The Bottom Line
The name "Grand Hotel" may over-promise a bit, but this is a pleasant and inexpensive hotel in the town of Loutraki, a good jumping-off point for additional explorations in Corinth and the Peloponnese.
Pros
- Inexpensive rates, even in high season
- Easy access to the train and bus stations in Loutraki
- Recently renovated rooms
- Good restaurant
Cons
- Desk may be staffed with Greek-speaking staff only
- Catering to groups, individuals can get lost in the shuffle
Description
- The rooms are recently renovated and pleasant, with particularly nice baths, some with big tubs.
- The hotel caters to group tourism, sometimes pushing aside the individual guest's needs.
- The adjacent restaurant is European-styled and offers a nice break from purely Greek food if needed.
- Loutraki is very child-friendly, with toy stores, small rides, & coin-operated dispensing machines.
Guide Review - Grand Hotel Loutraki
Loutraki is known primarily for its casino, the largest one in Europe. As such, the town attracts Greeks looking to gamble.
In the past, Loutraki was also known for its mineral baths, which still exist. The city-maintained public baths offer inexpensive soaks and massages, and bottled Loutraki water is said to be beneficial for a variety of ailments.
The lack of English-speaking staff is not a surprise in a town catering primarily to Greeks with some European visitors. During my stay, there was not a lot of energy left to try to communicate on the part of the elderly official staffers. Your best bet for assistance is by going through the young Europeans hired as hotel workers, who were multi-lingual and very helpful.
Full disclosure: I stayed at the Grand Hotel in August, 2004 as part of a familiarization trip in the area.
