Name: Agrikia Bed and Breakfast
Address: Aliki, Aliki 84400, Greece, Alyki, Alyki, Alyki, 84400, Greece
Rating: 9

Internet access

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Location

Paros Airport

Port of Parikia

Naxos Airport

Syros Island Airport

Mikonos Airport

Mykonos New Port

Port of Tinos

Santorini Old Harbor

Agrikia Bed and Breakfast

Muriel and Marcello gave us a warm welcome in their charming hotel tinged with the colours of Greece and warmed with the scent of thyme, sage and rosemary, which grow abundantly in their carefully tended garden. 
The rooms are spacious and comfortable, with a personal touch by Marcello, a photographer and furniture designer.
The balcony overlooking the sea is perfect for drinks after a day of touring the island or relaxing at the beach.
Breakfast under the awning or beneath the almond tree offers a taste of the culinary pleasures of Paros.
Muriel and Marcello are always ready to give useful tips to help you get to know their adopted home better and really go out of their way to make sure you enjoy your stay. 
As a talented reflexologist, Muriel also offers foot massages to ensure your trip is even more relaxing. 
The beach and numerous restaurants are within walking distance of the hotel which offers an ideal base from which to explore the island.

We had a very pleasant stay. Marcello and his wife are very kind hospitable and helpfull. 

Our kids loved the treats the got Every morning at breakfast. Cakes, hot chocolade, flan, eggs. 

The rooms are clean and pleasant, de garden is nice. Aliki is a cosy place with beautifull beaches and restaurants. We hired a car and did Some sightseeing, but decided that we chose the best place to stay. 

Alyki

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Fantastic

Very nice

Agrikia's regular small ad in a Swiss newspaper portrayed an attractive Bed-and-Breakfast; this information was confirmed by its appealing website. Impressed, I decided to reserve a room for a week's vacation. I called the B&B to get more details and to coordinate accommodation and flight dates. To my surprise, during the conversation, the Italian co-manager, Marcello, in passing told me that no breakfast would be served. No breakfast in a B&B?! However, he quickly reassured me that I would find everything in the room to make my own breakfast; furthermore, every morning they would hang a fresh croissant on the door. He explained that the breakfast area was now being used for photography courses and reflexology treatment. Duly pacified, I decided to sign up for the photography, only to be told that there would be no course during my stay due to "lack of interest".

Things were not going to get better. Upon arrival I found a room which was unpleasantly basic if not bare; neither was it impressive in its cleanliness. The plastic shower curtain had a stained, yellow-brownish hem and the linen and towels were worn.  Any expectation of making my own breakfast quickly evaporated: Apart from an electric kettle, plastic cups and plates, some cutlery and three teabags, there was nothing. No coffee, no sugar, no milk, no jam. Remembering the laudatory comments on TripAdvisor about Muriel’s delicious jams and pastries, I decided to try my luck with the female half of management. I might as well have chosen to run headlong into a thicket of cactuses. Instead of going into friendly, problem-solving mode, the French lady promptly attacked: "What do you expect now, that I'm going to make you your breakfast?" I was piqued enough to tell her that I found it unfair and possibly illegal to represent themselves as a B&B if no breakfast was provided, and then failing to make proper arrangements for guests to serve themselves. The tone for the rest of my stay had been firmly set. When enquiring about bus transit times, I was told to find that information at the bus stop. How good is the restaurant in the village? "We haven't been there this season, so we cannot give you any recommendation." Other restaurants? I was elated to be handed a list of restaurants throughout the island, but thought I was having a nightmare when I noticed that there weren't any addresses and telephone numbers.

Now that I had finally understood that I was completely on my own, I quickly found my way about the island thanks to impressively friendly and helpful restaurant owners, waiters, travel agents, car hire companies, shopkeepers and even strangers encountered on the street. Paros is picturesque, clean and - thanks to the lack of an international airport - nicely off the beaten track. The food usually is excellent and the near-constant cooling breeze heavenly.

Getting back to the Agrikia "B&B", there are other, lesser shortcomings and irritations compared to similar establishments where I have stayed: No credit card facilities - about 50% of accommodation in advance by bank transfer and the balance in cash immediately upon arrival; the sluggish internet connection, which is advertised as "fast" on their website; the haphazard cleaning of my room by a seemingly untrained - albeit enthusiastic and friendly - cleaning lady; no space to display brochures, and, most importantly, no area where the hosts may interact with the guests, make them feel at home and get their feedback.

