Pela

Really enjoyed our stay at the Pela just wished we had booked for longer. The hotel is set within pretty countryside yet just 10 mins walk from amenities, & beach & prob. less to birding pools (mainly spring & autumn). It has a lovely pool & plenty of free sun beds when we were there. The rooms albeit a little basic were adequate for our needs and thoroughly cleaned each day. For us the warm, homely atmosphere we encountered outweighed any minor room concerns. Thekla, father and Dion barman were so friendly & helpful and nothing was too much trouble even though they took little time out for themselves. Food delicious and alternatives offered if you really didn’t like something on the menu or had an allergy etc. There are quite a few cats/dogs around which were not a problem for us but it may not be the place to go if you have an “animal” allergy. Hopefully we will return so thankyou Thekla for helping us have an enjoyable stay.

we left the pela for another hotel . regardless that it cost us . an honest review of the place . when we arrived the owner was far more interested in the couple behind us who were one of thier time honoured guests. these seem to be the main guest base of the hotel . the surroundings are nice however when we were shoved a key and told my dad will show you the room . we discovered we were up 2 flights of stairs (to carry cases was difficult) and it was utter horror when we saw the roopm. The shower was just the shower hose ! not on the wall. A tiny tray and the bathroom fittings were around 50 years old . Taps were covered in lime scale the drain cover was off revealing sweage and hair. The shower tray was dirty I'd have had to be around 3 stone to actually fit in the shower area! The beds were tiny ( we worked out it was an adjoining room so probably kids beds) the springs were coming through the mattress and it was so impacted it was rock hard . room needed a good clean the fridge was rusty and the balcony didn't look like it had been moped in 10 years . broken wardrobes and plugs hanging off . it was utterly disgusting and dingy. no frills I can handle but this was more like a homeless hostel !!! the hotel was more like something out of the 50s I'm not sure if that's the theme but it certainly attracts the older guest to. With 50s radios on the wall and dusty decor. we spoke with a few people who told us that there are returning guests year after year and all the "better rooms" are reserved for them. (which I think the preferential treatment is why they go back) Owner was pleasant enough but clearly only interested in her old time guests and seemed to be run by her and her dad. pool was clean and the bar man who was a younger man was lovely . when I mentioned the shower there was a air of defensive and argemenative and I was told it will be fixed tomorrow. (I had to hand hold wash like when your shower breaks and you have to shove something on the taps. There were two very small towels provided breakfast was stale bread toast rubbery scrambled egg and some pastries. coffee was instant out of a machine. we decided to move or go home . seeing as I didn't expect to go on holiday and have worst than I have at home !! so we upgraded to 4 star which is lovely ! The whole place needs renovating BADLY Lastly there's cats everywhere. Dogs howling and barking ALL NIGHT . it's cost us a fortune to upgrade but sadly had we have not we were going to get the 1st flight home two majorly uncomfortable nights on hard broken springs and a dingy unclean room was enough to say I'd never go back I can't believe that there are only a few negative reviews. I suspect they are being deleted as people are complaining as far back as 2015 about the same thing. Trust me 9 years later it got worst

Excellent stay at the Pela, rooms typically Greek with small bathroom but very comfortable and a great location with short walk into the village. Really good breakfast and if you want to eat in the evening then they have a daily dish or you can choose from their main menu. All the staff are friendly and nice. The owner Theckler(not sure if that is the correct spelling) does a lot of animal welfare so there are often dogs and cats around under her care. It’s an ideal location for birding on the island. We had a terrific two weeks there and cannot speak more highly of it.

