Your rating of this hotel:
9.0
from 10
Hotel ratings by criteria:
Rooms:
8.0
Service:
10.0
Cleanliness:
10.0
Food:
10.0
Amenities:
9.0
Holidays in Greece, Rhodes, ALDEMAR PARADISE MARE 5 * with VILAR TOURS and ARGONAUTIS TRAVEL. Detailed.
Travel time from June 19 to July 3.2011. Two families, four adults and two children: 4 and 13 years old. The tour was purchased under the early booking program for 2.5 months. before the trip. When choosing a tour operator, we were guided mainly by the impressions from the previous trip in 2010 to Halkidiki. Everything was well organised. As well as the proposed convenient departure time from Domodedovo Airport. It was important, because it was planned to leave for the flight from the city of Stupino. Yamal Avia was proposed. Naturally, when I came home and entered the name of the airline in the search engine, in the first or second line there was the official website of RosAviation with the news that this airline was deprived of a license for a number of charter flights, including to Rhodes. We call the travel agency ....Do you know…? ? ? ? The answer is all right don't worry, you have incorrect information, the problem is solved all right.
Okay, so it's settled. We agreed to pick up tickets and passports on the last day before departure, in the evening. But suddenly they decided to call two days before departure and they tell us - and you know that you are flying not from Domodedovo, but from Vnukovo and not early in the morning but in the middle of the day. It turns out that Yamal Airlines was deprived of its license. It would be funny if it were not so sad from complete unprofessionalism or deliberate deceit. When did you find out about it? ? ? Today????.....And when were they going to inform us, if we had not called ourselves?....And why????.....Of course, what's the difference. And it's nothing that everyone knew about it in advance more than a month before the date of departure? In general, Kuban Avia took us to Rhodes. We can't say anything bad. The plane is a battered Boeing 737-300, clean inside. The food is average, but the flight is three and a half hours. We'll survive. The main thing was that they took off almost on time and landed safely.
VILAR TOURS does not have its own offices and employees in Rhodes, so the meeting partner is ARGONAUTIS TRAVEL. We were the only tourists from this flight and we were met in two cars and taken to the hotel with a breeze in 15 minutes. It's good that it's not a big bus with a tour of all the hotels on the coast. The representative of the company (Tatiana) is in the hotel only 1-1.5 hours from 18-30. She helped in everything, explained everything, but if any question arose when she was not there, they always turned to the girls from Beleon Tours and the Southern Cross, who were constantly in the hall. Despite the fact that we are not their tourists, the attitude towards us was excellent. For which many thanks to them. If this moment is fundamental for you, then I recommend going to this hotel with these companies.
The hotel lobby and staff make a favorable impression. There is always Russian-speaking staff at the reception and guest relations. Settled instantly, everything explained.
Two rooms, 0815 and 0817, are next to each other on the first floor in the DIAGORAS building with a sea view, although Garden was booked. The first impression of the rooms is mediocre. Strange, as it seemed at first, wall decoration, two beds pushed together instead of a double. There is a path along the windows, along which, although rarely, people walk and look out the windows. In general, it seemed grayish and uncomfortable. But the longer we lived, the more we began to like our room. Spacious, clean, tiles on the floor instead of carpet, pleasant linen, clean spacious bathroom, perfectly working air conditioner, quiet and powerful, three Russian channels on TV, a large private front garden - a courtyard in front of the room, mirror tinting on the windows and doors, spacious wardrobes and bedside tables , the absence of foreign smells, although at the first entrance to the room there was a slight smell of mustiness, but as it turned out, this was due to the fact that the room was tightly closed for a couple of days. And the most important thing is the amazing view from the windows.
A couple of times I even watched the picture, as people stopped in front of the view from the room and said - let's take a picture against the background of this view. It certainly warmed the soul)) and amused self-esteem. The obvious disadvantages could only be attributed to excellent visibility from the street at night, with the lights on inside. So, while we went to bed, we had to close the curtain. Well, in the end, we are active tourists and we need a room to sleep, take a shower and change clothes, as well as to store things. Speaking of storage - the safe is paid, 3 Euros per day. We took one for two families, but I think we threw away the money. Although it's quieter. Room cleaning excellent. Tipping was left a couple of times for 5 euros, the quality remained the same, only the room was cleaned during our breakfast, and not during the morning swim. It's nice too.
The hotel area, combined with Aldemar Village Mare, is spacious, green, blooms and smells sweet. Very clean and tidy.
In the morning at 5-6 am, the irrigation system turns on, you can’t hear it, but if you go outside, the freshness and aromas are very pleasant. Well done gardeners. They are not visible, but their work is visible everywhere. Sometimes, unless you see and hear a lawn mower, and then not early in the morning, but when everyone is already up. The area in front of the hotel's facade is a magnificent panorama for everyone who likes to be photographed against the backdrop of palm trees, green lawns and flowers. Play mini golf or lie on the grass in the evening. In general, crowding is not felt.
Beach and pools: The pools are clean with sea water. There are a couple with fresh water, but they are on the territory of the Village Mare. You have to go specially. There are two slides with fresh water, long and fun, but swimming in a small pool in which sometimes uncles and aunts weighing a centner fly out of the slide is simply dangerous. The central pool is large, with shallow and deep places from 90 cm to 4 meters. Quite clean and the water is warmer than the sea.
Therefore, most foreigners rested near him. The beach is long, but given that there is no beach in Village Mare and everyone goes to Paradise, then there are a lot of people there. There are a lot of umbrellas and sunbeds, but not enough for everyone. This is a complete ambush. The main disadvantage of the hotel is the need to get up at six in the morning to take sunbeds. If someone came to the beach after breakfast with bags and towels, then it was the tourists who had a rest on the first day. Lying down on towels between sunbeds in the sun, especially considering the not very large distances between umbrellas, is uncomfortable and stupid. Sun loungers by the pools after breakfast could be found sometimes, by the sea - no chance. The entrance to the water is coarse sand with small pebbles, it is normal for children. Further, after 5-7 meters, large stones begin, but they are not sharp and there are no hedgehogs and algae. Slippers are not needed unless you have particularly sensitive skin. The water is purest.
Beach bars provide everything from ice cream to great coffee and any alcohol until 6pm. On the beach in the bar you can also have a fast food snack after 12 o'clock. In general, if you are a lark, then everything is fine, if you are an owl, then full well ....However, you can take sunbeds from the night, but without a guarantee to find your towels in the morning. And bail for them. I think that Russo tourists will soon teach the whole world to get up at 5 in the morning and go to take sunbeds. Although last year, when we were relaxing at the hotel in Halkidiki - Hanioti Grandotel, a servant was constantly sitting on the beach and making sure that there weren’t too smart and if anyone left, he asked to take towels with him and free the umbrella and sunbeds. No one argued, but at any time you could come and take empty seats. He also collected fees from guests of other hotels.
In another hotel, where they also rested in Greece last year and the year before - Sithonia Talasso & Spa, in general, they could easily collect all the towels, stones, newspapers, books, circles, etc. on the beach as ownerless from the evening or before breakfast. And for each towel a deposit of 20 euros. And honestly about everything warned in the announcements on the boards. A couple of times for prevention and everything is fine. Learn gentlemen from Aldemar. The system for issuing and exchanging towels is convenient only for the hotel. Less washing and ironing. If you make it convenient, everyone will start changing towels twice a day: in the morning and in the evening. And about once every three days. There is also a pontoon with boats on the beach: water skis, sofas, bananas, scooters and all that.
