Aristomenis Studios
(Apartments in Lourdas)
 | 10/10 |
We stayed here for two weeks in May/June `07 and has a great time. The pool is clean and refreshing, the bar is reasonable and the snacks very good. Steve and Eleni make everyone feel welcome, the weekly BBQ is excellent. One week there were only the four of us but they still made the effort and did the BBQ for us, Loved the place. Would be going back this year if Kosmar didnt want £385 compared to Olympic £216 5 mins up the road. Will still pop in to see Steve tho` and sign up for the BBQ | |
| Jason Hunt (Monday, April 14, 2008) | View 3 posts by Jason Hunt | |
 - N/A |
| 10/10 |
Im glad to say it is the time of year to be looking forward to going to Aristomenis Studios once again. This year will be my 5th stay and i know that it will be just as good if not better than the previous 4. I was only 12 when i first visited and now, 5 years and 4 visits on, I guarantee you it is well worth staying here. Steve, Eleni and Sherry are wonderful and me and my family have enjoyed their company over the years. The drinks may cost more than other places but not many places have a pool to lounge round drinking those drinks. As for the location it is top class, stunning views of the sea and a short pleasant walk to some really good restaurants. I hope we get our usual room with our own garden even though most of our time is spent around the pool and bar chatting with the owners Roll on August 10th
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| Nick Taylor (Sunday, March 23, 2008) | 1 post by Nick Taylor | |
| - N/A |
 | 5/10 |
I am really pleased that some people manage to enjoy a nice holiday here. Yes, the accommodation is brilliant.
 The pool is very nice.
 The entertainment provided is also of a good standard.
However,I do feel that people who wish to experience the island beyond the confines of the accommodation and its surroundings,as we did,are seen as being "not worth the effort." Fine, if your idea of a brilliant holiday is lounging by the pool with a long drink,making use of the poolside bar,then this could well be the ideal place for you.If you want to do a bit of walking,or explore the island,or even think of the room as little more than a 'base or place just for evenings and sleeping,' then I would suggest you choose somewhere else.People can,and do enjoy poolside holidays.Good luck to those who can.If you can,you will be welcome here.If you can't,then get a room in Ocean Front studios just opposite.They would be far more welcoming to the non-poolside-bums amongst you than the owners at Aristomenis.Perhaps after they sell up,and are spending the whole year in the USA where they have their other businesses,we may go back.Not before.  | |
| Sue Chapman (Sunday, October 21, 2007) | 1 post by Sue Chapman | |
| - UK |
| 10/10 |
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What a fantastic holiday we've had at the Aristomenis! The apartment and pool area were fab - steve and family kept the bar and pool area spotless, and the apartment was cleaned regularly. The BBQ is a must!!!
The Greek dancing was fantastic - the professional dancers were lovely and really made our night! Lourdas is a fantastic resort - but we always hire a scooter - the hill is massive!!!! Will definately be back at Aristomenis next year and can't wait | Catherine Holliday (Wednesday, July 18, 2007) | 1 post by Catherine Holliday | |
| - Spain |
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Whilst the accommodation itself was excellent, the location heaven, and the holiday experience was very good, this was in spite of, rather than because of the owners of the studios. If you were not part of their clique of friends. previous guests, and slavishly loyal poolside bar visitors, you were basically not worth knowing. The idea that you might like to know what the weather had in store, as you wanted to plan what to do with yourself whilst there, was met with derision. 'I don't bother with the weather forecast, and you shouldn't either.' was the extent of " Steve's " attempt at 'customer service.' I very definitely agree with the negative views on the hosts. Beautiful accommodation, which they make me unwilling to visit again. They, in my opinion, have been spoiled by spending the 'off season' living in New York, a part of the US famed for the 'less than amiable' attitude of some of its residents. The American phrase about the customer being king has definitely not been passed on to the owners at this establishment. To be worthy of even being noticed when turning up at the poolside bar, you need to have no interest whatsoever in venturing outside the boundary fence to buy any drink or food. Heaven forbid that you might want to take same, and consume it on your balcony. Sacrilege. | ||||||||||
| Bob Williams (Monday, October 09, 2006) | 1 post by Bob Williams | |
| - UK |
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| Having just spent two wonderful weeks at the studios with 2 of the most congenial hosts ever,I am at a loss to understand the negative comments I have today read on this site. Steve and Eleni were wonderful hosts and Sandra and I will be returning next year. To Steve and Eleni. Many thanks for helping us have our best ever Greek holiday. | ||||||||||
| Rennie Spence (Monday, October 02, 2006) | 1 post by Rennie Spence | |
| - UK |
| We have just arrived back from the Aristomenis Studios, they were
basice but clean with a very nice pool and sea views. I didn't find the
owners were very friendly and approachable. We had to be out of our
room by 10am and were not picked up until 20.25pm. Our rep had informed
us that there would be a curtesy room available for us to change in.