We, my teenage son and I, have had a lovely weeks break at the super Hotel Pela on our first trip to Lesbos. From the start to the end of our stay the owners could not do enough to make us feel welcome and even adapted their delicious traditional Greek menu to fit my vegan requirements for the whole week (and at very short notice !). The room was simple but comfortable and adequate for our stay- reflecting the 2* rating perhaps. We would advise none cat and dog lovers to avoid this accommodation as they do come and go freely but we found them very therapeutic- including a current visitor, foster puppy, Jonny ! There was a lovely mix of nationalities visiting too and everyone was so very friendly. The pool / bar area was perfect, cleaned regularly and plenty of loungers for all with a choice of dining areas, inside and out. The staff can provide you with an abundance of knowledge and information on the island which is immensely useful should you want to explore it and connecting you with the transportation options available. The beach was a short stroll away and did not disappoint- full of sea life and not many humans for a change! Various fish and crustaceans can be spotted with an abundance of hermit crabs and turtles further along the coast - just awesome and offered a great opportunity to cool down too. The local town is delightful and has lots shops with a plentiful supply of products and gifts along with numerous bars, tavernas and restaurants to visit. This is a working harbour but very picturesque. The only downside was the bursts of mosquitoes and flies, so be prepared!! We have fallen in love with this beautiful, rustic, little island and will 100% return for another visit. Thank you all at Hotel Pela for being so wonderful and welcoming to us both xx.

The Pela is set in gorgeous rustic surroundings, the hotel and the actual resort make you feel that you’re in real Greece! Opposite is a field of sheep that disappear during the day but return at night so your walk back from town is accompanied by the gentle sound of bells around their necks. Thekla and Dionysus the barman are superb, they quite simply NEVER seem to stop and the guests’ needs are always a priority. Food is super at b’fast/lunch/dinner with a wide range of dishes. Rooms serviced daily and the staff are lovely. Yes there are lots of cats there but for us and most people there it wasn’t a problem, they’re well behaved and add significantly to the charm of the place. Nice pool that’s cleaned daily and great atmosphere around it during the day and at night. HIGHLY recommend this hotel, would LOVE to go back. Many thanks to Thekla for looking after us ❤️ Kevin and Robert “The boys”

We stayed at the Pela Hotel for 4 weeks in August. The hotel is lovely and relaxing and Thekla and her staff run it like clockwork. It is honestly like staying with family . Unfortunately my husband was taken very ill and was in hospital whilst we were there . Thekla was so caring and supportive as were all her staff . She welcomed my children when they flew over and nothing was too much trouble Thank you from the bottom of my heart . Pela I will never forget you and would dearly love to return one day.

We stayed here for a week in August with our 15 month old little boy and friends. The hotel is situated around 10 minute walk away from the local town square which includes bars and restaurants. There are a handful of tavernas, all serving reasonably priced and delicious food. There are around three bars, with the price of a beer being €4. There is a lovely park on the way to the square, open in the morning and through the evening. The beach didn’t look very practical for a young family, however there were a few sun beds available. The hotel room was basic but extremely clean. We were in a family room. We chose to pay the fee for the air con and glad we did. The room was lovely and cool very quickly in the evenings. Towels and linen were changed once during our stay. Bins were emptied daily. The bed was slightly firm, and if anything a new mattress probably wouldn’t go a miss. Breakfast was a small array of continental items, such as cereal, Greek yoghurt, pastries, cake and bread. The toaster was fantastic and there was enough choice for a small breakfast. Evening meal on Half Board was exceptional. The salads were fresh, the meat was tender and delicious and if there is something you aren’t keen on, Thelka will kindly swap it for you. Faultless! The pool bar served fantastic lunch time food, all very reasonably priced (€6 for a club sandwich and fresh chips, €7 for a pizza, €3 for an omelette). The pool is lovely, and there were plenty of sun beds available throughout our stay. The pool is cleaned every morning. There seems to be quite a build up of flies in the pool, however this never bothered us or the young children. All of the staff here are tremendous. Thelka, the gentleman behind the bar, the cleaners, all work extremely hard and nothing is too much trouble. This is very reassuring when travelling with a young baby! This hotel is very suitable for a range of people, but definitely suited us as a small family looking for a quaint and relaxing holiday. I would recommended this hotel to anyone looking for a quiet, peaceful and relaxing holiday in Greece.

