Barbara Studios

Couldn't help noticing Sally Hughes' comments about staying in Barbara studios and getting moved on the second week if you complain enough!!  I Love your optimism Sally, especially if Robert the Rep can get 70 Euro out of you.  My advice to anyone arriving in Barbara's and getting a room on the ground floor (in the studios, not the Annexe) is to simply walk round until you find a key in a door - that will be an empty apartment waiting for someone else - Just make it yours and let Robert deal with it, he doesn't seem to have much else to all day.  We have written to Airtours detailing the state of the state of the accommodation on our first week and the attitude of the Rep - they don't wanna know.  My advice is find another tour operator.

We have just returned from the Barbara Apartments and have to agree totally with the comments made by Jim Jess regarding the accomodation. We were in room 2!  It seems that if you are there for 2 weeks and have been allocated one of these rooms you will be moved the second week if you complain. We were only there for 1 week but did have a good holiday its just a  shame that the rooms on the lower level are such a contrast to the others. Hire a car and see the rest of the island it really is worth it there is a car hire just down the road who we found to be very helpful. Also try the Acroplolis for a good meal we ate there a couple nights.  

My wife Susi and I stayed at the Barbara Apts from August 22nd until September 5th. The apartments are fine but only if you stay away from the ground floor. Rooms 2, 3,4,5, are appalling, cell like springs to mind but the annexe is a joy to behold. Light airy and well kitted out. Be advised that the cleaners appeared only twice during our two weeks there and the bed linen was only changed twice. Apparently loo roll is not provided so bring your own as the local brand is a bit rough ! The apartment complex is quite quiet but the Premier League bar just next door is a good spot for a bit of craic and a few beers. Matt & Jo run the place and you are guaranteed to enjoy their Yorkshire humour. The Ai Helis restaurant is very good and reasonably priced. Down the street is La Calma which is a restaurant and small bar. Susi says that the lamb chops at La Calma are to die for ! They offer entertainment one night per week so don't miss Harrison Grice who sings the best Rat Pack you will ever hear.

i stayed at barbaras and it was wonderful. it was a shame to only be there a week but im going again in august for two weeks.i thought it was wonderful barbara was wonderful she helped no matter what time so we loved it there

Went to the Babra apts June 2005. Read previous comments so was not expecting much. V surprised when we got there - fantasitc place. Beautiful gardens, great pool. The room was very clean and cleaned regularly by the maid. WE also had a wonderful balcony overlooking the olive trees.  There is a bar and supermarket right next door. The local beach is quite a walk and not great. Great place if you hire a car and go to other beaches and restruants but would have been a very different holiday if we could not drive as there is not much to do in the resort and not many nice resurants near by. 

OCTOBER 2004, OUR FAMILY SPENT A WEEK AT THE BARBARA APARTMENTS AND WE HAD A GREAT WEEK. IF YOU WANT A QUIET HOLIDAY THEN THIS IS THE PLACE TO STAY. I WOULD SAY YOU DO NEED A CAR TO SEE THIS LOVLEY GREEN ISLAND.
BARBARA WAS A GREAT LADY AND WAS ALWAYS THEIR TO HELP YOU.
WE WILL BE GOING BACK AGAIN.
I WOULD RECOMMEND THE BARBARA APARTMENTS TO ANYONE.

We visited here at the beginning of September. I will admit I was very anxious about this accomodation considering previous comments. It took approx less than 10 mins from the airport which we felt was fine after travelling all morning. We were shown to the main Barabara Apartments with the most wonderful gardens & swimming pool perfect by far the bestset of apts in the area after some comparing. We were given a key to room 15 which I will say was the best by far it was on the 1st floor so no one banging around upstairs & it had a fab private balcony(nb: most of these apts do not have private balconies they r either shared or just chairs on the landing area) overlooking the mountains and a fab sea view amazing!! no one overlooking you I would reccommend if you can to ask for room 15. The beach was about 800m walk which I thought was fine not too busy nice and quiet there are a fews tavernas bars within in about that radius which are all fantastic amazing food.There is a shop next door but watch the prices its not that cheap best to take a 10 min walk up the hill 2 a cheaper supermarket.
If u want nightlife just get a taxi into Agostoli will be 10 euro but make sure you haggle with them!! Just one downside to these apts were that lets them down terribly is that they were not cleaned at all during our stay a a maid knocked on the door once to empty the main kitchen bin and hand me a new bag for the bathroom bin & some fresh towels thats it!!!!!!!
So my advice would be to pack some extra towels and be as tidy as poss when we cam back from the beach everyday we tnded to get sand everywhere that stayed in the room until we left as no one swept!!!!!!!!!!
All in all great Location, Apts, Room, Restuarants, Beach,Main Town Fab, etc
Cleanliness: Awful
beware!

