Porto Carras Meliton

We had a great experience at Porto Carras while organizing an international corporate event for our client from China. The hotel itself is not the newest property and some areas could certainly benefit from renovation or refreshing. However, this was more than compensated for by the beautiful surroundings, the range of facilities, the atmosphere and, above all, the quality of service we received throughout our stay and event. A very special thank you to Rafaela, who was our main point of contact. She was always responsive, helpful and solution-oriented, both during the preparation process and on site. Having Rafaela on the other side made the entire organization much smoother and gave us confidence that everything would be taken care of. Overall, we had a very positive experience and would be happy to work with Porto Carras again.

We had a wonderful stay 17-24 September as a 20-something couple. We booked via Jet2 for an all inclusive 7 night break. On arriving in Thessaloniki, we got on a coach for about 45 minutes into the first peninsula where we swapped into a smaller minibus to take us to our hotel which was about an hour further. Our driver on the second bus was really nice, he stopped at a beautiful view point for us to have a stretch and pointed out a few key places. When we arrived at the hotel, it was about 2:30pm but the receptionist was happy to let us check in early. We booked double room with a golf view which is exactly what it was. There was a huge, comfy queensize bed, shower over a bath, decent hairdryer and plenty of wardrobe and drawer space with a balcony facing out onto the car park then golf course. The room was clean, perhaps a little dated but well maintained. Housekeeping comes every day unless you put the door hanger out. We did get a knock pretty early one day and had to scramble to the door to say no thank you as we were still sleeping! We spent a lot of time between the pool and beach. Both are lovely however the pool is really quite cold (colder than the sea) and with fewer loungers. The beach is shingle but not sharp. The sea is beautifully clear and you can see fish swimming at your feet! Umbrella service is available for drinks at both locations by scanning the QR code and it brings up the option for the all inclusive menu which included cans or coca-cola, Fanta, sprite, bottled water, iced tea, usual selection of hot drinks, beers, wines, spirits and cocktails including mojito, daiquiri, Bellini, Tom Collins, negroni, margarita, paloma, Cuba libre and a couple of other options. These drinks are available as part of the package at Reflections bar, pool bar, beach bar and inside Cikado and Aneo when dining there as part of the 3 meals you are offered as part of your stay. The main Athos buffet restaurant offers all of the above without the cocktails I think. We ate breakfast and lunch at Athos every day during our stay and had dinner there our first four nights before using the 3 meals at the À la carte restaurants for our final three nights. We found the buffet to have a really decent variation of food, I will agree with some comments that the food in there is a little on the cold side but not always. Breakfast is repetitive but it would be anywhere in my opinion. We did have a couple of instances were meat looked a little pinker than we thought it ought to be so we left that and just got something else instead. There is always a good selection of salads and fruit too. We were offered three à la carte meals as part of our 7 night stay, we visited Aneo once which as an all inclusive guest, you were offered a choice of 3 starters, 3 mains and 2 desserts as well as a bread basket. We both had the Greek salad to start which was huge, I had a mushroom risotto which was lovely and my boyfriend had the lamb shoulder that was cooked wonderfully and very tender. It doesn’t come with anything but they offered him a side of fries at no extra charge. We finished with a “pistachio explosion” and a chocolate and hazelnut dessert. We used our other two meals at Cikado which had a larger “all inclusive” menu and we could order 2 cold appetisers and 2 hot appetisers. The portions were huge! Over the two nights we tried the tzatziki, spicy feta dip, green salad with chicken, moussaka, fried calamari, salt cod and another beef dish that I can’t remember the name of now. All was fantastic, cooked fresh and couldn’t be faulted. We were also offered fries both nights here with no extra charge. Bread, oil and olives were also provided for the table. The same all inclusive drinks list was offered in these restaurants. I know that some reviews make the all inclusive sound a little confusing and “not inclusive” but we didn’t find this to be the case at all, you just need to understand what you are booking. I’d definitely recommend getting the ferry to Neos Marmaras, it’s 4€ per person, per trip but it’s nice to get a change of scenery and there’s plenty of restaurants, bars and little shops for souvenir shopping. The skipper was a man of very few words and smiles but it’s only a 10/15 minute journey each way. If you walk along the marina/port just beyond the shopping mall at the resort, you’ll find a few more restaurants and a couple of mini markets. At the end of this is where they host the outdoor cinema each night. It seems the films are shown at 9pm each night and they are kid-friendly (we saw posters for Mufasa and Snow White) but don’t be fooled by English written posters as the films are in Greek with English subtitles. We did try the casino one evening but in our opinion it’s not really worth it, it’s a room filled with the same slot machines and a small room in the back with a blackjack and roulette tables however when we were there, it was a bit frosty, no seats were available at the tables, no effort was made to open another table and none of the staff looked at us, let alone spoke to us so we swiftly left. Aside from that, the staff throughout the resort were always very friendly and attentive and smiling. We couldn’t really fault the staff barring the casino. The resort is very true to its photos, particularly outside! The rooms look like the photos but are a touch tired in places but nothing dramatic. The transfer back got us at 8am on the day of departure which was right on time according to the Jet2 app, it was nearly a three house journey as we did it in one coach this time but meant there wasn’t too much hanging around at the airport. Through the whole holiday. Jet2 made it super easy and seamless so if you’re thinking of visiting here, I’d definitely suggest doing it through Jet2! Overall, I think the resort lives up to its 5 star rating, it’s a beautiful place to escape reality and relax for a while! I’d definitely recommend and wouldn’t hesitate to go back.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Special thanks to Evi Kyparissi and the Guest Relations Team I would like to express my sincere and heartfelt gratitude to Evi Kyparissi, Guest Relations Manager at Porto Carras Grand Resort, and her team. I was thousands of kilometres away while someone very dear to me was staying at Porto Carras. I contacted the hotel because I wanted to arrange a small but very meaningful surprise — a personal card with my message delivered to her room. Evi personally helped me with my request. Even when the reservation could not initially be located, she continued communicating with me, asked for the necessary information and helped make sure everything was arranged correctly. What makes this especially meaningful to me is that I wasn't even a guest of the hotel myself. Still, Evi treated my request with genuine attention, patience and kindness. A card might seem like a small gesture, but when you are thousands of kilometres away from someone you care about, being able to create such a moment means a great deal. Evi, thank you personally, and thank you to the entire Guest Relations Team. ❤️ You didn't simply provide excellent service — you helped me create a beautiful memory despite the distance. This is the kind of hospitality people remember long after a holiday is over. With sincere gratitude, Artem Murashko

