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Anixis Apartments - Ixia Operator and Date: Thompson-June 2007 Opinion submitted in June 2007 by : Richard Davies (48,46,7,) Resort Rating: Average Accommodation Rating: Very Good My/Our Holiday Opinion: Our party had an enjoyable, relaxing holiday at the Anixis, the poeple who run the the establishment were very friendly and helpful, as the lady is English there is no problem with communication if one needs information, the accomodation was clean and basic as with all self catering-we always eat out and have never attempted to cook anything for ourselves, the apartment facilities are just not up to it in our opinion (this applies to almost all of the S.C. we have been to, not just the Anixis), Ixia itself is small and uninteresting so we walked the approx 1 mile into Trianda which had far more resturants and shops, we thought the Messegious resturant felt traditional and was good value, turn right at the traffic lights in Trianda, about 300yds down on the left. The local bus service was frequent and we used it to get to Rhodes town, this is well worth a visit, the old town is fantastic, you could explore the anchient streets for a week and not see it all. The big downside was when we got picked up on the return journey, the pick up time was 16.00 to 16.30 and as the coach does not pick up outside the lobby but opposite the apartments on the very busy main road I had to wait and watch for it for a half hour, you then had to get your family together and cross this road unassisted (which is the main north road to Rhodes town) with all your luggage, for anyone with children this was potentially dangerous. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Anixis Apartments - Ixia Operator and Date: (Thomson Holidays Direct) Thomson Holidays - Oct 2006 Opinion submitted in October 2006 by : Alexandra Griffiths - Lichfield (27-61) Resort Rating: Very Good Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: Had an absolutely fabulous time at the Anixis apartments in Ixia. I can honestly say that this was the best holiday I have enjoyed both on a Greek island and with Thomson Holidays s! The Anixis is run by an Englishwoman, which I found quite comforting. (No offence to Greek people, who are almost always lovely, but it's nice to have someone to look after you who understands English so well and also speaks excellent Greek!) She is extremely helpful and friendly and her daughter can book just about any excursion you may wish to take at a discounted price, which I can highly recommend! I personally took the Lindos by coach trip. We had an excellent guide, a new, air-conditioned coach and plenty of time to explore Lindos, which is extremely beautiful and has an ancient Acropolis, which was used as a location in the Anthony Quinn film 'The Guns of the Navarone'. My parents visited Symi my boat, which they said was beautiful, with lots of picturesque houses going up hillsides, and they said they would also recommend this trip. With Thomson Holidays s, we took the Marmaris (Turkey) day trip. This was an excellent day out, although there is never enough time with these things! But if you don't wish to spend money on a new rug, I suggest you get out of the carpet shop fast, as they will keep you in there for hours and keep dropping the prices so you are practically forced to buy a rug if you let them! Though if you do want to buy a genuine Turkish rug at a discounted price, then this is for you. Otherwise, just say firmly that you are not interested and walk straight out of there just as fast as you can! Thomson Holidays s arrange a set menu lunch at a local restaurant in Marmaris, which is excellent value. They do meat, fish or vegetarian. Also, it is great fun bargaining in the local shops for leather goods, belly dancing kit etc. The only real downside to this trip was that almost everyone was seasick on the way back, as you go on a catamaran and if the sea is a little bit rough, it can be extremely bouncy and they won't allow anyone outside if this is the case! Our Thomson Holidays s rep, David, was extremely helpful and available to answer any queries. Ixia has everything you would expect from a resort, for all the family. There is even crazy golf at a hotel down the road from the Anixis! The sea front is about 5 mins walk, where there are the usual shops and tavernas. For daytime, I would highly recommend the Windmill Cafeteria on the seafront, which is delightfully eccentric and home to at least 10 cats! The food choice here (for lunches) is limited, but delicious and great value for money! In the evening, turn left outside the Anixis and about 5 mins walk down the road, you come to a smallish taverna on the left hand side. (I think it's called the Eleni) The staff here are lovely and the food is again excellent value and there is a good choice. I would personally recommend the kalamari (squid) it's very tender, the best I've ever tasted! On a Saturday night, they have live Greek music here at no extra charge. The musicians are really incredible and you can join in with Greek dancing if you wish to. So, back to the Anixis. I love this place, can't fault it really! I should mention that they also do excellent food here and at great prices, and you don't even have to move from your doorstep! If you're in the mood for English food, the chips and eggs are delicious. They also do a range of Greek dishes, which I have also heard great praise for. We stayed in 2 bed apartments, which were very spacious. The kitchens have the usual facilities: 2-ring hob, fridge and so forth. This one had particularly good cupboard space and we were impressed that the sinks actually had proper draining boards - a rarity in Greece! The apartments were kept very clean - towels were changed almost every day - and Maria, the main cleaner, is absolutely adorable! The pool is quite small, but deep and was quiet when we stayed, so it was easily possible to go for a proper swim, undisturbed. There is also a seperate paddling pool for little ones and, although our party consisted entirely of adults, we could see that this was an excellent place to bring a family. There are two weekly entertainment nights at the Anixis, hosted by an English couple, who are also lovely (in the spirit of just about everyone there!) One night is music quiz and bingo, which is great family fun and the other is karaoke, which is also excellent! There is a good, regular bus service into Rhodes Town from just outside the apartments (about every 20 mins) and I went there several times during the 2 weeks. The Old Town is just the most fabulous place - Mediaeval buildings and lovely shops and you could just go on exploring it forever. The sound and light show in the Old Town was highly recommended to us, but I would say don't bother, as it costs 6 Euros, goes on far too long and is really quite boring! Definitely not one for the kids, anyway. Oh, and it's also spoiled by too much flash photography by members of the audience, which interferes greatly with the light effects. If you're a dressmaker like me, Rhodes Town is also fabulous for fabric shops. They're all together opposite the Municipal Gardens - you can see them from the bus when you go into town! So, yes, if you're thinking about it, then go to the Anixis in Ixia - go, go! I'd go tomorrow if I could, it's just the best! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Anixis Apartments - Ixia Operator and Date: (Thomson Holidays Direct) Thomson Holidays -june 2005 Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : brian abrook-isle of wight (47,36,15,11) Resort Rating: Excellent Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: My family have just had the holiday of a life time at the Anixis appartments. Run by Glynis and Stamatis Tzortzis. Its clean,friendly and perfect for families.Nothing is too much trouble for them or their staff.Great evening entertainment.Close to the beach,Close to Rhodes Town.Good eating at the nearby Whispers restaurant and Debby's Bar.There is a Supermarket and jewellry shop next door.Everything you need is right here. Cannot find anything to fault it.My kids cried when it was time to go home. Well done Anixis,we'll be back next year,or for many years like some of the people their have done. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Anixis Apartments - Ixia Operator and Date: Sky Tours - October 2004 Opinion submitted in Oct 2004 by : Chris Rudd - Bournemouth (15,47, 40) Resort Rating: Very Good Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: my parents booked this holiday at last minute and we were not disapointed by what we got. We booked the holiday for October and the weather was fantastic. Its run by Glynis and Stemati who were really friendly and made our stay very comftable and as pleasent as could be. the staff who worked there were also friendly as well, espically Stirgos who worked behind the bar. he made the stay very pleasent as well. the rooms were simple but comfatable and nice to stay in and cleaned daily by two very polite and friendly cleaners, they did there absolute best to make the stay for everyone as best as could be. The pool was small but in ways that was what made it more pleasent. it wasnt to loud or packed out by the pool. it was clean and very nice to swim in lol. we met some very nice people on our stay, the family from Newcastle, Scotland, London and a really nice family from Wales, and Demi who was a really nice, sweet and caring girl to meet. Sorry i didnt get the chance to say bye to you. Just to let u know if you read this lol. there was orginsised events such as a BBQ night with karaoke which at the end left me doing the Birdy Song with Bet and Anne (two other friendly ladies i met)which was a great laugh. i would definetly recommend this place to families or couples on which are looking for a nice relaxing break away from work and school in the sun. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Anixis Apartments - Ixia Operator and Date: (Thomson Holidays Direct) Thomson Holidays - August 2004 Opinion submitted in Sept 2004 by : Andrews - Leicestershire 35, 34, 7 & 3. Resort Rating: Average Accommodation Rating: Average My/Our Holiday Opinion: Accomodation is becoming tired looking and in need of a refurbishment and swimming pool is on the small size for amount of people the place is catering for. But in saying that we always managed to find a place around the pool. Staff are friendly and the place has a nice atmosphere. Found that the resort was a good base, you can walk to the beach which has air condition play area for children and nearby village was not too far with plenty of shops and bars. We mainly ate in resort at Debbys bar which was very friendly and didn't mind children. Would go to Ixia again but not necessarily choose this accomodation. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Anixis Apartments - Ixia Operator and Date: (Thomson Holidays Direct) Thomson Holidays - August 2004 Opinion submitted in Sept 2004 by : Steve- Wales (35,40,15,7) Resort Rating: Very Good Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: We booked the Thomson Holidays Pricebreaker and were not dissapointed,these are run by Glynis and Stemati who are so friendly. The staff at the hotel are all excellent as well- particularly Stirgos behind the bar. The apartments we had were basic but more than adequate. There is a lovely pool area that is good for families. Glynnis also runs a BBQ and karaoke night and pool competition. Main plus of these apartments is that everyone seemed to get on, during the 2 week visit everyone we met were superb fun!Gary from Berwick Upon Tweed- if youre reading this i did karaoke in the second week!!! I would definetly recommend this to families who are after a relaxing holiday within easy reach of some lively resorts. