Olympic Palace Resort Hotel & Convention Center

We have just returned back from this hotel after a 10 day stay. We did have a wonderful time however there a few things that slightly irked us. We paid for a sea view room but we ended with a partial sea view and pool view room. The room itself was rather small and basic. Regarding the staff we couldn’t fault them. They are the most friendly and helpful people. They interacted with us every time they saw us and always had a smile on their faces. We found it weird that the pool only opened at 10am each day however the fact you didn’t have to reserve sun beds was really nice. Although some people would reserve sun beds really early and stay with them as they remove your towels if you leave before 10am which is good. The pool was a bit dirty on the floor with the middle pool having quite murky water. We also booked with an instruction that we were celebrating a special occasion this holiday as it was my 50th birthday the day before we arrived. We didn’t even get a bottle of bubbly. Would have been a nice gesture. We did a boat trip to Symi island which I would recommend. Symi is beautiful and the people are really friendly. The food was nice however having to queue for food like you are in a boarding school didn’t really make the experience very nice. To close, would I return to this hotel? I am afraid not as I don’t believe it should be a 5 star but rather a 4 star hotel.

We recently stayed at the Olympic Palace Hotel and, while we made the most of our trip, overall it fell far short of what you'd expect from a 5-star, all-inclusive resort—especially considering the price. ✅ The Positives: • Food: The buffet was the highlight—fresh, tasty, and varied. Fresh donuts were a nice touch at breakfast. • Cleanliness: Our room was spotless, and beds were comfortable. • Room: We booked a sea-view room but were given one overlooking the pool and mountains with just a sliver of sea visible. However, the room was larger than expected and very comfortable, so we were happy enough not to complain. • Pool Area: Clean and relaxing, with music playing throughout the day. The poolside bar was well-run and offered a good selection of fresh food during the day. • Facilities: The mini golf, pool tables, spa, hairdresser, and onsite shop were all excellent. A big mention to the lovely, friendly staff in the shop—very helpful. ❌ Where It Falls Short: 🍹 All-Inclusive Experience – Underwhelming & Limited • Drinks were a huge letdown. While bar and dining room drinks came in glasses, poolside and takeaway drinks were served in paper cups—even beer. • Cocktails were not mixed properly—just basic spirits thrown into a cup without blending or shaking. • Frozen cocktails, milkshakes, smoothies, and fresh juices were all excluded from the all-inclusive, which feels very poor for a resort of this rating. Plenty of juices but no extra for kids like smoothies or fresh juice. • Snack options for kids were minimal. No donuts, crisps, or ice pops during the day—just cookies or soft-serve ice cream already available in the buffet. We have stayed in A/I places before and while not all treats were included there was maybe 4 ice pop options availbe on the all inclusive section. • Alcohol quality was extremely low. Vodka, rum, and other spirits were the cheapest possible brands, and the wine offered was poor—either overly dry or overly sweet. I looked it up online and found the wine for just €2 per bottle. • Unlike other hotels we’ve stayed in—where you could pay a small supplement (€2–€3) for premium brands like Bombay Gin—here you must pay full bar prices, with no upgrade option. The all-inclusive is limited and restrictive, with no flexibility or added value. 🍽️ Bar & Drink Service – Poor and Slow • Bar service was consistently slow, even when not overly busy. • On more than one occasion, we were almost finished our food by the time drinks arrived. • I had to ask three times one night just to get water for my child. • No self-service drinks in the buffet dining area—a standard in many all-inclusive hotels. So you can't go get your own drink despite the slow service not even a bottle of water. 🎭 Entertainment & Kids’ Facilities – Lacking for Families • Entertainment was mostly adult-focused—karaoke, live music, rock bands. • The kids’ disco was tucked away in the kids’ club downstairs. There was no place for parents to sit nearby with a drink, which felt like a poor setup. • Poolside activities were adult-oriented, despite lots of kids being present. One time they started pool games, only to announce they weren’t suitable for small children—leaving many disappointed. • Other hotels usually offer daily entertainment, games, and poolside fun for kids. Here, there was nothing engaging for younger children. • The playground was small, basic, and had no slide—not suitable for anything more than a few minutes of play. 🛎️ Customer Service – Poorly Managed & Inconsistent • I requested a late checkout via email 4 weeks before arrival and again at check-in. On departure day, I was told none were available as the hotel was “fully booked.” • When I asked if I could book an extra night, I was told I could—but only at the full price of €350, and I wouldn’t be able to check in until 3pm. This clearly contradicts the claim that there were no rooms available. • I questioned this at the time—how can a hotel say it's fully booked, yet still offer rooms if you pay full price? • I also witnessed other guests being granted late checkouts— despite my asking earlier then them, the girl confirmed they were given a room but only till 12.30 and it was their own room something I know was a lie as I saw her been given new key cards to room 259. Again the girl denied this but I was at reception and heard and saw this. • I enquired about a courtesy room to freshen up before leaving, as the hotel advised in a pre-arrival email—but was told again there was no availability. Yet, their booking system showed rooms available at the same time. • On our last morning, two managers were at reception, and I saw them fielding multiple guest complaints. That really added to the feeling that poor service and disorganisation are common here—not just bad luck on our part. 🚨 Fire Alarm Incident – Very Poor Safety Handling • One night at 2am, the fire alarm went off, and everyone—including families with small, frightened children—had to evacuate. • No fire warden or staff came out to direct or reassure guests. People only returned inside after hearing from other guests that it was a false alarm. • This was a serious failure in basic emergency protocol and safety standards. 📍 Location & General Vibe • Ixia is a quiet town, with a few restaurants and shops and very limited nightlife. • Hotel entertainment ends by 10–10:30pm, and the rooftop bar clears out soon after. There’s no lively holiday energy in the evenings. • On several nights, we ended up having drinks on our balcony—not because we wanted to, but because there was nowhere else to go. • If you try to bring a drink to your room from the bar, it’s poured into a paper cup, unless you order it through room service at full price. 💬 Final Thoughts We went in with high hopes, made the best of our holiday, and had some enjoyable moments, but the overall experience does not reflect a 5-star hotel, nor justify the price tag of an all-inclusive holiday here. Other hotels we've stayed in—even 4-star ones—offered better service, better entertainment, and more thoughtful touches for families. At those places, staff go out of their way to make your stay special. Sadly, that just didn’t happen here. Between the poor drinks package, lack of family facilities, slow service, and inconsistent communication, we left feeling undervalued and disappointed. We won’t be returning, and I’d advise others to think carefully before booking. You’re paying for 5 stars, but you’re getting 3 at best. Your better of giving your money to the bars and resturants in the town ixia itself the owners apprecte your custom alot more then the hotel!!

