is no-star, etc.
Ratings correspond to the facilities available (lifts,
dining room, pool etc), a box-ticking exercise which
doesn't always reflect the actual quality of the hotel;
there are plenty of D-class hotels which are in
practice smarter and more comfortable than
nearby C-class outfits.
C-class hotels and below have only to provide the
most rudimentary of continental breakfasts -
sometimes optional for an extra charge - while
B-class and above will usually offer a buffet breakfast
including cheese, cold meats, eggs and cereals.
Single rooms
are rare, and generally poor value -
you'll often have to pay the full double-room price
or haggle for around a third off; on the other hand,
larger groups and families can almost always find
ACCOMMODATION PRICES
The price we quote is for the establishment's
cheapest double room in high season
- there
may well be other rooms that cost more, and occasionally the cheapest price will mean a
shared bathroom. For much of the year, however, you can expect to pay a bit less.
Prices are for the room only, except where otherwise indicated; fancier places often include
breakfast in the price - we indicate this in the listing, but check when booking.
By law,
prices must be displayed
on the back of the door of your room, or over the
reception desk. You should never pay more than this, and in practice it is rare to pay as much
as the sign says. If you feel you're being overcharged, threaten to make a report to the tourist
o
ce or police, who will generally take your side in such cases.
