Hotels & Accommodations in Greece

Hotels in Greece

Hotels in Greece are rated as either LUX (for luxury) or A, B, C, D, E by the Greek National Tourist Organization according to the amenities they offer. "A" class is reserved for some of the best hotels in Greece. Hotels in the "B" and "C" class are the best choice for the budget traveler. They are very clean and the service is excellent. Hotels in the D, or E class may lack certain amenities and usually don't include a private bathroom or shower. The hotels in Greece provide no indication as to their vacancy status. One has to park and enter the hotel in order to find out if there are rooms available, something that makes spontaneous travel a bit more complex.

The prices vary from place to place and they are regulated by the Greek National Tourist Organization so within an area the price variation would not be noticeable. The prices change from season to season, and they are always posted behind the door in every room. Single rooms for a B class hotel can cost between 60.00 - 120.00 €, and double rooms normally cost between 100 - 150 €. Every hotel is oblicated by law to post the prices and related accomodations in every room (you will find the official paper behind the room door).

I usually find hotels in the "C" class a better value since I often do not take advantage of amenities that larger hotels offer. If you like a bed with clean sheets, private bath with clean towels, a modest breakfast and nothing else, then you will be very satisfied with a "C" class hotel (as a rule) and it will cost between 40.00 - 110.00 € for a single room, or 60.00 - 130.00 € for a double.

To make matters a bit more complex, the rating for each hotel depends on factors like the existence of a restaurant, a pool, and other facilities. So it is possible for a very nice hotel to end up with an E rating just because it does not possess extra facilities.

Rooms for Rent

My personal favorite place to stay in Greece is in rooms for rent in small apartments. They are plentiful in every town where tourists might visit, and they are inexpensive, and clean. They do not offer the accommodations that hotels can afford (like breakfast, wake up calls, restaurants and the such,) but they have their own charm and the owners usually live on the same building. Chances are that if you land on an island in the summer there will be plenty of locals waiting to entice you to stay at their premises.

Read more about rooms for rent in Greece

Camping

There are plenty of organized camping grounds in Greece where you can pitch a tent, park your Mobile Home, or just lay in your sleeping bag. They are usually near the best beaches at their location, and most offer running water, communal showers, and toilets.

Free camping is not officially allowed in Greece any more and I always hear stories about campers getting rudely driven off a beach by the local police. Luckily you can always find inexpensive camp sites just about everywhere.

If you stay in organized camping sites you can save quite a lot of money (and you will be closer to nature). Expect to pay anywhere from 5 to 10 Euro per person, and then add some extras depending on what kind of accommodations you need. Accommodations range from a tiny spot on the dirt to unroll your sleeping bag, to tents (maybe another 4 euro), electrical outlet (~4 euro) and the such.

Useful Links

Greek National Tourist Organization Tourist Protection and regulations