Food and drinks: There are many bars and restaurants on the territory of the hotel, so for example if you go for lunch, you can choose between decent fast food on the beach, Italian restaurant Pergola with pizza (tasty hot, made right there in front of you), pastas , lasagna, salads, etc. and a central restaurant with a classic set. And so in everything. And if you also consider that you can go to Village Mare restaurants, then the picture is generally wonderful. More varied, and not so boring and annoying. If we also take into account four visits to a la carte restaurants: Greek, Chinese, French, Italian. Chinese and Greek at the Village Mare. Nothing special, but the drinks are already brought by the waiters, and you take as much food as you want yourself. Only French food on the menu. But very tasty. Particularly impressed and surprised pumpkin soup. In general, it just diversifies your menu at the hotel. Which is also pretty good. Don't expect anything extra special.
As for the quality of food, then I will put the maximum rating for the hotel. We are meat eaters and I must say the meat in the hotel is excellent. There are always several varieties and several cooking methods. We need baked e-please, fried-please, stew-please, boiled-please. Pork, lamb, beef, chicken, turkey at the same time - please. Fish of 1-2 species has also always been. No soy, everything is soft, fresh and tasty. Salads are edible, fresh not weathered. Everything that is cut can be seen that it has just been cut. Nothing is peppered or spoiled with spices to beat off the smells of staleness. Watermelons, melons, grapes, nectarines, apples, pears, kiwi, cherries (sometimes it was necessary to catch when a fresh tray was brought out), apricots, oranges, grapefruits were always there. Everything is quite edible and tasty. Desserts are not particularly varied, but it was not a problem to choose something to your liking.
Some of the cakes were very tasty. There are no queues, the only queues are for food that is prepared right in front of you. For example, pancakes in the morning or steaks or fish are fried on large tables or pizza at lunch or dinner. And even then they never stood longer than 5 minutes. But the treats are worth it. Products endure fresh until the very end. There is no such situation when at the beginning of mass something was taken out and that's it. Even if you arrive 15 minutes before the end of dinner, you can get almost everything in the same way as at the beginning. Juices are not fresh, but you can drink, although, except for apple juice, they are heavily diluted in vending machines. They themselves made fresh juices in the morning from oranges and grapefruits, since they are juicy and tasty cut in large quantities. Of the freshly squeezed juices, only tomato, but we did not like it. Pepsi, forfeits and all sorts of sprites in any quantity from vending machines (syrup + soda). Beer, red and white dry wines are of decent quality. All drinks must be poured by yourself.
Waiters only serve tables and clean them. Yes, this is for the best. In Pergola, even for lunch, you can go to the counter and order any bottled alcohol. This is not the case in the main restaurant. There is a children's section in the main restaurant, but we did not go there, there was enough food for a 4-year-old child. In the mornings there is semolina porridge and even rice, like milk. Ice cream without limit of six types throughout the day in almost all bars and restaurants. In general, no one will remain hungry, except for the notorious snobs who have not 10 meat and fish dishes for lunch at home, but 20. There will be no lobsters and king prawns with eels, but everything else is worthy of praise. Especially if you start comparing with reviews of similarly priced hotels.
Alcohol in bars and restaurants of excellent quality. There are many bars, they are almost everywhere where a tourist steps foot. There is a good night club with a disco.
The bars have a good selection from Martinis, Baileys and Metaxas to relatively expensive whiskeys and Amarettos. All kinds of gins, rums, vodkas, tequilas, liqueurs, etc. etc. Unlimited until midnight. In the bar, closer to twelve o'clock, they put up a sign for 2 drinks in one hand, but the waiters immediately go and you can order at least ten, and you can actually take three or four. Usually they don't say anything. The bartenders prepare delicious cocktails from the list or mix anything you desire. Against the background of the story of friends who were in front of us in Egypt, in a cool five and went to the airport in a dutik to buy a drink, since it was impossible to drink anything other than almost non-alcoholic beer. I am generally silent about Turkey. I rate the hotel excellent for drinking.
The staff in the bars and restaurants are good. Tables are cleared quickly, never had a problem finding a clean, served table. In the evening, at dinner, the waiters escorted to the table.
No problem, you say where you want to sit, they will organize everything in an instant. There is no plebeianism and division along national lines. Not in bars, not in restaurants, Serve everyone the same.
Animation in the hotel is very good. In the morning, all the standard entertainment from aqua aerobics and water polo to volleyball and dancing by the pool. In the evening, a mandatory show program from musicals to contests and competitions in the open theater. Everything was done professionally and tastefully. Some numbers are worn out for years, but a new one is enough. Animators plow from morning to evening. When not working, they rehearse or train. What is especially nice is that all the animation is duplicated, including in Russian. No one is offended, neither the Germans, nor the Italians, nor the British, nor the Russians. The animation team is international without bias in any direction.
Moreover, the songs are played all in turn, German, Russian, Italian, Greek, French and English, and again in a circle. Nobody should be offended.
The contingent at the hotel is mixed, but the main groups are Italians and Russians with Ukrainians. Basically, everything is very cultured, although Russian-speaking tourists could not do without the usual manifestation of bydlyanism. No, no, and you will meet a picture like this. We came to the a la carte restaurant, the waiter came up, asked how many people, six answered. He said - you need to move the tables, wait for someone to call. Well, we moved the tables ourselves, arranged the chairs, sat down, ordered a drink, arranged the food, and so on. But right in front of us, a company of six people entered the restaurant, two families with children. Dads are one of those who used to wear kilogram chains and raspberry jackets))). In the eyes of intelligence, zero, instead of the Russian language Fenya.
In general, the usual picture of cattle from Muhosransk, which for the first time got somewhere further than Uryupinsk and thinks that everyone should bow at their feet. Well, we hear a cry, what the hell ...nya, but your mother, and so on. etc. Here people came in later than us and are already eating, and we are standing here, waiting for the tables to be moved for us. And in general, why don't you bow to us and all that. WELL, we told them - move yourself and sit down. What is the problem. The waiters came to move the tables, young girls. Ooooh! ! ! How much was shouting at them. Yes, do you know who you are talking to? Etc. We could not stand it and without saying a chorus asked who they were talking to. Tell me. Maybe we will tell our grandchildren that we had the honor to dine in the shadow of such great people))) Naturally, there was no answer. In general, cattle, it is cattle in Africa, and, unfortunately, all Russian speakers are often judged by such freaks.
After all, not a single German or Italian will allow himself to yell at a waiter, driver, guide. Ours is always welcome. Well, I paid, now you are all servants around. Is it necessary to guess who got drunk and at midnight, picking up cocktails from the bar in glass glasses, then threw them into the sea. Moreover, which is a shame, half of the Russian-speaking cattle are Ukrainians, but in the end, for foreigners, they are still Russians. Well, all right, basically the contingent is cultural, and there is a black sheep in any herd.
