Skiathos Princess Resort
Skiathos Princess is a five-star, family-owned hotel built into a pine-covered hillside above Agia Paraskevi beach, on the sheltered south-east coast of Skiathos in the Northern Sporades, Greece. What sets it apart for families with the youngest children is the Little Seals Crèche, which takes babies from four months old, and a calm, sandy beach right in front of the hotel with no road to cross. It runs on bed and breakfast rather than all-inclusive, and there's no kitchen in the rooms.
On this page
Is it worth it?
The quick read before the detail: who it suits, what a booking includes and the things to check first.
The reason a lot of families choose Skiathos Princess is the baby and toddler provision. The Little Seals Crèche takes babies from four months old, younger than most Greek resorts, and the whole hillside runs down to a calm, shallow, sandy beach you reach at ground level. It's a five-star hotel owned and run by a Greek family firm, and the personal, unhurried service is the other thing families come back praising. It runs on bed and breakfast, with half-board bookable on top, so it isn't all-inclusive and drinks and any à la carte meals are paid as you go, and there's no kitchen in the rooms for weaning or making up formula. You'll get the most from it if a settled beach and proper care for the youngest children matter more to you than total inclusion, a long list of restaurants or a lot laid on for older children.
Best for
You want a calm, shallow, sandy beach right in front of the hotel and a crèche that takes babies from four months, and you're happy with bed and breakfast rather than everything included.
Maybe not for
You want an all-inclusive with a wide choice of restaurants, a lot laid on for older children and teens or a self-catering kitchen for weaning.
Best ages
Babies and toddlers above all. The crèche takes them from four months and the supervised club runs to twelve, though there's less for teenagers.
What stands out
The Little Seals Crèche from four months old, and the warmth of the staff, which family reviewers single out.
What to check
The room floor and whether a lift serves it, the exact open dates for your travel year and whether you want half-board.
Where is it?
Agia Paraskevi, a sheltered south-facing bay on the south-east coast of Skiathos, in the Northern Sporades, Greece, about 15 to 20 minutes from the airport.
Quick facts for families
A hillside hotel that runs down to the beach
How the resort is laid out, who owns it and what the slope means for getting around with a pram.
Skiathos Princess is a single hotel built into a pine-clad slope behind Agia Paraskevi bay, dropping through gardens and terraced rooms down to the sand. It isn't a village of apartments or a sprawling all-inclusive: at 131 rooms and suites across eleven categories it's mid-size, and reviewers describe it as intimate by five-star standards. It's owned and run by the Santikos Collection, a Greek family company and not part of any international hotel chain. The Princess is one of seven properties the family runs: Aegean Suites, an adults-only hotel also on Skiathos; Marpunta Resort on Alonissos; Santikos Mansion in Pelion; a new hotel on Paros called Meros; and two city hotels, The Alex in Athens and Twinn in Piraeus. A 2011 review of the resort called it "very individual and definitely not corporate", crediting the family ownership directly, and it's the same personal service that family reviewers still single out today. For the wider island, its beaches and when to go, see our Skiathos guide.
Because the resort is built down a hillside, there are gradients on the garden paths between the rooms, the pools, the restaurants and the beach. A pushchair is manageable on the level stretches and harder on the steeper ones, though reviewers don't flag it as a real problem. The ground-floor rooms are the easiest with a pram: the Family Room Private Garden, the Deluxe Family Room and the Two Bedroom Suite with Private Pool all open at garden level. The upper-floor rooms, such as the Deluxe Double on the second or third floor and the Deluxe Suite on the third, involve stairs, so if you'll be carrying a pram up, ask about lift access or request a ground-floor room when you book. The gardens themselves are a quiet plus: families who never set foot in the club still mention the space for children to run around.
Check-in is from 3pm and check-out is at 11am. A government environmental levy of €15 per room per night is charged separately from the room rate.
Rooms and suites
Every room type with its official size, then which ones suit a family with a baby or toddler.
