Skiathos Thalassa Cape, Philian Hotels and Resorts

4 days ago I left a 1* review as the customer service was shocking. Since that review they have been much more accommodating, especially Antini in reception and we have been moved, literally to the room next door which was all we wanted and is perfect. So much quieter, no one leaning on your balcony wall, sun on balcony (am only) & even got a free bottle of wine for our inconvenience of having to pack & repack with a nice letter.

This was not our first time staying here. Unfortunately this time wasn’t wonderful like the last times. Most, if not all, the staff were new and didn’t seem to be as organised, professional and consistent as the previous two years. Their moods and attitudes ran hot and cold. One day they were really nice to you, the next they were abrupt and quite rude. Some looked really stressed and it was only the start of the season. The coffee barista one day made excellent hot coffee, and the next barista at shift change made dreadful cold coffee. One day you got a saucer and a spoon with your cappuccino , the next order came with just a cup. We booked and pre-selected sunbeds with the night receptionist for the following morning, to find that they were taken by other people. Another morning, our booking didn’t exist. Then they just stopped allowing people to book specific sunbeds and chose to implement a first come, first serve policy. One day we weren’t given towels for our sunbeds. We got water in an ice bucket one day and then never again. The lady in charge of the sunbeds started having an argument with her colleague right behind us. Another colleague joined in and they stood in the corner shouting in Greek. It was incredibly unprofessional. No one wants to listen to staff arguing in loud voices waving their hands about at eachother. The breakfast service was chaotic. Staff seemed a bit all over the place on some mornings. This experience didn’t have the same shine to it like our other stays with Philian. We are platinum members now and we feel this will be our last stay with Philian in Skiathos. It just seemed like corners were being cut, the staff weren’t trained properly, that there wasn’t enough staff and there was no consistency. Lots of little issues that weren’t big enough to complain about, but kept you feeling a little annoyed the entire time. We tried to not let it get to us but we felt we didn’t relax as well as we usually do. My husband came to the conclusion that the hotel group must be having financial problems. They keep opening new hotels and it feels like staff are under pressure somehow or not happy. We could feel tension amongst them. However, there were some staff members that really stood out! The two ladies at reception when we arrived were very good and professional. The Achinos manager was superb. When my husband ordered something on the menu he didn’t end up liking the flavour of at all, the manager allowed him to choose something else at no extra charge. We really appreciated this. Some other members of staff were also always polite even if they seemed a bit disorganised and chaotic. The porter was always smiling and pleasant. These members of staff helped to make our stay pleasant. We still had a lovely time but for us it had lost its special spark. Especially since our two night stay at Avaton Suites and villas just before our arrival here, had problems also. And when you have to pay an extra €10 per