Location of the hotel and excursions. The hotel is very well located for visiting the main attractions. The main one is, of course, the city of Rhodes, and of course its historical part with a medieval fortress, a fort, mills and, of course, places where the Colossus of Rhodes could stand. We didn't take a sightseeing tour. A couple of good guidebooks and a good company have replaced it completely.
The price is fixed and even hangs on the stand of the end station in the town. The water park is great, a lot of interesting slides, the only thing is, don't try to go there on the weekend. And there are few queues. There is a small amusement park. Nothing special, but you can entertain the child a little. Lots of nightclubs. I don’t understand why there are so many if they are all almost empty. What do they live off of? There is even a McDonald's. In general, a good place with a bunch of taverns and shops. It's worth the trip.
Filerimos and Butterfly Valley. We also went there ourselves. Butterfly Valley has two entrances: upper and lower. Moreover, the upper one is free, and money will be taken for entry from the lower one. The parking is convenient. In a nutshell, this is just a recreational walk through a shady valley, where in some places on trees and rocks you can see nondescript-looking butterflies. Bridges, waterfalls, pleasant coolness will give you pleasure. You can take a lot of interesting photos.
If you go from bottom to top, then leaving through the upper entrance and climbing another 300 meters uphill to the monastery, you will be rewarded with a magnificent view from the wall of the monastery. Not far from the valley there is an ostrich farm. Entrance 4 euros. We did not go there, we just looked from the side. Filerimos liked the child the most. Namely, the opportunity to feed from the hands of flocks of peacocks, which are completely free to walk around the area. Fortunately, a lot of bread was taken from the hotel for these purposes. The monastery itself did not make much of an impression. You can take a couple of photos, but the money given for visiting is a pity. Opposite the entrance to the monastery is an observation deck in the form of a concrete cross with a narrow spiral staircase inside. Two people on it disagree with huge problems. Here we were pleased that we came ourselves. A maximum of 10 people can fit comfortably on the cross, and if you take pictures, it’s generally a problem without people in the background.
And if they start to meet on the stairs, then this is generally a problem. The views from the cross are simply amazing. It is a must to visit and contemplate. The road to the cross is difficult. Look on the map, in the northwest, the road that ends in a dead end, there is only one such. You can only get there by driving to the west coast first. The parking lot is huge and convenient.
Lindos and seven springs. We also went there ourselves. On the road to Lindos there is a turn with a pointer to the seven springs, near the church on the left side of the road for reference. The pointer is self-made and it is hard to see it. After driving three kilometers, you need to turn left up the hill and stop at the first cluster of cars at the top. Then walk up the hill, to the pond and the tavern near it, where you can feed the geese and ducks. Next to the tavern is the entrance to a 180 meter narrow tunnel. Entertainment is something else. For a person above 180.190 cm, an additional test, because you have to walk hunched over.
When the light fades and complete darkness sets in, and it is not yet known how long to go through the tunnel that you scratch with your shoulders and head, then people prone to claustrophobia and fear of the dark simply have no chance. And you can’t go back if someone came in behind you. What if it's a tour bus? If you shine your phones, cameras, etc. , then you will simply ruin the whole impression of this adventure. I advise you to go there either in the evening or at night. When we arrived there for the second time at noon, throughout the entire tunnel we saw its vaults illuminated from wells and from the other side. When the exit is visible, the sensations are not the same at all. Tsambika monastery is located not far from the turn to seven springs towards Lindos. You can also visit to broaden your horizons, especially for childless couples, as they say it helps a lot. In the Tsambika Bay you can swim perfectly. Beautiful place. Further, our path lay in Lindos.
A cool town, as from an advertising picture, with a magnificent bay, fine sand and an excellent beach. And above it all rises a fortress. The views are great. The parking is convenient. Almost to the beach itself, you can also drive by car. You can climb the mountain on donkeys. The price is five euros. The child squealed with delight. The climb itself is great. Such colorful streets and views. The castle itself is also impressive. Although there is a reconstruction going on and it is full of remakes, there is still something to see. And the views from the top of the city and bays are just something amazing. All the basic information was also gleaned from the guidebook and tablets. In general, a must visit.
Kiss of two seas. We traveled on our own. This trip can be combined with a trip to Lindos. The southernmost point of the island. As windmills appear, you need to watch the turn to Prasonisi. We went there twice. The first time just after a small storm at sea.
The strong breeze and high waves from the Aegean Sea were very entertaining. Jumped on the waves enough. The Mediterranean Sea in this place is a pond compared to it. At the southernmost point, where two seas merge and the waves go towards each other, the water just boiled and seethed. This is a must see. It is interesting to watch surfers and paragliders. Arriving two days later, we found a slightly different picture. The wind was not so strong, the waves were not very high and so on. etc. In addition, a bunch of tourist buses arrived. We stayed there for about an hour and went to the west coast to swim. Parking is convenient, but you should not go far, where the sand is not compressed, but soft. A lot of cars got stuck there. Themselves several times helped the grief of the drivers.
Symi Island. It was decided to buy this tour from the meeting party in the hope that they would tell us something interesting, and so on. etc.
Moreover, the tour had to be postponed, which caused problems with renting a car. It was a pity that the day was paid, and they have this excursion, unlike other companies, only on one day of the week. As a result, the whole excursion resulted in a transfer hotel - harbor - hotel with sending us alone on a regular regular ship. Where the tour is located is not clear. So, find out everything in advance, who is lucky, who accompanies, and so on. Tickets for the boat can be bought at the final bus stop from the hotel. Drive from the hotel for 15-20 minutes. Several ships. Choose which one you like. It was especially disappointing to watch how representatives of other tour operators, including Russian ones, rushed about with their tourists like with a hand-written sack. Something passionately said. In general, if in a nutshell, the town is very colorful and beautiful. The advertised seafood cuisine was not impressive. Nothing special, or maybe we just got unlucky. Local washcloths are also nonsense.
Fall apart after a few washes, and even have an unpleasant smell. Moreover, different washcloths and bought in different places. If you have nowhere to put money, you can buy for fun. The sea trip is quite tiring. So it's up to you to go or not. Of course, if we arrived at the harbor by bus and bought tickets for the ship ourselves, saving three times, then of course the impressions would be more pleasant.
Baths of Kallithea. You can visit the thermal baths by taking a train from the hotel in the morning at 9-30. The price is 7 euros - there and back. For those who came by train 50% discount when paying for the entrance. Sun loungers inside on the beach are paid, 3.5 euros. We took a lot of beautiful photos, swam in the sea, in a beautiful place. We swam in a stone bath, where water from a spring flowed in a small waterfall. Plain cold water. The terms themselves did not work. Reconstruction in progress etc. Well, in general, if you don’t mind the money, then you can go. We liked.
The child was delighted with the train ride.
Shopping. As for clothes, shopping is not so hot. This winter we were in Dubai, and unanimously declared - everything is from there, the same quality, the same models, only three times more expensive. Here's what you need to take away is the Minerva olive oil: rustic, classic and bio. The smaller the capacity, the more expensive. We have been taking this oil to ourselves and our friends for the third year. The other is now even unbearable. You need to buy in local supermarkets Lidl and Carefor. But a really good choice in one-liter metal bottles was only in duty-free on departure. But the price there is about 10% more expensive. I repeat, pay attention to the continental Minevra, and not to the Cretan or Rhodes oils. However, the taste and color ...We do not sell it, but what is sold in comparison with this sucks. You can buy good honey and unusual rose jam. It is better to buy at the southwestern tip of the island if you go around it by car.
