Ann George Resort 

Before reading this review please understand my partner and I have visited Greece and the Greek Islands on numerous times and have always loved the Greek hospitality and food but are also fully aware of and understand the numerous economic issues in Greece. This was our first visit to Lesbos and despite it being very late in the season we arrived in the last week of September we chose to book B&B at this hotel based on the many excellent reviews and that we always like to eat out in the local tavernas in the evening but were totally unprepared for what we found and my partner and I had to endure from many of the locals as a result of the massive some say over 80% drop in tourism which many locals and the seasonal mainland Greece visitors to the island that rely on tourism believe to be caused by the massive immigrant problem along with the negativity from the worlds press and social media about the island. Along with the fact our holiday coincided with very nasty weather situation covering parts of Turkey and the Greek mainland and its islands starting with a hurricane on our third day along with huge flooding along with the electricity and water going on and off that turned our holiday into a total washout. But firstly on a very positive side Anne George resort itself actually comprises a numerous wonderful spotlessly clean two storey maisonettes with three balconies very much in the back streets of Perama even our taxi driver from the airport couldn't find it for over half an hour. On each of the first floors there is a fully equipped kitchen with ceramic hob, fridge, microwave, oven, toaster, blender, dishes, glasses, cutlery etc in fact everything you are going to need. There is also a second bed with a further pull out drawer bed underneath and on the second floor good quality firm four poster king size bed with mosquito netting and an immaculate bathroom with a large bath and over bath shower. Excellent air conditioning free of charge in each room and an excellent Wi-Fi internet connection within the apartment and beside the pool. A well tended garden surround the bar and the pool which was cleaned almost daily. The breakfast is different everyday freshly prepared by Maria the onsite manager comprising of toasties or omelettes or fried eggs and sausages along with masses of fresh bread and Greek patisserie delicacies from the local bakery. The cleaner who spoke very good English and became our interpreter when communicating with Maria the manager whose English is worse than my Greek !! changed the bedding and towels daily and kept the apartment clean to a very high standard. Staying at this hotel, despite it being end of season and my partner and I being the only guests in the second week of our stay it is just like being at home, there is absolutely nothing that the staff will not do to try to make your stay perfect. We never saw or met the owner mentioned in the previous reviews but then again we were the only guests much of the time but nevertheless Maria and the cleaner carried what anyone who has been to Greece before expects with Greek friendliness and hospitality. The location is on the outskirts of Perama a tiny fishing village on the Gulf of Gera a place where you are never ever going to find your typical 5 star 4 star or even three or two star tourist hotels in fact you are hardly ever going to find any mass tourism but I'm sure in the height of the season you may well still experience the real true Greek hospitality and lifestyle, the hours spent in the numerous café sipping ice coffee al fresco overlooking the bay as the fishing boats drop there catch on the quayside watching Greek football on the huge TV screens every bar and café seems to have along with those tourists venturing across on the short ferry crossing across the bay . It is a very poor village very simplistic connected with humility and has an unselfconscious beauty within a very short distance in every direction. Should you stay here you will definitely need a hire car there is no public transport and you are a considerable distance from any of the more northern more common tourist villages and towns. I have driven all over Greece and its islands and am used to their generally poor road conditions but the roads on Lesbos apart from the main Mytilinis -Kallonis road brings a whole new meaning to horrendous potholes and atrocious roads. I really recommend if your hiring a vehicle you try to get a four wheel drive many of which are little Suzuki 4x4 if for nothing else but the ground clearance when you hit a pothole. We had a small brand new Kia and blew two tyres on separate potholes and scraped the bumper after landing in a huge pothole late at night in the pitch black unlit roads. I would say pretty much any non four wheel drive car will get some sort of damage if you travel on any of the more minor roads into the mountains or villages. Now to the negative... Unfortunately Lesbos is straining under a massive influx on a daily basis of hundreds of immigrants landing on its beaches and simply doesn't have the infrastructure to cope. The notorious refugee camp at Moria designed to hold two thousand now holding in excess of ten thousand camp smells like a sewer as you drive past and if you are unlucky immigrants from it will try to grab your car from you if you drive too slow or simply stone it. There are numerous immigrants on many of the beaches or living rough in the countryside or living in derelict buildings in smaller villages and walking these darkened village streets is not for the faint hearted. When we arrived at Ann George we went into the village of Perama to stock up on supplies and on trying to enter the first of several mini supermarkets in town our entry into the store was blocked by one of several locals chatting in the shop and we were rudely asked by the lady "are you immigrant?" replying obviously "No" we was then asked " You from Oxfam?" "You from Red Cross?" Despite trying to explain we were on holiday and just tourists she spat on the ground in our direction and shouted at my partner "You from UNHCR?" We decided to walk away but during that evening alone we suffered the same verbal abuse and questions and despise from other mini marts and a couple of the cafes we stopped at thinking we might get a coffee or a gyro. We found a not dissimilar situation in many of the small villages and towns in the mountains we visited and the vast majority of open tavernas we did find were only on well occupied mass tourist beaches or in the bigger touristy towns. Because of the huge drop in tourism almost all of the restaurants and the vast majority of tavernas in the vicinity of Ann George were completely closed..... luckily we eventually found one on day four near the army camp on the outside of the village that the locals used and despite some initial confrontations we were welcomed every night after that and the owners did become quite friendly towards my partner and I but I'm not sure how much of that was due to the fact I was spending a wad of Euros every night as every time a local walked in to eat they stared at us with despise some even spitting in our direction with total hate and then very obviously talking to the taverna owners about us in a disgusted tone of voice. I will let you draw your own conclusions about this review I have always loved Greek hospitality and adore their food it is just a great shame the situation on Lesbos if your not staying in one of the mass tourist towns or resorts it is being totally ruined by the immigrant situation and the lack of infrastructure and support from mainland Greek government I would say the atmosphere and our treatment during our time around Perama and Gera totally ruined our holiday regardless of the problems of the weather situation. Suffice to say I have never so much wanted a holiday to finish early so we could come home. Regrettably despite loving Greece and its people If your planning on going to Lesbos please plan it very well check out the latest reviews and consider the area your staying in very well not just the hotel