There are eleven room and suite categories, from a 28 m² double up to a 150 m² two-bedroom suite with its own pool. Most of the larger rooms and all the doubles bar the Standard face the sea; the family rooms face the gardens. The table below is the full line-up with the official sizes.
| Room | Size | Beds | Sleeps | View | Floor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Double | 28 m² | Double or twin, plus campbed | 2 adults, 1 child | Garden | 1st |
| Superior Double Sea View | 30 m² | Double or twin, plus campbed | 2 adults, 1 child | Sea | 1st or 2nd |
| Deluxe Double Sea View | 32 m² | Double or twin, plus campbed | 2 adults, 1 child | Sea | 2nd or 3rd |
| Signature Double Sea View | 32 m² | Double or twin, plus campbed | 2 adults, 1 child | Sea | 2nd |
| Deluxe Junior Suite | 48 m² | Double, plus sofa bed | 2 adults, 1 child | Sea | |
| Family Room Private Garden | 35 m² | Two double beds | 4 guests | Garden | Ground |
| Deluxe Family Room | 48 m² | Double, plus two daybeds | 4 guests | Garden | Ground or 1st |
| Premier Room Private Pool | 35 m² | Double, plus sofa or daybed | 3 guests | Garden | |
| Deluxe Suite | 62 m² | Double or twin, plus sofa bed | 3 adults | Sea | 3rd |
| Two Bedroom Suite Private Jacuzzi | 120 m² | Two double beds | 4 adults, 1 child | Sea | Upper |
| Two Bedroom Suite with Private Pool | 150 m² | Two double beds | 4 adults, 5 total | Sea | Ground |
Baby cots are available in any room on request, in addition to the numbers shown above.
Every room has air conditioning, free Wi-Fi, a minibar, a safe, a flat-screen with satellite channels, a direct-dial phone, heating and daily housekeeping, with room service and laundry on top. None of them has a kitchen or kitchenette: this is a hotel, not a self-catering resort, so families who rely on a kitchen for formula or weaning will be working from room service, the restaurants or a supermarket in Skiathos Town.
For a couple with a baby or young toddler, the Deluxe Junior Suite is the pick of the single rooms. At 48 m² it has a separate living area, so a cot can go away from where you sleep, and it can interconnect with the room next door on request. If a private pool matters more than space, the Premier Room Private Pool is compact at 35 m² but has its own small pool off the garden. The Deluxe Suite, on the third floor at 62 m², also splits into separate living and bedroom areas, with room for three adults on a sofa bed, so it suits a couple with one older child who wants more space than the Junior Suite without the two-bedroom layout below. For two adults and two children, the Deluxe Family Room is the one built for the job, 48 m² with a double and two daybeds split by a wooden partition and a private patio at garden level, and it too can interconnect; the Family Room Private Garden is smaller at 35 m² and cheaper, with two double beds and a ground-floor deck. Two couples or a multi-generational group have the two-bedroom suites: the Two Bedroom Suite Private Jacuzzi at 120 m² with a sea-view jacuzzi, or the Two Bedroom Suite with Private Pool at 150 m², the largest and most expensive room, with two en-suite bedrooms, an open bar in the sitting and dining area, Hypnos mattresses and a private pool and garden.
The rooms vary in age. The Signature Double Sea View is a recently renovated version of the standard double, the same 32 m² footprint but with a newer, modern-Mediterranean finish of neutral tones and natural materials, and it's worth a small premium over the plain Deluxe Double if room condition matters to you. Interconnecting rooms are confirmed on the Deluxe Junior Suite and the Deluxe Family Room, and can be asked about on other types. A few extras can be added to any room as a paid option: a beach gazebo for the day from €55 (last checked Jul 2026), a private dinner set up on the beach from €90 a head (last checked Jul 2026), half-board and a shuttle service.
Every restaurant and bar
The two restaurants and two bars, how they work for families, then the pools and the beach.
The resort runs on bed and breakfast, with half-board bookable as an add-on and no all-inclusive option, so drinks and any à la carte meals beyond your board are paid as you go. There are two restaurants and two bars.
Basilico is the main hotel restaurant and the room where breakfast is served, an extensive Mediterranean buffet that guests single out, with the pancakes a recurring favourite. It's also the main dining room in the evening, serving Mediterranean cooking for dinner.
Ammos Beach Restaurant sits down on Agia Paraskevi beach and was recently renovated. It's a beachfront taverna, good for a relaxed lunch or an early supper of seafood and Greek dishes near the sand. The same spot has the Ammos Beach Bar for drinks through the day, open for drinks from 9.30am and food from 11.30am, with last orders at 9pm for both, food only running to 9 October.
The Muses Pool Bar is by the main pool, serving coffee and drinks from 9am and light food from late morning, with last orders at 9pm for both.