Now to the crux of the matter. This non-Greek management couple, to my mind, has not grasped the concept of a Bed & Breakfast. To quote Wikipedia (abridged): "Key needs include: Pampering and personalised service in an attractive location in an attractive house, as opposed to more 'standard' hotel rooms. The following attributes are also appealing: Homely or wholesome atmosphere; Area for conversing with other guests; Ability to tap into local knowledge of attractions and activities in the area. The friendliness of the host is the most important factor, followed by easy access to other places. Bed & Breakfasts provide mutual benefits for both the visitor and the operator. Visitors have the opportunity for a relaxing break in a homely environment. Operators have the opportunity to develop a profitable business, make new friends and contacts, understand the cultures and lifestyles of others, and to educate guests about their way of life."

Incidentally, the croissant was dwarf-sized and arrived at about 08:30, long after I had left for the day.

Agrikia, Aliki, Paros, not recommended

Most importantly: this is not a bed & breakfast, it's just bed - unless you consider a shrunken croissant (10cm or so, hung in a plastic bag on the door a proper B&B breakfast...). There's reviews on the internet mentioning a delicious breakfast, homemade cakes etc, but those were the days...apparently. 

Building itself looks ok - and even better on the pictures the owners put on several websites -, there's a nice garden with some seats. Interiour is just very, very basic. No proper bed, no proper tv with some actual working international channels. Although there's an en suite, it's hostel level quality. 

Owners (not really acting as hosts..) were ok, but it's a bit surprising that simple things a restaurant recommendations cannot be provided.. since they haven't gone to any for a long time, as they said. A bit weird if you run such a business, on such a small island. 

All in all it's not necessarily a terrible place stay, but it's bit weird that they consistently pretent to be more than they are. It's not a B&B, it's just a bunk to sleap and thus and a money-provider to the owners.

No paradise as pretended..

I agree with Margaret's articulate posting below. Here experiences were easily understood by me, because when I arrived at 10:15 at night on Saturday, I was "welcomed' with a barrage of rude attacks- first by Muriel, and later by Marcello. These folks are so out of their league in every way in a country like Greece, where hospitality is unparalleled. Anyone who has been here (Greece) knows that Greek people go out of their way to make sure you are happy.  At Agrikia, they could care less about the client or any happiness. They are rigid - as Margaret wrote,they want money ( that is hard to get to them because they don't take credit cards) and I had to have a Greek friend drive there to give them my 50% downpayment.

I wrote them the day before telling them my arrival was in the evening. Even that was initially not paid attention to- there is no attention to detail here- or BREAKFAST as stated. Why they call themselves Bed& Breakfast, i have no idea.

I had been very clear: I wanted a QUIET room with sea views. The website is confusing and doesn't really show the relationship of the rooms to the sea, or really anything- they are small shots which look cute enough, but when I arrived, what was in actual fact the property- and my room- was on the road- cars going by- thus, not quiet, and somewhere off in the distance was the sea. I guess. It was night so I couldn't really see it.  I told Muriel I didn't want a noisy room on the road, but quiet, she got annoyed, she was rude from the minute she  met me. She said the room that had been promised to me was "broken" she wouldn't do the smart business move and upgrade me to an empty  studio, it cost more money- these folks would rather be self righteous than help their guests.

So i said, well I'll stay for 1 night in the room on the road but I wanted my money back for the balance. She said, "NO" if i stayed 1 night they could legally keep ALL MY MONEY!" so i left.

But i made it clear what i thought, at 10:30 at night, a single woman, I had traveled 8 hours to get there. Her selfish response: "But I waited all night for you." isn't that the job of someone who runs a B&B, hotel, Inn or whatever Agrikia is?!

Oh and the 'terrace' shown in the photos in the gallery, with cushions and chairs, does NOT EXIST. For guests.  I asked where it was and she said, "Oh that is for our home."  I see, so false advertising, rude attitude and zero hospitality are the hallmarks of this place. They need to move it to France where they are from. Greece is the wrong place for this kind of behavior.

Agrikia Bed and Breakfast

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