"We stayed at Bella Beach for a week during the first week of June and came away with mixed feelings.
Starting with the positives, the staff were genuinely fantastic throughout our stay – always friendly, welcoming and happy to help. The rooms were lovely, clean and comfortable, and the beds were some of the comfiest we’ve slept in on holiday. The location is also excellent, right on the beach and perfectly situated for a relaxing getaway.
The food was good overall with plenty of choice, although after a week it did start to feel a little repetitive. The drinks were enjoyable and definitely not lacking in strength, but being mostly pre-mixed cocktails, they didn’t quite deliver the premium experience you’d expect from a hotel advertising itself as 5-star.
A special mention has to go to the wine bar, which was easily one of the highlights of the hotel. Manos was brilliant and made every visit a pleasure.
Unfortunately, there were a few things that stopped this being a true 5-star experience for us. The hotel is flanked by two luxury 5-star resorts, which unfortunately highlights Bella Beach’s shortcomings. In our opinion, it’s a pleasant 3-star hotel rather than a genuine 5-star property.
The coffee was another disappointment. The hotel serves machine coffee throughout, which was absolutely awful. For a country with such a fantastic coffee culture, it felt like a missed opportunity. Thankfully, there are some lovely places nearby if you’re willing to venture out for a proper coffee. We spent much of the week searching for a Freddo Cappuccino – which in Greece should be considered a national treasure!
One thing prospective British visitors should be aware of is the atmosphere. The hotel was overwhelmingly geared towards German guests, to the point where we genuinely felt like outsiders at times. This isn’t a criticism of German tourists themselves, but the overall vibe felt very insular and lacked the warm, sociable holiday atmosphere that many British couples and families may be used to. We found it difficult to strike up conversations or feel part of the wider hotel environment, and there were occasions where we felt uncomfortable simply for making an effort to dress nicely in the evenings. If you’re looking for a lively, welcoming atmosphere with a mix of nationalities, Bella Beach may not be the best fit.
If you’re planning to spend your days on the beach, be prepared for an early alarm. Sunbeds were being claimed from around 6am, and finding a good spot later in the morning was almost impossible.
Overall, Bella Beach has some great strengths: wonderful staff, comfortable rooms, a perfect location and a fantastic wine bar. However, it falls well short of the 5-star standard it advertises. Expect fairly quiet evenings, with little happening after 10pm unless you head elsewhere. Likewise, if you enjoy dressing up for dinner and soaking up a vibrant holiday atmosphere, you may find yourself feeling a little out of place.
The staff deserve enormous credit and are without doubt the hotel’s biggest asset. Combined with the beautiful location, they helped ensure we still had a lovely holiday. Just go in with realistic expectations – this is a good hotel in a fantastic location, but in our view it is nowhere near a true 5-star experience."
