Greek seaside stay isn't luxe but you'll feel like you won the lottery
Hotel Marianna, Nafplio, Greece
Check-in
Nafplio is on the eastern side of the Peloponnese Peninsula, and its old town spills down a steep hillside, so I approach the hotel from above (where I've parked my car), not below. It's a glorious entry: I head through an ancient arch and down a wide, stone stairway that leads to the hotel. Approaching reception across a large terrace delivers a 'wow' moment. Not just because of the receptionist's effusive greeting ('Welcome! Have a home-made lemonade and then we'll fetch your luggage'), but also because of the view. Spread beyond is a collage of terracotta roofs, Ottoman minarets, neoclassical buildings and the blue ocean water of the Argolic Gulf.
The look
Painted bright yellow and terracotta and trimmed with green shutters, Hotel Marianna, a Venetian-style building, is nestled just below the Akronafplia, Nafplio's oldest of three fortresses. Guest rooms are in two main buildings with their levels connected by a series of staircases. Upper level rooms have views, while those on the lower level surround a pretty courtyard and overlook the lane below. Owned by four brothers of the Zotos family, and named after the hotel founder and elderly matriarch, Kyria Marianna, Hotel Marianna is spic 'n span and beautifully maintained.
The room
It doesn't pretend to be high-end luxe, yet the hotel offers a lovely balance of charm and comfort. In addition to 'regular'-style rooms, there are maisonettes with a small kitchen, plus atmospheric stone-walled rooms. All rooms, which are cosy, yet delightfully unfussy, have a built-in wardrobe, small table-cum-desk and large, wall-mounted, TV screen. Some bathrooms (they vary in size) are tight for space, but honestly, you're not here for the combination shower (though it has those, too). Bonuses include a fridge and tea and coffee facilities.
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