La Marquise

What can I say about La Marquise Hotel? I’ve travelled abroad for years, and this is by far the best hotel we’ve ever stayed in. We booked a room in the adults-only area, which cost a little more but was well worth it. The TUI rep was local and had been in the role for 40 years. It was refreshing to attend a welcome meeting that wasn’t just a sales pitch. He knew the island incredibly well and shared plenty of useful tips and advice, it was genuinely informative. The food was outstanding all week, with plenty of choice most nights and several themed evenings. As guests in the adults-only area, we could also have breakfast upstairs, which we used, and it meant we could visit the à la carte restaurants more than once. My only disappointment was Seafood Night. I’m not a fan of seafood, or fish in general, so my options were limited, although the food did look amazing. The bar offered many branded drinks as part of the all-inclusive menu, along with a huge cocktail list that we gradually worked our way through. It was great to see the bar staff make each cocktail from scratch, and the evening table service was also very good. We enjoyed the shows too, especially Jersey Boys. There were plenty of pools to choose from, but I wasn’t as keen on the beach. The sand was more like grit, and drinks at the beach bar had to be paid for separately because they weren’t included in the all-inclusive package. Faliraki was only a short bus ride away. The fare was just €1.50 each, and the bus stop was on the road by the supermarket. It’s well worth a visit. Overall, the staff were lovely, and I appreciated that the hotel enforced its rules consistently. For example, anyone entering the coffee shop without a shirt was politely asked to leave. In the adults-only bar, guests were asked for their room number; if they weren’t staying in an adults-only room, they could still order a drink, but there was a charge. I would definitely return to this hotel.

This is a lovely place, but there are a few negatives that really make a difference. Pros The hotel is spotless (I’ll come to the rooms in the cons). The food is generally very good. The Asian à la carte in particular was wonderful. The staff are mostly great, especially the chaps driving the carts. We had a disabled guest and two elderly guests with us, and at the drop of a hat they would drive them to their room or pick them up without question. They couldn’t have been more helpful. The beach area is nice too. I like that staff verify you are a hotel resident if using the sunbeds, which are the comfiest we’ve ever experienced. The coffee shop is wonderful. Super drinks and great cakes, but it doesn’t open until 11am. The pool is wonderful, if a bit cold. Cons Entertainment – This is not great. There are only a few nights of entertainment each week and it’s not really that good. The animation team (just three young ladies) try really hard, but there’s so little happening in the hotel during the day and evening that it can get boring for families and younger guests. Even a pool table for younger guests to meet others would be good, but there’s nothing. Sunbeds – There are plenty, but due to the layout, guests with poolside rooms have reserved sunbeds. I get it; it makes sense, but it takes up a lot of room and there’s a bit of arrogance around this from some guests who seem to get annoyed at people using the pool near their rooms. That is on the people, though, rather than the hotel. Food – I’ve never been to a 5-star hotel, or any all-inclusive, that had no daytime snack options. The pool bar can only be eaten at with a booking, and only once a week. It’s a massive negative, and many people commented on it. Drinks – The drinks are good, but unless you have paid for an adults-only all-inclusive package, expect to wait an age at the pool bar during the day to get served. Typically, there is only one person serving at a time. The process of having no AI wristbands and instead having someone constantly record your room number and drinks feels odd and just slows the service down. Apart from the rooftop bar, getting served for drinks sometimes felt like a lottery. However, the staff work really hard and, once you’ve tipped them, they come back to you. The room – There’s nothing wrong with the room itself, but getting it properly cleaned was hard work. In fact, it was only the day before we left that it was finally swept and mopped and the bathroom properly wiped down. The “mini bar” is pointless. We arrived after dinner and were told we had drinks and food in the room. The food was two wraps between three people. I asked for more and was told no. The drinks were pretty pathetic: all soft drinks and one bottle of water. These aren’t replenished, apart from the water. I would have expected a minimum of some soft drinks and a couple of beers. Sounds like more negatives than positives, and I think that’s fair. It is a beautiful hotel and the staff work exceptionally hard. Nothing is too much trouble, but for a 5-star hotel, it just has a few things lacking. I compared it to the Atlantica Aegean Blue down the road in Kolymbia, and that knocks this out of the park. This hotel could be so much better if it addressed a few little things.

All in all an amazing hotel for couples looking for a relaxing peaceful getaway. Positives- Cleanliness-was above and beyond! Food- amazing always perfectly cooked Staff- always helpful and friendly Sunloungers- never an issue at all times of the day Clean pools that are refreshing not too cold Beautiful safe beach Plenty of nice bars which will make your drinks how you like them Negatives (not really negatives but just could be slightly better) Beach bar was not all inclusive which limited stay at beach Hardly any night time entertainment which was ok for us but if our kids were there they would’ve been bored Nothing really walkable outside of hotel Day time entertainment was not there nor any background music around the pool however was super relaxing No real snack bar unless you wanted sandwiches or pastries ( husband craved chips on the fourth day) Besides tennis or mini golf there isn’t anything to entertain youths ( could do with pool/ ping pong) however know this wouldn’t be in keeping with the hotels aesthetic.

We had another fantastic stay, and from the moment we arrived the reception team made us feel so welcome. The porters were brilliant, always happy, helpful, and a pleasure to see each day. This was our sixth visit, celebrating a big birthday in the adult area, and it was perfect. The adult pool bar service was excellent, and the food was exceptional throughout. A big shout‑out to the teams in all the rooftop restaurants, at breakfast and dinner, and to the managers in the main restaurant who are always smiling and create such a warm atmosphere. The adult rooms are spacious, spotless, and beautifully maintained — we absolutely love them. The only thing that still needs attention is the freezing pool, which we keep hoping will be warmed up one day.

As a returning customer (was our 8 time) we enjoyed another vacation at La Marquise. (Family of 4 and both grand parents for 14 days). We all had black cards (which comes with the type of room) which gave us the possibility to eat in the a la carte restaurants on the domain. The short summary is that it was again a very nice vacation. The accommodation was superb. As a small example, we requested to get our room cleaned in the morning (our kids need to have their rest in the afternoon) and sure enough, every day it was done (except one time when there was a misunderstanding but that was solved in an instant). The room was always clean so nothing to complain there! Our parents stayed in the adults only area, and also there, nothing but good memories. The food is also really nice. As mentioned before, we did had black cards, which gave us the possibility to eat in L'Etoile, Asian Corner, Grill and Gondola at noon. Food is very nice. One remark, at the gondola at noon, the portions are VERY large, so even if you need to pay for it, you get a lot for your money! The only downside was that in the evening we were still digesting the food at noon. The captains and their teams did everything they could to make our stay enjoyable. Special thanks to Markel, Michael, the captain at noon in gondola and in the evening at the grill (apologies that I cannot remember all the names). Also, Kostas and Yonida in the morning and at noon for taking care of our kids. Every morning, fresh cold chocolate milk, Cheese, fresh fruit at our table ... Its those small things that makes or breaks a holiday. So big thank you for that! There is one remark that I want to pass as well. I never understood why people want to eat in shorts in the evening. The current procedure is that you cannot eat in the main area (buffet) in shorts but you can in the a la carte restaurants. I would turn that around (shorts in buffet, not in a la carte). If its for the heat, then I can assure you that I did not had a problem during those 14 days. I always wonder how people would react to see people eating in their shorts in their own country in a restaurant. Bet they would not be let in (at least in a real a la carte). So why allow it in a hotel? Besides that remark, my last special appreciation I want to hand out is for Christina. Always there when you need her, even before we arrived through mail. Big thank you for making sure that our vacation was one not to forget (in the good sense). We will definitely come back next year!