Simple Greek Accommodation At A Budget Price. (Eryphilli Studios (Katelios, Kefalonia))

Member Name: Machair1

Product:	Eryphilli Studios (Katelios, Kefalonia)
Date:	30/10/09 (59 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Clean and lovely views.

Disadvantages: Older studios are not as private and have inferior views.

Recently my husband turned 50, and I wanted to take him on holiday to a place that had memories for both of us which had their genesis in our teenage days when we first got together. As students in those days we had very little money, and we used to trundle around the Greek Islands, staying in little village rooms eating supermarket food made up mostly of bread, tomatoes, and the odd bottle of cheap plonk.

So with this in mind I chose the island of Kefalonia. We had never been there before so it was to be a new adventure, but I wanted the holiday to be a trip down memory lane in terms of accommodation and expense, so I booked a week at the Eryphilli Apartments in Katelios, a tiny village in the south of the island.

The location had to be right. I wanted a remote village with no mass tourism, and I also wanted a simple form of accommodation which mirrored the type of place we used to have to stay in all those years ago.

My first place to begin looking had to be holiday review sites, as I have found that an overall grading given to accommodation, based on the opinions of many, is a reliable source of information on which to make a decision to purchase. Individuals often differ in their ratings and opinions, but at least on sites like these you get an average view, and nearly always this turns out to be accurate for most destinations I have travelled to.

So in September 2008 I booked these studios almost a year in advance of his birthday. I used Manos Holidays, which now operate through Thomas Cook, but Manos were a company we used all those years ago so we were confident they would service our needs well.

A few weeks before leaving it was time to settle the final bill which in total was less than £400 for a week including flights. This was little more than we paid in 1981 which certainly made this seem very good value and like a step back in time.

The only problem I could see was that a last look on review sites seemed to be giving me a very different view of the accommodation. People were saying that new studios had gone up, and that the old were inferior to the new, and there was a general sense of dissatisfaction about the facilities, and I started to wonder if I had made a grave mistake.

Still I thought it was too late to change at this stage, and really I had been looking forward to visiting the island of Kefalonia, and as we were only planning to use the rooms as a base it didn't seem to be the most pressing worry on my mind at the time.

On arrival at the airport we were swiftly put onto a coach which meandered through sleepy little villages dropping off other holiday makers at various studios and hotels. I was absolutely in awe at the beautiful scenery which was rushing past the coach window. There was an idyllic scene at every turn the road made, and I wanted to stop time to watch as the sun faded over the hills, and the last few minutes of late summer sunshine afforded our first views of the Eryphilli Studios in the sleepy village of Katelios.

We were met by one of the two brothers who own the studios, Nikos, who showed us to our room. I was immediately impressed by the sandstone coloured walkways and the cleanliness of the newly built studios. We were given the one furthest from the swimming pool area on the second floor.

What I noticed was the position of these studios which are surrounded by olive trees and mountains in the countryside. and a short walk allowed you to be lost in times gone by as Old Katelios sits in the shadow of sun baked hillsides and orange groves.

The studio we had was very clean, white and had French doors leading onto a private balcony which had views of the gardens which are well tended. As with all the studios these are south facing affording you the opportunity to soak up the sun all day long if you wish.

The studio had an ensuite bathroom with a delightful shower, and this room was one of the highest standard bathrooms I have ever seen in Greece, so I think the newness showed. There was a small area with a fridge, a two ring hob, kettle and a sink so that simple meals were possible to make. The selection of cutlery and crockery was typical Greek with a mish mash of items chosen at random so nothing really went together. It reminded me a child's tea party toy set, but that is Greek simplicity for you, and it was certainly adequate for our needs.

The rooms were serviced every other day when rubbish was removed from the bins, and once during the week our room was thoroughly cleaned and the linen and towels changed. Now for me this was one of my concerns. As you may know it isn't possible in Greece to put any paper into the toilet as their plumbing is too small, so it has to be put into a bin. I really feel this makes daily bin emptying a mandatory requirement, and this is something I was not happy with.

The rooms do have air conditioning but this has to be paid for at the time of use. We went in September so the weather was not too hot, but if you visit in the height of summer this could be mandatory and an extra cost to budget for. It is currently 35 Euros per week.

We had no complaints about the service given to us by the brothers, who work tirelessly around the clock on the site, making sure any problems are dealt with immediately. We did have a problem with the toilet not flushing, and a new part was fitted to the cistern within the hour by Peter, the other brother, so full marks there.

Now the position of this new block we were allocated to is that it runs parallel with the old block as you look into the site from the road, and both blocks end at the swimming pool areas and bar.

Speaking to people who were staying there, and witnessing for yourself, it does seem that we were somewhat lucky being given the new studios. We did peek into the old when they were vacant awaiting servicing, and they looked clean and of a similar standard to the old, but they have two problems. Firstly some of the balconies are almost shared, only being separated by a small wall, which means being sociable is almost mandatory and they have no privacy. They also have the view of the new block and this makes them in my opinion a worse choice.

If you are booking these then an email to the apartments themselves I feel is mandatory if you like to be private, requesting the new block as a condition of booking, as Thomas Cook do not mention this at all in their brochure and I think you may be then subject to luck more than anything.

The swimming pool area is delightful and when we went in September it was very quiet and peaceful, and the views are gorgeous from here of the hillsides beyond. There are plenty of sun beds, so no need to claim yours at dawn! A further asset is the pool shower which you can use on the day of departure as rooms must be vacated by 10.30.

There is a bar which serves drinks and lunchtime snacks staffed by one of the brothers if you like to enjoy refreshments in between dips in the pool, and the prices are fair but not inexpensive. There is also a book swap here too -useful for holiday reading.

One of the brothers is a competent chef; he makes set evening meals three nights a week which you can book if you wish. These are usually 10 Euros per person for a three course meal and those who went enjoyed the food immensely.

The location of these studios makes access to the beach a 10 to 20 minute stroll, depending on your pace, and there are lovely short cuts which allow you to meander through citrus groves on the way.

A lovely supermarket is within a stone's throw and it stocks everything and is open all day and into the evening. This also stocks phone cards which you can use to call home from the adjacent phone box.

There are many tavernas within walking distance so something for all budgets.

A final point to note is that there is evidence of another hotel/studio complex being built on the other side of the road, so future guests should look into this before booking.

Bear in mind these apartments are simplistic, and the Kefalonian weather at the beginning and end of the season in May and September may not be relied on. You may find yourself cocooned in these studios for hours on end.

In conclusion these are lovely simple rooms to base yourself for a holiday on the island, but try to secure the new block to ensure privacy and superior views.

This review is also published on Ciao by myself under my user name there Violet1278.

Summary: A good base to use for exploring this beautiful island.