Elies Hotel

Press Reviews

Travel + Leisure, April 2010
"For a more traditional experience, order authentic Greek salads and moussaka at Lela’s Taverna before spending the evening at the Elies Hotel’s outdoor patio, which overlooks the Gulf of Messenia [and] ... has 24 rooms and maisonettes set within olive groves."

The Times, April 2009
"Secluded stone cottages with stylish interiors, tucked among gnarled olive trees a pebble's throw from Kardamyli's lovely beach. Elies Hotel is the only accommodation on this lovely sweep of azure sea, fringed by those famous olive groves and backed by snow-capped Mt. Taygetos. The interiors offer an unexpected, almost Scandinavian chic-ness - classy pastel shades, gleaming kitchenettes, comfy contemporary sofas, brilliant rugs on bleached pine floors."

Guest Reviews

Reviews are only from people who have stayed there and booked through i-escape.

• “Beautiful location, and gorgeous comfortable accommodation. Taking meals under the olive trees was a great pleasure, and the food was fresh, authentic and excellently prepared. There is much to see and do in the region. Highly recommended.”
  Elanor, United Kingdom (06.05.12)

• “Liked the relaxed attitude of the owners and the apartments are spotless. The restaurant serves wonderful food. We've been in June and September, September is a much more comfortable temperature and is far quieter!”
  Victoria, United Kingdom (02.10.11)

• “An excellent hotel in a peaceful and stunning location. The rooms are top notch. Lunch at the restaurant very good. Just a pity they do not offer dinner in the evening and this means you need to walk into the village every evening which is 15 minutes each way - hardly a hardship but sometimes it would be nice to stay put.
  The Mani is a fascinating area and if you have a car, visits to the small very old villages in the nearby mountains are well worth it. This is our second successive visit and I am sure we will be coming back.”
  Robert, United Kingdom (18.09.11)

• “Inadvertently, our arrival at Elies coincided with a getaway for the Greek primeminister and his finance minister. Thus we arrived to find Stavros 'gone shopping ' in Stoupa and the rest of the staff flying round the restaurant to service the Papandreou group, such is the cachet of discrete service, wonderful accommodation and fabulous food, that the PM hops down, unannounced for the weekend.
  Stavros' nephew (I think) showed us to our accommodation: a maisonnette for myself and two children and a studio for my 75 yr old parents. Both houses were spotlessly clean, bathrooms deserve a 'luxury' tag with Duravit fittings and gorgeous Korres products.We had two spacious balconies,the wifi access is now good indoors too, though mobile phone connection was sometimes patchy.At about 17h30 (having not eaten since breakfast) we presented ourselves to the restaurant and were politely served what was 'left': utterly delicious greek salad, moreish zucchini balls, tzatziki and grilled chicken.An unbelievably good 'end of service' feast.Later in the week we learned that Elie's is now 'the' place to eat in Kardamyli and justifiably so.By the time we staggered back to our cottages, kitchen fairies had been and stocked our fridges with an array of homemade jams, butter,water, oranges, olive oil plus the usual tea/coffee/milk etc.
  Our week passed too quickly, filled with early morning swims 'the best sea swimming of my life' declared my father,lazy wandering around the village, a couple of trips out to a local gorge and fishing village along the coast,and a lot of time idling, savouring both the atmosphere and the food in the restaurant.
  Stavros has pulled off a difficult combination of 'self catering with hotel facilities' including daily cleaning/towels7sheets etc. It feels like a private discovery.
  Stavros and his family are wonderful hosts. A very special place indeed.”
  jenny, Spain (04.09.11)

• “We've stayed here twice now in the beautiful stone cottages built, in the local style, in the heart of an olive grove right next to the best beach in Kardamyli. What more is there to recommend?
  The best taverna in the area, serving traditional Greek food at lunchtime. Owner Stavros' mother's own restaurant, Lela's, is the best traditional one in town so high standards to live up to (she was housekeeper to legendary writer, the late Patrick Leigh Fermor). In the evening Elies also serves a beautifully prepared menu of more modern cuisine but with the emphasis on local produce.
  Elies' taverna is packed from midday onwards with a mix of Greeks and tourists but Stavros was amazing at finding us a table whenever we wanted to eat. He is a very good host to his guests, subtle but always available.
  The rooms at Elies are spotlessly clean both in design and upkeep. The Korres toiletries are topped up daily and housekeeping do a great job of keeping the place spotless. Each room has either a balcony or terrace, great to watch the sun come up or go down in perfect peace (well, apart from the resident donkey, who does like to make his presence heard).
  The beach is literally just across a very small road and attracts people from all over the town to enjoy the calm seas and snorkelling around the rocks which are packed with entertaining sea creatures. But you're guaranteed a lounger and umbrella as the hotel makes sure there are enough reserved for guests first. Plus there's a beach waiter who will bring you whatever drinks you want from the bar straight to you lounger. He's also a great source of information on the local area and its history and speaks good English.
  What marks out Elies is how many people who aren't staying there come to eat in the restaurant and enjoy the beach. And when they've all gone you can enjoy amazing moonlit views of the Aegean Sea and the Taygetos Mountains in the peaceful surroundings.”
  Avril, United Kingdom (20.08.11)