We could not fault the food. Great selection and catered for the fussy kids. The oregano restaurant was lovely, simple gyros/ salads and al la carte, perfect for a lazy lunch, and the guys that worked there were friendly and helpful. Hotel isn’t 5 star… more like a good 4. Unable to change towels daily, always ran out by the afternoon. We were only able to change them once over a week. Fancy a nice cocktail? Not around the pool! Beers/cocktails/ soft drinks all served in coffee paper cups! Would be also be nice for a waitress/ waiter to be around the pool asking if u would like a drink? Not for u to wait in line for a sub standard drink? We also found the pool skummy and murky. Wasn’t at all refreshing. Also wasn’t allowed lilos… but rubber rings? Not sure why? The hotel in itself was super clean and facilities were good. Extra charge for the golf / spa. Staff were friendly, a few rushed of their feet in the main dining room, causing breakages and cakes/food being dropped, felt a bit hectic whilst trying to grab some dinner. But, saying that, it’s half term in July. We would come back again, but def wouldn’t bother with all inclusive.

We are now on our last day out of 14 and we've had a brilliant time! The hotel itself ...wow . It is so luxurious, spotlessly clean with breathtaking views. The staff are amazing from the restaurant staff, bar staff, house keeping and animation staff. Shout out to Jacob and Mayra who were lovely always happy to have a chat and we really enjoyed the darts and table tennis tournaments with Jacob. Evananglis (sorry if wrong spelling) was lovely in the main restaurant always having a laugh and joke with people, lovely guy. I'm a fussy eater so wouldn't be fair to comment too much on the food but my husband really enjoyed it. Drinks were nice and not watered down like you get at many all inclusive hotels. We are not used to going to hotel were at night you don't help yourself to drinks it was all table service which is lovely but meant you could be waiting a while for service... I think at least a soft drink dispenser on at the evening would be nice . The pools were lovely but quite small so at peak time could get overcrowded. They also don't open till 10 which in peak season seems a little late when it's boiling from 8am. There is a policy on reserving sunbeds which they are very strict about and you must stay with your bed until 10 or they will take your things this didn't bother us as we got an early breakfast then stayed with our beds and stopped people reserving them coming back at end of day. There are a few supermarkets and restaurants out the front. We enjoyed FBI's for a lovely English breakfast with proper sausages! And there's a little dessert shop called dream cream which our children enjoyed. The entertainment at night compared to what we are used to is very low key! I feel like this is what is missing from this hotel being perfect. They had little shows on with singers but no big stage performances like dancers magicians comedians etc which would have been nice. The champagne bar is a must, beautiful seating and views. Sunset on roof top bar also a must. They also do adults only breakfast up here which wasn't to my taste food wise but my husband got the eggs Benedict and loved it . We do not often say we would return to a hotel but we would definitely return here. Thank you to all the staff for the wonderful memories :)

My partner and I stayed there for a week, and a couple of our friends joined us with their child for a two-week stay. What I like: Food. 5/5. What I didn't like: Evening entertainment. 2.5 /5. (It was available, but my expectations were higher.) The only reason I'm not giving a 1-star rating is because of the Salsa performer, Pedro Santana—he truly brought the evening to life. During his visit, the atmosphere completely changed, and we genuinely enjoyed a good night. The Soul Sisters also had a nice repertoire, but unfortunately, the upstairs bar isn’t suitable for hosting live performances. The sound system definitely needs to be reviewed. Afternoon entertainment 3/5 I'm a big fan of water polo, and unfortunately, it's not allowed at this hotel. I believe there's a valid reason for the ban, but it's a shame I wasn’t aware of it before arriving. We encountered an issue during our stay that could have brought the overall experience down to a 1. However, the reception desk was helpful, and an alternative solution was provided. It wasn’t perfect, but the manager’s support was appreciated—so I’d rate it at 4 out of 5.