Agora Residence

Situated in the heart of Chios Town, this charming guest house is ideal for travellers wishing to immerse themselves in a vibrant and authentically Greek community. Restored from the grand 19th-century town house of an affluent family of citrus merchants, Agora Residence stands on the town's main shopping street, Aplotarias, an attractively paved pedestrian street lined with various boutiques, gift shops, cafés and shops catering to the day-to-day needs of the local population. The waterfront is just a five-minute walk away and boasts a wide selection of traditional tavernas, coffee shops and lively bars, and the historic castle with its walled alleyways can also be reached on foot in less than 10 minutes.

The building was converted into a small hotel in 2019 and retains a wealth of original features, such as wonderfully tall painted ceilings and decorative floor tiles. There are nine guestrooms of various shapes and sizes, each individually furnished and decorated, using a mixture of traditional and more modern pieces, but all have air-conditioning, satellite TV, free WiFi, a small fridge, tea-and-coffee-making facilities, a hairdryer and an en-suite shower room. A couple of the rooms have balconies, whilst the Superior Room and Junior Suite are more spacious, and the Studio has a small and basic kitchenette. The largest room, the Split-Level Suite consists of a living room with small kitchenette downstairs and a bedroom with a small private terrace upstairs. In addition, there is Annex Apartment located in a separate, more modern building across the road, and whilst this does not have the same traditional character and charm as the accommodation in the main building, it does come with self-catering facilties.

One of Agora's most appealing features is its café set in a charming walled courtyard garden at the back of the building. For Residence guests, breakfast here is included in your stay (except for the Annex Apartment which can also be booked on self-catering basis), but the café is also open to the public for coffees, drinks and snacks throughout the day, which enhances its authentic local feel.

With the attractions of the town on your doorstep and access to other parts of the island enabled thorough the local bus network, as well as the option of day-trips to Turkey by ferry, Agora Residence will suit those keen to spend their holiday exploring without the need to hire a car. Alternatively, to experience both the buzz of the town and the relaxing ambience of the island's smaller villages, a two-centre holiday combining a few nights here with a stay elsewhere on Chios offers the best of both worlds.