Agios Gerasimos

Such a shame, could be lovely. Stayed here late August and were immediately surprised with what we found and saw. And not in a good way. The “grounds” were unkempt and there were various items of rubbish deposited around the property including a broken down scooter, broken umbrellas, supermarket trolly full of broken items, grubby plastic and broken chairs, ladders and steps. The interior was little better, chipped plates, dirty cutlery, only one cereal bowl and curtains off hooks. The hot plate was rusted and dirty, no washing up items at all. Only three cooking items (colander, small frying pan and pasta saucepan without a lid). The toilet was badly stained and there was only one working light in the bathroom. By the pool the step rail to the pool was loose in the surround and there were three working umbrellas for 21 studios. Most people walked down to the beach as there was no shade from around midday if you fancied a day by the pool. The showers by the pool had brambles growing over the floor space so were not exactly pleasant to use. The older lady fronting the accommodation was dismissive and rude when we asked for clean cutlery and a plate and bowl we could actually use. It seems that even if you are a family you only get one cereal bowl per room. Lourdas itself is a good base for exploring this interesting and very pretty island and there is a good choice of properties to stay at in this area. The photos tell the story.

Having read some of the previous reviews, we were apprehensive on arrival. Greeted by the female owner who was courteous. Room basic but throw those balcony doors open and you have glorious views along the coast and the impressive mountain. Bathrooms need an overhaul and the "kitchen" needs more equipment but we ate breakfast at restaurants and enjoyed drinks on our terrace. Beds were your standard basic level of comfort. Pool was clean with the filters running and the pool cleaning service visiting. I didn't like the sellotaped notes stuck on wardrobes and in the bathroom. All this could be put in a room folder to help the aesthetics. But we had an excellent week.

Overall we had a wonderful holiday. We were slightly worried after reading the previous reviews, and largely a lot of them are true, but there are lots of positives that were over looked too. The main positive is the wonderful view, we never tired of it, it is stunning. The apartment was large and clean. The beds were comfortable and the aircon worked very well. The welcome is not particularly 'warm'. the hosts speak little English. The apartments are not very well equiped, but we did have enough for what we needed. Our apartment (25 top floor) had obviously been refurbed compared to our friends on the middle level. We were lucky to have a remote control for the aircon, others didn't and had to control it either on or off at the main electric board. We could walk to the beach but beware it is a steep hill that wouldn't suit everyone. We had a really lovely break, our first trip to Kefalonia. We will be back but not staying at Agios Gerasimos Studios.