Fomithea

We arrived at 12.20 only to be told our room wasn’t ready and to come back in an hour. When we were shown to our room the door handle was hanging off and the door wouldn’t close properly. The furniture was very old fashioned. There was no hot water when we tried to have a shower. From our balcony, we were overlooking a bike hire yard where we could see them being cleaned and repaired. When we complained we were told the hotel was full and they couldn’t move us until the following Tuesday. We emailed TUI and we were moved to a different room. In this room the wardrobe door was hanging off, the shower water didn’t drain away, there was wood effect tape around the sink and tape on the cupboard door. The pictures that TUI put on their website are not the rooms that are available to their customers as the rooms TUI have are the older, rundown rooms. There were only 20 sun beds for 33 rooms. The rooms were cleaned daily and bedding and towels changed regularly, sometimes every day. The staff were always very pleasant and helpful but we probably wouldn’t stay here again due to TUI’s false advertising.

We arrived very late evening after a 2 hour flight delay. Our room was very disappointing as it had very old furnishings that were falling apart. The bed had a creaky wooden frame, with a thin mattress. The room was boiling hot. In the morning we looked over the balcony at about 10am to see that most of the sunbeds had been taken and that only 2 were left together. I was aware of the no reserving sun bed rules but others were reserved so I put two towels down. It’s a good job I kept looking over the balcony while I ate my breakfast because within 10 mins the lady from the pool bar, at the request of a hotel guest was removing our towels from the sunbeds. I said “excuse me but there mine”. She said “but you’re not sat here”. I said I would be straight down. So she put my towels back down. They then simply moved a vacant sunbed and put it next to another so the other guest then had 2 beds together. Every day after that the same hotel guest had the sunbeds we had on our first day and it appeared to me that it was simply her preferred location to sit and that’s why she tried to remove our towels as they were where she wanted to be. Every day after I could see between 9 – 11 beds were reserved with towels before 9am. We felt uncomfortable with the situation as it was not a relaxing atmosphere or area, so mainly went to the beach. My summary of this ridiculous situation is that the hotel has 33 rooms, so that’s aprox 66 guests, but only 20 sunbeds. Also the lady at the pool bar obviously looks after those who spend the most at the bar and or are returning customers for which they make a right fuss over. I don’t think they value the TUI guests. There is a safe box in the room, but they charge 2 euros a day. The air conditioning unit in our room was very old and they have it set up so that it will only work if all doors and windows are shut and the key fob is in its slot. However every evening after returning from a restaurant the room was much hotter inside than it was outside. So if we wanted to sit on the balcony to avoid the heat we could not put the air con on, and when we went to bed and shut the doors etc it took 3 hours before the room cooled down. It appears that TUI guests get the non-refurbished rooms, so I would definitely not recommend this hotel to TUI customers or those wanting a relaxed sunbed experience as they are crammed in, not facing the sun, and the regulars gather together talking all the time, or the hotels owners friends and families kids invade the pool.

Splendid hotel with amazing, helpful staff. They made our stay most comfortable and welcoming. We had a lovely stay due to caring hospitality. The rooms were clean, the pool and bar were fun and we also

We read some of the reviews just before coming out. We contacted TUI for reassurance, which they failed to provide. So our expectations were not that high. The reality was very different. This is a lovely hotel, clean and all the people very friendly. It has a nice pool area and a bar for snacks during the day and drinks. Rooms are cleaned daily. We had two rooms in separate parts of the hotel. Our daughters room had a shaded balcony which kept them cool. From our balcony we could see the hills and sea, beautiful. We had a self catering room and this is very similar to most Greek hotels. A hob, kettle, sink and fridge. All functional for our needs. We had a shower over the bath. It was close to the sea front and all the restaurants. It was also close to the main bus stop. We could not fault the hotel. I guess it is about expectations we paid for a basic room, and what we got was that. The bed was comfortable and it was clean. Obviously if we had paid to stay in a five star hotel our expectations would be different. In summary, a great little hotel, friendly staff and brilliant location to explore. We would absolutely recommend.

Quite simply we love this place, great staff all friendly and helpful. Relaxed vibe here and close to the sea. Rooms are really clean and the pool and bar area are beautiful. The food at the pool is fantastic as well. We have stayed twice and will definitely stay again. Thank you guys

We stayed at Fomithea for a week in July/August and it must be said that the staff are wonderful and cannot do enough for you, the hotel is super clean and is cleaned daily, and the pool area is also spotless. The location is perfect, a short 5 min walk to the beach and all the restaurants/bars etc, and a definite contender for a Santorini break on a budget. We stayed in an unrefurbished studio booked via TUI, and TUI do not advertise that these studios are not refurbished, so if considering booking through TUI this is definitely something to think about. That being said, the beds were relatively comfy, the air con worked well, the shower had great water pressure and the lack of shower curtain was not an issue as the floor dried super quick. The only downside to the bedrooms is that the walls are super thin and some guests are loud until the early hours, meaning quality of sleep is not always fantastic. There is a balcony with the studio however it is a solid wall that is too high to see over when you sit on the chairs out there - would definitely be better either lower or changing so the view can be admired while sitting down, as the view from the studios is beautiful. There are signs in all of the rooms stating you must not reserve sunbeds with towels at the pool, however people do this every day and this rule is not enforced by staff. There are not enough sunbeds for the number of guests Fomithea have at one time, and it’s next to impossible to get a bed after 10am. The pool is lovely and quiet in a morning, but, again, after 10am it is overrun by children being loud, splashing and taking up the entire pool with their games - which would not be an issue at all if there was not people attempting to swim or relax in the pool at the same time. It seems some of these children who take over the pool are local children, rather than paying guests, which makes the situation worse as those who are paying to stay here do not get the full use of facilities. I think Demi behind the pool bar deserves a special mention as she works tirelessly every day for super long hours and always provides lovely cocktails and service with a smile. What a lovely lady! The staff on reception are also super helpful, we have had a few questions etc during our stay and they have always been on hand to answer anything. They even booked us a taxi to Fira and helped us navigate the island! To conclude - staff are wonderful, facilities are clean and tidy, rooms are good on a budget. Avoid booking with TUI without knowing exactly what you are booking.