We have just returned from our 8th visit to the Pela Hotel and it is just as good as our first visit in 2014, we love it. The hotel is very traditional, like staying in someones home. The reception and lounge area contains old family hairlooms and traditional furniture. The breakfast room has a few indoor tables but most people sit out on the terrace and enjoy the buffet breakfast which contains different breads, yoghurt, jams, honey, cheese, cold meats, scrambled and boiled eggs etc., all you need. The pool bar services an extensive range of lunches and there is an a la carte menu for lunches and dinner. Each evening they serve a traditional 3 course greek menu for €14. We book bed and breakfast then we can enjoy the excellent tavernas in the village, but do eat in sometimes as the food is very good indeed. During our 10 night stay we ate in 3 nights, but had lunch most days. The rooms are very basic but are clean and comfortable. Bed linen and towels were changed 4 times during our stay. There is no cleaning etc. on a Sunday. We prefer the oldest rooms in the main hotel building, there are 3 other blocks that have been built as the hotel has expanded, making about 40 rooms in all. I like to go down for a swim at 8am each morning, rarely are there more than a few sunbeds reserved, i don’t believe anybody gets up at 6 am to reserve them. I have attached a photo taken at 8.10 am on Wednesday 19th July and you will see there are only a couple of sunbeds reserved. I have never had my sleep disturbed by barking dogs but i did hear that some people staying in a room by the boatyard were disturbed one night, which upset Thekla. The pool bar and terrace is a great place to enjoy drinks and chat to people, both first timers and others we have met over the years. Nothing is too much trouble for Thekla, who runs the hotel with her father, she goes far and beyond to ensure everybody has a great stay and knows everybody’s first names before they even arrive at the hotel. She will do everything in her power to see everybody has the best holiday and will also book you a taxi, car hire, bike hire, a boat trip anything you want. She is on duty from 7 in the morning until the last guest goes to bed, with just a few hours break in the afternoon. Dion helps out in the bar from lunchtime until late at night. This is certainly the friendliest hotel i have ever stayed in and we will be returning for a 9th time next year

Having read previous reviews about the Pela we were looking forward to our stay. The hotel clearly has a very loyal clientele some of whom return several times a year. Unfortunately we won't be joining them. As most reviews say this is a basic 2 star hotel, which we expected having holidayed a lot in Greece, but we did experience some problems which included being unable to close the door to the room on arrival (there was a knack to closing it) , a spring sticking out of the mattress requiring a new mattress and the air conditioning unit leaking water outside of the room door making it very slippery. However, the biggest problem was the dogs barking at all hours. Our room was adjacent to the car park area where the hotel dogs seemed to sleep, At 4am every morning they would start barking. There's a disused yard across the road with 3 guard dogs so they then started as well. Fine if you wanted an early morning alarm call! The room was functional with decent storage space, a good fridge and great air conditioning which cost 59 Euro's for the week and was much needed. Housekeeping will also provide a small kettle if required. Towels will be changed if you leave them on the floor, bedding was changed once in the week and the rooms serviced daily. We booked half board and although the food at the hotel is home cooked and very good, the half board menu consists of a set 3 course meal advertised each morning. Unfortunately, we are not big meat eaters and most of the main courses were meat based, so had to ask if we could eat off the lunch menu which is a bit limited. After a few days we decided to walk into the village and eat at the lovely restaurants by the sea in the evening instead. The pool area is well maintained and cleaned daily. Initially there were insufficient sun beds resulting in towels being put out at 6am. Half way through the week more beds arrived which eased the situation. Location wise the hotel is on a quiet rural road with the sea at the end of it. The beach isn't the best and few people seemed to use it, although there are a few sunbeds that can be hired from a man with a van. The village is about a 10 - 15 minute walk along a straight quiet road with a lovely selection of restaurants, 2 supermarkets and a couple of gift shops. You can watch the fishermen bring in the sardines early morning along with the local cats - that was a good experience. The staff do work hard and are very obliging but we didn't experience the "being treated like family" that some people clearly did, but having said that we do tend to keep ourselves to ourselves and not being drinkers didn't sit in the bar area much. Taxi's can be booked at reception should you wish to travel around the island. We took a day trip to Petra and Molivos which was very enjoyable. Overall, we loved Skala Kalloni but wouldn't choose to stay at the Pela again.