When I asked Elenia about this she was very abrupt and told me that we
had to change in the poolside toilets. Our suitcases were to be left
outside the studios in the sun all day. We found that the prices at the
poolside bar were very expensive, though we expect to pay more at a
pool bar 3.5euros for a small beer is a bit steep, when in the
restaurants we were only paying 1.8. Those who sat at the bar and did
pay these prices the owners were very friendly with, but those
who chose to sit on their balconies and buy their own drinks, food and
relax were basically snubbed. We were told that the owners couldn't
understand why people would want to do this. I thought that booking
self-catering accommodation was to give you the opportunity to do this.
We went into Lourdas at night and ate in the local tavernas and had
some good meals. It is a very quiet resort and a long downhill walk to
the beach (and a longer walk back up). If you want basic accommodation
that has a nice pool with good sea views in a very quiet resort then
these are fine, but don't expect the owners to make you feel welcome. |
| Marilyn Jones (Monday, September 04, 2006) | 1 post by Marilyn Jones | |
| - UK |
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Just returned from a weeks holiday at the Aristomenis. We had a wonderful studio with 2 balconies and a double bed! The views from our room were stunning and we found the room very clean and spacious with the bathroom so much better than our previous experience of greek apartments! The pool area is great and we felt that the Aristomenis is very well cared for by Steve and Eleni. The tavernas close by are plentiful and you could eat somewhere different every night and we had good greek food in all we ate at. If you want to go to the beach it is walkable downhill and there is a bus back, however the 5 p.m. bus back did not turn up! I think there are taxis. I would not have managed it back up the hill as it is hard work, so if you want easy access to the beach dont book in the resort up the hill where the apartments are. Another down side is the lack of any entertainment, like greek dancing or bars with SKY TV, very limited, however if you do not want this type of holiday you will really enjoy it as it is a lovely island. | ||||||||||
| Shirley Snape (Sunday, September 03, 2006) | 1 post by Shirley Snape | |
| - UK |
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Booked the Aristomenis Studios online only the week before flying out through latedeal.com & then discovered this site with all of the reviews of the resort before flying away. Having just got back from Kefalonia (a word of warning: my garage is bigger than the airport so be prepared for bit of a wait flying back home!), I can honestly say that like any holiday you get what you give.
I agree with some of the other reviews that the pool bar prices are slightly more expensive (especially the cocktails) than some of the other bars up the road but the bar food itself is very nice and after having an appalling so-called English breakfast at the Blue Bar I began to appreciate how nice Steve & Eleni's New York pancakes with maple syrup really are (they come from New York so that's hardly surprising!), despite the extra expense. As for the apartments/studio's themselves, they were clean and quiet with a fantastic view over looking the bay and sea with a dramatic backdrop of Mt Enos behind us, usually covered in mist early morning. With temperatures hitting early 40C the air-con was a life saver so although you could quibble with the cost it was worth every cent. The Pool and Pool area was also clean and very popular, especially the whirlpool, although I do advise getting up early to grab a decent spot as past 10am most are gone. The hosts, Steve & Eleni were very friendly and the Friday night BBQ was worth every 12euro as the food was excellent (as much as you can eat with BBQ steaks & homemade mousakka or taziki) with the added bonus of a big group of American-Greeks turning up & showing us Brits what proper Greek dancing is all about. Overall if you're looking for a peaceful and relaxing holiday without Greek 'musak' blaring out 24/7, along with friendly hosts and clean apartments close to the amenities but far away to avoid the noisy road traffic then I'd seriously consider the Aristomenis. I'm probably going back early next year for a week's quick break which speaks for itself I suppose. | ||||||||||
| Jon Menzies (Monday, August 07, 2006) | 1 post by Jon Menzies | |
| - UK |
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Stayed here for two weeks. Apartment was a good size but unfortunately had an ants nest behind the fridge.
Pool was beautiful but nobody made use of it - many people thought that the drinks and food were very expensive compared to other places within the resort. Small bottle of water was €1 when bars and supermarkets charged only 50 cents. Beer and cocktails were also very expensive so many people chose to eat and drink elsewhere which was a shame.
Hosts very quiet and whilst we were there did not mix with the few guests that would sit around the pool.
Air conditioning and safe costs €55 per week which is also very expensive as most other hotels charge this for 2 weeks. | ||||||||||
| ann (Monday, July 17, 2006) | 1 post by ann | |
| - UK |
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| We have just booked for the 3rd time in 5 years at the aristimentis apartments and will be there this june 06 and know we will realy enjoy it. Very nice apartments, good hosts and a beutiful ilsand ,what could be better. | |
| Barry Savidge (Tuesday, December 06, 2005) | 1 post by Barry Savidge | |
| - UK |
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