My girlfriend and I spent a week in the cheery lodgings of the Sunny View Hotel, and are delighted we did so. Firstly, to mark it down, you’d have to look perhaps to the simplistic brekkie, or the slightly dated showers, but the positives far outweigh the negatives at this place. From checking in, the family run Sunny View struck us as a great find, where George, Francis and the rest excel at being warm and welcoming without ever slipping over into all-too-common, overbearing hotelier insincerity. We’d gone for half board which afforded us a home-cooked meal each night which we took advantage of on all but two nights (this being because Kardamena had several highly recommended restaurants that we intended not to miss). I’d particularly recommend the Stifado! The BBQ night was delicious. The room itself was spotless. The pool was good. Many of the guests we met had been countless times before. The walk along the road into Kardamena wasn’t too much fun due to the constant buzz of mopeds and quads passing by, but, there was an alternative beach road a short walk from the hotel. Alternatively the taxis and buses provided an affordable option. We’re not in the habit of returning to the same place, time after time. The world’s too big. However, something makes me feel like I’d like to see these guys again. Great, funny people. A cracking wee place!

My wife and I spent 2 weeks in Gumbet/Bodrum Turkey and decided to ferry over to Kos on a whim for an overnight stay for her birthday. All hotels near the port were either booked or $250+ (August), so after spending a few hours in Kos Town, we hopped on a bus for a few Euros and went across this beautiful island to Kardamena. The hotel was small and clean, just a few minutes by taxi from the town, which is small, full of bars, good restaurants and shops. Anyway, the hotel is located in a quiet, rural area surrounded by fields, olive trees and views of the mountains and sea - which is a 10 minute walk to the water (and past a typical white and blue church), but another 5 to a beach club with loungers and food/beverage service. The water was amazing. Ok, so back to the hotel. It's the type of place people on a budget or with kids would enjoy. The pool is huge and clean, with a volleyball net, and there are plenty of loungers and umbrellas. Our room - at the far end on 2nd floor, was very basic, and the beds were a bit hard. We had an issue getting the AC to stay on, but one of George's sons came to fix it as soon as we called (around midnight). The best thing about this place is the family who runs it. They are truly hospitable. When my wife and I saw the free continental breakfast, we were not into it, especially since it was her birthday, so we just asked George's wife if we could order our own breakfast. In less than 5 minutes, we were enjoying the best omelettes ever. And it was only a few Euros each. (We were disappointed we missed their BBQ night.) We would have stayed another night just for that and to relax by the pool and go to the beach again. After the wild times in Turkey, this was a quiet and peaceful place to get away to and actually socialize with real Greeks - a rarity nowadays with the influx of British summer workers. If you are expecting a Sheraton, stay somewhere else. It was sad to see the 2 concrete shells of unfinished buildings at either side of the property - a true sign of Greece's severe economic situation. However, unlike some other reviewer's who saw the negative in this, had they walked around the back of the unfinished building to the right, they would have found the largest grape vines I have ever seen in my life FULL of the most delicious sweet, green grapes free for the picking! We would definitely go back. We did take a taxi back to Kos town (35 Euro) to avoid the heat of the day on the cheaper bus, and the views were stunning.

Where to start? having read the the reviews (good and bad) we booked a week at the Sunny View Hotel in Kos, first the bad, it's not the Ritz or the Carlton but realistically no one could expect anything else for the price, the rooms are basic but furnishings were in good condition although the beds were a bit on the firm side, but that is something you take pot luck with on a holiday, the good points (for us) was the location, about a mile away from the town so nice and quiet with a bus stop right outside the hotel, the staff are really friendly and helpful, George offered to run us into town on our first morning, breakfast was the basic continental pretty much the same as many other hotels we have stayed at but there was enough there to satisfy, the pool area is nicely set out with plenty of sunbeds, Katrina was always there to cook snack lunches which we had a few days and they were lovely, the atmosphere was exceptionally friendly from staff and guests many of whom return year after year sometimes more than once a year and are treated as friends by the staff, evening meals again cooked by Katrina were traditional Greek dishes and were very tasty, Francis as ever was doing his waiter bit, explaining the dishes to us in detail so we could make a choice, Georges BBQ which has raised many comments on here was very good and well worth the money, on the whole we were treated well by the staff, the other guests made us feel at home and we thoroughly enjoyed our week here, would we go back? a resounding yes, we hope to get back there next year sometime and meet up again with some of the people we met there

Me and my bfr had a very enjoyable stay at Sunny View. The hotel has the most friendliest staff ever (thanks guys!) who work very hard around the clock/7 days a week but you could see that they enjoy what they are doing :). The rooms/breakfasts are quite basic but adequate to the price, rooms cleaned every day, the pool is pretty big and well maintained with plenty of sunbeds. Evening meals were great, very tasty, home made cooking, the drinks cheaper than in town. The Barbeque is good fun and a chance to socialize with other guests. The slight downside was the location - a good few minutes walk to the beach and even longer to town/shops so I would recommend hiring a quad/car/bike/use a taxi depending on how often you want to go (there is also local bus stop just outside the door but the bus is not too frequent). The aircon is charged extra but it is not a big amount and there is free wi-fi internet.

Last but not least - yes it does feel like you are visiting family or friends so if you prefer big/impersonal hotels you may want to look somewhere else.