There are many apiaries. Try and choose everything. There are many fur coat stores of famous brands, but we did not ask the price. We bought a ring with a diamond in the Rodos Gold Vogiatzis factory store. Went there on a recommendation from friends. The store is located between Kolithea and Faliraki, if you drive from Rhodes along the main road. The store and its signboard are clearly visible from the right side of the road. The trading floor and behind the glass work masters. It's very interesting to watch. Jewelry, mostly piece and very beautiful. You can bargain for 20-25 percent of the original price. For the ring announced the price of 1050 euros. After three days of trading, we bought it for 750 euros. Free tax was dropped on the spot plus a discount. If we compare with Moscow prices, then not to say that for nothing, but twenty percent cheaper. The main things are exclusive and not beaten. They can make everything according to your desire from any stones. All stones are issued an official certificate with clarity and color.
You choose stones, frames, etc. The coolest thing is that after taking time to think, we met the owner of the store at the hotel and it turned out that he had a branch on the first floor in the main building, which we did not pay attention to. Then the ring was brought to where we took it in the end. We paid by card, although they didn’t particularly want to take payment by bank transfer in the store.
For kids, there is a great Jumbo store. Located on the road from Filiraki to Rhodes on the main road. You need to look at the big stand on the road on the left side. The store is large, and most importantly, you can buy toys in it, although expensive, but high-quality and licensed, unlike cheap disposable Chinese junk, which migrated from the Cherkizovsky market to Children's World and other children's stores. We found there toys based on all kinds of cartoons: Kung Fu Panda-2, Cars-2, Toy Story-3, and so on. Etc. Anyone with kids will understand what I mean.
They are not in our stores, and the Baz Lighter ordered via the Internet turned out to be worse and twice as expensive as what we saw there. If there is something, or very expensive or terrible quality. There is a huge selection of not only toys, but also other different products with a cartoon theme. The child was just happy that he found all his friends, and in one place. In general, we recommend. Ordinary souvenirs, magnets, miniamphoras, shells and all that are brought from China. It's up to you to buy this junk or not.
Check out from the hotel. The plane took off at 6 pm. The room had to be vacated, as expected, at 12-00. But at the same time, they told us that they would leave the bracelets, we can use the entire infrastructure of the hotel and restaurants, they were even ready to give out towels and bath accessories. There is even a shower for those leaving. The luggage was checked into the storage room. In general, this is a huge plus for the hotel.
Transfer from the hotel.
Before the day of departure, there was an announcement on the board for us that the check-out from the hotel would be about three hours before departure. On the day of departure, the sign was removed and we had to call the office, where we were assured to wait, the departure was slightly delayed. In general, they took us from the hotel 1 hour 40 minutes before departure. Don't worry, you can do everything. Uh-huh was brought to the airport building, put in the tail of a huge queue, where 4 flights to Russia were combined and left. As a result, not a single person stood behind us. We were the last of all flights. After standing in line for more than an hour, as a result, they ran to the landing, and they also wanted to buy in duty free. We certainly had time, but all on the nerves and running. Naturally, the seats on the plane are also the last ones near the toilet. And they got off the plane, and naturally they were also the last in the queue for passport control. And all because the meeting side was reluctant to wait for the tourists who arrived on our plane to Rhodes.
So they brought it, just in time for the arrival of others, and what's next to give a damn. By the way, we were put on the plane and accompanied by all the procedures by a girl from Beleon Tours, who saw off her tourists. In general, summing up the work of our tour operator Vilar Tours and the host Argonautis Travel, as well as remembering our "excursion" to the island of Symi, we recommend that you choose another tour operator.
A separate story is our car order through them. Of the proposed cars, a week before the deadline, they chose the Opel Zafira, but there are six of us. We asked five times, are you sure that this particular car will be? Well, of course, if we reserve now, then no questions asked. They even specifically called the office again, where they received confirmation. OK. On the appointed day and hour, early in the morning, not allowing the child to sleep, we wait in the hall for an hour, then we go to call and find out. It looks like they forgot about us, but they assured us that everything is in order, wait. After waiting for some time, we call again.
The answer is that tourists like you do not rent cars on time, and then we have problems. Well, firstly, it’s not you who are waiting for us for an hour and a half with the children in the lobby, and secondly, if you have only problems from tourists, then maybe we will turn to another office? Fortunately, there are ten of them near the hotel. No, sorry, wait. After a while, a girl arrives with papers and keys, sign, pay, everything is in order. Well, no, let's go see the car. The girl forgets her language, sign, pay. Well no. Go, vie vont si car. And what? There, the car is much worse than ours, both in terms of engine, and in terms of placement, and in terms of trunk. I will not write a brand. It finished off finally. We waved the pen and after 5 minutes we arrived at the hotel by car from the agency 20 meters from the hotel and having lost more than two hours, we set off to travel around the island. That's just the first planned stop for swimming had to be done in the sun.
In general, we got the impression that six people work in this sharaga, the phone numbers of which are indicated in the company's booklet. Having traveled all over the island, we saw dozens of Beleon Tours, Southern Cross, Tez Tours, Tui Vco buses and not a single minibus with the Argonautis Travel inscription. I will say of course that, of course, the guide Tatyana, the work that she did during the hour that she was at the hotel, did excellently. And generally a nice person. And as for Vilar Tours, as we understood, their principle of work is that we do not work on the islands, but if you insist, we will correct you. Although, to be fair, I will note their impeccable work in the past and the year before in Halkidiki.
Airline Kuban. What can I say, we flew out without delay, the seats between the seats are decent, the food is so-so, the staff is excellent. In general, we expected the worst, but everything went perfectly.
Summary:
Rhodes is a great holiday destination for both families with children and young people. Both lazy and active tourists will be satisfied.
It's always great weather and clear sea.
Aldemar Paradise Mare is a great hotel with great food, great grounds and well trained, unobtrusive yet attentive staff. No complaints about the waiters and bartenders. In every bar and restaurant, the hand of the managers is visible, who are always in the halls and do not even hesitate to take an order or remove empty plates. With excellent animation and excellent location. We did not use the spa, but according to other tourists, it is very good. The hotel has a great opportunity to enjoy the morning freshness when you go at six in the morning to take better places on the beach. Great choice. We didn't regret for a second that we chose it for our vacation.
If the management does not change and the regime of total economy does not turn on, as in the great Greek domestic policy, then I can safely recommend the hotel for tourists of any type, except for notorious snobs and people who gave, albeit decent, but small, at modern prices for a good rest, money, expect it to be at least Burj Al Arab (sail) in Dubai.
P. S. After re-reading the review again, I realized that it turned out to be an advertisement, albeit the pure truth. So, ladies and gentlemen from Aldemar, at least a week of your stay next year as a gift, otherwise those two weeks that we stayed with you flew by in an instant. Three weeks would be just right. )))). If anyone has questions, write to this mail or in the comments, I will answer as much as possible)))).
