Eriphilly 

I had a fantastic 10 night stay at Eriphilly, a traditional Greek family-run hotel. Christos, Anna and the rest of the team do a fantastic job here. Location – The Eriphilly is located 1.5km from Molyvos resort centre and it takes around 20 minutes to walk into town. The hotel is in a rural countryside setting, with views of the rolling hills and mountains on one side and a view to the castle of Molyvos on the other. It’s very quiet at night and away from the busy resort centre. You may be able to hear the occasional dog barking or the sound of the bells on the sheep and goats in the field next door, but that’s all part of the traditional Greek vibe here. Studio – I had a studio and these are all located on the ground floor. It was more than adequate for my needs. The bed was comfortable and the studio was equipped with air conditioning, a wardrobe, dresser with mirror, bedside drawers, a flat screen television and a large and peaceful terrace outside with a table and 2 chairs. There was a small kitchenette with a coffee machine, kettle, double cooking rings and a fridge. The bathroom was small and had a shower, toilet and sink. The rooms was well-maintained and kept exceptionally clean, with bins emptied and towels changed almost daily and fresh bedding every 3-4 days. The only downside was the bathrooms, which could do with a refurbishment – the old school shower curtain meant the shower could leak onto the floor and the kitchenette equipment was limited, although as I was on bed & breakfast this didn’t matter too much. Facilities – The hotel is set in lovely, well cared for grounds and gardens. There’s a pool at the Eriphilly block with a small kids section, a reasonably priced bar serving snacks throughout the day (burgers, sandwiches, toasties, salads) and they also serve a home-cooked Greek dish of the day on a rotating basis. There is also a buffet breakfast area and plenty of shaded seating on the terrace. A second pool is located by the ‘Meraki Time to Smile’ blocks can be used, which is a longer, 40m infinity pool with plenty of sun loungers and can be used by guests. The whole property is very relaxed and there’s lots of space and sunloungers to choose from. Breakfast – The breakfast was varied and featured a mixture of hot and cold items, including fruit, yoghurt, cereals, bread, homemade cakes and pies and scrambled, fried or boiled eggs, bacon, local sausages, pancakes and hot and cold drinks. The breakfast exceeded my expectations, was well presented, replenished often and was a good start to the day. Molyvos – Molyvos is a fantastic town which feels like it has 3 resorts rolled into one, with little ‘mini-centres’ being focused around the beach, the Agora and Castle and the harbour. Highly recommend taking the land train over to Anaxos and Petra to explore the area and visit some sandy beaches as the beach in Molyvos is pebbled. I never had a bad meal and the restaurants in town I visited were all very good and reasonably priced – Roulla Mistral, Tropicana Platanos, Gatos and Friends for a gyros. Two courses, a glass of wine and a small water coming in at just under €20 was good value, as was a pint at around €4-5 and a glass of wine for €4. Some bar recommendations include Molly’s or Chat and Chill for music, Fuga wine bar for relaxed vibes and Sunset Café on the beach for sunset drinks. Atmosphere – Given its out of town location and spacious gardens, Eriphilly really felt very laid back, relaxed and chilled. Christos, Anna and the rest of the team evoke that true authentic Greek family-run warmth. They were incredibly friendly hosts. There was no rush at breakfast, no sunbed wars that can be seen in other destinations, everyone was incredibly friendly and laid back – even in August when I stayed. It’s easy to see why many people return here year after year and that brings me on to the big question, would I stay again? Absolutely, and I hope to visit again soon.