Hello everybody. I take the opportunity to wish everybody a merry Christmas and a happy 2010 with visits to many Greek islands. These temperatures and snow-covered streets and houses in Holland is for us a good reason to to dream away and think of the sunny holidays we will have next year.

Here are the updates of my website. There are only a few of them, but that's partly because the previous newsletter was send out not so long ago. First there are the new hotel offers from hotels that you can book only through my website. Every year I ask the hotel owners to come up with something special for me. I have received a number of reactions but last year there were some more. Maybe later a few more special offers will be added.

On Antiparos, one of the smaller Cyclades islands situated next to Paros, there is an offer from hotels on the Greek Islands website. Both these hotels are really nice. The first one is called Mike's Place and this one can be found in Antiparos Town. The complex is small and has only a couple of rooms, studios and apartments that have all just been renovated. It has become really beautiful. Owner Lilian has special discounts at a number of periods for people that book through my website. The second hotel in Antiparos with an offer is located in the quiet south of the island. It is a luxury hotel with studios and apartments and a swimming pool in. It's called Dolphin Apartments. Owner Magda has thrown in a whole row of freebies, including reductions in some periods, free breakfasts or bbq, a free beach towel, welcome basket, discounts on weddings and walking holidays and much more.

The Anna Pension on Corfu gives my visitors a free upgrade if possible from a studio to a maisonette. The Seaside Studios in Karpathos has special discounts for people that book trhough my website. On Crete there are two accommodations that have something extra. Tanja Apartments in the quiet south of Crete has a special presenst for everybody on arrival or departure. Tanja Apartments is situated in a village that is called Ferma, and there is a large and quiet beach in front of the accommodation. Stella's Apartments in Kato Zakros which is also in the quiet south of Crete, has a free breakfast and extra a bottle of wine and plenty of raki (for the people that like to drink it).

On the island of Naxos Faros Apartments offers a free tour around the island and for each booking of more than one week a free tour and a free meal. Faros is a situated on a quiet place on the island with a beautiful beach nearby. On the nice island of Patmos, with its super-friendly people Mathios Studios gives my visitors a coffee / tea / biscuits basket, a welcome basket and ouzo. This year in May I plan to go here myself and also make a stop at the Studios Ioanna on the island of Samos. Studios Ioanna is located in the southwest of Samos and it is a nice area for making walks and explore beaches. The atmosphere in the village is really nice and the owner Ioanna is so very sweet you want to eat her. Studios Ioanna has created a special lower price for the visitors of my website: 34 euros for a studio in low season and 45 euros in high season. The complex is relatively small (six spacious studios) and it will - understandably - often fill up quickly, so if you want to go here it is perhaps wise not to wait too long make your booking request.

Alaso Eleana Apartments in Ireon op Samos has a special offer. Here the visitors of The Greek Islands that are coming to the hotel get on the arrival different things every time like home marmelade, cake, wine from Eleanas' husband vineyards, fruits from their garden, everything from my place and the special is the breakfast that Eleana makes for them one of the days they are in the accommodation. She invites you to her big balcony to have a greek breakfast, drinking coffee and talking about everything. For friends of The Greek Islands website there is also a special discount in the Morpheas Pension on Sifnos: stay 6 day and pay only 5.

For all these offers you have to e-mail the owners through the e-mail buttons on the different pages and write to them that it is about the special offer on my website.

What else in new...

I am still slowly changing the style of the pages to one that looks better and that is easier to read. On Samos and on Chios there are quite a few new pictures worth looking at thanks to Paul Jakobs, who has send them to me. For Samos most of them can be found here. Both islands also have some extra information added.

Kind regards, Hans - The Greek Islands website - Hoteldeals page

I'm always interested in your information, experiences and photos to brighten up my website. Talk to you soon in the next newsletter. For everybody the very best for 2010.