Thanks to those who have read to the end. I hope my work will help you make the right choice.
Travel time from June 19 to July 3.2011. Two families, four adults and two children: 4 and 13 years old. The tour was purchased under the early booking program for 2.5 months. before the trip. When choosing a tour operator, we were guided mainly by the impressions from the previous trip in 2010 to Halkidiki. Everything was well organised. As well as the proposed convenient departure time from Domodedovo Airport. It was important, because it was planned to leave for the flight from the city of Stupino. Yamal Avia was proposed. Naturally, when I came home and entered the name of the airline in the search engine, in the first or second line there was the official website of RosAviation with the news that this airline was deprived of a license for a number of charter flights, including to Rhodes. We call the travel agency ....Do you know…? ? ? ? The answer is all right don't worry, you have incorrect information, the problem is solved all right.
Okay, so it's settled. We agreed to pick up tickets and passports on the last day before departure, in the evening. But suddenly they decided to call two days before departure and they tell us - and you know that you are flying not from Domodedovo, but from Vnukovo and not early in the morning but in the middle of the day. It turns out that Yamal Airlines was deprived of its license. It would be funny if it were not so sad from complete unprofessionalism or deliberate deceit. When did you find out about it? ? ? Today????.....And when were they going to inform us, if we had not called ourselves?....And why????.....Of course, what's the difference. And it's nothing that everyone knew about it in advance more than a month before the date of departure? In general, Kuban Avia took us to Rhodes. We can't say anything bad. The plane is a battered Boeing 737-300, clean inside. The food is average, but the flight is three and a half hours. We'll survive. The main thing was that they took off almost on time and landed safely.
VILAR TOURS does not have its own offices and employees in Rhodes, so the meeting partner is ARGONAUTIS TRAVEL. We were the only tourists from this flight and we were met in two cars and taken to the hotel with a breeze in 15 minutes. It's good that it's not a big bus with a tour of all the hotels on the coast. The representative of the company (Tatiana) is in the hotel only 1-1.5 hours from 18-30. She helped in everything, explained everything, but if any question arose when she was not there, they always turned to the girls from Beleon Tours and the Southern Cross, who were constantly in the hall. Despite the fact that we are not their tourists, the attitude towards us was excellent. For which many thanks to them. If this moment is fundamental for you, then I recommend going to this hotel with these companies.
The hotel lobby and staff make a favorable impression. There is always Russian-speaking staff at the reception and guest relations. Settled instantly, everything explained.
Two rooms, 0815 and 0817, are next to each other on the first floor in the DIAGORAS building with a sea view, although Garden was booked. The first impression of the rooms is mediocre. Strange, as it seemed at first, wall decoration, two beds pushed together instead of a double. There is a path along the windows, along which, although rarely, people walk and look out the windows. In general, it seemed grayish and uncomfortable. But the longer we lived, the more we began to like our room. Spacious, clean, tiles on the floor instead of carpet, pleasant linen, clean spacious bathroom, perfectly working air conditioner, quiet and powerful, three Russian channels on TV, a large private front garden - a courtyard in front of the room, mirror tinting on the windows and doors, spacious wardrobes and bedside tables , the absence of foreign smells, although at the first entrance to the room there was a slight smell of mustiness, but as it turned out, this was due to the fact that the room was tightly closed for a couple of days. And the most important thing is the amazing view from the windows.
A couple of times I even watched the picture, as people stopped in front of the view from the room and said - let's take a picture against the background of this view. It certainly warmed the soul)) and amused self-esteem. The obvious disadvantages could only be attributed to excellent visibility from the street at night, with the lights on inside. So, while we went to bed, we had to close the curtain. Well, in the end, we are active tourists and we need a room to sleep, take a shower and change clothes, as well as to store things. Speaking of storage - the safe is paid, 3 Euros per day. We took one for two families, but I think we threw away the money. Although it's quieter. Room cleaning excellent. Tipping was left a couple of times for 5 euros, the quality remained the same, only the room was cleaned during our breakfast, and not during the morning swim. It's nice too.
The hotel area, combined with Aldemar Village Mare, is spacious, green, blooms and smells sweet. Very clean and tidy.
In the morning at 5-6 am, the irrigation system turns on, you can’t hear it, but if you go outside, the freshness and aromas are very pleasant. Well done gardeners. They are not visible, but their work is visible everywhere. Sometimes, unless you see and hear a lawn mower, and then not early in the morning, but when everyone is already up. The area in front of the hotel's facade is a magnificent panorama for everyone who likes to be photographed against the backdrop of palm trees, green lawns and flowers. Play mini golf or lie on the grass in the evening. In general, crowding is not felt.
Beach and pools: The pools are clean with sea water. There are a couple with fresh water, but they are on the territory of the Village Mare. You have to go specially. There are two slides with fresh water, long and fun, but swimming in a small pool in which sometimes uncles and aunts weighing a centner fly out of the slide is simply dangerous. The central pool is large, with shallow and deep places from 90 cm to 4 meters. Quite clean and the water is warmer than the sea.
Therefore, most foreigners rested near him. The beach is long, but given that there is no beach in Village Mare and everyone goes to Paradise, then there are a lot of people there. There are a lot of umbrellas and sunbeds, but not enough for everyone. This is a complete ambush. The main disadvantage of the hotel is the need to get up at six in the morning to take sunbeds. If someone came to the beach after breakfast with bags and towels, then it was the tourists who had a rest on the first day. Lying down on towels between sunbeds in the sun, especially considering the not very large distances between umbrellas, is uncomfortable and stupid. Sun loungers by the pools after breakfast could be found sometimes, by the sea - no chance. The entrance to the water is coarse sand with small pebbles, it is normal for children. Further, after 5-7 meters, large stones begin, but they are not sharp and there are no hedgehogs and algae. Slippers are not needed unless you have particularly sensitive skin. The water is purest.
Beach bars provide everything from ice cream to great coffee and any alcohol until 6pm. On the beach in the bar you can also have a fast food snack after 12 o'clock. In general, if you are a lark, then everything is fine, if you are an owl, then full well ....However, you can take sunbeds from the night, but without a guarantee to find your towels in the morning. And bail for them. I think that Russo tourists will soon teach the whole world to get up at 5 in the morning and go to take sunbeds. Although last year, when we were relaxing at the hotel in Halkidiki - Hanioti Grandotel, a servant was constantly sitting on the beach and making sure that there weren’t too smart and if anyone left, he asked to take towels with him and free the umbrella and sunbeds. No one argued, but at any time you could come and take empty seats. He also collected fees from guests of other hotels.
In another hotel, where they also rested in Greece last year and the year before - Sithonia Talasso & Spa, in general, they could easily collect all the towels, stones, newspapers, books, circles, etc. on the beach as ownerless from the evening or before breakfast. And for each towel a deposit of 20 euros. And honestly about everything warned in the announcements on the boards. A couple of times for prevention and everything is fine. Learn gentlemen from Aldemar. The system for issuing and exchanging towels is convenient only for the hotel. Less washing and ironing. If you make it convenient, everyone will start changing towels twice a day: in the morning and in the evening. And about once every three days. There is also a pontoon with boats on the beach: water skis, sofas, bananas, scooters and all that.