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Anixis Apartments - Ixia Operator and Date: Private Booking July 2004 Opinion submitted in Aug 2004 by : Trevor Parry, Sandra Galloway (52, 46) Resort Rating: Very Good Accommodation Rating: Very Good My/Our Holiday Review: The apartments are well maintained and clean, and all the staff are friendly and helpful. I would recommend this family-run establishment without hesitation. The pool is kept very clean, and we made some new friends there (Stuart and Joy, and their 2 children - Alec and Heather, Brendan and Hazel (who had their daugher Catherine and her friend Natalie in tow, and Alan and Sarah and all their family.)) We had some great nights in the bar!!!! There are quite a few good restaurants in the vicinity, but one I feel is worth a special mention is Two Friends - don`t go there if you`re not hungry - the portions are large and well cooked. Next door there are some apartments with a bar which is open to all, run by a totally mad Albanian named Yari. I WOULD return to this resort -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Atlantica Princess Aparthotel - Ixia Operator and Date: (Thomson Holidays Direct) Thomson Holidays - Oct 2006 Opinion submitted in October 2006 by : Hindsons - Leicester (53, 50) Resort Rating: Below Average Accommodation Rating: Average My/Our Holiday Opinion: Firstly the hotel is not in Ixia or Triande. It is midway between the two and is approx 15 minutes walk to either. The main road, particularly in Ixia is like trying to cross a motorway. It is extremely busy and dangerous and has to be crossed if you want to get between a hotel and the "beach". While we were there the mosquitoes were really biting so make sure you take plenty of repellant and also sting relief. The local shops have plenty of choices so it's obvious it is a common problem in this hotel. We witnessed several guests with up to 50 bites on their bodies! We were All Inclusive and felt it a good choice as unless you want to walk the 15 minutes into town each day there was little choice of eateries close to the hotel. Beer wasn't too bad either as it is brewed by Lowenbrau. The room was reasonably comfortable - we were on the 3rd floor overlooking the pool and although a few guests complained about the noise from the bar where some guests stayed drinking until 3 a.m., we didn't get disturbed by this - only by those coming to bed who feel the need to slam doors and drawers shut. Staff are excellent and friendly and the service is good. It is very much a family orientated place and the Animation Team is based on entertainment for youngsters. Beach is awful - very pebbly and the "sand" what there is of it is like builders grit. Rhodes Old Town is worth a visit, particularly at night when not so many tourists around and the lanterns are on, but it is spoilt by the number of tourist shops which has ruined it's authenticity. Lindos was a real let down! Don't be fooled into thinking it's quaint as again it is just tourist shop after tourist shop in narrow alleys. Food at the hotel is reasonable although it could have been warmer - particularly breakfasts. Have to say Rhodes was a disappointment to both of us as we struggled to find much original about the places we visited. We won't be going back in a hurry. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Atlantica Princess Aparthotel - Ixia Operator and Date: (Thomson Holidays Direct) Thomson Holidays - Oct 2006 Opinion submitted in October 2006 by : Emma,Nathan and jessica (29,27,2) Resort Rating: Very Good Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Opinion: Just returned from the Atlantica Princess after a 2 week all inclusive allocated on arrival stay. Arrived there at 2 am after a short (15min) transfer from the airport.We were greated with a warm greek welcome,but sadly no porter service which we thought wasnt very good for a 4 star hotel.Our room was spacious,clean and modern.Food at the hotel is good with breakfast consisting of the usual toast,eggs,bacon,sausage,beans, continental,cereal etc.lunch and dinner were virtually the same with pasta,chicken,rice,salad being the standard fare.quality of the food was good if a tiny bit repetative. Entertainment at the hotel was different with the energetic animation team providing games through the day and shows at night (dimitri and lele were great!).what really made our stay at the hotel great were the waiting staff, Alex, nico, zoe, victoria and all the guys were fantastic with nothing being to much trouble for them.For some reason the air con got turned of on our second week which apparently is common practice for the end of september in greece,but after a few complaints and highlighting that it was still nearly 30 degrees c the hotel switched it back on.the only gripes we had were the area at the back of the hotel near the beach was scruffy and could do with tidying up,you had to be up at 5am to get a decent sun lounger round the pool even though the hotel had a supposedly strict no towels on sunbed rule! and our ankles and feet got bit to death by something???. so to sum up,a great hotel with great staff,that we would definatly visit again despite a couple of little gripes.8out of 10 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Atlantica Princess Aparthotel - Ixia Operator and Date: (Thomson Holidays Direct) Thomson Holidays Sept/ Oct 2006 Opinion submitted in October 2006 by : Steve North - Worksop 55,52 49,46,30, 29, 2 Resort Rating: Good Accommodation Rating: Very Good My/Our Holiday Review: This is one of the smaller all inclusive hotels we have stayed at for 2 weeks. The staff are exellent and very approachable. The restraunt is well managed and spotless, but could become a little crowded around the serving area at peak times. The food choice varied, i found that although a soup had the same description i.e vegetable, it was different every time, so try it before you dismiss it. Did'nt find much wrong with the food at all apart from the sausage at breakfast, you either like it or you don't. The a la carte meal we had did'nt impress although the steak was exellent. The rooms are getting a little tired but kept very clean, and come with a kettle tea and coffee and hair dryer. I am not a fan of fitted carpets in hot climates and think tiled floors as well as being cool is more hygenic. The beds are on the firm side but with 2 pillows sufferable. The air con is not the best but does work ( this normally finishes at the end of September but as the temperature continued to rise into October the hotel responded to guests requests for it to be turned back on ). The pool area and sunbeds if the hotel was full could become crowded but the beach 50 metre's away ( pebble and sand, but all sand in the slowly shelving sea 2 metres in ) was a quiet retreat with 2 sunbeds and parasol only 7 euro's a day. Our 2 year old grandaughter had no problem walking into the sea, but you all really need a pair of sea shoes ( 3 to 8 euro's from any supermarket ) to negotiate the first Metre comfortably. There is a little train that circumnavigates the local area for 4 euro's, take it and get your bearings as you will miss alot of the local shops as its quite spread out. All in all a good choice of hotel, would i go again YES. Any negative points, as always yes, send the entertainment team to any Haven site in Britian to see how its done, continuity is not in the Greek dictionary. The YORKSHIRE PUDDINGS, we are from Yorkshire and you cannot fool us !!! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Atlantica Princess Aparthotel - Ixia Operator and Date: First Choice-May 2006 Opinion submitted in June 2006 by : George Johnson-Newton Aycliffe (58, 55, 39, 34 Resort Rating: Good Accommodation Rating: Very Good My/Our Holiday Review: On arriving at the Atlantica Princess in the early hours of the morning tired out our daughter and husband were given a room in the main hotel and then we were given a key to a room in the Garden Annexe (later christened "Cell Block 'H') across the road. When we protested about being split up the receptionist said we had been given "a very nice room" and to see the day receptionist in the morning. The room was part of the old self catering apartments, hardly 2 star,and were in the process of being renovated. After a totally sleepless night we saw Lauren the First Choice Rep who couldn't believe we had been put there. That evening we met Lauren and the Hotel Manager who apologised for the mix-up, we were given a 2 storey apartment with 2 balconies and a free a la carte meal. The next day we discovered a 1/2 bottle of wine and a basket of fresh fruit in our room. We cannot praise Lauren enough for the efforts she made on our behalf. So if you are put in "Cell Block 'H' complain like mad and you should get a change!! The rest of the holiday ran smoothly, the hotel is clean and comfortable, the staff were friendly and polite, the food was very good although the breakfasts could have been a little hotter some mornings. The hotel entertainment was "do it yourself audience participation" and we felt was very poor. This may have been because it was the beginning of the season. Our son was married at the Filerimos Monastery in the mountains, a beautiful setting followed by an excellent meal at the Knights Of Old Restuarant Bar owned by Dawn from Scotland and her husband Mihalis.We recommend hiring a car from Star Hire Cars, about 1/2 mile towards Trianda on the main road, very friendly and told us all about the island and where to visit. As well as all the well known places to visit, Rhodes Town, Falaraki, Lindos, try motoring down the east coast which is virtually traffic free with some beautiful scenery. We also recommend the Sports Bar owned by Panos and his family who make you really welcome and the Oasis Cafe Bar just along from the hotel between Allegro aand Maria's run by Steve and Jane from Sheffield. Go there for steak pie, proper chips and mushy peas when you want a change from hotel food. There are lots of holiday touts riding around on scooters but a firm "not interested" as the approach is usually enough to put them off. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Atlantica Princess Aparthotel - Ixia Operator and Date: First Choice - May 2006 Opinion submitted in June 2006 by : F & G Jones - Essex (44, 46, 15) Resort Rating: Very Good Accommodation Rating: Very Good My/Our Holiday Review: Myself, my husband and 15 year old teenage son have just returned from a week's stay at this hotel. Overall we were very pleased. We could not fault the accommodation, the room was large and comfortable and very clean, as was the hotel in general. We were on half-board and decided not to take the all inclusive option as we wanted to explore the local bars and restaurants and to be honest we don't like the local beer or wines and rarely eat lunch as the breakfast is so filling so we would have wasted our money. The food was of a good quality and variety with themed nights, Italian, Chinese etc together with cold/hot starters, pasta, different meats, rice, a greek selection etc etc. you will not go hungry! I think a week is fine, two weeks could be a little samey as they probably repeat the menus. We were very happy with the hotel, but we did have a couple of niggles. A lot of the sunbeds were broken, and you did have to get to the pool early to secure a sunbed. The pool was always busy and could be noisy in the children's shallow area, and also when they played water polo. There was a good shaded area in a grassy area amongst the trees at the deep end which was very welcome as the temperature was about 35 in May! (The week we were there was half-term week so maybe other weeks would be quieter). The animation team were sacked after the week as they were useless, but I think this was a one-off as they were a different team to previous years. Hopefully the new team who were due to arrive would have been ok, but I can't comment on this. Lastly the hotel is very family orientated, which is great for young families, but for teenagers there is very little, so bear that in mind when booking. The hotel staff are friendly and accommodating, and the greeks in general are wonderful people. We made some good friends while we were there. On the beach opposite the hotel is a type of snack wagon, well a converted Mercedes van complete with decking! - I would never normally eat from these but this one is run by Michael and Anna (both Greeks) who are lovely, genuine people and they do the best burgers and pizzas, not to mention cold Mythos! You really must visit them, they are here every day from 9am - 9pm. About a ten minute stroll from the hotel (straight down the road as you come out of the front) the road opens up to an amazing variety of bars and restaurants. We frequented the Cactus which is a huge restaurant/bar run by a charming lady and her daughter, Christina, who we became really friendly with. Just over the road from here is a cocktail bar called the Blue Angel, run by Katerina and her sister. You must visit both of these! At the Blue Angel you can sit outside in their lovely garden and watch the world go by as you sip your cocktail or lager and nibble on the crisps and popcorn they provide with every drink! They also have two large outdoor tv screens if you feel it necessary to watch football! or you can just listen to the background music. The screens are never intrusive, so there is something for everyone, and the cocktails are wonderful! I agree with a previous reviewer who mentioned that the all inclusive is detrimental to the local traders. I really recommend that you take the time to visit the local bars and restaurants as the people are so friendly and the food and drink of high quality. It would be such a shame if these places had to close as I can't think of anything worse than staying put in a hotel all day everyday, part of the charm of being abroad is visiting and enjoying local places. Lastly you must visit Rhodes Old Town at night and go the Panorama bar in the main square, you can sit up high sipping your drinks with great views of the square. Also, it is great fun exploring the old streets, which are cobbled, so make sure you have comfy shoes on! It will cost about 9 Euros for a taxi from the hotel and 8 Euros return. The boat trip to Symi is wonderful too and take time to treat yourself to lunch at one of the fish restaurants on the harbour - wonderful! If you book this trip, don't book through the tour operator (they wanted about 38 Euros each), but go to the harbour in Rhodes and book direct with one of the boats (they have men outside the boats all day who will take your booking) and it will cost you about 19 Euros each - quite a saving! I hope you have found this review helpful and if you decide to holiday here have a great time! Fiona, Glyn and Chris -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Atlantica Princess Aparthotel - Ixia Operator and Date: Eclipse-May 2006 Opinion submitted in June 2006 by : Clare-Warrington(57,57,35,34,12,8 Resort Rating: Very Good Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: A Fanatstic holiday at the Atlantica Princess. This is the best All Inclusive we've stayed at. Food Excellent. Bar service and drinks excellent. Rooms and hotel clean. Towels changed daily. Just 2 complaints Air conditioning in bedrooms wasn't cold enough. Evening entertainment for adults was poor but great for young children. All in all an excellent holiday!!! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Atlantica Princess Aparthotel - Ixia Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - April 2006 Opinion submitted in May 2006 by : Dobson - 42, 40, 17, 16, 11 Resort Rating: Good Accommodation Rating: Good My/Our Holiday Opinion: A very nice place to holiday. However, in April it is very quite as the season doesn't start till May in Rhodes. So only a selection of bars, restaurants and shops were open. Also the beach had not been cleared so it was very dirty and very pebbley, this was being cleaned up as we left. The hotel Atlantica Princess was very nice and clean, the staff were excellent and nothing was too much trouble for them from the cleaning ladies to the reception and the bar staff and restaurant staff were brilliant. One thing i thought was very poor for this sort of hotel was the fact that there was no kettles or tea/coffee making facilities in the rooms. there was cups and glasses but no facilities to make a "brew" we had to hire a kettle from the hotel at 2 euros per day, You coudn't get a hot drink either when you were having dinner, Tea/coffee was only served in the restaurant at breakfast. Rhodes Town is a must for people to see. The New Town is like shopping at home, but the Old Town is beautiful watch the shop keepers don't drag you in though) Would go back and i would recomend this holiday resort to others. A good bar to go to is the Sports Bar, if you want to catch up on any sports while your there, it's the place to go, they have numerous big screens all showing a different sport and also tv's to watch you favourite soaps. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Atlantica Princess Aparthotel - Ixia Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - September 2005 Opinion submitted in Oct 2005 by : Antony, Katy and Ethan McGarr (33,31,3) Resort Rating: Very Good Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: I was a little concerned having read the other reviews but was relieved once in the hotel. The hotel itself was excellent with great surroundings and lovely rooms - no fleas you will be glad to hear! The beds were comfy and, as others have said, incredible clean in all areas. For me, the only down side was the food. Generally fine but after a week or so, rather repetative and unappetising. We ended up eating out on a few occasions to get some welcome relief - if you are going then go to a little restaurant called "OASIS", just on the left behind "Marias" - it is being run by a lovely cuple from UK callled Billy and and Maria. Billy is a Chef back home, so his food is fantastic... The resort is small and quiet but a nice stroll into nearby Trianda is good and they have a number of good bars and shops. The pool was cold but good. The queing system for drinks was never an issue whilst we were there. I waited less than a minute of virtually all occasions. The beer is weak fizzy stuff but tastes okay. The entertainment was a bit naff but the poor reps have very little help from the hotel. They have to do it all themselves and they worked incredibly hard every night, so well done to them but get the hotel to book some acts. All in all, we had a great holiday. Food does need improving but was generally okay. I would go back again as I love Rhodes, but would consider a B&B options to allow more variety in the food department. Highly Recommended. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Atlantica Princess Aparthotel - Ixia Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice Sept 2005 Opinion submitted in Oct 2005 by : Mike (57) Judith (53) Stephen (50) Sue (48) Resort Rating: Good Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: Had A great holiday the food was fisrt class the accomadation was brilliant The rooms were large and comfortable and were kept very clean the hotel staff were alway helpful Although the Brouchure states you are in Ixia you are in fact about 2Kms outside and about 1km from Laganoss There are a few places to eat nearby but not many shops The entertainment is just ok But I have to say that the team work extreemly hard to ensure that everbody has the oppotunity to join in the fun As for the singing all I can say is dont give up your day job I would certainly go back and would reccomend this hotel to anyone lookin for a lively family holiday Definately worth 4* -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Atlantica Princess Aparthotel - Ixia Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - September 2005 Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : Lisa Webb - Morden (39yrs,35yrs,12yrs) Resort Rating: Good Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Opinion: Our first all inclusive holiday and it was great. You are given a wristband and each time you got to the bar or snack area ect you tell them your room number, what yu would like they then put it through the till you sign it then they get you what ever you wanted, if you want alcohol/spirits/coctails they have a list behind the bar, if its local its free! We found that the hotel was kept sparkling clean and the staff were helpful and very polite, nothing was too much trouble for them.The food was scrumptous, lots of choice, each day fresh and plentiful, dirty plates and glasses were cleared away immediately, keeping bugs and flies to a minimum. The pool areas were kept extremely clean and early each morning the areas were jetwashed, the hotel cleaners did an excellent job. Sun loungers were plentiful and if you like to get sun all day long get a lounger by the outside bar and restaurant its also the shallow end of the pool, the other end is great if you fancy peace and quiet with no children around, the weather was fab constant sun with a bit of a breeze to keep you cool. If you need a taxi reception will call one for you, the local pharmacy is within walking distance, straight out of hotel past all the shops and follow road round keep walking it takes about 15 mins walk and 5 mins in taxi, a taxi will cost you 9 euro's to take you there WAIT for you and return you to the hotel, so very good, the pharmacy speak english and are v helpful our daughter got earache was given some ear spray and plugs so she could still go in pool and it was better within a day or two.We hired a car from the car rental shop in the parade of shops outside the hotel, the charge for 3 days was 85 euros which was v V cheap, to hire through first choice the charge was 164 euros PLUS more money for baby seats. If you do get a car Rhodes itself is only 10 mins away and if you get chance to visit any beaches you must visit Anthony Quinn Bay (also known as LADIKO)its AMAZING,its about 20 mins drive from hotel, a gentle cove with shallow warm waters fantastic for swimming and snorkelling, the fish you will see are spectacular, and its safe for little ones with no currents or tides to worry about, lots of shade and sun too,a real oasis, sun beds cost 3.50 euros and you can book a packed lunch (FREE) from the hotel before 8pm the night before you go, although there is a cafeteria there.If you hire a car go to the water park TAKE LOTS OF SUN CREAM,its great fun and about 20 mins drive but do it independently because the trips are very expensive through the reps. You can go across to turkey and maramis too, if you go down to Rhodes (Mandraki Harbour) the taxi will cost 9 and when you get to the harbour there are many boat excursions that you can go on, just remember to take your passport and port tax if you go to turkey.We had a fabulous time there and if you have young children the reps are fantastic at keeping them occupied with games etc etc, our daughter felt she was too old now for the kids clubs but they worked extremely hard to ensure that mums and dads got a great holiday by keeping the kids occupied all day EVERY day. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Atlantica Princess Aparthotel - Ixia Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - August 2005 Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : P Oakshott - East Yorks Resort Rating: Excellent Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: Just arrived back from 2 weeks at the Atlantica Princess. Weather awesum, not a cloud in sight for 2 weeks. Hotel was first class and although never before considered back to a hotel I would certainly go back here. Hotel staff could not do enough to help (Alex the waiter one top guy) Entertainment team worked their socks off to provide good entertainment (Again hats off to Stevo and Leanne) On the down side the entertainment stops at 11pm because of the hotel being in a residential area, which I consider far to early. If booking with First Choice dont make the mistake we did and pay a suppliment for a room with a view.... all rooms have a view and as so I felt I lost out to the tune of £100 Resort has enough to keep you entertained, plenty of shops bars and jet skis on the beach. Overall a cracking holiday. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Atlantica Princess Aparthotel - Ixia Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - august 2005 Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : arthur jepson - kirkby in ashfield, 59,56,59,58,35,33,35,31,8,6,5,3,7mnths Resort Rating: Average Accommodation Rating: Very Good My/Our Holiday Review: our party of 13 stayed at the atlantica princess for two weeks and had a great time,the hotel was very clean,always cleaning going on.the pool was nice as was the little pool for the young children. the food was nice but a bit repetetive,there was a lack of fresh fruit,the rooms were nice, we were on the top floor and had a lovely sea view. the entertainment wasn't too bad, i suppose, they tried their best. have seen a lot worse. we were there for a wedding at the monastary,which was a lovely occasion and beautiful setting. the hotel would only do a buffet reception,so we had it at the Knights of Olde restaurant in trianda, about 10-15 mins walk from the hotel,were we had a lovely reception laid on by dawn(a lovely scottish lady) and her husband mihalis a nice greek gentleman. nothing was too much trouble for them, and would recommend them to anyone wanting a wedding reception or just wanting a nice meal,if you do just say paul and vicky's party want remembering to you. we booked half board but upgraded when we got their, and found it well worth it,it worked out at 17 euro per day,per adult,the kids were free, we thought we would after paying 8.6 euro for 2 large,1 small beer and a coke. we went to the water park which is a good day out 20 euro for adults and 15 for kids if they are big enough for the rides,otherwise it's free for them.a taxi was 15 euro to the water park.wouldn't recommend the beach tho,very pebblie,altho when you get in the sea it's quite sandy underfoot. all in all a good holiday,and would recommend it -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Atlantica Princess Aparthotel - Ixia Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - July 2005 Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : Resort Rating: No rating Accommodation Rating: Good My/Our Holiday Review: Having just arrived home from an 'All Inclusive' package at the Atlantica Princess I am relieved. Upon arrival the reception staff were excellent, and first impressions of this hotel were good. Friendly waiters, and excellent food. Ideal hotel if you have children, loads of activities and a great pool. Ample sunbeds often available late morning as well.Breakfast and dinner outside of the restaurant if you wish. There is an area of wasteland between the hotel and the beach which I feel could do with improving to make it easier on the eye! Downside:-While I was staying alot of the guests,including myself were getting bitten around our ankles and lower legs. Everyone just presumed mosquitoes. But as I discovered, even though I was using mosquito repellant, and a 'plug-in' in my room, I was being bitten terrible. I only got bit while in my room though, when stepping on the carpeted floors. Clusters around my feet and ankles, up to five at a time! One morning I was actually bitten quite badly while in my bed. Not once did I open the patio door to my room, and not once did I get bit in the evening when I wore my mosquito repellant. Carpets are not advisable in hot resorts. Tiled floors would have been more hygenic, as I came to the conclusion, I, and lots of other guests were being bitten by fleas. Mosquitoes were blamed as it is an easy option. My holiday was ruined due to the amount of bites I received on my feet. Rhodes is a beautiful island, but I will never set foot on it again due to my experience at this hotel. The hotel has alot to offer, but be warned, if you have a tendancy to get bitten by any form of insect, do not stay at this hotel. If you decide to holiday on Rhodes, you must visit Lindos, either as a day trip or stay in one of the small resorts nearby, but be warned it is very hot at the south of the island. Rhodes town, Ixia and Trianda are breezy but warm. Rhodes had alot to offer,the hotel food and service were excellent, the Greeks are friendly helpful people, but I am happy to be home!! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Atlantica Princess Aparthotel - Ixia Operator and Date: 1st Choice - June 2005 Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : Williams Family - Wales (39, 37, 12) Resort Rating: Very Good Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Opinion: Just returned from a 2 week all-inclusive holiday(29th June) HOTEL is very clean and all the staff are very friendly. The food is great with plenty of choice. ROOMS are vey clean with carpet on the floor which is good for noise, also they have air conditioning which is a god send. No need for the usual 6am sunbed run as there are plenty of beds and the pool is great. ENTERTAINMENT was a bit poor but saying that the entertainment staff were all great and motivated, the best shows are the ones they did themselves. RESORT is small but has a variety of shops, bars and restaurants. BEWARE of the mosiqueitoes I was bitten to death, 38 on one leg, take some cream just in case. BEWARE time share touts now travel on mopeds they stop you at the side of the road giving you "scratch cards" or doing a "survey". BEACH is not a "bucket and spad" beach it is all stone not suitable for small children. The weather was very hot between 38 and 44 degrees. We had a great relaxing holiday and would definately go back again. The difference between spain and greece is that the people in greece and much more friendly. Hope the comments help and that you have a good holiday. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Atlantica Princess Aparthotel - Ixia Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice May 2005 Opinion submitted in June 2005 by : Bernie Wildman Janet Eliison (48, 59) Resort Rating: Good Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: I went all inclusive with my sister..I needed to relax and just generally mooch not thinking about shopping, cooking or anything. It was perfect..nothing was too much trouble for anyone. The staff were fantastic (Alex is a star) right down to the cleaners. The food was terrific, different menu every time, and so much choice..the usual complaint about being tied to the hotel doesn't really apply here, the breakfast/lunch/dinner times run for at least two and a half hours and decent packed lunches are available. The bingo was one game (lasted about 5 minutes) the entertainment wasn't spectacular but the entertainment team were so much fun I can't say we noticed.. only problem was baggage handler's strike created delays, but that wasn't the holiday company or hotels fault. We went on the excursion to Turkey, and missed the ferry back, but I did get propositioned by a policeman with a gun at the port which rather made my holiday..apparently we are the only ones to have ever been so thick. Actually I can't say I recommend Turkey..it seemed like we were being used and it was just a trip around favoured shops! As for the hotel, had no problem getting sunbeds, pool was lovely, staff were incredible, food was great, weather was fantastic, and lots to see and do..what more could you want? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Atlantica Princess Aparthotel - Ixia Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - May 2005 Opinion submitted in June 2005 by : Jo Porter - Kent (36, 32, 14 and 5) Resort Rating: Very Good Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: We have just come back from a fabulous ALL INCLUSIVE holiday. This is the second time we have been to the Atlantica and we would certainly go again. After a 12 hour delay (due to the Greek authorities) we finally arrived at the hotel at 2.00 am. As we had 2 children with us it was no fun. When we got to the room which was very clean and comfortable, they had left a selection of cold meat, cheeses and fruit and a bottle of cold water in the fridge. The food was very cold so it must have just been delivered. I was impressed with this as although it was late, we were all very hungry. The next day was our little girls 5th birthday and because we were so late checking in we did not have anytime to arrange anything. However at breakfast she told anyone who was willing to listen that it was her birthday and she was 5. That evening the Maitre D (Manolis) bought out a huge cake with a candle, all the staff sang "happy birthday" to her. she was most pleased. When we went back to the room that evening a bottle of wine and plate of fruit had been delivered. We have absolutely no complaints about anything. The food is plentiful and there is no much choice, even catering for the kiddies. The childrens club is very good. The weather is just right in May as it is about 80 and is cooler in the evening, enabling a good nights sleep. Also the mosquitos aren't as active as in later months. I only got bitten once which for me is very good as I am normally covered. We hired a car from the local car hire service just a short walk from the hotel. Our