There are some rough old places calling themselves boutique hotels but Tholaria is the genuine article with 9 rooms scattered along flower-festooned stairways which cascade down the hill to the swimming pool. This family-run hotel is impressive for the attention to detail which has clearly gone into its construction. The decor and furnishings in our spacious double-level maisonette Psili Vigla were in traditional style and of high-quality: the extra bed was not the typical spring-jawed divan that collapses on you in the middle of the night, but a proper wooden-frame bed. Showers even have glass panels rather than curtains or nothing at all! Other reviewers have mentioned the splendid breakfast overseen by Maria, Mike's wife, Mike's genial parents who co-run/own the hotel, and the transfers to/from the port/airport (though this is pretty standard in the islands). Of course there are some quibbles, and while this is a genuinely luxury hotel by Greek island standards, it is not, as other reviewers have pointed out, a five-star hotel, though it fully deserves its five-'star' rating here. So, don't expect, for instance, to be able to flush toilet paper away, and don't expect a porter to carry your luggage to your room. Disappointingly, under current circumstances, don't expect a receipt either, apparently. However, all said, Tholaria is a special hotel which fully justifies the €180 per night we paid (for four!) and is one of the standout places we have stayed in the islands.