Children's menus are available in both restaurants and on room service, and there are high chairs throughout. For families, the practical picture is a good breakfast, a beach taverna for easy lunches and a main restaurant for dinner, rather than a wide choice of dining rooms. Book directly with the resort and children's meals can be included through its Kids Eat Complimentary offer when you reserve your dining; the exact terms, which meals and which ages, aren't spelled out, so confirm them when you book.
How dining and booking work
Half-board covers breakfast at Basilico and dinner at the main restaurant, so you pay per item for the beach taverna, drinks and anything à la carte beyond that. The beach restaurant can also be hired for private events, and a private dinner on the beach can be booked as an experience.
Pools and water features
There are two pools. The main swimming pool sits at the heart of the resort with the Muses Pool Bar alongside and sunbeds around it. A separate children's pool has shallower water for younger swimmers. There's no indoor pool and no splash pad or water-play feature, so the children's pool is where the youngest paddle. If you're travelling in spring or autumn when the air is cooler, it's worth checking the pool temperature with the resort before you book.
The beach
Agia Paraskevi beach is right in front of the resort. You reach it at ground level, with no road to cross and no cliff to climb down, which is about as easy as beach access gets with a pushchair and a baby. It's a long, sandy, golden bay that faces south and is sheltered by headlands and pine-covered hills, so the water is calm and shelves in gently, staying shallow a good way out. The northerly Meltemi wind that churns up many exposed Aegean beaches has little effect on this south-facing bay, a real advantage with young children who need predictable, settled water. The water is consistently clean and clear. There are sunbeds and umbrellas with a drinks service to your lounger, and a beach gazebo can be hired for the day, from €55 (last checked Jul 2026).
Water sports run from the beach: snorkelling, stand-up paddleboard tours, inflatable tubes and ring rides, kneeboarding and wakeboarding, and you can rent a boat to explore the coast. Water skiing and jet skiing aren't part of the resort's own water sports; if they run on the beach it's through independent operators, so ask at booking if either matters to you.
Babies and toddlers
The crèche from four months, the clubs and playroom, the baby kit you can pre-book, then the activities and the spa.
The Little Seals Crèche takes babies from four months old. It's a purpose-built, air-conditioned club for the youngest children, from four months to three years, with arts and messy play, baking, treasure hunts and the kind of proper baby kit, cots and highchairs and toys, that reassures parents leaving a small child. The clubs run from May to October.
Alongside the crèche there's a Baby Seals Playroom, a space for babies and toddlers with a grown-up present, split into age bands with set adult-to-child ratios: one adult to three children from four to twenty-three months, one to four for two and three year olds, and one to six at age three. Part of it is free family time to spend with your child, and there's a €40 or €30 charge (last checked Jul 2026) attached to the same age bands, most likely for the staffed sessions, so confirm what's included when you book. For older children the Little Seals Club is a supervised programme running to age twelve at no extra cost, with one adult to eight children for four to seven year olds and one to ten for eight to twelves, in three sessions a day: 10am to 1pm, 1pm to 3pm on days with special events, and 3pm to 6pm. Children under four need a grown-up with them, which is what the Baby Seals Playroom is for. There's an outdoor playground with good equipment and an indoor playroom for hot or wet afternoons.
The resort's Kids Travel Lightly service lets you pre-book baby equipment before you travel, so you can pack lighter: baby monitors, bath and toilet-seat adapters, car seats for the transfer, potties and training seats, high chairs, carriers, small tables and chairs, buggy ramps and pram rental, with nappy-changing facilities in the public toilets. Cots are available in every room on request.
Private babysitting can be arranged through the resort at €15 an hour (last checked Jul 2026), paid directly to the babysitter, for an evening out. Children's food is served in both restaurants and on room service. With no kitchen in any room, families weaning a baby or making up formula will rely on the resort's food service or a supermarket and pharmacy in Skiathos Town, about 15 to 20 minutes away, for nappies, formula and the like.
On the resort and around the islandThings to do
The resort books a range of activities and excursions. On the water there's snorkelling and stand-up paddleboarding, fishing trips, scuba diving in the clear Aegean and island-hopping boat trips to Skopelos, of Mamma Mia fame, and Alonissos, which sits inside a national marine park where you might spot Mediterranean monk seals. The all-day Mamma Mia excursion to Skopelos is bookable through the resort. On land there's horse riding on forest trails, guided hiking on the island's many trails, beach volleyball and yoga. Reviewers also mention nightly live music and cooking lessons. Beyond the organised activities, the hillside pine gardens give children space to run around, something even families who skip the club mention.
