Hotel Halaris

We were stranded on Syros for a couple of days in September due to high winds, and booked in here on the spur of the moment; as the Aktaion hotel on the harbour, where we spent the previous night, had no available rooms. The Halaris is at the other end of town, down by the Neorion shipyard entrance. There was no picture-book view here, though; and opening the shuttered window in our room at the back of the hotel revealed only the bare concrete wall of the industrial unit directly opposite, with the tall cranes of the shipyard looming beyond; peering over its roof like curious giraffes. On the other side of the hotel the rooms were facing the relatively busy main road. However, they were clean, modern (possibly refurbished recently) and reasonably-priced rooms, with a welcoming owner; and the whining of passing motorbikes, and joyful shouts of departing workers whenever there was a shift-change at the shipyard was no real problem. People have to work after all, and it’s good to see the shipyard so active, as it brings much-needed employment on an island that is less dependent on tourism than many others (and long may this continue). Our room was large with air conditioning, the bed was comfortable, and the shower and toilet were new, modern and more than adequate. It’s only a short stroll of ten minutes or so (along the seafront, or through the backstreets of the town) to get to the harbour or the town square. There is an excellent bakery a couple of minutes away for breakfast, and a nice large marina nearby in the opposite direction to the town, where you can sit and consume it whilst watching the small boats. We would definitely stay here again without hesitation. Wherever you stay in Ermoupoli, there is an abundance of local character, and it is no different here. Although maybe a bit too “industrial” for some at this end of town (but remember, Syros is not Mykonos – thank God), it was perfect for us.