I will have to admit that when we first arrived at this hotel I wanted to run however we had just arrived from our five star accommodations on Santorini so a hard act to follow. The place did however grow on us.

When we arrived we found the hotel locked however it was outside of business hours. One phone call to 'Chris' and his assistant arrived very quickly to check us in. We had booked a standard double with a seaview. Not the normal standard for seaview however we could see the port and beyond out into the Aegean. The room was standard with two twin beds together to make a king (normal for many rooms in Greece so not a problem for us). There was a tube TV mounted on the wall, a closet, two desks and two bedside tables. The bathroom was typical older style with a shower pad surrounded with a shower curtain.

Pros

1. Air conditioning worked great however you only have the ability to turn it off and on. It would have been nice to adjust the temperature however we do understand that 'some' guests will turn the temperature down quite low then leave the room unattended all day. Hydro is quite expensive, especially in the islands, so I understand this to an extent. No matter where we stay in Greece or elsewhere we always turn the air conditioning off during the day when we are out to conserve energy. Hotel rooms are small and do not take very long to cool when you return in the evening.

2. Location (also a con below). Very quiet location and we heard no noise at all at night. Also, as a female, felt very safe sitting outside the hotel on the bench enjoying the evening air by myself.

3. The hotel's assistant could not have been more lovely. The assistant (who's name I never got) was so attentive and friendly. She would jump out of her chair whenever we came down the stairs to see if there was anything she could do for us, did we need anything etc...

4. The owner was lovely as well. We came back after dinner one night and there was a 'baby' (read older toddler) who was screaming at the top of it's lungs at almost midnight in the room next to ours. He apologized about one hundred times and said he intended to deal with the situation. By the time we went to bed things had settled down and we were not disturbed. Upon departure he insisted on carrying my luggage outside and ensured that our taxi was waiting to take us to the port.

5. The inside of the hotel was beautiful with marble stairs and restored original fixtures. We found that the inn had maintained the historical feel of the past which was refreshing to see.

6. Nice common room. One afternoon dh needed to put his head down for a bit but I felt like reading and maybe watching a bit of TV. There is a common room which is very comfortable with a large selection of magazines in a number of languages to suit all. I spent about an hour and a half sitting there with my book and found the time very relaxing!!!!!

Cons

1. Location - as quiet as the location is, it is up the hill about 5 minutes. Not a bad walk to be honest however not in the heart of the port city. Certainly not wheelchair friendly but not onerous as some people have claimed (disclaimer - do not personally know their physical well being).

2. No WiFi - OK, not a really big deal however in this day and age it is a really nice plus to have for people trying to stay in touch for personal or business reasons. There is WiFi in a number of the port cafes.

3. There was not anywhere to unpack clothes really. We ended up living out of the suitcases however there was tons of floor room to spread them out so in the end it was OK.

4. The beds were typical hard Greek beds. A small investment in padded mattress covers would make a huge difference in comfort.

5. The shower, as mentioned, was a typical older style shower with a tiled pad surrounded by a shower curtain. I would have been nicer if there had been an investment into a glass surround (with the same floor space) as the curtain continuously got stuck to you as your tried to bath. At least with a glass surround it is fixed in place.

All in all this was not a bad hotel however there is some room for improvement which in my opinion will push them to the next level. As mentioned the owner and his assistant were great and kind beyond words.

In our conversations with some of the residents of Syros we learned that foreign tourism is something new to this island as it has traditionally been a government and commerce center not particularly accustom to foreign visitors.

If you are an experiences traveller in Greece and understand some of the older traditional inn of the country then you will find this hotel to be charming. If you are looking for a Marriott or Sheridan then you will be disappointed.

Welcome to answer any questions you may have.