Sauna, steam and massageSpa and wellness
There's a spa with a sauna, steam room and jacuzzi, and a fully equipped fitness centre. Treatments include Swedish, hot stone and deep tissue massage and the resort's own Princess Massage, along with facials, body scrubs and combined spa packages, using the Greek skincare brand Juliette Armand. There are wellness and fitness classes too, from stretching and restorative sessions to outdoor yoga and aqua aerobics. Treatment prices aren't published, so you book them at the resort.
The area and days out
Skiathos Town and the beaches and islands within reach, then what guests make of the resort, how it compares and when to go.
Agia Paraskevi is a quiet, residential bay rather than a resort strip, so there are no shops or a pharmacy right outside the gate; a stop on the island bus route connects it to the rest of the coast. For supermarkets and pharmacies, and anything like nappies, formula or Calpol, the place to head is Skiathos Town, about 15 to 20 minutes away.
Skiathos Town, roughly 6 miles (9 to 10 km) up the coast, is the island capital and the main evening out. It's a working port town of cobbled Venetian streets, a waterfront lined with tavernas, a small Old Port where the excursion boats leave and a shopping street of souvenir shops and ice cream parlours. Among the child-friendly stops are the Skiathitiko Spiti, a preserved early-twentieth-century family home with free-roaming tortoises in the garden, and the Papadiamantis Museum in the house of the island's famous novelist. The bus gets you there, though a taxi or hire car is more flexible for an evening.
Koukounaries, about 8 to 9 miles (12 to 14 km) west, is one of Greece's most famous beaches, a long arc of white sand backed by pine forest and a lagoon, with a Blue Flag and big crowds in peak season. For a quieter half-day, a short boat from Skiathos Town reaches Tsougrias, a small uninhabited island with calm sandy beaches. Boat trips from the Old Port run round the island to Lalaria, a striking pebble beach reachable only by sea, and Kastro, the abandoned medieval clifftop town; Kastro's rough ground doesn't suit a pram or the very youngest, but it's interesting for walking-age children. Day trips by boat reach Skopelos, about 30 to 45 minutes away, the green Mamma Mia island with its clifftop church and traditional hill town, and Alonissos, the quietest of the Sporades inside a national marine park.
In the island's hills, the eighteenth-century Evangelistria Monastery is historically important as the place the Greek flag was first raised; the uphill approach isn't pram-friendly but it's a short visit for families with walking-age children. Sailing trips run from the Old Port, and a water taxi links Koukounaries, not Agia Paraskevi, with Skiathos Town in about twenty minutes.
What guests sayLoves and gripes
What families love
- The baby and toddler provision, the crèche from four months and the Kids Travel Lightly kit, the feature most families come back to.
- The warmth of the staff, often described as adoring children, a service culture credited to the family ownership.
- The calm, sandy, south-facing beach right in front of the hotel, with no road to cross.
- The breakfast buffet at Basilico.
- The family-owned, non-corporate feel.
- The pine gardens and the space they give children to run around.
Common gripes
- No all-inclusive, so drinks and any extra meals add up over a week on bed and breakfast.
- Less laid on for older children and teenagers, with the club stopping at twelve and no teen programme.
- No kitchen in any room, a real consideration for weaning or formula.
- Not the newest or largest resort; an older account noted dated bathroom tiles in the unrenovated rooms, though the Signature double has since been refreshed.
Across Google's 479 reviews the resort scores 4.5 out of 5, with families most often mentioning the setting, the breakfast and the service.
Against the alternativesHow it compares
Skiathos Princess isn't the newest or flashiest hotel on the island, and how it stacks up depends on your family's ages. ELIVI Skiathos, out near Koukounaries, is newer and more design-led, but its kids' club starts at four, with nothing structured for babies or toddlers, and it's about thirty minutes from Skiathos Town against 15 to 20 here; for under-fours, the crèche from four months makes Princess the stronger choice. Kassandra Bay is closer to town and has a soft-play area, but no structured crèche. The Atrium, a smaller boutique hotel on the same bay, has two pools and a playroom but no kids' club, and its steps and steep approach make it harder with a pram. Against a big all-inclusive like an Ikos resort you trade total inclusion, a long list of restaurants and full baby-to-teen academies for a calmer beach, a personal family-run feel and a crèche that starts younger. A self-catering villa with a kitchen may also suit a weaning or formula family better than a hotel with no kitchen at all.
