Abaton Island Resort and Spa

We have returned home after an absolutely outstanding week in this beautiful, luxury hotel. From the instant that we arrived we were treated with the utmost courtesy. The Guest Relations team are all wonderful and were greeted and helped with any questions we had every day. Of particular note were Sissy and Manto.

					The decor of the hotel is elegant, stylish and minimalist. It is striking and a beautifully cool space, in contrast to the beautiful warm and sunny weather we experienced.

					Food in the hotel was absolutely perfect. The pool area is like paradise and it was always possible to get a sunbed and fresh towels. The hotel Spa area was beautifully tranquil and the gym was well equipped. We dined in all of the 5 restaurants, which were all exceptional. I practised daily yoga with Maria, the hotel yoga instructor whose classes were of the highest standard of clarity, carefully planned and executed with a keen interest in the individual needs of the participants. She is fantastic. 

					We participated in the cooking lessons offered by the hotel and Sous Chef Antonis was incredible, explaining everything in clear and technical terms, whilst being very interesting and entertaining. Special thanks needs to be give to the Assistant General Manager Mr. Vassilis who went out of his way to be the perfect host and was genuinely interested in how we were enjoying every aspect of this incredible hotel. It was lovely to praise the staff and the management at the beautiful Manager's Cocktail party that we were invited to. This hotel is an absolute hidden gem and a diamond at that!!

We have really enjoyed our time here, everyone has been wonderful, kind and thoughtful, what an outstanding team.

Cocktails have been spectacular, food delicious my massage was gorgeous.

We have particularly enjoyed the yoga classes with Maria, who is amazing. We surprised ourselves at the couples yoga class.

Thank you to everyone who looked after us this week, we are very grateful 🙏

We stayed at this hotel with high expectations, and while there were many positives, it didn’t consistently deliver the five-star experience we were expecting.

The positives

• We had a lovely sea-view balcony room that was spacious and comfortable.
• The hotel’s beachfront location with its private beach is beautiful.
• The sunsets from the terrace and Buddha Bar were stunning, while the sunrise from our balcony was equally impressive.
• The pool and surrounding bar areas are attractive and create a relaxing atmosphere.
• Breakfast was excellent every morning, with consistently high-quality food and outstanding service.
• Michael, who worked around the pool, provided exceptional service and deserves special recognition.

The negatives

The hotel could benefit from some simple maintenance before the start of the season. Much of the beach furniture looked tired and weathered and would be greatly improved with sanding and varnishing. Parts of the beach decking were also loose and unstable, which is both untidy and a potential safety issue.

The Buddha Bar (pool bar/restaurant) also looked tired. The bar itself could do with a fresh coat of paint, which would make a noticeable difference. Service was inconsistent throughout our stay. Some days the staff were friendly and welcoming, while on other days they came across as unfriendly or abrupt. Complimentary items such as prawn crackers or fruit were offered on some occasions but not on others, with no obvious reason. Drink prices were also extremely expensive, with cocktails at €18 and bottled water at €5.

On several mornings there were no clean towels available around the pool, meaning guests had to wait before they could settle down.

Housekeeping was also inconsistent. Some days our room was not cleaned, and on two occasions we had to contact reception before it was attended to.

The location may not suit everyone. Apart from the hotel itself, there is very little within walking distance, so taxis are needed if you want to visit other restaurants, bars or shops.

The biggest disappointment was the way day visitors were managed around the pool during the first two days of our stay. Groups of local day guests brought their own beers and even a bottle of vodka into the pool area. They left empty cans and rubbish around the pool, and although several members of staff walked past, nothing was done until I asked for the mess directly in front of our loungers to be cleared away. They also had takeaway food delivered and ate it around the pool.

This was particularly frustrating because on another occasion we brought some food back to the hotel and were told to take it to our room rather than eat it by the pool. It felt as though different rules were being applied to different guests. Hotel policies should be enforced consistently for everyone.

On another day, a different group played loud music through a portable speaker while the hotel’s DJ was already playing music, meaning two different soundtracks competed around the pool. This completely spoiled the relaxing atmosphere expected from a luxury hotel. We were relieved when these day visitors were no longer present from the third day onwards.

Overall

This is a beautiful hotel in a fantastic beachfront setting, with lovely rooms, excellent breakfasts and some outstanding staff members. However, the inconsistent service, lack of routine maintenance, poor management of day visitors and unequal enforcement of hotel rules meant it fell short of the five-star standard we expected.

The encouraging thing is that most of these issues would be relatively easy to fix through better pre-season maintenance, more consistent staff training and ensuring that all guests are treated equally. With those improvements, this hotel could genuinely provide the five-star experience that its location deserves.