- Greece Holidays
- Skala
- Paspalis Hotel
This comfortable hotel can be found in Skala. There are a total of 43 units on the premises. The property includes Wi-Fi internet connection in all public areas and accomodation units. The hotel provides 24-hour reception. Cots are not available at Paspalis. A fee may be chargeable for some services.
Due to the surrounding area and the number of steps around the hotel, it may not be suitable for those with mobility difficulties.
My wife took me to the Paspalis hotel a couple of weeks ago for a ten-day break. She first went last year with her sister and again this spring, also with her older sibling. She insisted that I would "absolutely love it". I can see where she was coming from, with caveats.
Firstly, the hotel and its situation. The Paspalis is a small, family-owned hotel, accommodating guests in a number of "quaint" two-storey blocks. It is right on the beach, with a quiet main road in front. The centre of Skala is a few minutes'walk away, although there is a bit of a hill to climb to get there. There is a pool with a small but pleasant grassed lounging area, and an attached bar/restaurantb and that's about it. Our room was spotless and adequate, with TV, kettle, fridge and a small balcony with a table and chairs. After reviewing the restaurants in town, and discovering that the hotel's own "Greek taverna" was as highly rated as any of them, we ate there every night for the convenience and the avoidance of said hill. The food was, without exception, very good. The caveats? Not many, to be honest, and they are MY caveats:they may be completely irrelevant to you.
Firstly, the hotel guests were, when we were there, 100% British and 90% over 60 years of age. (I am British and over 60 years of age, so this isn't a criticism) This is very much a "returners'" hotel. Most of the guests seemed to know one-another. The (lovely) staff seemed to know everyone too. Apart from the pool, there isn't much to do (again, this suits me. I read, walk, and do crosswords). There is a tv in the bar, and that's it.
Conclusion. You will love it if you fit the demographic. You probably won't if you don't. Don't expect luxury or sophistication. I don't think that Skala is the place for them. Don't blame the hotel, but there isn't a lot to do, imo. The best thing I found was a beautiful tiny church next to a ruined classical temple about a mile and a half away from the hotel. There are also goats and a goatherd. My wife and her sister will probably return. I can think of very few safer, friendlier places for ladies in their 60s and 70s to go to relax. Me? I enjoyed the break, but I need a bit more stimulation, to be honest.
We have been to eat in the paspallis restaurant on a few occasions and when we arrived in Skala this was the first place we chose to eat in. The first meal was lovely and we had a lovely evening. The 2nd visit was ok we had a lovely meal although the atmosphere seemed very chaotic with staff running around. The 3rd visit was disappointing we ordered stuffed tomatoes and aubergines plus fried corquettes to accompany it. When we got out meal it was something completely different looked like aubergines cooked in tomato sauce, so we sent it back eventually the right meal came and it was ok. I asked for the desert menu and we waited and waited until eventually i managed to catch someones eye and order my ice cream. When the bill came i checked it and something didnt seem right my husband called over waiter and they had given us someone else's bill at the next table. Who by chance had been given our bill paid and gone. They apologised and got us the right bill but by this time we were not happy. Hence we didnt go back there. Then the other thing was we asked on previous visit if they still do Greek nights, Oh No.. we were told too much red tape etc trying to organise this. So why did we walk past on another night to see Greek dancing going on!! 😡
We had a lovely week at this hotel. Staff were lovely. Always sunbeds available and perfect location opposite the beach with a short walk into the centre of Skala. Food and drinks were lovely in the taverna. Breakfast was great and had everything you needed. Better than anywhere else in Greece where we have stayed. A lovely lady in the breakfast area kept replenishing the food and was very friendly. The view was even better. We travelled with Jet 2 and even though the room wasn’t exactly as pictured it had everything we needed. It was small but was fine for us and right next to the pool. Cleaning was a bit hit and miss with some things been missed but this didn’t affect our stay and if there was a problem reception would always assist. We would definitely stay again!
Just returned from a very hot week in Skala at Paspalis. The major pluses for this hotel is it's location across from the beach and of course the wonderful staff. However the rooms Jet 2 get allocated are a bit of a let down. We were on the first floor in the block near reception with a side sea view and a car park. The room itself although mostly functional was small, dull and in serious need of TLC. The bathroom was similar and in dire need of updating, although the shower was powerful and we usually had hot water. Air conditioning is extra but it was effective and was most welcome in the blistering heat. Breakfast was adequate for our needs although the bacon and sausage was not to our liking. Fresh fruit, honey and yoghurt was a nice touch. We had lunch in the Taverna a couple of times which was lovely and offered good value. Although we did not eat there in the evening we did go to the sister restaurant "Baracca" next door. The food there is amongst the best we have ever had in Greece. We ate there 3 times and would advise booking as it seemed very popular. It was noticable when coming down for breakfast that the towel brigade had already been at work as most beds were taken yet unoccupied. Beach beds are €12 a set per day which seems to be the norm. Most people we spoke too were repeaters and we were advised if you want the best rooms to book direct with the owners. We had a lovely week in Skala which we have loved visiting over the years but I doubt we would return to Paspalis unless the rooms were modernised. Jet2 photos are quite misleading. Final mention to all the wonderful staff who work so hard and go the extra mile to make you feel so welcome.
Stayed in the economy room and it served us fine when all we needed it for was sleeping and showering . It’s the size of typical bedroom but had every we needed . Bathroom is small but manageable. Has a large private patio area with no neighbours either side and was well shaded . Some balconies seemed small and unusable as it was very hot . Breakfast was lovely, a big fruit bowl to chose from everyday - melon, banana, kiwi, pears ,apples . Yogurts, honey , croissants, cake , jams , scrambled eggs (fried or omelette available on request) , bacon , beans & frankfurter. Tables were cleared very quickly and food was well stocked . Didn’t eat there in the evenings as wanted a change of scenery . There were a few large groups there so found sunbeds were reserved from about 7.30am onwards and most gone by 9.30am . Think we were just unlucky with who was there at the same time getting up early to get their favoured beds . Great hotel if wanting a more budget friendly hotel on the beach road .