Food and drinks: There are many bars and restaurants on the territory of the hotel, so for example if you go for lunch, you can choose between decent fast food on the beach, Italian restaurant Pergola with pizza (tasty hot, made right there in front of you), pastas , lasagna, salads, etc. and a central restaurant with a classic set. And so in everything. And if you also consider that you can go to Village Mare restaurants, then the picture is generally wonderful. More varied, and not so boring and annoying. If we also take into account four visits to a la carte restaurants: Greek, Chinese, French, Italian. Chinese and Greek at the Village Mare. Nothing special, but the drinks are already brought by the waiters, and you take as much food as you want yourself. Only French food on the menu. But very tasty. Particularly impressed and surprised pumpkin soup. In general, it just diversifies your menu at the hotel. Which is also pretty good. Don't expect anything extra special.
As for the quality of food, then I will put the maximum rating for the hotel. We are meat eaters and I must say the meat in the hotel is excellent. There are always several varieties and several cooking methods. We need baked e-please, fried-please, stew-please, boiled-please. Pork, lamb, beef, chicken, turkey at the same time - please. Fish of 1-2 species has also always been. No soy, everything is soft, fresh and tasty. Salads are edible, fresh not weathered. Everything that is cut can be seen that it has just been cut. Nothing is peppered or spoiled with spices to beat off the smells of staleness. Watermelons, melons, grapes, nectarines, apples, pears, kiwi, cherries (sometimes it was necessary to catch when a fresh tray was brought out), apricots, oranges, grapefruits were always there. Everything is quite edible and tasty. Desserts are not particularly varied, but it was not a problem to choose something to your liking.
Some of the cakes were very tasty. There are no queues, the only queues are for food that is prepared right in front of you. For example, pancakes in the morning or steaks or fish are fried on large tables or pizza at lunch or dinner. And even then they never stood longer than 5 minutes. But the treats are worth it. Products endure fresh until the very end. There is no such situation when at the beginning of mass something was taken out and that's it. Even if you arrive 15 minutes before the end of dinner, you can get almost everything in the same way as at the beginning. Juices are not fresh, but you can drink, although, except for apple juice, they are heavily diluted in vending machines. They themselves made fresh juices in the morning from oranges and grapefruits, since they are juicy and tasty cut in large quantities. Of the freshly squeezed juices, only tomato, but we did not like it. Pepsi, forfeits and all sorts of sprites in any quantity from vending machines (syrup + soda). Beer, red and white dry wines are of decent quality. All drinks must be poured by yourself.
Waiters only serve tables and clean them. Yes, this is for the best. In Pergola, even for lunch, you can go to the counter and order any bottled alcohol. This is not the case in the main restaurant. There is a children's section in the main restaurant, but we did not go there, there was enough food for a 4-year-old child. In the mornings there is semolina porridge and even rice, like milk. Ice cream without limit of six types throughout the day in almost all bars and restaurants. In general, no one will remain hungry, except for the notorious snobs who have not 10 meat and fish dishes for lunch at home, but 20. There will be no lobsters and king prawns with eels, but everything else is worthy of praise. Especially if you start comparing with reviews of similarly priced hotels.
Alcohol in bars and restaurants of excellent quality. There are many bars, they are almost everywhere where a tourist steps foot. There is a good night club with a disco.
The bars have a good selection from Martinis, Baileys and Metaxas to relatively expensive whiskeys and Amarettos. All kinds of gins, rums, vodkas, tequilas, liqueurs, etc. etc. Unlimited until midnight. In the bar, closer to twelve o'clock, they put up a sign for 2 drinks in one hand, but the waiters immediately go and you can order at least ten, and you can actually take three or four. Usually they don't say anything. The bartenders prepare delicious cocktails from the list or mix anything you desire. Against the background of the story of friends who were in front of us in Egypt, in a cool five and went to the airport in a dutik to buy a drink, since it was impossible to drink anything other than almost non-alcoholic beer. I am generally silent about Turkey. I rate the hotel excellent for drinking.
The staff in the bars and restaurants are good. Tables are cleared quickly, never had a problem finding a clean, served table. In the evening, at dinner, the waiters escorted to the table.
No problem, you say where you want to sit, they will organize everything in an instant. There is no plebeianism and division along national lines. Not in bars, not in restaurants, Serve everyone the same.
Animation in the hotel is very good. In the morning, all the standard entertainment from aqua aerobics and water polo to volleyball and dancing by the pool. In the evening, a mandatory show program from musicals to contests and competitions in the open theater. Everything was done professionally and tastefully. Some numbers are worn out for years, but a new one is enough. Animators plow from morning to evening. When not working, they rehearse or train. What is especially nice is that all the animation is duplicated, including in Russian. No one is offended, neither the Germans, nor the Italians, nor the British, nor the Russians. The animation team is international without bias in any direction.
Moreover, the songs are played all in turn, German, Russian, Italian, Greek, French and English, and again in a circle. Nobody should be offended.
The contingent at the hotel is mixed, but the main groups are Italians and Russians with Ukrainians. Basically, everything is very cultured, although Russian-speaking tourists could not do without the usual manifestation of bydlyanism. No, no, and you will meet a picture like this. We came to the a la carte restaurant, the waiter came up, asked how many people, six answered. He said - you need to move the tables, wait for someone to call. Well, we moved the tables ourselves, arranged the chairs, sat down, ordered a drink, arranged the food, and so on. But right in front of us, a company of six people entered the restaurant, two families with children. Dads are one of those who used to wear kilogram chains and raspberry jackets))). In the eyes of intelligence, zero, instead of the Russian language Fenya.
In general, the usual picture of cattle from Muhosransk, which for the first time got somewhere further than Uryupinsk and thinks that everyone should bow at their feet. Well, we hear a cry, what the hell ...nya, but your mother, and so on. etc. Here people came in later than us and are already eating, and we are standing here, waiting for the tables to be moved for us. And in general, why don't you bow to us and all that. WELL, we told them - move yourself and sit down. What is the problem. The waiters came to move the tables, young girls. Ooooh! ! ! How much was shouting at them. Yes, do you know who you are talking to? Etc. We could not stand it and without saying a chorus asked who they were talking to. Tell me. Maybe we will tell our grandchildren that we had the honor to dine in the shadow of such great people))) Naturally, there was no answer. In general, cattle, it is cattle in Africa, and, unfortunately, all Russian speakers are often judged by such freaks.
After all, not a single German or Italian will allow himself to yell at a waiter, driver, guide. Ours is always welcome. Well, I paid, now you are all servants around. Is it necessary to guess who got drunk and at midnight, picking up cocktails from the bar in glass glasses, then threw them into the sea. Moreover, which is a shame, half of the Russian-speaking cattle are Ukrainians, but in the end, for foreigners, they are still Russians. Well, all right, basically the contingent is cultural, and there is a black sheep in any herd.
Location of the hotel and excursions. The hotel is very well located for visiting the main attractions. The main one is, of course, the city of Rhodes, and of course its historical part with a medieval fortress, a fort, mills and, of course, places where the Colossus of Rhodes could stand. We didn't take a sightseeing tour. A couple of good guidebooks and a good company have replaced it completely.