We have just returned from Barbara 2 which is next to the original Barbara apartments. They have only just been built and not quite completed. After reading the comments on this website we opted for the Barbara apartments and were allocated 'Barbara 2, next door. Our experience was actually quite negative. The rooms on the ground level of Babs 2 have no view whatsoever, only wasteland. It was also very quiet this year ( the locals blame it on the Euro) and you felt isolated in this particular area. There was little to no atmosphere in the immediate vacinity. If you want to have a drink anywhere with a little atmosphere close by, you must get a taxi to the nearest place, Lassi or Argostoli 10-15€ each way. This can work out quite expensive. Otherwise you need a hire car.Our room was cleaned once over the week which was pretty disgusting.There was a dog which barked during the night every night close to our apartment which woke me up regularly. Our biggest disappointment though, after reading other reviews on this site, was the attitude of the owner, Barbara, during our stay. We had little contact with her during our stay but when we did see her she was NOT very friendly. On the day we left, we had to check out at 10am. The maid barged into our room at 09:55 and dumped fresh towels and sheets for the next guests staying in the room. We left the room at 10 am and bumped into Barbara on the stairs. She shouted at my wife as she was coming down the stairs with her suitcase. We thought she was saying to wait while she helped her with her bag on the stairs. I was carrying my own bag at this stage(the suitcase was heavy and banged on 3 or 4 stairs) But she actually became very aggresive and jesticulated ,saying that her new stone steps would be damaged by the suitcase. Even after i apologised she was very miserable and muttered some comments to some greek guests and looked in the other direction. The experience left a very sour taste to our holiday. Our impression was that she was friendly if you spent money in her pool bar, which we did not. As we were leaving, her true side came out and she was very rude. Basically, Barbara 1 has a handful of nice rooms with excellent views. If you are not luck enough to get these, you WILL be disappointed.

Does anyone know if the Barbara Apartments are the same as the Barbara 2 Studios? If not then whre can I finf info on the latter.

My 7 month old daughter, my husband and I visited the Barbara appartments during the summer of 2001, and had a fantatic holiday. The first week as a disaster with me being really ill, but Barbara was the perfect host looking after me, getting the doctor and even going to the local chemist for us. Barbara made us all feel very welcome the atmosphere was very relaxing and friendly. She was an absolute star helping with Jasmin and made sure that we were looked after 24/7. We had a wonderful time and would recommend this venue to anybody. We shall definately be going back some day. Emily, Mark and Jasmin Caldwell.

Me and my boyfriend who are both 25 years old thoroughly enjoyed our holiday to Kefalonia in June this year. The Barbara Apartments were a great base and I would recommend them to anyone. The pool is clean and there are always free sunbeds. Barbara has a bbq every week which is delicious. There are 3 restaurants within 200m of the apartments and a twice weekly karaoke for a bit of light relief. Ask the waiter to sing Livin La Vida Loca! If I went back to Kefalonia I would make sure i stayed here.

I have stayed in many apartment in the Islands and can truthfully say that Barbaras is the best by far. Clean (scrupulousely) quite, well furnished and the "room service" as good as a 4 star hotel. Bed linen changed about 5 times in the two weeks and everything scrubbed to perfection. Say hello to "Nelson" the cat when youre there. The pool and gardens are so beautiful and very carefully maintained.

The Barbara apartments were absolutly beautiful. its in a very quiet area, with only a few bars and restaurants a short walk away. The baeches were amazing but quite a walk. The owners of the apartments were very friendly and helpful, and the atmosphere was very relaxed, they also did very strong cocktails!!!. You are very close to the airport but there are very few fligths and you dont really notice them. I would definatly go again. we are even thinking of moving out there!

i need to know about the barbara apartments and studios, in svoronata, kefalonia.