Palatino Hotel

Had a wonderful holiday in Parga. Stayed at the Palatino Hotel overlooking Voltos Beach. We had a room at the back of the hotel with beautiful views over the mountains, very peaceful. The room was basic but clean, very tired and drab décor but at least the aircon worked – quite loud though. Not enough wardrobe hangers or room for the cases. Lots of lamps but it was still dim in the room. Breakfast on the first day was plentiful, breads, toast, eggs, bacon, meats, cheese, fruits and cereals etc. However, this hospitality slowly waned over the holiday and the ingredients became less and less. Not worth getting up for apart from the stunning view of the bay from the terrace. Also need to get rid of the begging cats. We had seen pictures of a swimming pool but there wasn’t one, no mini market and the hot tub was clearly out of use and in the yard at the back of the hotel. This is not a 4 star hotel although the tourism tax of 3 euros per night would put it in that band. We had also seen pictures of live music at the bar but there was none whilst we were there. Drinks were expensive so we tended to go into town for restaurants and bars of which you are spoiled for choice. There never seemed to be anyone in the hotel restaurant or bar so goodness knows how they survive. The only thing this hotel has going for it is the stunning view over the bay and the mountains, its location to the town, beach, castle and Aphrodite’s cave. Parga on the other hand is absolutely beautiful and well worth a visit.

We've just returned from an indescribably wonderful two week stay with Olympic Holidays at the Palatino. Our booking was held over from the previous summer due to the pandemic and what I didn't realise is that only last year, this Hotel was extensively damaged by fire. They have rebuilt the whole of the ground floor and turned it into The Guardians Restaurant, which does lovely food with an Italian slant and as a resident, you get 10% off the bill. This is where you will take breakfast in the morning, and it is peaceful and quiet. You will be bothered by several cats, which are allowed to haunt the terrace. The standard of the breakfast, though, is definitely not what you would expect of a four star hotel, boring, repetative, mediocre quality, just not good enough, the coffee is awful. The facilities advertised on the website were victims of the fire. There is no swimming pool, there never was one, no jaccuzi, no sauna, no steam room, no mini-market. There is a very nice cocktail bar on the first floor, where you will pay four star prices for two star standards. For example, if you order a cup of coffee, it will come in a cup that does not fit the saucer, there will be no biscuit or chocolate or even tubes of sugar and the milk will have been already added. Drinks are expensive, especially the soft drinks. Our room on the second floor, was very poor. on arrival, the toilet seat was in pieces, the wardrobe door handles were falling off. The wardrobe itself is too small for two people and already so crammed with blankets and pillows that there is no room for a lady to hang a full length dress. There were not enough hangers. The fridge only works when the room key is in the slot, so any drinks left in it during the day will be less than cold when you return after a day on the beach. The bathroom is poorly lit. There is no shelf for your toiletries. The shower always had plenty of hot water, which escapes onto the floor due to the ill-fitting shower screen. The provided toiletries are woeful. There is an extraction fan, but it dosen't work and is in a state of dis-assembly. The towels are rough and scratchy. The room decor is extremely tired and battered, time for a complete refurbishment. The less said about the bed/s the better. The aircon however, is excellent and quiet in operation. You will certainly need it in a front facing room in hot weather, as there are no shutters on the windows to keep out the heat. The balcony is ok, but nothing special. The views from the front facing rooms are breathtaking. The location of the hotel could not be better. Ideally situated for access to Valtos beach and a great selection of bars and tavernas, as well as the castle. Most of the staff, especially the younger ones, are fantastic but inadequately trained. The some of older ones are dour,unwellcoming and complacent. This is a business struggling to cope with the after-effects of the pandemic and the destruction caused by the fire. I feel sorry for them.