Ionian Emerald Resort

Excellent location and fabulous for surrounding restaurants, bars and tavernas! Rooms are spacious with good air conditioning. Breakfast good and the staff are friendly and welcoming! One of the best locations I’ve stayed in the Greek islands. However, can’t be a 5* as the hotel readily has visitors from the 3* Athina across the road who pay €5 per night tourist tax whereas hotel guests pay €15 per night! There is no charge for them to use facilities, sunbeds and towels! You can’t unfortunately offer a 5* experience on those terms!!! Would I stay again? With all the pros ordinarily yes! But because of the lowering of their standards then NO!! should the current arrangement change then in a flash i’d change this opinion and return regularly!!!

Great hotel & location just a short walk from the lovely karavamylos taverna 200 yards away to the left and a comfy 20 mins stroll away from Sami with plenty of tavernas & shops. Hotel staff were all lovely and smiling. Breakfast was plentiful. We didn't eat here in the evening as no atmosphere in the bar or restaurant. I did find it quite annoying that the pool was shared with the 3* hotel up the road, especially as there is a 5* climate tax payable here! 105 euro for a 7 night stay! The pool bar regularly ran out of draft beer.. 6 euro for a large beer 5 euro for a 330ml can! Not on really for a 5* "resort plus the 2 euro cover charge if you wanted to eat there,regardless of whether you was staying there or not. Basically, nice hotel, great location & staff... would I stay there again... probably not

Spent a week at this near perfect hotel. A big tribute to whoever manages it is the elevated level of staff morale. Everywhere it was service with flashing smiles from the cleaner thru to reception, cooks, bar-folk, waitresses and suitcase porter. Their genuine joy in doing their jobs was inspirational. Breakfast was varied and a delight, especially the perfectly ripe pineapple that was as good as the world's best in NE state of Brazil, Paraiba, and Espírito Santo neighbouring Rio de Janeiro State ( see, I'm a serious connoiseur). Sitting on the outside terrace eating breakfast in the shade of a magnolia tree looking across the pool area was a real pleasure with the horizon formed of the high ridge silhouette of neighbouring Ithaca. I could mention so many more positives about this place. Suffice it to say that I've never left a hotel feeling as rested and looked after than this place and I've done loads of travelling near and far. A couple of minor negatives, that nowadays plague almost every European beach place: the tolerance of the sun-bed monopolists - however these annoying prats are at least stuck at the pool-side - so you can get away from them by going to the pebbly beach just off the hotel's premises.....