Pros: location, staff, food, quietness, area, bus to the beach (free)
Cons: Wi-Fi in the rooms is not available or does not catch well, it takes about 15 minutes to walk to the beach
The hotel is located 12 km from the airport in Rhodes, 2 km from the resort town of Faliraki. The hotel consists of several separate small buildings that are scattered along the mountain. All buildings are connected by a road, along which a small bus runs every 10-15 minutes, and takes vacationers to the beach and back completely free of charge. Such a system will not really appeal to those who are used to falling into the sea immediately after leaving the room, but on the other hand, almost all rooms offer stunning sea views. The territory of the hotel is large and beautiful: terraces, coniferous trees, flowering shrubs, white houses, a riot of colors and the blue sea can be seen from any place. At the top there is a small chapel and an observation deck with binoculars. The mountain on which the hotel is located has been turned into a zoo. Deer roam freely around the entire perimeter (perhaps roe deer, or gazelles, or the like, but it looks like Bambi's deer from a cartoon). There is a tiger, a whole family of llamas, ducks, budgerigars and a lot of peacocks that yell like donkeys. Families with children often walked around the territory near the zoo, although we did not see children in the restaurant. It is possible that they came to us from neighboring hotels to the zoo. The reception is on the second level, next to it are two swimming pools, quite spacious and picturesque. Almost every group of buildings has its own individual small jacuzzi pools, next to it there are sun loungers, umbrellas, showers.
We booked a standard room with a sea view. The larger the serial number, the farther from the reception and higher up the mountain is the house. We had room number 171 and lived one terrace above the reception. This is very close, because all terraces, in addition to the road for cars, are connected by steps and paths for pedestrians. Single room and spacious. There is a safe (free of charge, the key is given upon check-in), a bidet, a TV set, a music center, a coffee maker, a set of dishes and even glasses and a corkscrew. Cleaned and changed towels every day. Individual air conditioning and a huge balcony-terrace overlooking the sea. The air conditioner can only be turned on if the window is closed, otherwise the smart technology refuses to work.
One can write endlessly and only enthusiastically about the quality of food, its diversity and taste characteristics! This is actually a real restaurant: with white tablecloths, serving, waiters and live piano music. We had a breakfast and dinner system. For breakfast and dinner, natural delicious coffee is brewed (included in the price of meals). At breakfast, there is always a jug of cream on the table and the waiter brings a coffee pot with coffee of your choice. There was always an impressive array of fruits. Very tasty kiwi, plums, grapes. But the peaches and cherries were not very ripe, perhaps because of the season. Be sure to try the moussaka and seafood dishes. Everything is fresh and very tasty.
Mostly couples come to the hotel, there were no children. At first there were few Russians and mostly young couples. Then a lot of ours arrived and the hotel perked up: at 5 am, gatherings with wine by the pool; The staff does not speak Russian, but they study diligently and everyone is very welcoming, friendly, smiling and happy to see you. Fluent in German and English. On the island, they don’t speak Russian at all, but in any resort town, even a passer-by pensioner speaks English. Animation in the hotel is, but very unobtrusive. During the day I offer yoga, water aerobics, volleyball or darts. In the evening there is live music by the pool, once there was a rock concert with the appropriate entourage
The hotel is very romantic and most of all the term "respectable" fits it.
Tourist note:
- cards for beach towels are issued upon check-in. You need to go to the pool with these cards, there is a house in which towels are stored. You take yourself a towel and give the cards to the bartender (the bar is opposite, next to the pools). Then, during the rest, you again independently change dirty towels for clean ones as many times as you like. Before leaving, bring towels to the pool house and take back your cards from the bartender, which you hand over at the reception along with the keys to the room and the safe upon check-out.
- free umbrellas and sun loungers on the beach. There are several bars on the beach, a glass of local beer is 3.5 euros, in a shop near the hotel the same beer is 1.1 euros, in a supermarket in Rhodes - 0.85 euros. You can have a bite to eat with various fast foods: from ordinary hot dogs to exotic burritos and everything for 2.5 euros, ice cream for about 3 euros, alcoholic cocktails for 4.5 euros. Beach - small-small pebbles, large pebbles at the entrance to the sea. Many walk in special slippers, but this is clearly superfluous, since the entrance to the sea is no different from any entrance to the sea from a pebble beach. By the way, 2 km from the hotel is the town of Faliraki (the center of the nightlife of Rhodes), so there the beach is sandy and the sea is very shallow. The sea in this part of the island is Mediterranean, absolutely calm and cool in early June, you won’t stay in it for a long time. Free sun loungers are not a problem to find. On the beach, mostly only hotel guests (there are large hotels along the coast) and local residents are not visible. On the beach in the city of Rhodes, a set of an umbrella and two sun loungers cost 8 euros per day, the beach is pebbly, the sea with waves and deep.
- it is better for men not to go to a restaurant for dinner in shorts, and for women in swimsuits. Still, live music, head waiter, waiters and the atmosphere itself oblige to take a decent look ; . You come, sit down at a served table (no need to occupy tables that do not have cutlery) and wait for the waiter to come to you. Call the waiter your room number and say that you will drink. The price of dinner already includes a choice of a bottle of wine (red, white or rose), or two glasses of beer. Free bottle of water. At the entrance to the restaurant, 4 dishes from the chef are displayed, if you wish, you can order one of these dishes to the waiter, again for free. Otherwise, the food system does not differ from the usual buffet with an unlimited number of approaches. No need to immediately put red fish, cherries and cakes on one plate; And yet, comrades, compatriots, I understand that we have an inquisitive mind and a thinker, but we don’t need to put our dirty plates on the next set table and take clean cutlery from it. The waiters themselves will take away your dirty dishes and will gladly bring you clean knives and forks. We did not leave a tip and did not notice that other vacationers did this. It didn't affect the quality of service.
Excursions.
Excursions from a deluxe hotel are expensive. For 4 hours, pay 35 euros and eat on top and pay for entrance to museums. A tour of 8 hours will cost 65 euros per person. When walking in Faliraki, we saw invitations for excursions there, on average, 15-20 euros cheaper. Near the hotel there is a hotel Esperides with car rental, but with hefty prices, and halfway to Faliraki there is an Apollo rental. We rented a car there, and for three days Toyota Yago cost us 100 euros. In the high season, this pleasure will cost 150 euros. But in three days we independently visited Lindos, Prasonissi, Rhodes. We liked Rhodes so much that we went there twice.
In general, the atmosphere on the island is relaxing and joyful. The weather was good without rain and suffocating heat. I managed to relax and gain strength even for a week.