Hello fellow travellers, I thought it may be useful to add our experience after our holiday to this resort. Travelling from the airport takes about 2 hours on the bus. Location: This an isolated resort. Need to take the daily boat transportation to the nearest town (takes about 15 minutes) or hire a car or book a taxi…. Beautiful location, a combination of beach (private) and mountains with plenty green spaces with golf course and other outdoor activities. (You will have to pay extra to use them). The hotel is built in the 70’s but is extensively renovated and is holding well, with basic shops on site. Rooms: Very clean rooms with daily cleaning in place. Very comfortable beds Rooms with plenty space and also balcony. Food: Buffet: A choice and quantity for all taste buds, so you won’t be disappointed or hungry :) Please you are on holidays in Greece so try the local food is amazing. Different packages also apply here, So if you’re all inclusive is included: Breakfast, lunch and dinner, also a number of free alcoholic and non alcoholic beverages including also snacks between. You could also book X3 different restaurants available away from the buffet service (choice of two) Be Aware….The buffet restaurant is manic with small kids/prams running everywhere! in a daily basis…in some occasions felt like kids nursery, (mainly Eastern Europeans). British tourists make only a very limited percentage of the overall numbers. Entertainment: is is about 8 out of 100 Most of the Eastern Europeans and kids are in bed by 9ish The place is very quiet or nothing about….bar is usually empty, so get out your playing cards ♦️ The beach and pools are very nice and spacious and you don’t have to get up stupid o’clock for sun beds as there is plenty 🙂 Also don’t forget £92 local tax on arrival per room (this is a posh hotel so you pay more!) Would we stay here again? Was a nice hotel/holiday but is a NO based on the overall experience one week was more than enough. 😎

Warning ⛔️ Don’t book this hotel We are at the Porto Kars Hotel in Halkidiki. We booked the suite through you for 6 nights at a very expensive price, by all accounts. ****Every morning - a new problem occurred in the room. **** One day - the shower tap dripped endlessly The morning after - the curtain fell and we couldn't get darkness The morning after - the electricity didn't work in the room And so on…