• “Great location among the olives - the location at the beach is outstanding and very picture perfect. Friendly staff and great lunches. Kardamili is a charming and laid back village with some good restaurants. I would definitely go back.”
  Ulrika, Sweden (13.07.11)

• “Disappointed the restaurant wasn’t open in the evening, despite having rearranged our travel dates to when Stavros told us it would be open.”
  Charlotte, United Kingdom (10.07.11)

• “I had high expectations of Elies, after reading the reviews but I'm pleased to say they were exceeded. Kardamyli and the surrounding countryside is beautiful with Elies being situated on a quieter road out of Kardamyli. Being so close to the beach was fantastic and their Taverna had wonderful food although it would have been even better if it could have been open during the evening. Stavros and the rest of the team were extremely helpful and ensured we had a fantastic stay.
  Our studio was lovely - the decor was of a very high standard and we had a wonderful view of the surrounding area. The room had a few basic food essentials for our arrival and the Korres products were replenished every day which was a great touch.
  
  We went to the Hidden Garden in Agios Nikolaos one night for dinner which was very good and a very picturesque location - much more traditional than Stoupa. Otherwise, Lela's has a fantastic view for Sunset and there's a bar across the street that does great cocktails too.
  
  Overall, a fantastic place that will not disappoint!”
  Sian, United Kingdom (08.07.11)

• “We had an excellent time at Elies Hotel. The room, bar/restaurant and food exceeded all our expectations. The bar/restaurant wasn't open in the evenings, but there were plenty of lovely options in Kardamili for an evening meal - Lela's Taverna is not to be missed for the setting alone.
  Definitely hope to go back.”
  Elizabeth, United Kingdom (03.07.11)

• “This is a fantastic place to stay. We are almost reluctant to say how good it is in case too many people discover it and becomes too busy. The accomodation is amazing, just a short walk to the main part of town plus right next to the beach. The staff are friendly and helpful without being intrusive. As for the food, it's definitely the best in town. We will be going back.”
  ann, United Kingdom (03.07.11)

• “We loved the location across a small road from the pretty pebbly beach and clear seas. The outdoor restaurant was fabulous - clearly a destination place at weekends - lots of shade and gorgeous flowers, great food, fast service and a handy adjacent playground to keep the kids entertained. The village which was a 15 minute walk away would be perfect for couples but wasn't particularly toddler friendly with narrow pavements and lots of tempting restaurants right on the street. The only criticism of the hotel we have was that there was a little building work going on - a half completed house right outside our front door (complete with vintage cement mixer) and the arrival of a stack of sofas wrapped in polythene half-way through the week, which somewhat blighted our idyllic view - but the place as a whole was so charming that we didn't really mind. The kitchen in the house was quite minimally equipped (only a hob - no oven or microwave), but we didn't find this a problem. Daily cleaning was incredibly thorough and the house was spotless and seemed brand new inside. It was more spacious than we were expecting, with a huge upstairs terrace - beautiful views over the olive groves to the sea.
  
  We ended up driving from Athens which is a four hour trip (no stops) - on a very fast, empty, new road for the first three hours, and then a final intense hour of windy mountain roads - not for the faint hearted, or to be undertaken in the dark. We would have preferred to fly to Kalamata airport (a weekly charter flight on Sundays); from there it's about 45 mins. If you are driving from Athens there are several tolls to pay so make sure you take some Euros with you. We didn't stray far from the resort but did visit Stoupa one day where it is a little more developed and there is a great sandy beach. There are also some stunning pebbly coves along the coast, easily accessible, and some pretty villages up in the mountains with old churches and castle ruins. We weren't that bothered about exploring but some information on local places to visit, the nearest supermarket etc, would have been useful to find in the house.
  
