Irida Boutique Hotel, Parga

• Given its location on a hilltop, you won't be deprived of Ionian Sea views from Irida's pool area and your balcony.
• A made-to-order breakfast (included) with sweet and savory offerings is served by the pool.
• You're a short walk to the beachfront and a few restaurants with sunbeds you can rent for the day, and it's less than 10 minutes to reach Parga's center.
• Guests are greeted with a private escort to their room and a welcome drink, and will likely have the good fortune of meeting Chris, the property's charming owner. 
• The tiny green Islet of Panagia can be reached in five minutes of swimming (or wading if you're tall enough) from Krioneri Beach, where you can check out a whitewashed temple and small chapel.
• The staff are highly attentive and even go out of their way to say hello and recall details from earlier conversations.

• Not all themed suites may appeal to travelers. The cobalt and azure-colored Senior Suite Waves, for example, is poorly lit to create its designated effect.
• If on foot, a return uphill walk to Irida is quite tame, though the short driveway is a calf-burning ascent across smooth stone (read: slippery if you're not wearing grippy footwear).

Authenticity

Affable owner Chris is often on-site, ready to greet guests like family with that warm Greek hospitality. He (or a friendly staff member) offers travelers a welcome drink upon arrival, creating a personal connection before escorting them to their room. You can expect to meet Chris and partake in good conversation. Suites are individually designed to reflect the Mediterranean region, with units themed to their names, such as the Jasmine or Grape suites, and the food served is traditional Greek.

Location

Perfectly placed in central Parga—and nicknamed the mainland "Greek island"—you're only a 4-minute walk to Krioneri Beach and about 10 minutes to the main town center and its offerings (cafés, restaurants, shops, and the Paragaea Old Olive Oil Factory museum). There are a few restaurants and a grocery store near Irida that you can reach in minutes, and the 15th-century Venetian Parga Castle ruins are just 15 minutes away. Swimmers can get themselves to the Panagia islet in Parga's harbor in about 5 minutes.

Rooms & Bathrooms

No two rooms are alike; each of the 17 suites has its own Mediterranean-inspired design and name, from the coral pink-hued Senior Suite Coral (Koralli), complete with fiber optic artwork that mimics a coral reef, to the sage greens and mauves of the more romantic Superior Suite Water Lily (Noufaro). While a little quirky, the furnishings and fixtures are sophisticated, and every room offers water views from its balcony, where some, like the navy-and-white Honeymoon Suite Stars, feature Cycladic-style plunge pools.

Amenities

The pool area is a definite highlight, delivering sweeping sea views (and a look over Parga and Parga Bay from its hilltop perch). There are sunloungers you can nab during the day, traditional Greek fare you can order for lunch, and, in the evenings, loungers are swapped out for an atmospheric dinner service. A complementary full breakfast of eggs, French toast, yogurt parfaits, and pastries is served poolside. 

Family-Friendliness

The property is better suited to couples or adults traveling in pairs. While children are welcome at Irida, the hotel doesn't explicitly cater to them (cots and extra beds aren't available, and there aren't any explicit kid-friendly amenities).