Looking for couples hotel accommodation in Halkidiki? Who doesn’t enjoy waking up to the sound of the sea and a leisurely hotel buffet breakfast? We booked a last-minute break to Northern and Central Greece to get the last bit of Autumn sun before bunkering down for the long European winter.
Halkidiki is a region in northern Greece known for its jutting peninsulas, featuring Mediterranean forests lining pristine sandy beaches in sheltered bays. Kassandra, the westernmost peninsula, is the most developed of the three peninsulas, offering modern resorts and nightlife. It is also the closest Peninsula to the Thessaloniki International Airport where you are most likely to fly into.
When looking for an early October beach break that offered more than endless beaches and overpriced tourist food, we stumbled upon some well-priced last-minute flights for Thessaloniki.
Being flexible on holiday is very important for us, so we generally book the first hotel to have somewhere decent to arrive at and then book onward accommodation once we know where we want to go next. This strategy has its pros and cons. It can be stressful for people who like to know exactly where they are staying, but we enjoy the flexibility of ‘going with the flow’! But as we know, it’s a risk and as you will soon find out, we don’t always win the game…
1. Sea Level Hotel, Polychrono, Kassandra
The first two nights we stayed at the Sea Level Hotel, an adults-only hotel on Polychrono Beach in Kassandra. This hotel was exactly what we needed to unwind, relax, and enjoy crystal-clear sea views! We had a beachfront balcony and the hotel was spotless.
It was also nice and quiet, there were only a few other tables of guests during breakfast so there was no queue at the toaster, and the hospitality team was on hand to help if needed.
We very much enjoyed our stay there and tried to book the hotel again the following week but it had closed for the end of the season. We were lucky to be amongst the last guests to stay that week.
A few words of caution: The restaurant and beach loungers can be used by families so it’s not a totally child-free zone! A family with a toddler rented loungers in front of us and totally ruined our afternoon of relaxation. Ha!
We did have an evening meal at the hotel restaurant. The seafood was very fresh but be aware that it’s tourist prices!
Location: 9/10
Cleanliness: 10/10
Service: 9/10
Value: 9/10 (We paid 145 Euro for 2 nights Bed and Breakfast in a seafront room with a balcony)
2. Lagomandra Beach Hotel, Elia Nikitis, Sithonia
Spoiler alert!!! It was oh, so grim! We were truly spoilt by our first hotel and should never have left! We went from a child-free hotel to one described as ‘an ideal family-friendly hotel’ and that’s where alarm bells should have rung… What was I even thinking?
Whilst looking for alternative hotel accommodation in Halkidiki, it was my bright idea to try out another hotel on a different peninsula so we were closer to more secluded, less touristy, areas. We hired a car so were super mobile, but it turned out that we could have just stayed put and driven further out.
We booked a ‘Junior Suite’ but I’m not convinced that is what we got. I don’t even have photos of the room to share as it was grim and I didn’t want to keep the memory. Let’s just say the bathroom smelt rotten, the decor was well past needing a refresh, the elderly male guest next door sunbathed bollock-naked on the balcony, and the restaurants during meal times were chaos!
It was an all-inclusive hotel which I thought may have been easier as there were very few local restaurants open due to the season coming to an end. But this hotel was packed so I don’t know if it was the school holidays at the time. The hotel food was passable and filled a hole. I ate a lot of the salads and fish.
The best thing about the hotel was the beach which was a 10-minute walk away from the room.
Location: 8/10
Cleanliness: 2/10
Service: 5/10
Value: 5/10 (We paid 206 Euro for 2 nights Half Board in a Junior Suite with a balcony that overlooked the side of the family pool)
3. Studios Aigialos, Perea, Kassandra
Chosen for its proximity to the airport, we spent the last 2 nights in a small studio flat overlooking the beach and the city center. Studios Aigialos is a recently renovated aparthotel set in Perea, a few steps from Perea Beach. We found them on the Booking.com app and they don’t seem to have a website.
Check-in was easy, we rang the son of the owner on arrival and he showed us to the room. There are plenty of restaurants and cafes to eat at on the beach, and with its proximity to the city center, it was still very busy with local tourists.
The room was comfortable, if a little cramped, the kitchenette had the basics, and the bed Wifi was strong. the only hiccup we had was that the shower drain was blocked and the bathroom began to overflow. So we had to put a load of towels on the floor to stop the water from spilling out into the room. This happened on the last night of our stay so we just reported it on check-out in the morning and they were very apologetic. Despite this, we would recommend this accommodation in Halkidiki when wanting to stay close to the city and airport.
Location: 8/10
Cleanliness: 7/10 (It was all fine until the bathroom flooded!)
Service: 8/10
Value: 7/10 (We paid 145 Euro for 2 nights, self-catering, in a beachfront studio with a balcony)
Things To Consider When Choosing Your Accommodation in Halkidiki
- Booking accommodation in Halkidiki in advance is essential! I know I started this post by saying we don’t like to do this, but I learned a massive lesson on this trip. When you go to very touristy places, accommodation needs to be booked in advance, especially amid the high season or in our case when a lot of the good hotels have closed for the winter!
- Hire a car, it’s not expensive and it makes getting around so much easier. When you have a car you can drive to the city and have access to a multitude of restaurants with so much choice! Thessaloniki is a thriving, modern, city and has a lot to offer. The roads are very safe and well maintained too.
- Go self-catering, you’ll save a fortune by going to the local supermarket and stocking up on your beach snacks and bottled water. We made our picnics for the beach and traveled to the furthest out beaches where there were no shops open and very few people.
Everyone has very different tastes and budgets when it comes to accommodation, so this is from our viewpoint. We aim for mid-range but do like to splash out when we think it’s worth it. No matter what the hotel was like, we don’t tend to spend a huge amount of time in them, so even if one isn’t that great, we never let it ruin the holiday! Halkidiki is beautiful and we highly recommend going.
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