Nema Design Hotel & Spa

Review of Hotel Nema We booked this adults‑only hotel expecting a peaceful environment, high‑quality accommodation and a first‑class dining experience. The hotel describes itself as offering “beachfront calm”, but unfortunately our stay did not reflect. It also says a 'luxurious spa' and 'well-maintained pools'. Room Allocation and Facilities We booked directly with the hotel, requesting a twin Poolside Retreat room with a swim‑up pool. Despite confirming this several times by email we were allocated a different room on arrival, with a 'double bed' and a swim‑up pool area enclosed by high fencing, including a structure exceeding 12 feet in height. The overall impression was extremely enclosed and not in keeping with the advertised experience. Although staff separated the beds, one was positioned directly against the patio doors. The room was dark due to the fencing and the bathroom door had a significant gap along the edge, compromising privacy. Drawers smelt musty and damp. Although a bottle of water was left each day I cannot believe we were not offered free bottled water through out the day. Buying your own water from the supermarket next door when this is a supposed 5* resort?! We were informed no alternative rooms were available until the following day. The room offered at 11am was considerably smaller and still unsuitable, leaving us with no choice but to remain in the original room. Due to its location, the terrace area received almost no sunlight, making the swim‑up feature unusable for sunbathing. We were also opposite the gates for the 'hotel within a hotel - ESO and every time someone opened the gates we could hear. As we were in what I can only describe as the worst room in the hotel we were based at the rear entrance for all staff access in and out and all deliveries! One day we heard this crashing noise of empty bottles being collected!!! Horrible and disturbing noises. Dining Experience The dining experience fell well below expectations for a 5‑star adults‑only hotel. Some staff sere very pleasant - others never spoke and looked like robots! On our first evening we were told the buffet would close at 9.30pm and were encouraged to rush our meal. The food was consistently tepid, unappealing and repetitive. Napkins were frequently damp, requiring replacements each night. The bar area adjacent to the à la carte restaurant felt more like a basic café than a premium venue. Breakfast was similarly disappointing. Guests were required to queue for entry. Table settings were turned over using placemats that appeared unclean. Hot water for tea was tepid each morning. Only basic tea and coffee options were available, with no alternative varieties or speciality coffees. Service was slow, and the dining area was not consistently clean. Pool Area The main pool required maintenance with visible chipping on the pool floor. Despite signage stating that sunbeds should not be reserved many were left unused but occupied with towels, making it difficult to find available seating unless arriving early. Noise Levels The most disruptive issue was the loud music played through 'tinny' speakers around the main pool all day! The volume made it impossible to relax, read, or hold a conversation. Although staff initially stated the volume could not be adjusted, it was eventually reduced after numerous complaints from guests. Departure Experience The departure process was disorganised Courtesy rooms were unavailable despite being told they did not require advance booking. We were directed to the spa showers, which were flooding and in poor condition. Our pre‑booked transfer was delayed by 40 minutes due to traffic, but staff did not inform us until we asked. Overall Impression This was, regrettably, the most stressful holiday experience we have had, particularly disappointing given the hotel’s adults‑only, 5‑star positioning. The combination of room issues, dining quality, noise levels, and poor organisation significantly impacted our stay. I would not return to this hotel. The experience has significantly reduced my confidence in booking a 5‑star adults‑only property in the future. Having read other guests’ reviews over the past couple of weeks, it is clear that our experience was not isolated. Many guests reported similar issues and there appeared to be a consistent lack of effective customer service or management response to address concerns or improve the stay. I now feel I need another holiday to recover from this one, and I regret having spent so much on what proved to be a deeply disappointing stay at Nema Design Hotel & Spa.

Tricky one. Don’t be swayed by it being accredited as a ‘small luxury hotel of the world’ Good points, comfy bed, good selection of fresh produce at breakfast & very tranquil place to stay. Lovely pool with sufficient comfortable sunbeds. Not so good, staff create a tranquil atmosphere but so laid back that they appear leaderless, & slow to respond Bathroom in need of a major overhaul, shower leaked, grouting mouldy & toilet needed replacing. Bathroom looks modern but is actually very tired. Received an email shortly after arrival requesting feedback which was provided & then ignored as apparently they are too busy to read the email responses. A complimentary bottle of water is delivered daily & there is a turndown service, Tricky because it is lovely but needs some attention to detail,

Let's start with the bottom line: I will probably return to this hotel. The Water Policy & Service In the dining room, complimentary water is not provided; they charge for it. On our first day, I asked a waitress with glasses if we needed to pay for water, and she rudely and sarcastically replied, "Why, is drinking not free?" It is just water! Not wine or tequila. Even if there is a charge, there is absolutely no need to speak to a guest that way. Her attitude alone made me question whether I would ever want to come back (That’s why I rated it 4 stars instead of 5 - just because of that waitress.) Furthermore, there are no water coolers or dispensers anywhere in the hotel. Drinking water is a basic human need. We saw many couples walking to the supermarket just to buy six-packs of water themselves. It is absurd that the hotel doesn't provide this freely, or at least have a water machine for guests to use. Rooms & Pools We booked as a family and reserved 3 swim-up rooms. We expected them to be adjacent with one long shared pool, or at least two shared pools to give us that fun family atmosphere. We didn't receive this upon arrival. However, 24 hours later, we were pleasantly surprised when the hotel accommodated us with 3 adjacent rooms with a pool. This significantly improved our experience! A note on the private pools: the water is very, very cold. Sometimes it was refreshing, but at other times it was simply too cold to enjoy. Room Selection Tip for Future Guests: If you are booking a room with a pool, keep this in mind: Rooms facing the hotel entrance (left side): You will only get sun in the morning until about 14:00-15:00. The noise from the cicadas is also much louder on this side. The other side: The cicada noise is quieter, and the sun hits the pool mostly in the afternoon. Food The food at breakfast and dinner was good. Compared to other hotels in Greece, we easily found things we liked to eat. Air Conditioning It is unclear why the air conditioning is not turned on in the lobby and the dining room. We saw other guests complaining about this at the reception, but unfortunately, nothing was done. Throughout our entire week, the AC was either turned off or just running on fan mode. Thank you very much for hosting us. We had a lot of fun, and I assume we will be back in the future.

It was really good experience for myself and wife as we needed it. Maria and Nestorian were exceptional and professional. After they asked us if we felt ok but still had some areas and they focused on it again. I will definitely recommend them.

Hotel and room was gorgeous and the Spa experience was amazing. I definitely recommend both! Had my first ever massage with Matina who was lovley! Thank you!