Porto Rio Hotel Patra

I would honestly give this hotel 0 stars if I could. It was the worst holiday experience we have ever had. You wouldn’t want to stay at this hotel even if it were free. As someone wrote in a review a few weeks ago: “The smell, the dirt, the noise – simply disgusting.” This hotel is nowhere near a 4-star standard, or even a 3-star one. If it were simply outdated, that would be acceptable, but everything is falling apart. There is dirt and extreme filth everywhere – both in the rooms and throughout the hotel. The plaster is peeling off the walls, rubbish is scattered around the pool area, the drainage channels by the pool are clogged and rotting, and everything is rusty. There is also an unpleasant smell throughout the hotel. One of our requirements when booking this holiday was a sandy beach. In reality, the beach consists of coarse, dirty sand mixed with pebbles, and the closer you get to the water, the more large rocks there are, making it extremely difficult to enter the sea. There was also an excavator on the beach all day long, loading large boulders that were constantly being delivered by trucks. The noise could even be heard inside our hotel room. The swimming pool can only be accessed by ladder. At the second pool, sunbeds cost €8 per day. The entire pool area is dirty, and some of the facilities are falling apart. The pool is practically inaccessible for elderly guests. The food was very unappetising and tasteless. The tables were dirty, and the same meals were served repeatedly. The all-inclusive selection was extremely limited. It was not even possible to purchase a decent bottle of wine or snacks such as nuts. Beach towels were not provided. The staff were unhelpful and unfriendly. Another requirement we had was to stay within walking distance of a town. In reality, there is absolutely nothing nearby except for a very short promenade, which is still under construction and can hardly be called a promenade. There are only a few bars; otherwise, the area is deserted and run-down. We were forced to spend our days and eat outside this horrible environment. We returned to the hotel only to sleep. I am attaching just a small selection of photographs. In reality, the entire hotel looks like this. One of the photos also shows the view from our room overlooking a dilapidated roof.

We only had a beer by the pool, but we observed that the vacationers who booked all-inclusive had to drink their beer, water, and even cocktails from plastic cups. We paid 4.50 euros for a small bottle of beer, but we received glasses, not plastic cups. Unbelievable! I would never book all-inclusive here, only to be treated like 2. class.

At first glance, the hotel had its glory days when the Casino was also operating. one part of the hotel is being renovated, the smaller pool and part of the beach are leased, the bathrooms are ripe for renovation. Many of these shortcomings are compensated by a very hardworking and helpful staff. The location of the hotel is great. The sunset is especially spectacular, as is the view of the beautiful suspension bridge that connects the mainland and the Peloponnese. The beach is sandy on the coast, but entering the sea is difficult due to the first ten meters with large stones. Be sure to get some beach shoes. The hotel should have cleared the stones in the part of the beach or built some kind of platform from which it is possible to enter directly into the deeper water. Parasols (which are hollow and let a large part of the sun's rays through) and sunbeds are free for hotel guests. It should be noted that winds often blow in this part of the Gulf of Patras and Gulf of Corinth, so at the time of our stay (end of June) the sea was rough and quite cold for swimming. The hotel offers an all inclusive service. They have an excellent chef and the food is very tasty, but with a slightly smaller selection of dishes and desserts for a 4-star hotel. Refreshing drinks at the pool bar are served from 13:00 to 22:00, and alcohol from 19:00 to 22:00. The pool has a little weird opening hours. It opens at 10 a.m. and closes at 6 p.m., although the sun sets only at 9 p.m.