Rating8.0
Rating7.9
Rating8.0Good
Based on 4k reviews
Stunning Natural Setting
Guests consistently praise the resort's beautiful environment, featuring lush greenery, olive and citrus trees, and breathtaking views of Hydra Island.
Pristine Private Beaches
The direct access to three crystal-clear private beaches is a significant draw, offering shallow waters perfect for children and a serene coastal experience.
Friendly and Helpful Staff
Many reviews highlight the kindness, professionalism, and attentiveness of the staff, particularly in the front office and among golf cart drivers, contributing to a positive experience.
Good Lunch & Dinner Buffets
The buffet options for lunch and dinner are often lauded for their quality, variety, and taste, often exceeding expectations for an all-inclusive resort.
Spacious Bungalows
Bungalows are frequently preferred for their comfort and spaciousness, making them an excellent choice, especially for families seeking ample living space.
Quiet Atmosphere
The resort's tranquil environment and the saltwater pool are highly regarded by guests looking for a peaceful and relaxing getaway.
Misleading All-Inclusive Program
Guests are frequently cautioned that the 'all-inclusive' package has significant limitations, particularly regarding drinks where many popular cocktails and coffee types incur extra charges.
Dated Room Conditions
There are recurring concerns about rooms being outdated, needing refurbishment, and sometimes having issues like mold in bathrooms or rusty showers, along with poor soundproofing.
Subpar Breakfast & À la carte
While lunch and dinner are often good, breakfast is consistently described as repetitive and lacking variety, and the à la carte dining option receives very negative feedback for poor food quality and service.
Lack of Engaging Entertainment
The evening entertainment program is widely criticized for being poor, limited, and repetitive, often consisting only of a kids' disco or bingo, without much variety or Greek atmosphere.
Long Airport Transfer
The resort's secluded location means a lengthy 2.5-3 hour transfer from Athens airport, which can be tiring, especially for families, and the roads leading to the resort are mentioned as winding.
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Barceló Hydra Beach Resort's distinctive feature among Greek all-inclusives is its setting: 100,000 square meters of gardens filled with olive and citrus trees, direct views of car-free Hydra Island across the water, and three private beaches — one designated quiet, two for families, and one for watersports. It is not a large hotel (343 rooms), but it sprawls low across a hillside rather than stacking into a tower, which gives it a genuinely different feel from the vertical resort hotels on Rhodes or Crete.
The all-inclusive rate includes beach chairs, beach towels exchanged twice weekly, canoeing and snorkeling, tennis on four floodlit courts, yoga, pilates, fitness center access, and a weekly visit to the spa water circuit. The Byblos à la carte restaurant is included once per week for all-inclusive guests with a reservation — it holds its own as a dinner destination.
This is the right property for couples and families who want a slower-paced Greek beach holiday and don't mind — or even prefer — being somewhat remote. The grounds have a nature-reserve quality that most resort hotels lack, and the shallow private beaches are frequently cited as among the best features by families with young children. Guests looking for nightlife, a vibrant poolside party atmosphere, or short airport transfers will find the property's location impractical.
The honest problems at this resort are well documented in guest reviews: rooms haven't been substantially renovated since 2010 and show it (mold in bathrooms, rusty showers, dated interiors). The all-inclusive drinks program is restrictive — cocktails and imported spirits incur surcharges even when guests expect them to be included. Evening entertainment is widely criticized as weak. The à la carte restaurant specifically gets poor marks in recent reviews.
The airport situation requires planning: Athens International (ATH) is 202-205 km away — a 2.5-hour drive. Some guests report a 3-hour door-to-door. The resort offers transfers at around €200 per vehicle. Budget transfer options require more time. This is not a weekend-trip destination — it rewards stays of 7+ nights.
