Elivi Skiathos

My partner and I visited the Elivi hotel for a week in September. The grounds are lovely, especially if you like a walk BUT it's not suitable for those less able as everything is up hill! Also there are loads of walking routes 10 mins from the hotel which are just glorious. I would love to have given the hotel 5 stars, but like other reviewers I think the service is lacking and so this has impacted my rating. On arrival at the entrance to the hotel we were turned away by a security guard who kept telling us to go away as it was private property - no asking if two middle aged women driving a hire car were guests! After a few attempts we got him to let us up the driveway. Two doormen then watched us lift our bags out of the car, wheel them across the car park and then at the door asked to take hold of them so he could wheel them into reception - so not a great first impression. And then what can I say about reception - it looks like something from crossroads! After checking in we were told we had to wait for a buggy to transfer us to our room - we weren't allowed to walk. 30 mins later and after 3 requests we finally got a buggy for a 20 second ride! Ridiculous. The room was nice and spacious - we stayed in Grace - but I didn't like the trough sink at the back as there was no room for any toiletries and the toilet and shower led straight into the room. The pictures I saw were not of this layout. There is ONE hook in the room for your towels, your bathrobe and to hang up anything else - quite ridiculous. And nothing gets dry as you can't hang it up. We don't get service each day as I hate the wastefulness of this. The quality and variety at breakfast was fantastic BUT service was slow and sketchy - staffed by untrained individuals. Every morning they ran out of glasses, ran out of spoons. I didn't even go near the omelette station as there were always some very unhappy people standing for a long time waiting for one guy to very slowly cook. Tables weren't cleared quickly or set up again with the right setting. We were only asked if we wanted tea or coffee twice out of 7 days. The hotel is really let down by this service that just needs a bit of better management. We didn't eat at any restaurant but had a pizza one day which was lovely. There are loads of local restaurants a 5/10 min walk from the hotel so use those instead. The beds on the beach were super comfy. No hogging beds with a towel at 6.30 am as it's simply not that type of place. The private beaches are gorgeous for swimming. We didn't bother ringing for buggies given they took so long to arrive and only have a handful so walked everywhere. We drove into Skiathos town most nights - lovely straight road taking 25 mins and free parking. I would recommend the hotel for the beaches and the location to Mandraki Forrest especially as 2 days it rained so we went walking. The routes are just lovely as you can easily follow them and a nice uphill incline. Really quiet also. I would highly recommend Skiathos - it was our first time - as it's a beautiful little island but get a car or you may be bored if you just want to sit out sunbathing every day.

My partner and I stayed at Elivi Hotel during the last week of the season (28th September – 5th October) and had the most amazing experience. We booked a Grace Suite (Room 1257) and I would highly recommend paying extra for this upgrade, the room was modern, luxurious, and incredibly comfortable. The views were absolutely breathtaking and the suite came with thoughtful touches like White Company toiletries, a coffee machine and a super comfy bed. But the real standout was the shower, genuinely the best I’ve ever had abroad! I really have to praise the cleaners, it was spotless & the room always smelt nice. The resort is spread out and quite hilly, so it's perfect if you enjoy a bit of walking and exploring. But if not, the hotel provides buggies with drivers to get you around with ease. Staff were friendly and helpful and the beaches nearby were beautiful. Our favourite was Ambelika, located just in front of the Grace Suites, peaceful and picturesque. We also visited Koukounaries Beach (busier, but lovely) and Big Banana Beach, which had a great atmosphere, though the sea was a little rougher on that side. Breakfast was ok – it did get a bit busy with some queues (and this was at the very end of the season), so I imagine it could be a bit hectic during peak months. Another big plus: the bus stop (No. 26 – last one on the island) is right outside the main entrance across the road, and the bus service is super reliable and regular, a great way to explore the island without needing a car. We had such a fantastic time that we’re already looking at coming back next year. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Elivi to anyone looking for a stylish, relaxing, and well located place to stay in Skiathos.

We returned to Skiathos having first gone there 30 years ago. We booked the Elivi Hotel in Koukounaries through Jet2holidays. Apart from a bit of a chaotic reception the hotel was wonderful. Set on a steep hillside with many different types of accommodation the scenery was beautiful and the rooms very clean and well maintained. The service was attentive (our a/c was faulty one afternoon and they fixed it in 20 minutes). In addition, there were 4 nice beaches available to us, all with private areas and comfortable sunbeds (free) and beach bars for hotel guests. There were 4 good restaurants on site and lovely local tavernas just 10 minutes walk away. The sea taxi every hour to Skiathos Town at €7 each was convenient as was the bus which ran every 10 minutes into Skiathos Town at €3 each. If you struggle getting around, the hotel had buggies to take you up the steeper areas of the hotel grounds. Staff were very friendly and helpful too. All in all a lovely week and we'd go back.

The room was small Partial kitchen Old building needs renewal Too many stairs very dangerous Humidity very high not only outside but inside the rooms

This is a superb place to stay. Access to fantastic beaches, beautiful accommodation and the hardest working staff. There’s some lovely tavernas just outside the complex if you want a change and the bus stop is opposite. A sea taxi is also available from the beach to skiathos town which is so beautiful