The price is fixed and even hangs on the stand of the end station in the town. The water park is great, a lot of interesting slides, the only thing is, don't try to go there on the weekend. And there are few queues. There is a small amusement park. Nothing special, but you can entertain the child a little. Lots of nightclubs. I don’t understand why there are so many if they are all almost empty. What do they live off of? There is even a McDonald's. In general, a good place with a bunch of taverns and shops. It's worth the trip.
Filerimos and Butterfly Valley. We also went there ourselves. Butterfly Valley has two entrances: upper and lower. Moreover, the upper one is free, and money will be taken for entry from the lower one. The parking is convenient. In a nutshell, this is just a recreational walk through a shady valley, where in some places on trees and rocks you can see nondescript-looking butterflies. Bridges, waterfalls, pleasant coolness will give you pleasure. You can take a lot of interesting photos.
If you go from bottom to top, then leaving through the upper entrance and climbing another 300 meters uphill to the monastery, you will be rewarded with a magnificent view from the wall of the monastery. Not far from the valley there is an ostrich farm. Entrance 4 euros. We did not go there, we just looked from the side. Filerimos liked the child the most. Namely, the opportunity to feed from the hands of flocks of peacocks, which are completely free to walk around the area. Fortunately, a lot of bread was taken from the hotel for these purposes. The monastery itself did not make much of an impression. You can take a couple of photos, but the money given for visiting is a pity. Opposite the entrance to the monastery is an observation deck in the form of a concrete cross with a narrow spiral staircase inside. Two people on it disagree with huge problems. Here we were pleased that we came ourselves. A maximum of 10 people can fit comfortably on the cross, and if you take pictures, it’s generally a problem without people in the background.
And if they start to meet on the stairs, then this is generally a problem. The views from the cross are simply amazing. It is a must to visit and contemplate. The road to the cross is difficult. Look on the map, in the northwest, the road that ends in a dead end, there is only one such. You can only get there by driving to the west coast first. The parking lot is huge and convenient.
Lindos and seven springs. We also went there ourselves. On the road to Lindos there is a turn with a pointer to the seven springs, near the church on the left side of the road for reference. The pointer is self-made and it is hard to see it. After driving three kilometers, you need to turn left up the hill and stop at the first cluster of cars at the top. Then walk up the hill, to the pond and the tavern near it, where you can feed the geese and ducks. Next to the tavern is the entrance to a 180 meter narrow tunnel. Entertainment is something else. For a person above 180.190 cm, an additional test, because you have to walk hunched over.
When the light fades and complete darkness sets in, and it is not yet known how long to go through the tunnel that you scratch with your shoulders and head, then people prone to claustrophobia and fear of the dark simply have no chance. And you can’t go back if someone came in behind you. What if it's a tour bus? If you shine your phones, cameras, etc. , then you will simply ruin the whole impression of this adventure. I advise you to go there either in the evening or at night. When we arrived there for the second time at noon, throughout the entire tunnel we saw its vaults illuminated from wells and from the other side. When the exit is visible, the sensations are not the same at all. Tsambika monastery is located not far from the turn to seven springs towards Lindos. You can also visit to broaden your horizons, especially for childless couples, as they say it helps a lot. In the Tsambika Bay you can swim perfectly. Beautiful place. Further, our path lay in Lindos.
A cool town, as from an advertising picture, with a magnificent bay, fine sand and an excellent beach. And above it all rises a fortress. The views are great. The parking is convenient. Almost to the beach itself, you can also drive by car. You can climb the mountain on donkeys. The price is five euros. The child squealed with delight. The climb itself is great. Such colorful streets and views. The castle itself is also impressive. Although there is a reconstruction going on and it is full of remakes, there is still something to see. And the views from the top of the city and bays are just something amazing. All the basic information was also gleaned from the guidebook and tablets. In general, a must visit.
Kiss of two seas. We traveled on our own. This trip can be combined with a trip to Lindos. The southernmost point of the island. As windmills appear, you need to watch the turn to Prasonisi. We went there twice. The first time just after a small storm at sea.
The strong breeze and high waves from the Aegean Sea were very entertaining. Jumped on the waves enough. The Mediterranean Sea in this place is a pond compared to it. At the southernmost point, where two seas merge and the waves go towards each other, the water just boiled and seethed. This is a must see. It is interesting to watch surfers and paragliders. Arriving two days later, we found a slightly different picture. The wind was not so strong, the waves were not very high and so on. etc. In addition, a bunch of tourist buses arrived. We stayed there for about an hour and went to the west coast to swim. Parking is convenient, but you should not go far, where the sand is not compressed, but soft. A lot of cars got stuck there. Themselves several times helped the grief of the drivers.
Symi Island. It was decided to buy this tour from the meeting party in the hope that they would tell us something interesting, and so on. etc.
Moreover, the tour had to be postponed, which caused problems with renting a car. It was a pity that the day was paid, and they have this excursion, unlike other companies, only on one day of the week. As a result, the whole excursion resulted in a transfer hotel - harbor - hotel with sending us alone on a regular regular ship. Where the tour is located is not clear. So, find out everything in advance, who is lucky, who accompanies, and so on. Tickets for the boat can be bought at the final bus stop from the hotel. Drive from the hotel for 15-20 minutes. Several ships. Choose which one you like. It was especially disappointing to watch how representatives of other tour operators, including Russian ones, rushed about with their tourists like with a hand-written sack. Something passionately said. In general, if in a nutshell, the town is very colorful and beautiful. The advertised seafood cuisine was not impressive. Nothing special, or maybe we just got unlucky. Local washcloths are also nonsense.
Fall apart after a few washes, and even have an unpleasant smell. Moreover, different washcloths and bought in different places. If you have nowhere to put money, you can buy for fun. The sea trip is quite tiring. So it's up to you to go or not. Of course, if we arrived at the harbor by bus and bought tickets for the ship ourselves, saving three times, then of course the impressions would be more pleasant.
Baths of Kallithea. You can visit the thermal baths by taking a train from the hotel in the morning at 9-30. The price is 7 euros - there and back. For those who came by train 50% discount when paying for the entrance. Sun loungers inside on the beach are paid, 3.5 euros. We took a lot of beautiful photos, swam in the sea, in a beautiful place. We swam in a stone bath, where water from a spring flowed in a small waterfall. Plain cold water. The terms themselves did not work. Reconstruction in progress etc. Well, in general, if you don’t mind the money, then you can go. We liked.
The child was delighted with the train ride.
Shopping. As for clothes, shopping is not so hot. This winter we were in Dubai, and unanimously declared - everything is from there, the same quality, the same models, only three times more expensive. Here's what you need to take away is the Minerva olive oil: rustic, classic and bio. The smaller the capacity, the more expensive. We have been taking this oil to ourselves and our friends for the third year. The other is now even unbearable. You need to buy in local supermarkets Lidl and Carefor. But a really good choice in one-liter metal bottles was only in duty-free on departure. But the price there is about 10% more expensive. I repeat, pay attention to the continental Minevra, and not to the Cretan or Rhodes oils. However, the taste and color ...We do not sell it, but what is sold in comparison with this sucks. You can buy good honey and unusual rose jam. It is better to buy at the southwestern tip of the island if you go around it by car.
