Philoxenia Hotel

It’s took me over 6 months to write this and I’ll still keep it brief as I don’t want to revisit it The cruelty to cats is unbearable, the staff kick at them, the cleaners pour bleach water over food, the German guest chucked stones at them, the guest kids pulled kittens legs and tails and would separate them around the hotel away from their mother Kittens were dying in broadday light The local shop keepers hate them too All the cats are thirsty and drink pool water or shop keepers leave mop buckets with bleach water out The Greeks do not like cats, they see them as vermin and there is no humanity in doing anything good by them The cute hotel cats will either die or starvation/ be killed or be thrown in the countryside where there is no food once the season is over. It’s torture to see. The hotel owner who walks around all day probably is the r richest man in Halkidiki, why doesn’t he spend some of that money and make the town great by having higher ethical standards for the cats, and the dogs. We are modern Europe now I need to move with the times. There are village dogs too who just need love and vet treatment, and the shop keepers have no shame about how they are all manky, they seem to feel heroic as they let the dogs get some shade or a few scraps. Cats however are less fortunate. The staff at the hotel are quiet horrible, in particular the restaurant head staff, a bellowing woman and a charming older man. Both seem to be close friends of the owner rather than trained in hospitality. It seems the owner keeps his types of friends in the team as they have the same hard line / money grabbing/ customers are money machines rather than human beings, kind of attitude. The older man would talk and joke about women customers, very sleazy and chauvinistic to younger girl staff who had to laugh as he is more powerful. The older women would bark at you and had a disdain for people. The younger staff were all lovely, but under the iron rod of a few key older staff and the owner who walks around all day, they couldn’t be free and be warm with people, as it’s not the culture that’s promoted The spa woman, who was not supervised, was a wonderful warm woman and the entertainment girls were warm too. But any bar or restaurant staff being watched by the older types weren’t able to be as warm. It seemed like a hard working environment Halkadiki town is small and if it’s off season is quiet a claustrophobic place

A beautiful hotel set back from the beach. Its gardens, rooms and restaurants are very well maintained. The special thing about this place is it staff. From check in through to every single person we engaged with, they had a smile and only good things to say about the hotel management and the care given to the staff. Big praise to Killiakos (I may have misspelled) and Claudia in the bar. Also to the male Life Guard who stood on duty all day every day making sure our children were safe. Finally to Aris and Michael in the restaurant who made our children laugh and smile. In summary, the pools were immaculately clean and crystal clear. The food in the restaurant was plentiful and fresh and the accommodation well presented. The free safe and free air conditioning was a pleasant surprise. The hotel is nestled about 6 minutes walk from the beach where a number of places provide good quality sun beds in return for your custom. The resort/beach area itself has a handful of restaurants which was plenty for a week. Some take cards and some only cash. Overall we had a great holiday at this hotel and would definately recomend this as a place for singles, couples or families with and without young children.

Having read some harsh reviews I was really wondering if I'd made the right choice in booking. On arrival we were greeted at reception by 2 lovely ladies who were more than helpful and given the keys to our room in block E. The room was spotless, plenty of space for myself and my husband. Yes we could hear the noise of the road but honestly it didn't spoil the holiday. The whole complex is spotlessly clean. All the staff we met greeted you with a smile and hello. The pool bar staff were fantastic, never waited long for a drink. Mealtimes we always found something to eat and a table. The resort is out of the way so if you feel you could drive then a car would be helpful. There is a 5 minute walk through the forest to the local beach which has some lovely bars and shops. If your looking for a party/boozy holiday this is not place for you so please do your research as the harsh reviews aren't needed. Would we return???? Absolutely

Our stay here room was good but the block we stayed in had some traffic noise that was the only negative thing I can say about the hotel. Room was spacious and the bed was comfortable balcony was of good size and it was cleaned every day except Sunday. The food was always good with plenty of. choice, so thank you restaurant staff and kitchen staff. Service in the bar and pool area was great the drinks were good and the atmosphere was great, entertainment on evening ok,the bands were good. Hotel kept clean and tidy all the time ,all in all we had a fantastic time here at the philoxenia hotel. Thank you again to all the staff. Loved it.