The Olivar Suites

My stay started off a little rocky. My transportation from the airport was scheduled for the wrong day, and I ended up waiting over 30 minutes for a smoky-smelling, noisy van to finally pick me up, although the team graciously waived the cost once they realized what happened. I'd also paid for an extra night hoping to secure an early arrival with my 8am flight, but after the taxi delay, and being placed in my first allocated sea view room facing a boat dock with rentals, I requested to move and ended up being relocated around 12:30pm. This wasn't quite the value I'd hoped for after paying for that early check-in.

The rest of the stay turned things around completely, so much so that I extended my stay with five additional nights. I stayed in the Riviera Suite, and I woke up every morning to a sea view I loved. The privacy of the room, and the light that shined throughout the day on the private terrace was complete peace.

I will note that the Riviera Suites back up against a road with taverns and a lounge that plays music into the night and early morning (2a) so if you are a light sleeper, bring ear plugs. Also, there are markets on this street within 3 minutes walk if you need food, souvenirs, travel supplies, etc.

The beach was also spacious and well-appointed with plenty of loungers, and the sea stayed calm the entire stay except for one storm.

What made the difference was the team. Traditional Greek hospitality is alive and well here, and most of the staff are local to the area. Everyone works hard, yet it is their warmth that was felt first and foremost.

While I appreciated the entire 250+ team that works in front and behind the scenes, I do want to acknowledge a few team members who I encountered or spoke with often:

Olga in Housekeeping - while she mistakenly entered my room the first day, she was a star, and ensured my suite was the tidiest and most immaculate. Christiana in Guest Relations - she checked on me often and I appreciated that generosity and care. Eleni in the Restaurant - I loved walking into breakfast and seeing her beautiful smile and curly hair. (Curly heads unite!) Konstantinos and Katerina at the front desk - consistently helpful Angela, Front of House Manager, and Irena, Assistant Front of House Manager - much appreciated for their care.

Breakfast deserves its own mention. I alternated between scrambled tofu (without the bread croutons) and oatmeal with strawberries, and they even had half avocados out on the buffet. This is something I've never seen offered freely at a hotel breakfast before, as usually avocado is a paid add-on elsewhere. Their mango-oat smoothie was sweet, filling, and vegan. Everything was fresh, and if you wanted extra fruit or a takeaway box, they gave it graciously, and never stingy the way I've experienced at other properties. I understand food costs, but guests are often paying above value in most hotels these days, and Olivar goes above and beyond to ensure you are receiving value for your stay. I also appreciated the healthy treats in the suite's mini bar. One more detail I loved: on two mornings, a live musician played alongside the breakfast music. Such a nice touch, and it elevated the whole experience.

The grounds are landscaped beautifully, and if you like to walk for exercise, walking the grounds is a nice experience. Some of their trees are hundreds of years old, and the aroma of nature fills the paths.

As someone who researches hospitality closely for my own work, I notice details most guests might not: the consistency across every department, the local roots of the team, and genuine care in the small things. The rocky start aside, The Olivar Suites earned the extra nights I stayed, and I have the utmost gratitude for the team. Thank you, Olivar!

Great hotel. We visited last September and couldn’t wait to return so very recently back from end June, weather was extremely hot except for unexpected rainstorm one afternoon. The facilities here are outstanding, comfortable suite, and the ease that having your own pool brings makes your stay a breeze. Would like to thank Dimitris and Vangelis at Flya restaurant and their staff for great food, service and hospitality, we enjoyed eating there every evening. Also Alexandra and Helen and the team at the Olibar where we spent lunchtimes, where we never wanted for anything, food or drinks. Also a mention for all the guys who attended the room, cleaners, water lady, turndown ( chocolates lady) who were all great. Can’t fault anything here, already planning our return. One observation would be some fans in the Olibar, where extremely hot some days and we were sitting and relaxing, not very comfortable at times for the great staff running around in the heat to keep all the guests watered and fed.