  Neoprene shoes seemed to be worn on the beach by lots of people - comfy on the pebbles - good for paddling and rock pool exploration.”
  Katherine, United Kingdom (26.06.11)

• “This hotel is heaven! Amazing location, delicious food, friendly staff, great views from the balcony. One slight warning would be that rooms on the ground floor do not have the wonderful views that the 1st floors have, & have less light.”
  Helen, United Kingdom (21.06.11)

• “What a fantastic holiday. Stavros has done such a wonderful job with the accommodation and his restaurant is fantastic. This is one of the nicest places that we have ever stayed at and we hope to be able to return soon. We would recommend Elies to anyone. You won't be disappointed.”
  Luke, United Kingdom (19.06.11)

• “Beautiful place to stay. Loved the jams and honey supplied for breakfasts. Excellent overall and definitely to be recommended.”
  kate, United Kingdom (19.06.11)

• “Everything added up to one of the most relaxing holidays we have had for years. Location and food were both wonderful. Hope to return.”
  sylvia, United Kingdom (15.06.11)

• “A beautiful apartment with large balcony overlooking the sea. It was very clean and bed very comfortable. A short walk (1km) into Kardimilli, a very pretty village with the friendliest people I've ever known in a region.”
  Claire, United Kingdom (14.06.11)

• “What an absolute gem! The website and photos are an exact depiction of what one expects to find. It's calm, picturesque, friendly service and beautiful, beautiful scenery and location. We had a fabulous time here and I would highly recommend.
  
  Although one has to sit with some interesting characters on the charter flight over to Kalamata (better than to Athens with a 4h transfer), Kardamyli is very different from Stoupa (which is where most of the plane load will go to). It's calm, authentic rural Greece with fabulous tavernas, a pretty old town and stunning coastal scenes best admired on a hike.
  
  We had a large villa with 2 bedrooms with a fabulous view over the mountains and the sea and set within an olive grove. Although the beach is pebbly, its calm and pretty. The sea is turquoise and the hotel's taverna excellent. Small touches such as Korres products and a/c and the homemade jams and marmalades are lovely. The hotel donkey is also lovely (and loves apples!). Places to go: olive oil shop just opposite the supermarkets is the original Neal's yard.
  
  We thoroughly enjoyed and are already planning our return trip... Don't tell everyone about this place!”
  Sabrina, United Kingdom (12.06.11)

• “Wonderful family stay at Elies, enchanting location and amenities. Warmly recommended.”
  Pascal, France (23.04.11)

• “We had a great time and Stavros was wonderful. The restaurant was closed for the season, unfortunately, but we look forward to trying it next time.”
  sonya, United Kingdom (19.04.11)

• “We loved our escape to Elies. We stayed there in April 2011. It was very much pre-season, quiet, with the relaxed bustle of shopkeepers 'getting ready' in the village. Elies hadn't opened its restaurant yet, but we heard good things about it on the ground! Stavros, the owner of Elies is welcoming, easy to chat to, and obviously has great taste. He is creating a wonderfully relaxed but classy retreat with Elies. From the balconies, you see dramatic mountains on one hand, azure sea on the other. It is bliss. Kardamyli has some great little restaurants to choose from. Don't miss the tiny shop selling gorgeous organic olive products (head into the village from Elies, turn left at the top of the hill, the shop is nestled under a house on the right). Exploring the old town is a must, a lovely view at sunset from up there, with a nice little bar to enjoy it from. The next beach along is Stupa - but just before that is a turning to right, down to a tiny little beach where Dimitri has the middle taverna (Stavros will give you directions). Excellent, fresh food cooked by Dimitri's wife - welcoming, family atmosphere provided by Dimitri - who is a dive instructor and really friendly.
  
  Meandering along mule paths is also a wonderful way to spend your time. In April (and May I believe), the wildflowers cover the hard ground, just beautiful.
  We sunbathed for 2 days, and got into the water - bring snorkeling gear and it might keep you in longer than us - it was still quite cold - but not freezing, and so clear and clean and inviting.
  
