Orfeas Hotel

First and foremost the lovely people running the hotel, hospitality, smiling faces. Location was perfect for our itinerary.

We had hot water issues in the bathroom - there was none two days in a raw. Apparently hotel had some issues with it however having no back up system is not acceptable. Also shower head no where to hang and water could not be confined to the bathroom as water could easily escape under the door into to the room (no barries, curtains to stop it).

Excellent location - a very short walk from the ferry, and car hire companies. The hotel sits below the castle and literally a 5 minute walk down to the hub of the town. An endearing feature was the flower names on the key-fob, and painted on the doors as opposed to numbers.

The owner of the property gave us extraordinary service, above and beyond any expectations. The battery of our car died, potentially stranding us. He personally intervened to help us get the car started by first driving to another location to obtain testing and charging equipment, and then charging it himself. He would not accept any compensation for his exceptional service. I have never had any hotel provide such personalized service in 75 years of travel.

The younger staff member who was there most days was the kindest of all. She really tried to understand, communicate, and help. The rest were just okay, I suppose.

About the hotel: They seemed very intent on making sure we ordered extras, and when we didn’t, their displeasure was quite obvious. About the general island attitude: I sensed a clear animosity toward Turks, and an overall unwillingness to speak English on the island. Once they realized you spoke Turkish, they would try to avoid communication, and would even act as if they didn’t know English anymore. This is especially striking given how much their economy relies on Turkish visitors and supplies while a lot of Turks also live in the islands.