There are many apiaries. Try and choose everything. There are many fur coat stores of famous brands, but we did not ask the price. We bought a ring with a diamond in the Rodos Gold Vogiatzis factory store. Went there on a recommendation from friends. The store is located between Kolithea and Faliraki, if you drive from Rhodes along the main road. The store and its signboard are clearly visible from the right side of the road. The trading floor and behind the glass work masters. It's very interesting to watch. Jewelry, mostly piece and very beautiful. You can bargain for 20-25 percent of the original price. For the ring announced the price of 1050 euros. After three days of trading, we bought it for 750 euros. Free tax was dropped on the spot plus a discount. If we compare with Moscow prices, then not to say that for nothing, but twenty percent cheaper. The main things are exclusive and not beaten. They can make everything according to your desire from any stones. All stones are issued an official certificate with clarity and color.
You choose stones, frames, etc. The coolest thing is that after taking time to think, we met the owner of the store at the hotel and it turned out that he had a branch on the first floor in the main building, which we did not pay attention to. Then the ring was brought to where we took it in the end. We paid by card, although they didn’t particularly want to take payment by bank transfer in the store.
For kids, there is a great Jumbo store. Located on the road from Filiraki to Rhodes on the main road. You need to look at the big stand on the road on the left side. The store is large, and most importantly, you can buy toys in it, although expensive, but high-quality and licensed, unlike cheap disposable Chinese junk, which migrated from the Cherkizovsky market to Children's World and other children's stores. We found there toys based on all kinds of cartoons: Kung Fu Panda-2, Cars-2, Toy Story-3, and so on. Etc. Anyone with kids will understand what I mean.
They are not in our stores, and the Baz Lighter ordered via the Internet turned out to be worse and twice as expensive as what we saw there. If there is something, or very expensive or terrible quality. There is a huge selection of not only toys, but also other different products with a cartoon theme. The child was just happy that he found all his friends, and in one place. In general, we recommend. Ordinary souvenirs, magnets, miniamphoras, shells and all that are brought from China. It's up to you to buy this junk or not.
Check out from the hotel. The plane took off at 6 pm. The room had to be vacated, as expected, at 12-00. But at the same time, they told us that they would leave the bracelets, we can use the entire infrastructure of the hotel and restaurants, they were even ready to give out towels and bath accessories. There is even a shower for those leaving. The luggage was checked into the storage room. In general, this is a huge plus for the hotel.
Transfer from the hotel.
Before the day of departure, there was an announcement on the board for us that the check-out from the hotel would be about three hours before departure. On the day of departure, the sign was removed and we had to call the office, where we were assured to wait, the departure was slightly delayed. In general, they took us from the hotel 1 hour 40 minutes before departure. Don't worry, you can do everything. Uh-huh was brought to the airport building, put in the tail of a huge queue, where 4 flights to Russia were combined and left. As a result, not a single person stood behind us. We were the last of all flights. After standing in line for more than an hour, as a result, they ran to the landing, and they also wanted to buy in duty free. We certainly had time, but all on the nerves and running. Naturally, the seats on the plane are also the last ones near the toilet. And they got off the plane, and naturally they were also the last in the queue for passport control. And all because the meeting side was reluctant to wait for the tourists who arrived on our plane to Rhodes.
So they brought it, just in time for the arrival of others, and what's next to give a damn. By the way, we were put on the plane and accompanied by all the procedures by a girl from Beleon Tours, who saw off her tourists. In general, summing up the work of our tour operator Vilar Tours and the host Argonautis Travel, as well as remembering our "excursion" to the island of Symi, we recommend that you choose another tour operator.
A separate story is our car order through them. Of the proposed cars, a week before the deadline, they chose the Opel Zafira, but there are six of us. We asked five times, are you sure that this particular car will be? Well, of course, if we reserve now, then no questions asked. They even specifically called the office again, where they received confirmation. OK. On the appointed day and hour, early in the morning, not allowing the child to sleep, we wait in the hall for an hour, then we go to call and find out. It looks like they forgot about us, but they assured us that everything is in order, wait. After waiting for some time, we call again.
The answer is that tourists like you do not rent cars on time, and then we have problems. Well, firstly, it’s not you who are waiting for us for an hour and a half with the children in the lobby, and secondly, if you have only problems from tourists, then maybe we will turn to another office? Fortunately, there are ten of them near the hotel. No, sorry, wait. After a while, a girl arrives with papers and keys, sign, pay, everything is in order. Well, no, let's go see the car. The girl forgets her language, sign, pay. Well no. Go, vie vont si car. And what? There, the car is much worse than ours, both in terms of engine, and in terms of placement, and in terms of trunk. I will not write a brand. It finished off finally. We waved the pen and after 5 minutes we arrived at the hotel by car from the agency 20 meters from the hotel and having lost more than two hours, we set off to travel around the island. That's just the first planned stop for swimming had to be done in the sun.
In general, we got the impression that six people work in this sharaga, the phone numbers of which are indicated in the company's booklet. Having traveled all over the island, we saw dozens of Beleon Tours, Southern Cross, Tez Tours, Tui Vco buses and not a single minibus with the Argonautis Travel inscription. I will say of course that, of course, the guide Tatyana, the work that she did during the hour that she was at the hotel, did excellently. And generally a nice person. And as for Vilar Tours, as we understood, their principle of work is that we do not work on the islands, but if you insist, we will correct you. Although, to be fair, I will note their impeccable work in the past and the year before in Halkidiki.
Airline Kuban. What can I say, we flew out without delay, the seats between the seats are decent, the food is so-so, the staff is excellent. In general, we expected the worst, but everything went perfectly.
Summary:
Rhodes is a great holiday destination for both families with children and young people. Both lazy and active tourists will be satisfied.
It's always great weather and clear sea.
Aldemar Paradise Mare is a great hotel with great food, great grounds and well trained, unobtrusive yet attentive staff. No complaints about the waiters and bartenders. In every bar and restaurant, the hand of the managers is visible, who are always in the halls and do not even hesitate to take an order or remove empty plates. With excellent animation and excellent location. We did not use the spa, but according to other tourists, it is very good. The hotel has a great opportunity to enjoy the morning freshness when you go at six in the morning to take better places on the beach. Great choice. We didn't regret for a second that we chose it for our vacation.
If the management does not change and the regime of total economy does not turn on, as in the great Greek domestic policy, then I can safely recommend the hotel for tourists of any type, except for notorious snobs and people who gave, albeit decent, but small, at modern prices for a good rest, money, expect it to be at least Burj Al Arab (sail) in Dubai.
P. S. After re-reading the review again, I realized that it turned out to be an advertisement, albeit the pure truth. So, ladies and gentlemen from Aldemar, at least a week of your stay next year as a gift, otherwise those two weeks that we stayed with you flew by in an instant. Three weeks would be just right. )))). If anyone has questions, write to this mail or in the comments, I will answer as much as possible)))).
Thanks to those who have read to the end. I hope my work will help you make the right choice.
Translated automatically from Russian. View original
Comments (10)
leave a comment
Show other comments …