The journey and the seasonGetting there and when to go
The nearest airport is Skiathos (JSI), a roughly three to three-and-a-half hour flight from the UK, with several airlines flying the route in summer. Its runway is famously short and close to the sea, so the approach comes in low over the water; it's a spectacle rather than anything to worry about, worth knowing if someone in the family is a nervous flyer. Agia Paraskevi is about 6 miles (10 km) from the airport, roughly 15 to 20 minutes by road. The resort arranges airport transfers for a fee, which you sort in advance by contacting it before you travel.
You don't need a car for a resort stay, since the beach, pools, restaurants and clubs are all on site, but one makes island days and evenings in Skiathos Town easier. The island runs on a single main bus route along the south coast between Skiathos Town and Koukounaries, frequent and cheap in season, which stops near the resort. Skiathos port, about 6 miles (9 km) away, has ferries to Volos, Thessaloniki and the other Sporades.
The beach is at ground level with no cliff or lift to manage, though the soft sand makes a beach trolley or a carrier more practical than a pram at the water's edge. The hillside terrain means full step-free access across the resort isn't guaranteed, so contact the resort about mobility needs. The resort takes bookings from about April to mid-October, with the kids' clubs open May to October; there's no published minimum stay, though a tour operator may set its own. Check the booking calendar for the exact open dates in your travel year.
When to goWeather
June and September are the easiest months with young children: warm days, a warm sea and fewer people than the July and August peak. August has the warmest sea but the biggest crowds and prices. April and May are pleasant for sightseeing, though the sea is still too cool for toddlers to enjoy.
| Month | Daytime high | Overnight low | Rain | Wet days | Sea temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April | 19.5° | 8° | 40 mm | 7 | 15° |
| May | 25° | 13° | 40 mm | 6 | 19° |
| June | 29.5° | 18° | 25 mm | 4 | 23° |
| July | 32.5° | 20.5° | 20 mm | 2 | 26° |
| August | 32.5° | 20.5° | 25 mm | 2 | 27° |
| September | 28° | 17° | 40 mm | 5 | 25° |
| October | 22° | 12.5° | 70 mm | 7 | 22° |
Typical monthly averages from weather-station records. Sea temperature is the open-water figure, so a sheltered bay can feel a degree or two warmer. The resort opens from about April to mid-October, with the kids' clubs running May to October.
Questions
The things families ask most, the official pages worth a look and when this guide was last updated.
Do children really eat free?
There's a Kids Eat Complimentary offer, but only if you book directly with the resort and reserve your dining. The exact terms vary, so if it's part of why you're booking, get the details from the resort first.
Can we get a babysitter for an evening?
Yes. The resort arranges private babysitting, which you pay directly to the babysitter by the hour, so book it through reception once you know which evening you want rather than assuming it's on tap.
Does the resort do airport transfers?
It does, for a fee, but they aren't automatic: you contact the resort before you travel to arrange one. It's a short run of about 15 to 20 minutes, so a taxi from the airport rank is an easy alternative if you'd rather sort it on arrival.
Do we need to book dinner?
With only two restaurants and the Ammos beach taverna busy in high summer, ask on arrival whether the beach dinner needs reserving, especially if you want an early table with young children.
Are the upper-floor rooms step-free?
Not necessarily. Some rooms sit on the second or third floor, with stairs to reach them. If you'll be carrying a pram and want to avoid steps, ask about lift access or request a ground-floor room, such as a Family Room Private Garden or the Deluxe Family Room, when you book.
How do we manage weaning or formula with no kitchen?
No room has a kitchen, so you'll rely on room service and the restaurants for a weaning baby, or stock up at a supermarket and pharmacy in Skiathos Town, 15 to 20 minutes away. Families set on a kitchen sometimes choose a villa instead.
Do we need to hire a car?
Not for the resort itself, which has the beach, pools, restaurants and clubs on site. A car makes island days and evenings in Skiathos Town easier, but the single south-coast bus route stops near the resort and covers most of what you'll want.
Are the pools heated?
Assume not, unless the resort confirms it. In full summer an outdoor pool warms up fine on its own; if you're travelling in April or October, ask the resort about the water temperature first, as it can be markedly cooler then.
See more Skiathos Princess photos
Open the Skiathos Princess photo gallery →Useful links
- Skiathos Princess Resort: the resort's own site for rooms, board and the children's clubs.
- GOV.UK Greece travel advice: entry rules and safety updates before you travel.
- Skiathos with little ones: our guide to the wider island, its beaches and when to go.
Last updated 17 July 2026.
