When venturing to Delphi, Greece for the incredibly well-preserved Greek ruins, there is only one place I recommend you spending your nights: Kastalia Boutique Hotel. At first glance down the street this building will not stand out amongst the other. Brown wooden building after brown wooden building intertwined with small shops, restaurants, and hotels make up the main strip of Delphi's urban area. If you were to take a stroll down this street you would find each hotel with a doorman nearby or a nicely dressed employee at the front desk. What you won’t find anywhere other than at Kastalia Boutique Hotel is a family that will bring you into their lovely, homey hotel.

Kastalia Boutique Hotel actually merges the idea of a hotel and B&B into one. The reception area is warm and receptive. Dina, the General Manager, will typically be at the front desk to invite you into their hotel and check you into your room. Despite the isolation of the region, the rooms are modernly equipt with air conditioning, a large flat-screen TV, desk, clean bathroom, and comfortable beds within a spacious room.

The view out the window is especially exceptional and overlooks the valley below; the urban area of Delphi and the main street lies at the edge of a mountain. Just outside the window you will see nothing but beauty and nature. When you are done enjoying the comfort of your room, the archeological site of Delphi is waiting just a casual 10 minute walk down the street. Yes, the main site in Delphi is that close.

Leave your key at the desk as you leave the hotel, turn right down the street, walk past all of the restaurants and onto the main road with a pedestrian friendly sidewalk. If you walk a few more minutes down the street, you will reach the ruins and museum. From there, you can buy your entrance to the museum and/or archeological site, which also includes the Sanctuary of Athena (another 5-10 minutes further walking past the main archeological area).

The goal of any establishment is to treat you properly and to make you feel as comfortable as you can. Letitia and Smaragdos, Dina’s mother-in-law and father-in-law, will add the final touches if you decide to eat dinner at their associated and adjacent restaurant, or when you have the [complimentary] breakfast at Kastalia Boutique Hotel.

On our first morning, we woke up bright and early for breakfast on the outdoor patio. Quite a breakfast with a view! Letitia came over to us with smile and a parfait of yummy authentic Greek yogurt with granola, bananas, and a cherry. This was followed by an endless spread of food, each one being brought every time we finished another; coffee, hot chocolate, and OJ, fresh warm croissants, pound cake, bruschetta with tomatoes, feta cheese and olives, a hard boiled egg and fresh warm bread with ham and cheese. 

We informed Dina that night we would be leaving very early the following morning to return our rental car back to Avance Rental Car in Athens. She said she would speak to her mother-in-law about sending us off with “doggy bags” for breakfast and disappeared for a moment. Dina returned with Letitia who smothered us in hugs upon seeing our faces, all while smiling from ear to ear. She said it would be no problem to send us off with some food before we left. We said that wouldn't be necessary, but they insisted. How amazing is that?!

After a great sleep, we woke up and made way for the patio. We were told quickly to sit down and that the food would be packed for us in a few minutes. We sat down, worried about the time it would take to get back and return our car. Sure enough, Letitia and Smaragdos brought out food. But, they put it on the table for us to eat… we ate as fast as we could, and they kept bringing us food.

We had been force-fed a delicious breakfast, how terrible! We couldn't believe that they tricked us in such a family-like way, but it left us grinning ear-to-ear. Eventually, they did package the rest and sent us off.

Kastalia Boutique Hotel made us feel more than at home and reminded us why we love our own families so much. Dina and her family ran their hotel beautifully, and because of that, I recommend anyone going to Delphi to stay at Kastalia Boutique Hotel.

Written with love and appreciation. Thank you Kastalia Boutique Hotel for making us feel like we were home.

**Special thanks to Dina and Kastalia Boutique Hotel for kindly offering me a complimentary stay. As always, all opinions are my own.