We recently stayed at Mitsis Royal Mare and overall had a pleasant trip, but in our opinion it feels more like a four-star resort than a true five-star.
The resort itself is lovely. The grounds are beautiful, well maintained, and everything is generally kept clean. Staff were mostly helpful and friendly throughout our stay. The pools are plentiful and very nice, although they were extremely cold (which might be expected in April). The indoor pool is warmer, but it’s usually full of kids.
One thing we really appreciated was the buffet food, which was actually very good. There was a lot of proper Greek food, which felt authentic and fairly healthy compared to many all-inclusive resorts. Drinks were also good and easy to get.
However, there were several things that prevented the stay from feeling like a five-star experience.
The room temperature was a big issue. Even though it was April, the weather was warm and the bedroom felt very stuffy. The air conditioning wasn’t working, and when we asked reception we were told it isn’t switched on until later in the season. We had to sleep with the window open, which unfortunately meant mosquitoes every night.
The cleanliness of the room could also have been better. The glasses in the room were dirty when we arrived and were never cleaned during our stay, even when we left them clearly out for housekeeping. The floors were quite dirty too, with hairs and dust, and our socks got noticeably dirty just from walking around — not ideal when travelling with a young child.
The mattress was also very uncomfortable and felt quite old, which made sleeping difficult. Interestingly, the day bed for our child was actually more comfortable than the main bed.
Dinner times in the restaurants are quite late, which isn’t the easiest when you’re travelling with children. It wasn’t a deal breaker for us, but it’s something families might want to know.
One positive was that many rooms have their own private pools, which is a really nice touch.
When we checked in, I asked whether it would be possible to upgrade our room (I booked last minute and was happy to pay). We were told the hotel was fully booked. However, during our stay the resort actually felt quite empty, so we weren’t entirely sure if that was truly the case. On the positive side, they did manage to move us to a ground-floor room, which helped with our worries about having a young child. The view wasn’t great, but that was understandable given the last-minute change.
Spa experience:
I was particularly excited about the spa and booked a 90-minute aromatherapy massage, but unfortunately it was disappointing. The spa itself feels quite dated. The relaxation room is essentially a glass room with the same loungers used by the pools, and the indoor pool area is often full of children. There were also no drinks, snacks, or refreshments available.
The massage itself didn’t feel like aromatherapy at all — no essential oils were used, and there was no consultation beforehand about health issues or preferred pressure. The treatment rooms were also very bright rather than dim or relaxing, and the beds were fairly basic. The showers and changing rooms felt more like a public swimming pool facility than a spa. Unfortunately, I wouldn’t recommend spending extra money there.
Airport transfer:
One final point worth mentioning was the airport transfer organised by the hotel, which unfortunately was quite worrying. It cost €55 each way, and both journeys felt pretty unsafe. The drivers were driving extremely fast and erratically — on one trip the driver was about 50km/h over the speed limit and almost hit a dustbin. The cars themselves also didn’t inspire confidence, with warning messages popping up on the dashboard for things like restraint system and airbag failure. After that experience, I would strongly recommend hiring a car instead.
Overall, the resort has beautiful grounds, nice food, and friendly staff, and we still enjoyed our stay. But with improvements to room comfort, cleanliness, the spa facilities, and transport arrangements, it could much more convincingly match its five-star rating.
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