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.

Its the first time I am writting a review for a hotel but I have to warn people.

I made a reservation to that hotel and 14 prior my arrival date I cancel it.
When I spoke to the man there he told me that he cant return me the money which I deposit to guarantee the reservation cause the cancellation policy is 21 days prior to arrival date...

I never received a confirmation saying that , their website says nothing about that and above all he was rude.. I have already hired a lawyer for that..

avoid at any cost... certainly not professionals

We were completely fooled by the 4 stars and the hotel's site presentation which has nothing to do with reality. We were charged 110 eur/night for a triple room which was small, sheets and towels were old and overused(my sheet had holes!!). We stayed there 5 nights and they didn't change the sheets not even once, even though we kindly asked them to do so!! Believe it or not, the air condition control was trapped in a wooden box sealed by a locker so we weren't able to change temperature, fan speed etc., but only turn it on/off. Breakfast was the poorest i've ever seen. There weren't even enough tables to sit so some guests would have to wait for us to finish. I could continue forever with bad comments for this hotel - owner had promised us room with balcony which was not the case, didn't like his attitude, overall this hotel feels 'tired' and abandoned to its luck. BIG WASTE OF MONEY. We could have stayed in other hotels at the same price and enjoy much MUCH better amenitties i.e. hermes hotel. Next time will be more careful!

We paid for an upgrade to a suite with a balcony and that was a very good move. Some of the double rooms looked a bit small for us though they all had very high ceilings and were superbly furnished and finished with excellent bed linen and lovely stylish furniture. Very high ceilings. Good air con (there is a story). No WiFi.
The owner is truly delightful and helpful - a really nice man. Very welcoming.
The position of the hotel will suit some more than others. It is in an area of stylish buildings well away and up the main drag though in fact only 10 minutes of climbing up steps and streets. Views from the hotel are quite stunning though there were only two rooms with balconies.
Breakfast was perhaps a bit minimal and some might be disappointed. We would alwyas have a good cup of coffee and orange juice and some bread and jam but little more though ham and cheese was also on offer.

It is not cheap but offers a good clean billet in lovely surroundings - a truly romantic setting.