  We will be returning here when we can. Its a relaxed paradise - very clean and nicely designed apartments at Elies, a thoughtfully preserved little village nearby, the shabby laid-back Greece all around. Love it.”
  Linda, United Kingdom (18.04.11)

• “The room could do with a bottle opener, wine glasses and good knives (or a good knife). Our kettle leaked, but was changed when we told Stavros about it. We loved the daily cleaning and overall the room was very good really (much mroe space than expected too!).
  The food is just brilliant and we ended up eating at the hotel most of the time.
  It is very, very child friendly (and even has a little playground).
  Overall, a brilliant hotel. We would go again and recommend highly.”
  Katya, United Kingdom (02.10.10)

• “A few things might be worth mentioning. They do now have Wi-Fi in the reception area. Out of season the taverna is open 12 - 18.00 but from 20.00 - 23.00 you can eat Italian. It's not Fani who does the cooking and it is quite a bit more expensive but we ate there a couple of times and it's not too bad at all.
  There is a small playground next to the taverna. It was a real bonus when long lunches got a bit too long for our daughter and all the kids seemed to enjoy it.”
  alison, United Kingdom (26.09.10)

• “The setting of Elies Hotel is perfect. The modern, stylish stone buildings nestle in the olive grove that goes down to the sea. The restaurant too sits in the olive grove, attractive tables and chairs shaded by the trees where we ate the best food that we have ever had in Greece. Generous portions served by helpful friendly staff. The spotless beach, which is a stones throw from the hotel, has a cluster of umbrellas and sunloungers.The sea is crystal clear and judging by the number of people snorkling full of exciting underwater life. The walk into the attractive village of Kardamili is a pleasant distraction at the end of the day. We had a wonderfully relaxing week with fabulous food and 'cool' accomodation. Couldn't ask for anything more.”
  Robert, United Kingdom (19.09.10)

• “Absolutely loved the hotel. We had only 2 minor criticisms which were that the service a bit slow in the taverna and the shower in cabin 3 A floods the whole floor!”
  sally, United Kingdom (10.09.10)

• “We loved every part of our stay at Elies Hotel in Kardamyli. It went beyond my expectations since Greece is so expensive now and most experiences don't feel like the quaint Greek villages. Stavros is very friendly and makes you feel at home nestled in a beautiful olive grove. It was very quiet at night and the walk to town is a perfect distance. During our whole trip if we had not prepaid for our other adventures we would have stayed there for the full two weeks. If you go I recommend flying into Kalamata instead of driving from Athens.”
  Michele, United States (08.09.10)

• “The seaside location, the breathtaking mountain view, the charming architecture inspired by the local Mani style, the high standard of the rooms (far beyond average Greek hotel-standard) are the reasons why we recommend Elies hotel to friends and family. Beautifully landscaped into its surroundings, it has various studios & apartments all lovingly done up in modern style. In addition to that, Stavros runs an excellent restaurant attached to the hotel of the same name, the perfect place for a long lunch before heading back to the beach which is just opposite to the restaurant.”
  Gennaro, United Kingdom (27.06.10)

• “The location (100 yrds from the beach) is just fantastic, the owners and staff were great and the whole place is a true delight. The local towns are very pretty and unspoilt, we will definitely return.”
  Victoria, United Kingdom (20.06.10)

• “Loved the location. Kardamyli and around is a quiet, unspoilt niche on that stretch of coastline and Elies has been very sympathetically developed. Perfect for our children (5 and 12) who played happily on the beach, swam and rock-pooled all week. Very relaxed ambience. Staff charming, very accommodating in all things including the children and their games. Good, simple and local food. All basics in our small kitchen (coffee, honey, jams etc) delicious and re-filled throughout the week. Much of the fresh food in the village is grown locally including delicious apples, pears, bananas, apricots, peaches, strawberries as well as the ubiquitous citrus and olives. Also lots and lots of ripe mulberries when we visited in early June. No wi-fi in the apartments (as indicated on i-escape) but Stavros is working on it! Easy journey if you fly into Kalamata and take the road to Kardamyli (45 mins). Motorboats and kayaks for hire in nearby Stoupa make it very easy to explore empty little beaches along that stretch of coast.”
  Julia, United Kingdom (06.06.10)

• “The standard of the rooms (we had a Maisonnette) was excellent. As were toiletries provided (Korres) and bedding. The kitchen was pre-stocked with coffee, some biscuits, home made jam and honey and fairly well equipped (bring a sharp knife such as a swiss army knife yourself). The views from the balcony to both the mountains and the sea were amazing. And it was gloriously quiet,, bar the odd honking donkey. :-)
  The food at the restaurant was very good, however, they are not open in the evenings, which is a bit inconvenient. The mother of the owner runs a lovely restaurant at the other end of the village (Lela's) which is a 20 minute walk and there are plenty of other options in the village as well as 3 supermarkets for self catering.
  Highly recommended for couples or families. Would definitely go again.”
  Alexandra, United Kingdom (05.06.10)

• “We loved this place, high accommodation and furnishing standards. Food is excellent, wished there was more as restaurant was only open at lunchtime. We loved our stay and would like to go back.”
  lester, United Kingdom (17.04.09)