Hotel Poseidon, Gialos, Ios

Review Rating: 4/5

Website: https://www.poseidonhotelios.gr

Date of Visit: July 2024

Introduction

Hotel Poseidon is a small, budget-friendly, family-run hotel located in an elevated position a short walk from the main port of Ios. I spent six nights here as a solo traveller in July 2024 and really enjoyed it.

Location

If you’re looking for affordable accommodation close to the port, Hotel Poseidon makes a great choice. Within five minutes of departing the ferry, I was at reception picking up my room key. The hotel is on a hillside and therefore requires climbing a moderately steep set of steps, tucked away in an alley between Enigma Taverna and AutoUnion Car Rental. The steps do feel hard work the first few times you climb them, especially in the heat of the summer daytime sun, but as long as you don’t have any health or mobility issues, they’re not a problem.

What you get in return is a quieter location with excellent views back towards the port:

The large and sandy Gialos Beach is within a 10-minute walk past the port, with plenty of restaurants, cafes and a few shops on the way. The main port bus stop is just opposite and provides convenient and frequent access to Chora, Mylopotas Beach and other locations during the summer tourist season. Alternatively, a steep pedestrian path leading up to Chora can be found by turning right at the roundabout next to the bus stop and following the signposted route at the next corner.

Rooms

The rooms at Hotel Poseidon are what I would call typically Greek: basic, but functional and clean. Although my room was small, I was travelling alone so it was fine for my needs, and they do have larger rooms for bigger groups. My main gripe was the fact that the room only had one usable plug socket (short of unplugging the fridge), but again this isn’t uncommon with more budget rooms. I always travel with a multi-USB plug so I can charge several devices at the same time anyway.

The air-conditioning worked well, but wasn’t the quietest which did affect my sleep a little bit. I also found the mattress quite firm which bothered me the first night but I soon adjusted to it and slept pretty well the rest of the time.

Much like the room itself, the bathroom was functional rather than fashionable, but everything worked and the water pressure was good in the shower.

Service

Rooms were cleaned daily including fresh towels (overkill really, but I’m not complaining). I was hoping the cleaners would replenish the complementary shower gels but I ended up having to request more from reception. Not a big issue, but it would have been a nice touch.

At the pool, the owner’s son worked behind the bar every day and was friendly and polite. I only had a couple of drinks as the prices were a little steep (€4 for a 300ml bottle of beer), especially as there’s a supermarket just a couple of doors down (€1.80 for a 500ml can) but it’s the same in any hotel.

As it was my fifth visit to the island, I didn’t require much guidance on sightseeing or getting around, but I felt confident that the staff were on hand for anything I might have needed. The owners, Marina and Spiros, were often around and always gave me a warm greeting and were interested to know if I was having a good time and what I’d been doing.

Facilities

Although I love Greek beaches, I chose Hotel Poseidon knowing it had a pool for convenient sunbathing. The pool is fairly small but enough to enjoy a satisfying dip when the sun gets too hot. Although the hotel seemed moderately busy, the pool area was never crowded and I was always able to find a sunlounger free in the morning.

Most guests were younger than me and I suspect quite a few of them were out partying late at night in Chora, but despite this, I never heard any noise from returning guests. The owners are quite strict about disruptive behaviour, but I think the fact you have a reasonable walk to get back gives people time to calm down before returning to their room.

Food and Dining

Breakfast wasn’t included and isn’t offered at the hotel, but they do serve a limited range of snacks at the hotel pool. I didn’t try any of the food so can’t comment on its quality.

Outside the hotel, a range of dining options can be found within a very short walk, including Enigma Taverna which is right next door at the bottom of the steps. Other nearby recommendations are:

• Sailing Cafe for great breakfasts and coffee
• Buongiorno Bakery for coffee, bread, cakes etc at very reasonable prices
• Peri Anemon for excellent gyros and daytime snack food

Slightly further afield behind Gialos Beach, I recommend:

• Tropicana Bar for great food and cocktails
• Corali Kitchen and Bar for amazing pizza/pasta and the best arancini balls I’ve ever eaten!

Price

I paid €140 per night for my 6-night stay during peak season. This did feel expensive for what is a fairly modest hotel – I only paid €10 more per night last year at the excellent Yialos Ios Hotel, which also included breakfast – but I booked quite late and with limited availability on the island, I suspect it was priced accordingly.

Overall Experience

I had a good time at Hotel Poseidon and have no regrets about choosing it. For anyone new to Ios, it’s a convenient location to explore the island. The main downside is the relatively high cost for what was a mid-range hotel, but I suspect if you book further in advance or during quieter periods, the price would be a lot more reasonable.

Conclusions

Hotel Poseidon is a nice hotel, and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a no-frills stay on Ios.

Links

Find more Ios Accommodation or check out our Ios Island Guide.