Ionian Blue Bungalows And Spa Resort

“Ionian Blue”

We had a great stay with fantastic views. A special thanks to Vasiliki at the front desk for her exceptional service and great recommendations for day trips and restaurants in the area. You and Zois made our stay here so much better! Hiring a scooter is highly recommended!

“WE LOVED IT, FOR A SHORT STAY.”

My report is very contradictory, but just to say, we would revisit the Ionian Blue Hotel. So, two couples, in our 60s wanted to visit Lefkada. We chose the Ionian Blue Hotel, for it’s 5* status. It’s in a district called Nikiana, which is not far from Nikiana Town and Nidri Town – both needing a… more

My report is very contradictory, but just to say, we would revisit the Ionian Blue Hotel. So, two couples, in our 60s wanted to visit Lefkada. We chose the Ionian Blue Hotel, for it’s 5* status. It’s in a district called Nikiana, which is not far from Nikiana Town and Nidri Town – both needing a taxi to get to, so maybe good to hire a car to get around? We’d booked superior rooms, with sea views. I can honestly say the views were absolutely stunning. We have travelled a lot and we haven’t had a view like that in quite some time. A nice balcony with chairs, to enjoy the sun rise. But the room itself was a little tired. We were only staying for four nights, so we didn’t want to make a fuss and we got ourselves comfortable. We didn’t have tea/coffee making facilities, but a bottle of water. Water isn’t expensive at the hotel, so no need to go out, traipsing around for a supermarket. There is a minibar, free of use, as is the safe. Our bathroom was pretty big, with a few toiletries, but the problem being that the main shower, was in a cubicle with the toilet, so the toilet and floor got soaked. We ended up standing in the bath and showering, but water still managed to go everywhere, so we were forever mopping up. We were provided with new towels every day. But, had we been staying longer than 4 nights, even with that fantastic view, I would have asked to have been moved. The room itself was big, with lots of mirrors, lots of storage space, a nice big dressing table but, to be honest, I used the bathroom to get ready – that’s where the hairdryer is – attached to the wall, and there was a lot of worktop to store all my things. There is no iron or ironing board in the room, but you can request one, and there is also a cleaning/ironing service. I tend to rinse small items, and I missed a little washing line. The aircon was great in our room – no problem whatsoever. Their main restaurant is very big – lots of inside seating, and a nice terrace. We were B&B, so ate on the terrace, over-looking the Ionian Sea, which was pleasant. Smoking is allowed outside. Saying that, most places in Lefkada allow smoking. And, I was pleased to say we only saw one cat, which people did annoyingly feed. Not that there were many people at the hotel – it was empty! They had had a big Porsche conference, just before we arrived, and as we were leaving, the pool area was being cleared of all sunbeds, as a wedding was about to take place, so you would have to go out for the day, or go down to the jetty. And, going back to breakfast, the choice was very limited. But, we managed to always find something. Now on to the pool area, it’s very nice, with spongy cushions and because the hotel was empty, we sometimes found that we had the pool to ourselves. It was a decent size, clean, with beautiful views. There’s a little bar/restaurant, near the pool, with a couple of sofas to sit and enjoy the views. And, tables and chairs if you are going to eat. And, the price of drinks and food is very reasonable – we really enjoyed sitting there at lunchtime. We found ordering Ouzo/beers/wine ……….. we were often presented with a plate of Tzatziki and some nibbles. The gent at the pool bar is great. His English is very limited, but then we should learn Greek! Very nice man indeed. Moving on to the jetty, it is down quite some steep steps, so if you aren’t able, this hotel isn’t really for you. It is on many floors, with steps or lifts to get you around, but getting to the jetty would be a problem. But, we loved sitting on the jetty, watching all the boats sail along. On our first day, we saw a few pods of dolphins – what a lovely experience! The sunbeds on the jetty are plastic, with no cushions, but for the views alone, it’s worth going and relaxing down there. There isn’t really a beach, just a pebbled area, where you can walk into the sea, or you can get into the sea by way of a pair of iron steps, which go straight into the sea. Just take some jelly shoes if you can’t handle pebbles! There’s also a shaded bar near the jetty – we had a few drinks, but …. again, because the hotel was empty, we never saw many people eat there. With regard to pool towels, you leave a €10 deposit and get them changed daily. There isn’t a courtesy bus into town, but reception will order you a taxi, which costs around €10 each way. And, don't expect the taxi to arrive within 5 minutes - this is very laid-back Greece. We loved our evenings in Nidri. We did eat in the hotel once, but decided on Nidri for the remainder of our stay. And, Nidri has a couple of small supermarkets, if you were to need anything. The Wifi in the room was great for us. We didn’t use the spa. Check-in/check-out was very easy, but do remember you have to pay the Government Tax. Reading previous reviews, was a little bit contradictory ……. the grounds around the hotel are being maintained and are so pretty – we never found any rubbish around at all. And, with all the bougainvillea, and the pretty butterflies, we loved the gardens! There isn’t any evening entertainment at the hotel, or a hotel shop. You simply buy water at the bar. Oh, and talking about the bar – it’s on the top floor, where reception is, and sitting outside again, provides super views and drinks are reasonable. And no QR codes here – good, old-fashioned Greece! The staff were all very kind and helpful. Couldn’t do enough for us. Vasiliki, work worked on the front desk has perfect English, so very helpful indeed, as were all the staff. Thank you. So, to finish, Ionian Blue could be a 5*, but it isn’t at the moment, and when you have to pay €15 per night per room, for Government Tax – maybe the 5* status should be reduced until the hotel has a good refurb! And, this isn’t a negative review. As I said at the very top of this post, we would go back. It’s a great place to explore and if you did hire a car, it’s great to get away from the busy areas. Preveza Airport is super too. Small and fast to get through. One souvenir shop before going through security. A Duty Free shop, once you are through. An ice-cream shop, and a café selling drinks, pizzas, baguettes. But, again, very small.

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