Guest User
October 10, 2023
We booked our stay through ving.no. It was an "All Inclusive" package. However, "All" inclusive might be a stretch because the term "all" is misleading. Maybe it should be renamed "A lot inclusive, but certainly not all." ;) We stayed in a Happy Baby apartment in Helios. It's very convenient for families with children as we had a fenced-in garden with sun loungers and a lawn. The beds were comfortable. The bathroom showed some wear, and water would flood the entire bathroom floor when showering (room 1504). The housekeeping staff were very accommodating and cleaned around our schedule, doing a great job. We had most of our meals at the buffet restaurant. The food was always fresh and the kitchen staff were commendable. However, after two weeks, the menu became a tad monotonous. The meat (pork, beef, chicken) was sometimes tough. The buffet restaurant was quite noisy. My family brought noise-cancelling headphones for meals. There were often queues, especially in front of popular stations like the juice press. At breakfast, there was a significant line for bread products because many guests would stop and spread their toppings right there, not realizing there was a long line behind them. Maybe the hotel could add an additional bread station and relocate the butter away from where guests cut the bread. The pool in Helios was crowded, and the surrounding area was cramped. Most sun loungers near the pool were reserved with towels from early morning. The pool cleanliness could be improved, as the pool floor felt slippery due to a coating. There was a great slide for the kids. We were disappointed to learn that there was no self-service at the pool bar even though we had "all" inclusive. There was often a line at the pool bar. Although there was a variety of ice creams in coolers at the bar, they weren’t part of the all-inclusive package and were rather pricey. Only scoop ice cream behind the counter was included. This was quite disappointing, and the hotel should reconsider. The beach was made of fine rounded pebbles with patches of sand. It's a small and lovely beach but gets deep quickly. The sea water was warm. Sun loungers were expensive, 15 EUR for 2, even if you arrived in the afternoon. When you have "all" inclusive, these loungers should be included. Kids absolutely love this hotel; it's a luxury destination for them. However, for adults/parents, be prepared for a fair amount of waiting in lines, significant noise, and additional expenses. That said, it's also a beautiful hotel for adults.