Potam · Himarë
40.0998 N 19.7669 EUp the hill, above the bay, with the pool cut into the terrace
- Rooms
- 4 · 22–30 m²
- To the sea
- 1.3 km · 16 min
- Parking
- Free, on site
- Desk
- 24 hours
The position
1.3 km to the waterPotam is the next bay south-east of Himarë town, and the hotel is not on it. It stands 1.7 km due east of the town centre, up the slope behind the bay, with the ground falling away in front of the building and pines closing in behind it.
That is the trade the whole place is built on. You are sixteen minutes' walk abovethe shingle instead of standing on it the way the hotels down on Potam do — and in return the terrace is quiet, the parking is free and on site, and there is a pool at the top of the walk when you come back up.
Walking or driving distances, as the channel publishes them
The spread
Seven scores, one channelThe best thing about this hotel is the family who run it, and the scores say so plainly.
The three things we do by hand — the welcome, the housekeeping, the price we ask — score 9.7, 9.1, 9.0. The two we cannot change in a season sit at the bottom — location 8.6 and free wifi 8.3. All seven are drawn here, in the order they fall.
│ overall 8.9 / 10 · ▮ what we do · ▮ what the building is
The table
Greek · Italian · Mediterranean · SeafoodThe restaurant is the long glazed veranda that runs the full width of the building, under its own pantile roof, hanging out over the pool terrace.
It is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, to guests and to anyone who comes up the hill. The cooking is Greek, Italian, Mediterranean and seafood, with vegetarian and vegan dishes and special diets on request. Breakfast is continental, buffet, italian. There is a bar, a snack bar, a pool bar below, and a fireplace outside for the evenings that turn cold.
The water
Pool on the terraceThere is a pool on the terrace below the veranda, free to guests, open in season, with loungers on the paved apron and a bar beside it.
Towels for the pool and for the beach are provided, so the walk down to Potam does not need planning. Potam Beach is 1.3 km, grey shingle under thatched umbrellas; four more beaches — Prinos, Maracit, Spille and Gjiri i Filikurit — are within 2.3 km along the same coast.
The rooms
4 published typesFour types, 22 to 30 m², sleeping two to four. Every one has a balcony, air conditioning, a flat-screen television and its own bathroom.
The building has been refitted a room at a time rather than all at once, so some rooms are oak-panelled and grey with a light run above the bed and some are tiled and papered in the older manner. Both are cleaned to the same standard, which is the score that matters.
Cribs and extra beds are not available in any room, so a party has to fit the beds as published.
The view
What a balcony sees
The name is a claim and it deserves an honest answer.
The ground drops away in front of the building. From the seaward balconies you look over the rail and a strip of hillside to open water and a clean horizon — the photograph beside this. From the balconies on the other side you look into the slope, at the pines and the bare limestone of the ridge behind.
Which side a room faces is not part of the room type. If it matters to you, say so when you book and we will do what we can.
What is here
40 facilities- Outdoor swimming pool — seasonal, free to guests, all ages
- Pool bar
- Pool and beach towels
- Restaurant — breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Bar
- Snack bar
- Free WiFi — in the public areas
- Free private parking — on site, no reservation needed
- Air conditioning
- Balcony — in the published room types
- Flat-screen TV
- Family rooms
- Non-smoking rooms
- 24-hour front desk
- 24-hour security
- Express check-in and check-out
- Baggage storage
- Lockers
- Currency exchange
- Safe
- Terrace
- Sun deck
- Garden
- Outdoor fireplace
- Outdoor furniture
- BBQ facilities — additional charge
- Shared lounge and TV area
- Indoor play area
- Board games and puzzles
- Kid-friendly buffet
- Kids' meals — additional charge
- Special diet meals — on request
- Vegetarian and vegan dishes
- Daily housekeeping
- Ironing service — additional charge
- Laundry — additional charge
- Key card access
- CCTV in the common areas
- Fire extinguishers
- Designated smoking area
English · Greek · Albanian at the desk, around the clock
And what is not
- Pets — not accepted
- Cribs — not available
- Extra beds — not available
- Spa — there are locker rooms, and no spa
- Beach frontage — the sea is a walk down the hill
Questions
Before you bookWhere exactly is Hotel Panorama?
In Potam, on the hillside above the bay, in the municipality of Himarë on Albania's Ionian coast. The postal address is Potam, 9425 Himarë. The building sits at 40.0998 N, 19.7669 E, off the coast road and above the village, with free parking on site.
How far is the beach from Hotel Panorama?
Potam Beach is 1.3 km away by the channel's reckoning, a sixteen-minute walk downhill — 1.43 km of road, or 1.28 km as the crow flies. Prinos is 1.5 km, Maracit 2 km, Spille 2.2 km and Gjiri i Filikurit 2.3 km. The hotel stands above the bay rather than on it; the walk down is part of the arrangement, and there is a pool at the top of it.
Does Hotel Panorama have a swimming pool?
Yes — an outdoor pool on the terrace below the restaurant veranda, open seasonally and free to guests of any age. Pool and beach towels are provided, and there is a pool bar. The terrace is the sun deck, with loungers on the paved apron beside the water.
Is there a restaurant at Hotel Panorama?
Yes, one restaurant on site, in the glazed veranda that runs the full width of the building. It serves breakfast, lunch and dinner — Greek, Italian, Mediterranean and seafood cooking, with vegetarian and vegan dishes. Breakfast is continental, buffet and Italian.
What are the check-in and check-out times?
Check-in is from 2:00 PM to 11:00 PM and check-out from 11:00 AM to 11:30 AM. The front desk is staffed around the clock, express check-in and check-out are available, and there is no minimum age requirement for checking in.
Can I bring a pet, a crib or an extra bed?
No to all three. Pets are not accepted at the property. Cribs and extra beds are not available in any room type, so a party has to fit the beds in the published room — worth checking before booking for a family.