car was fully air conditioned. Fiat Punto. It cost about £70.00 for 4 days which is not bad. I would advise anyone who expects good quality and decent food with lots for the kids to do to definately give this place a go. Everyone is so friendly and attentive that I feel it is almost impossible to fault. HAVE FUN Jo -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Atlantica Princess Aparthotel - Ixia Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : Mr & Mrs Conway 47 & 46 Resort Rating: Excellent Accommodation Rating: Very Good My/Our Holiday Review: What can I say, we had a great time the Hotel was clean the staff friendly and the food was good .We went all inclusive which was good value, the only thing was after a while the food was a bit repetative but the cakes with afternoon tea were lovely. We thought the way you had to get your drinks from the bar a little odd you had to queue twice before you got them , there definately should be more bar staff and another bar open and also there was a lack of ashtrays. The entertainment was ok for kids but nothing to shout about for adults and it finished at 11pm which is to early.The hotel is in a nice position with shops just across the road with plenty of Tavernas if you fancied a change from hotel food.You can hire a car cheaply along the parade of shops which i would recommend as the trips can be pricey with the tour operator. We loved Lindos Bay its very picturesque with a good beach, much better than the one at the hotel which is all pebbles. Rhodes old town is a must as well you can get a taxi from the hotel for 9 euros.If you pay for a safe in your room you get given a voucher for the A-La-Carte restaurant please avoid at all costs. We went for our meal at 8pm and didnt finish till 11pm, the service was snail like to say the least, I never got my starter at all and one of our friends got two courses served at once. The sea food salad was just that if you see food you were lucky i had two prawns on a bed of lettuce, the chops for our main meal werent much better, bones with fat attached dumped on egg plant and you had no potatos just the chops. We did the trip to Marmaris and wished we hadnt, once you have seen one part of the Bazaar you had seen it all , the shops were much the same also there were no seats to sit for a while only outside in the blazing sun along the front, the turkish delight factory was nice short and sweet but fun. We would stay at this hotel again and I would recommend it. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Atlantica Princess Apartments - Ixia Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice- October 2004 Opinion submitted in Nov 2004 by : Nick Wain- Birmingham (45, 45, 43, 38, 17, 17, 17, 13, 12, 5 and 5 Resort Rating: Good Accommodation Rating: Very Good My/Our Holiday Review: We arrived at the hotel in the early morning. First impressions of the hotel, I thought were excellent. However as we were self catering we were in a seperate building from the main block. The self catering building was a across a busy, fast road, which was not safe for young children and the building opposite the main building. The apartments were very basic and small, but quite clean. As it was 4am in the morning we went straight to sleep. When we woke up in the morning, we unpacked and went to the pool. We was not happy with the apartment and was glad to get out. The pool area was great with plenty of sunbeds to choose from, but this wa because the hotel was half empty and it was the last few weeks of the season. The reception area and bar/restaurant were also of a high standard. The entertainment was also very good with a kids club. Entertainment of an evening was also brillant. The next day we woke up and had no electrics in the apartment. We went straight down to reception to ask if we could have one of the self catering rooms in the main building. They were very helpful and said yes, but i think this was because the hotel had lots of free rooms available. When we moved into the new apartment, we could not have dreamed for anything better. The apartment was on two floors, with two views one view which was a sea-view and the other view was looking onto the hotels swimming pool. The apartment had two bathrooms (one room did not have bath and shower). We could not believe are look and cannot praise the hotel staff enough for moving us so quickly. The hotel itself had a some bars and restaurants just outside. But some nights we walked to the resort of Ixia, which was about a 15 minute walk form the hotel, a taxi is also suitable for those with young children or any one with walking difficulties. Ixia itself was quite nice and had a wide selection of bars and restaurants. There is also a mini golf course there, which is great fun for all the family! Overall we had a good holiday in Rhodes, but we would not go back to this hotel. Anyone staying self-catering here should ask to be put into the main building not the self catering block over the road, as I think the apartmentsare only worth a 2. Hope you have a good time! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Atlantica Princess Apartments - Ixia Operator and Date:* (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - september 2004 Opinion submitted in Oct 2004 by : Joanne Ruddock - Hopton (61,57,52,48,41,39,17,15,12) Resort Rating: Good Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Opinion: Just arrived home from a great 2 weeks holiday and was most impressed with the hotel and service thoughout.When we first arrived we were allocted a garden apartment as their was 4 in our room.I didn't like these as they were dark and dingy so asked to be moved in the main hotel and was given a massive 2 storey apartment with 2 toilets and a kitchen,as we were all inclusive we did not need this but found the space amazing,the best we've ever had in fact. FOOD - the food was of a good quality with plenty of choice for breakfast,lunch and dinner,I enjoyed it all as did the rest of my party. Snacks were available all day and you just helped yourself to them and then just signed for them.I personally didn't have any as the meals were more than enough.At 4.30 tea coffee and cake was available and the fruit flans were delicious. Entertainment- Day time entertainment was quite good plenty for kids to join in with such as volley ball, water polo, darts etc.Afternoons there was a quiz which we done as a team most days we were there and won most days too. The kids liked collecting the certificates which you were given if you won anything. Evening entertainment was rather poor especially when they tried singing as they just could'nt.I enjoyed the audience participation games such as battle of the sexes and mr Atlantica.I did feel though that the entertainment team did'nt mingle enough and it was the same people chosen every time. Location- I thought this was quite good, the beach was very stoney but when you got a little way in it was very sandy .There were a few shop,bars and restaurants nearby and because we went late in the season there were plenty of bargins to be had.We had a meal in the Blue Note taverna one night which was good with a nice atmoshere.Rhodes old town is a must as is Lindos we went there by boat which cost 30 euro for two, much cheaper than the tour operator which was 30 euro each. Staff- Alexandros the barman/waiter was good fun and the kids loved him.The restaurant manager was also very helpful and always managed to find us a table for our large group. I would certainly recommend this hotel to families,I will definitly return to Rhodes in the near future but would try a differnt area as I never return to the same place twice. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Atlantica Princess Apartments - Ixia Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - August 2004 Opinion submitted in Sept 2004 by : Sharon slater - stoke-on-trent (43,35,16,14,14,11) Resort Rating: Good Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: Stayed at the atlantica princess, booked this holiday for 4 families, 2 families of 5 and one of 3 and one of 4. The families of 5 rooms were actually located in the hotel and were VERY big, with an upstairs and downstairs to them, we were very impressed as we have stayed in other 2 bedroomed apartments before and these were double the size. our friends on the other hand had apartments in an annexe building over the road and were VERY small and basic, they were not too impressed by them at all. So if booking here make sure your appartment is in the main hotel building and you will be o.k!! we went self catering and the kitchen was basic but we chose to upgrade in the hotel for breakfast and evening meal and food was excellent, and very good value for money. The mosquitoes are rife to say the least so take plenty of insect repellant, although you can buy it there (citronella spray in a blue bottle.... very good)! Another tip is to take odourless garlic tablets a week before you go and still when your there, these little midgies then tend to stay away, something i will be doing in the future!!! Beach is only about 50metres away from the hotel, very shingly but very nice once you were in the water, sunbeds on the beach are 7 Euro's per day! Plenty of places to eat within walking distance of the hotel if your not planning to eat in the hotel, we did walk into trianda most nights to walk off our meal, look out for the guy on the right hand side after the shops before you head in to trianda, always inviting you in but there never seems to be anyone in his restaurant! Entertainment in the hotel not bad for kids but very limited for adults although my fiancee did join in the Mr Atlantica Night!! Not much for the older children to do there! In general staff are very helpfull and friendly, Natasha the hotel guest relations is really nice! Hotel and pool area cleaned every day, apartments cleaned every day except sunday.. The only trip we went to was the waterpark in Faliraki, we caught the local bus to Rhodes Town and from there there is a free courtesy bus to the water park, please dont be put off by the price it's well worth the money! All in all we had a great time and would recommend this hotel, maybe we will go back in the future, but it's a big world out there and we intend to see more of it. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Atlantica Princess Apartments - Ixia Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice July/August 2004 Opinion submitted in Aug 2004 by : Laurence Fowler - Hampshire (50, 32, 7) Resort Rating: Good Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: Excellent hotel, excellent value for money, excellent holiday. It's true that the early risers got the best sun beds (but that's the same everywhere). It's true that the local beach was 90% rocks (but, so what?). It's true that there were queues at the bar (but not long ones). Entertainment for the children was very good. The behaviour of many of the British children was, to put it mildly, poor. The accommodation was excellent, the staff were helpful, the rooms were clean, the pool was well-maintained. One draw-back: it was full of English people with tattoos, male and female. I felt sorry for the Germans and Italians. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Atlantica Princess Apartments - Ixia Operator and Date: eclipse july 2004 Opinion submitted in Aug 2004 by : firmager (47 ,42,14,14) Resort Rating: Below Average Accommodation Rating: Good My/Our Holiday Review: Arrived 04.30 after short delay. All self catering holidays with eclipse get food package in room on arrival. Desperate for a drink and expecting to be able to have toast and tea for breakfast before having to go looking for shops we began a search. Huge apartment lots of places to search but no food pack.Went to reception to enquire to no avail, man on desk had never heard of food package.Made enquiries at welcome meeting one rep knew nothing of food but thankfully other one did.It still took me 2 days and the final comment of "dont worry about it anymore i am fed up with asking, i will write to eclipse when i get home".That afternoon i got my pack and comlimentary fruit and wine. Check in was fast.Split level apartment massive,downstairs was so big we could have had a party.Needed more storage upstairs girls had to have all their clothes downstairs,though nice touch is upstairs toilet and sink as well as full bathroom downstairs. All first choice staff work really hard to provide day and night entertainment.Sorry to say though this along with the bar set up did not tempt us to stay on site.Being paying guests we did not expect and were disgusted to discover that we too had to queue along with the all inclusive guests.When on holiday in a "4"star? hotel you expect to be able to get a drink when you want one and not have to wait up to half an hour.There were not even poolside bar staff (all previous holidays 4 star with poolside bar staff). Obviously the all inclusive system is detrimental to the bar staff too from what we could gather there was not a lot of tipping.Hello to Alex the happiest friendliest best looking waiter. We went self catering but the second week we upgraded to half board due to a good on site offer.Food very good, choice very good.Monday and saturday nights there is a photographer on site photos ready for you to view next morning ours turned out really good. Reception staff very helpful and it is always easy to find first choice reps when needed, they appear to be at hotel more than any other reps i have known. Trips work out expensive especially if like us your children are over 12. We estimated it to be cheaper to go to places by taxi than pay for four adults with first choice. Not a huge area around the pool for sun bathing especially when you realise only one end of pool gets sun all day (near taverna) so a few of us sun worshippers had 06.00 rendevous and met some nice people so hello Chris Mick Gina Ray Tony and Carol. In first choice and eclipse brochures they state wavelengh club for up to 15,don't believe it, absolutely nil for big kids both in hotel and in resort. Two bars outside hotel Zorbas and Ilysia good for snacks very friendly staff.Ilysia on a sunday have Elvis soundalike and karaoke, this is about the only entertainment in resort apart from greek bar in plaza and Blue Notes owner who will sit at your table and sing for you.Good food to be had at Knights Of Old-straight out of hotel,to the top of the road,left at Bonitas bar,couple of hundred yards on left.(greek husband-scottish wife) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Atlantica Princess Apartments - Ixia Operator and Date: July 2004 Opinion submitted in Aug 2004 by : Chris Thornback - Torquay ( 41,40,15,13 Resort Rating: Average Accommodation Rating: Average My/Our Holiday Opinion: We have just returned from our hoilday at the Atlantica Princess Hotel and I would like to stress that even though we enjoy our holiday there is a few points we wished we had been told. If you fly from Exeter Airport you will probably fly with an airline called Island Flug. Was not impressed at all with this airline. The aircraft is very old with ripped carpets, broken seats and no in flight entertainment. We had booked with First Choice and they had taken it to change us. When we arrived in Rhodes the hotel was the first drop off and the check in was quick, even though I had to change the first allocated room, as my daughter was travelling in a leg caste due to a broken ankle. The hotel had been notified and they placed us across quite a busy road away from the hotel. The road was situated near a corner and the vehicles can travel quite fast. The kerbs are high. Unsuitable for a wheel chair and a a teenager on crutches!!. We were changed to a room in the hotel on a spilt level of two floors. This was nice apart from a large fridge placed near the childrens beds which buzzed!!. We were informed that the across the road apartments were a nightmare for mosquitoes. Lots of guest being bitten although over the road, guests seem to be suffering more. They is also chickens and a goat over there. Food was fine, abit samey!! - Lots of it!. Gents take long trousers for the evening meal. Evening entertainment was performed well, by the entertainments, however props and working conditions for these people were very limited. A lot of the guests go to the local bars in the evenings. No shows given by outsiders apart from three dances which was dreadful!. Not alot for teenagers as the brouchure does not state you have to pay for most activities and when you have two children it would be costly. Inside and Outside the hotel, there is no disco or place to go for them. There is no prizes for the games during the day or evening apart from a certificate and this seemed to impede guests joining in. I won Bingo one night and won a cocktail, I was All Inclusive!!! Excersions will cost an avarage family aroud £100.00 a time. Even on nights like Greek Night they will charge All Inclusives 10.00 euros each and it states that you will get a whole bottle of wine free!! There is no curtesey room on departure and no laundrette on site. Although there is a laundry service at a cost. I had to set my alarm for 6am to get a sun bed as they went very quickley. There is one bar serving the whole hotel and the queues can get quite long. The staff are very friendly and there is a waiter service, however not enough to cater for all tables. There is a football card drawn each night which has to be filled before the winner is read out. In the fortnight we were there, Chelsea, Coventry City and leicester won repeatedly. Bet on them and you should win 30E!! We did!! The equipment provided for activies is poor. Archery has only one bow, and the darts are childrens!! On the local beach it is all large pebbles and shingles and will cost you 7e for two beds per day. Even if you do wander down at lunchtime still 7e's. I was amazed at the few people in the sea. Not inpressive!! Maybe because we were unable to travel around we are more critical of the hotel. I must stress we had met some lovley people and had a good one, however I would not return to this hotel next year. Some people we met had paid just £400.00 for the two weeks all inclusive as a late booking. If we had paid this and not £3770.00 I would have felt we had received what we had paid for. This should not be a 4 star in my opinion more a 2+ star. Weather was very hot and all got lovley tans.. If you have booked to go here, hope this helps. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Atlantica Princess Apartments - Ixia Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - 2004 Opinion submitted in Mar 2005 by : Laura and Simon - Derbyshire Resort Rating: Excellent Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: THE MOST AMAZING HOLIDAY. The hotel is fantastic - definitely 4* standard. The rooms are spacious with big marble bathrooms!!! WE LOVED IT. The food was fab. so much choice and you can sit out on the terrace and look at the sea as you eat. the resort is great there is a brilliant cocktail bar just down the road from the hotel. everyone is so friendly and i would definitely go back. The pool is great...i could go on all day!!! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Atlantica Princess Hotel - Ixia Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - August 2004 Opinion submitted in Aug 2004 by : Zoe Rowe - Guernsey (50, 47, 16, 17) Resort Rating: Excellent Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: Arrived very early in the morning and went straight to bed. Woke up to the most stunning view of the sea from our balcony. All the hotel staff were extremely friendly and helpful and couldn't do enough for us. The entertainment team of Tracey, John, Yoyo and Sam worked tirelessly to ensure everybody enjoyed themselves. Loved their children's disco and good fun evening entertainment. Our teenagers happily went along with the organised activities (when they weren't sleeping off the night before)and we enjoyed watching from the comfort of our sunbeds. Well done Entertainment Team - you made an awful lot of people very happy. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Atlantica Princess Hotel - Ixia Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - August 2004 Opinion submitted in Aug 2004 by : Ann - Midlands Resort Rating: Very Good Accommodation Rating: Average My/Our Holiday Opinion: We arrived in Rhodes at 2.00 am. The heat hits you as soon as you get of the plane and it certainly is a different type of heat. I recommend buying a drink on the plane. The airport is rather basic for a popular holiday resort and it was quite time consuming, but the transfer from the airport only takes about 20 minutes. My first impression of the hotel was that it was reasonable, however, I question the four star status. However, the hotel staff were friendly and always willing to help. I was lucky to be awake early the next day to see people arising at 6.00 am to put their towels on sunbeds. Certainly if you have not bagged a sunbed by 7/8 ish you will not get one. This is a practice that I have never experienced before and it did put a dampener on the holiday and on one day did nearly lead to blows between two families. The pool is of a good size and there is also a children's pool available. Perhaps a bigger area for sunbeds could help resolve the sunbed issue, as it does get very cramped. We were half board and on arrival did consider upgrading to all-inclusive, as this was only 16 euros a day. I am glad that we did not do this as the meals although plentiful were very samey. The buffet style was great at first, however, after a few days it does get rather boring. You have to be careful about leaving your plate on the table if you go up for more food, as the waiting staff will snatch away any unattended plates. Also, breakfast plates are not big enough. I did consider taking down a 12-inch plate every day. Also, the bar service is a pain, especially when busy. Entertainment is provided throughout the day. This is more suited to children than adults and can get quite annoying after a few days when you find yourself singing cartoon heroes or mimic man over and over again. Entertainment manager Tracey puts in so much to her performances that she should be on a Broadway stage. The hotel is located in a good area. Despite being advertised as Ixia it is closer to Trianda, which consists of a range of bars and restaurants. Zorbos just outside the hotel does good food at reasonable prices. Beware of a snack bar place just before this, I can't remember it's name, but it has a picture of Marilyn Monroe in, as they are really slow and are reluctant to give you your bill until they get more customers. You could find yourself stuck here all day. Further along into Trianda you will find the sports bar and Molly's. The sports bar opens till late and the staff are very nice. Molly's does lovely food and staff are friendly. Another bar we frequented was the Yorkshire bar, also offering cheap drinks. My only gripe about this is the state of the ladies toilets, which make you heave. If you turn left out of the hotel you will be walking towards Ixia. Two bars we found here are the Two Friends bar and Philip's bar. The owners and staff of these bars are really friendly people. It is really sad that these bars are losing custom. In fact in this area a few bars have had to close down as a result of the hotels offering all-inclusive. We found these bars a great escape from the hotel and great places to relax. I am surprised that people go on holiday to a place like Rhodes and never venture out of the hotel, as a result they fail to experience Greek culture; furthermore, the drinks and food are of a much higher standard in bars such as these. All in all I did have a great holiday and met some great people like Moby, Dad and Poodle. I would go to this resort again, but I do not think I would go back to this hotel. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Atlantica Princess ApartHotel - Ixia Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - July 2004 Opinion submitted in Sept 2004 by : A Grant Resort Rating: Excellent Accommodation Rating: Very Good My/Our Holiday Review: We had a two week stay in the Atlantica Princess at the beginning of July. The hotel is very clean and well presented with a nice pool (although there started to be a lot of towels on sunbeds towards the end of our holiday). However, self caterers beware, it is geared up towards the all-inclusive people. The quality of the drinks is poor and quite high prices (interestingly we offered an upgrade to all inclusive for 35 euros per day; significantly cheaper than the pre-paid brochure price). The entertainment is not great and relies a lot on audience participation. My partner's daughter (11 yrs) enjoyed the kids club and there seemed to be a good variety of activities. We did have some problems with the hotel as we had paid for a one-bedroom apartment but were put in a studio (make sure you check) and the air-conditioning was not working. However, these were resolved quickly. The hotel is in a good location with the town of Trianda just a pleasant stroll away and shop and cafes just outside the hotel itself. One of our favourites was Debbie's Bar on the main road to Rhodes Town, just along from the BP garage (very friendly owners & all the UK telly). The beach is very close and although it is stony, it is a beautiful blue sea with views to Turkey. We escaped down there for peace and quiet when the pool started to a bit busier. All in all, I would recommend this hotel for couples and families. If you are self-catering, the cooking facilities are not great in the hotel. However, there are loads of bars and restaurants in the surrounding area so you are spoilt for choice and prices are reasonable. Unfortunately, the dominance of the all-inclusive hotels is affecting the local businesses quite badly. Rhodes is really beautiful island that has it all: sandy beaches, little rocky coves for snorkelling, historic towns and sites as well as a really good waterpark. We hired a car from the guy at the hotel which was very reasonable and the guy was very relaxed (no checks on the car when you returned it) The roads are pretty quiet so it's easy to build up confidence with driving abroad. Make sure you get out and about; so many people in the hotel did not move for two weeks! Just a bit of advice on the trips offers by the reps. We took the boat trip to Symi and bought the tickets directly at Rhodes Town harbour. We paid just 17 euros per adult compared to 35 euros per adult with the Holiday Company (same boat!). A taxi journey to Rhodes Town is about 8/9 euros. Also, we went to the Water Park in Falaraki by hire car. Go on a Wednesday as this is change over day for the holiday companies and it is really quiet. You must go to Lindos and Rhodes Town, both really beautiful historic towns. Evenings are a really good time to go, as it is much quieter and cooler. Overall, a very good and an excellent island- make sure you see it. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Atlantica Princess ApartHotel - Ixia Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - June 2004 Opinion submitted in July 2004 by : Julie, Karl - Nottingham (62,61,40,38,34,32,9,4,3) Resort Rating: Very Good Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: We all enjoyed this holiday at this fantastic hotel. The staff are very friendly and very helpful and speak good english!!! We went all inclusive and the choice of food was good. The nearest beach is shingle and not best for kids but we did book a trip to tsambika beach which is a excellent beach with lovely sand and clear blue sea. This cost 14 euro each adult and 7 euro each child. The resort is not far from rhodes town and costs 7-9 euro in a taxi. The hotel will call you the taxi!!! The entertainment during the day in the hotel was very good. The kids club is also good. We hired a couple of pushchairs for a day and this only cost 3 euro's. The entertainment at night is not the best but the kids did enjoy the mini disco. If you are considering booking this holiday you won't be disappointed. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Atlantica Princess Hotel - Ixia Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - May 2004 Opinion submitted in June 2004 by : Jo - Andover (50,49,46,39) Resort Rating: Very Good Accommodation Rating: Very Good My/Our Holiday Review: A 7am flight out from Gatwick was a little uncomfortable and cramped but it may have been the fact most of us had had no sleep do to an early check-in. However, it was great to reach the resort at a reasonable hour of the day. The first impressions of the hotel were very good, however it did take about an hour to get checked in - having a drink at the hotel bar soon relaxed us and hey we still had 13 days to look forward to. We had chosen to go self catering and we were allocated two rooms over the road from the hotel. They were both clean and very spacious with plenty of cupboard space. The maids were friendly and could not do enough for us. The room on the top floor had a nice view of the hotel pool. Parents were very well catered for with the First Choice reps looking after the children throughout the day with almost constant activities. However, we felt that the entertainment was inadequate for adult parties - but we choose not to have all inclusive so are happy to wander around the resorts and eat out at different places. The found the Atlantica Princess is located almost centrally in a quiet area between Ixia and Trianda. Turn left out of reception for Ixia and walking straight on will take you to Trianda. Recommended bars and restaurants . . . Philip's bar - claims to be the oldest bar in the area - the owner is quite a character. Napoli (Italian) on the main Ixia road - great food and made to feel very welcome. Molly's - the best british food in Trianda, in case you need a break from traditional greek food. Can be a little more expensive though. The Sports Cafe in Trianda - great cocktails - they spoil you rotten. Zorbas - just outside the hotel - superb breakfasts. First restaurant outside hotel, next to the toy shop, good food, nice and handy. Cheapest beer - Phillps Bar (2 euros per large beer) also there is a bar in the plaza in Trianda that shows live football (can't remember name) but drinks are cheap and they ply you with free drinks during the evening - unfortunately we only found it on our last night otherwise we would have visited more often. Hired a car from Nicolas who is based in the hotel. We paid 60 euros for a three day hire. We travelled around the whole island taking in the bottom of the island where the "two seas" (med and agean) meet, Tzambika beach, Lindos, Falaraki beach. It was well worth the money and the car was clean and well maintained. The roads were easy enough to drive on - just try to avoid ending up in Rhodes town - we were struggling to cope even with four pairs of eyes. Taxi to Rhodes town costs 8euros and the old town is a must - if you do eat there be careful where you choose - that's if you get the chance to choose. We found food and drinks a lot more expensive and the food quality was very disappointing. Flight home much more comfortable and only a little delay. This was the third time that I'd been to Rhodes and undoubtably the best. The Greeks as always make you feel so welcome and nothing seems to be of any trouble. Unfortunately this just means its harder to come home. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Atlantica Princess - Ixia Operator and Date: Eclipes - Date Not Specified Opinion submitted in Jan 2004 by : Shers, Daz, Gaz and families (39,40,37,37,36,36,15,13,8,7,7,3 Resort Rating: Very Good Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: The hotel is excellent, the staff are very helpfull, the food is very nice with plenty of choice. The surrounding pool area is top drawer, with a large pool (very clean). Some people moaned on this site about the bar been very slow but we didn`t find it a problem at all, you ordered your drinks at the till then picked them up as you walked round the bar, The bar staff cleared the bar very quickly, the most we waited was about 1 minute so you cant moan about that can you. The rooms are quite large with a nice shower and washing area. Sat TV in every room and also you can hire a fridge, which is recomended coz its gets very hot and you need a cool drink when you get back to the room. Each room has either a sea or pool view. We couldn`t say a bad word about the food (morning,day,or night) each meal was very nice. All the staff were very polite and helpfull. The hotel is just on the beach but the beach is a "no" "no" it is just a beach of large pebbles (no sand) so thats the only down side about the hotel. Walking distance to many shops and bars. If you want to hire a car dont get one from the hotel, it is much cheaper to walk across the road and get on from the car hire places. The entertainment team put on shows nearly every night, not fantastic but watchable and a lot better than most of the other hotels we have been in. we would recommend it to anyone in fact we have tried to get in again this year but at the moment we cant get in so that shows how good it is. A very nice hotel, very nice food and very nice people....Excellent. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Avra Beach - Ixia Operator and Date: (Olympic Direct) Olympic Opinion submitted in June 2006 by : Vivienne Dove (45, 43, 10) Resort Rating: Good Accommodation Rating: Very Good My/Our Holiday Review: Just arrived home from the Avra Beach. I wasn't looking forward to going because I wanted to stay in Lindos! (my husband booked it!). I have had to eat my words!!The hotel was kept very clean in all areas by the hard working staff. The restaurant offered a wide variety of dishes for everyone. I like the Greek food but my family wanted chips and pasta and there was always something for everyone. We were lucky because there was a few fantastic English families in the hotel, however, the germans and dutch beat us down to the sunbeds every day without fail. The hotel plan to clear towels between 8-8.30 to give everyone a chance but this doesn't start until 29th June. The staff were extremely friendly and helpful. We had to pay 9euros/day for the air conditioning because high season isn't until July (it was definitely worth it because there has been unseasonal highs for the last 2 weeks). However, we only found out from other guests that this was an option because when we asked about air conditioning the receptionist just said it wasn't available. The kids club was very poor although the staff operating it did their best with no equipment. The entertainment at night was quite good but finished early. The pool was excelent and you could swim in the sea from the very small pebble beach. Fantastic views of the sea and the sunset from the pool bar at night. For about 7 euros you could get a taxi into Rhodes Town. This was well worth it to see the sights in the daytime and at night. We had a drink in a couple of the local bars and shopped in the local supermarkets. I think you should patronise them to keep them there, it would be a bit monotonous if you just stayed in the hotel grounds for two weeks. We visited the water park in Falaraki - we had a brilliant day but be careful you don't get knocked over in the wave pool. Two very large men injured themselves! We also hired a car and drove to Lindos. This was cheaper than the reps trip. Overall we had a fantastic two weeks with families from Wakefield, North Shields and Leek. Congratulations to all of the staff. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Avra Beach - Ixia Operator and Date: (Olympic Direct) Olympic -August 2005 Opinion submitted in July 2006 by : Kate Richardson-Newcastle Resort Rating: Very Good Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: When we were landing in rhodes, the hotels on the beach looked excellent but when we were goin 2 arva beach on the bus frm the airport we were dropping people off and sayin i hope were not stayin here coz sum of the hotels were were really small but as we started going further into ixia the they were startin 2 nicer. Then we arrived and the hotel look grt and the staff were really helpful. The hotel its self was good really clean, food was basic, breakfast was nice but u cant get the bacon u do at home but we didnt complain. I wud recomend it 2 any1 and go bk anyday. Rhodes town is another grt attraction and full of shops that fab 4 me and a excellent island!!!!!!! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Avra Beach - Ixia Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook-aug 2005 Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : disley-40,37,14,6 Resort Rating: Good Accommodation Rating: Very Good My/Our Holiday Review: Arrived at 1.30am got soaked walking to our room due to the sprinklers in the gardens,our room was very spacious clean and comfortable,and it remained that way for the whole 2 weeks with clean bedding and towels every day.the food was good but got very repetative,and the bar was not the best in the world.the entertainment was a load of rubbish day time and evening we had to entertain ourselves.our jmc/thomas cook rep was never around to see so will never travel with them again.thank goodness the weather and the pool and the sea were great.dont forget to take some music with you to play in the daytime as they dont bother much. we wouldnt go back to the avra beach. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Avra Beach - Ixia Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook - May 2005 Opinion submitted in May 2005 by : Mike - Somerset (44,42,14,10) Resort Rating: Good Accommodation Rating: Very Good My/Our Holiday Review: Just back from a very enjoyable stay at Avra Beach. This is an excellent 'value for money' hotel. Do NOT go expecting top of the range luxury. However, you will get a well run, very clean hotel at a great price. Everywhere was kept clean by an army of cleaners, with our (spacious) bungalow cleaned daily. Staff were very helpful. Food and Drink were plentiful and very good. Large range of meats, plus salads and pasta. Cocktails were a treat. Reasonable selection of snacks available between meals. Pool was great for the kids, poolside great for adults to sit and relax. Lovely views from seating area across to Turkey. Pool-side bar very handy. Entertainment a bit basic, but it was early in the season. Kids disco every night, plus greek dancing, Bingo etc. The animation team work hard providing games for kids and adults. Some minor downsides.....Think it would get very cramped peak season. Organised trips very expensive...BUT just next door is 'Rhodes Island' shopping centre with a travel agents. go there - it's half the hotel prices. All in All - 'Did what it said on the tin'. Excellent value for money. Would recommend it. Ixia is a well developed costal strip, a few miles south of Rhodes Town. Nothing special, but OK. Reasonable selection of shops, bars, restaurants etc. Do NOT go there is you want a sandy beach. A 10 minute taxi ride into Rhodes town. A must do. Visit the wonderful 'old town' with its medievial streets. Try and go on Yuesday or Saturday afternoons and walk the old town walls. Definitely climb the clock tower - hard work but worth it. Rhodes Town is the place to go for boat trips. I recommend popping over to Symi. Beautiful place, especially the harbour-side. Taxi from Ixia costs 7 euros. Catch a return taxi from next to the harbour. Rhodes is great. The people are nice. The prices are cheap. GO There - Soon !!! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Avra Beach - Ixia Operator and Date: (Olympic Direct) Olympic - 2005 Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : jan dave brad 42,40.12 Resort Rating: Average Accommodation Rating: Good My/Our Holiday Review: hotel on first look round v.impressive and clean.staff v.helpful and friendly shop on site for essentials.room clean,and was cleaned v.well every day . tho for 3 of us was cramped balcony tiny but air con great..pool was nice and beach a stones throw away lovely clear warm water. only draw back it was a pebble beach, so take ur waterproof shoes as the stones cane!get up by 7.30 to get a sunbed too as the notorious germans get in first. we went to the beach every day and hired 2 sunbeds and umbrella for 7 euros.the thing that amused us was that we were there with mainly brits, spanish and italians.all of which couldnt get up in time to beat the german bed stampede ha ha.nice breeze there tho ,it was needed as the temp got up to 40degrees so we got the last laugh. . bit annoyed that the entertainment by the poolside every evening was mostly geared up for german and dutch guests, made us feel bit pushed out.we couldnt understand most of it, mind u on looking maybe that wasnt a bad thing tee hee.but .food v nice but bit repetative,drinks local and ok apart from the wine.id avoid the cocktails too unless you like syrup!.a must to visit if u want a bit of brit companionship is "the white corner" or "billys bar" as everyone called it, not a loud yobbo pub just mainly couples and families..turn left out of hotel and its about 100 yds on opposite side of the rd.billy ,a local,. was great, very hospitable n funny 2. large tv screens showing films, footie, corrie etc...lovely atmosphere and decent drinks!we had a lot of laughs there, met some great people we didnt go 2 complex after finding this bar.please say hi from us if u see bill.rhodes town is a must to visit day or night los of shops girls!. only 7 euros by taxi. some of the advised places to visit on the island a bit dissapointing.one of the ruins were shut on a monday so do check.ixia is pleasant to stroll along and look at shops and have meals,drinks but not for the disco boppers really.we had a pleasant stay but if went back would pick somewhere on outskirts of rhodes town.hope this has helped you.have a nice holiday. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Avra Beach - Ixia Operator and Date: (Thomson Holidays Direct) Thomson Holidays July 31st - 7th August Opinion submitted in Aug 2004 by : Heva Johnson- Essex (52,50,25,26,15) Resort Rating: Excellent Accommodation Rating: Very Good My/Our Holiday Review: our flight from stansted to rhodes was very trouble free, the flight was good with film, once we arrived at the rhodes airport, getting a cab from the airport to the hotel was very easy, and very cheap,around 11 euro's, once we arrived at avra beach, our first impresstion once we turned up at the hotel was very good, the reception spoke very good english and issued us with a avra beach band and some leaflets about the area and what u can do there, our view from the our room was very nice over lookin the sea and the pool, (room 319. our room was very clean and linen and towels was cheanged everyday, room kept very spotless by the maids. everywhere around the area was very clean. the first few days we missed geting a poolside sunbed, but that wasnt a probleme as we went on to the beach, afer a couple of days we got up earlier and manged to get a bed by the pool, the food there was very good alot of choice, for all ages. pool was very lovely with a little pool jacquizi. there wasnt many english people there over all 20 over people was there. At night there was some hotel enterainment. after havin a few alcholic drinks we then went and a hot drink and went back to our room, the air condistioning was very good, sometimes had to turn it off as it got to cold! over all we enjoyed the holiday at Avra Beach immensisly, if your going for a relaxin holiday then this is the place for u. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Avra Beach - Ixia Operator and Date: (Thomson Holidays Direct) Thompson - July 2004 Opinion submitted in Aug 2004 by : Steve Spofforth Resort Rating: Good Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: Great holiday. The hotel was fantastic, food very good, loads of it, lots of choice. Rooms clean with working air con, cleaned every day. Small fridge in room and safe. Only one problem that hotel resolved after a few days was the Germans. 1st night at 2330 we watched the germans reserve all the sun loungers for the next day with towels. Next day they were turning up at 3 in the afternoon to use the loungers reserved the night befor. After a couple of days the hotel management collected all the towels up at 0730. As the germans arrived that day they were not happy, but we loved it!! Hotel pool bar was good, brandy and scotch poor, but coctails and beer good. never had to que for more that 5 mins for drink and que jumping germans were sent to back of que by the bar staff. We would recomend this hotel to everyone, we had a great holiday -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Avra Beach - Ixia Opinion submitted in July 2004 by : 25 and 26 - Date Not Specified Resort Rating: Average Accommodation Rating: Average My/Our Holiday Review: If you are looking to fall into a quick coma - then the Avra Beach is defiantely the place to be. Dont get me wrong, the food is lovely (but very repetitive), the drinks are plentiful (but very limited choice) and the hotel is always clean and tidy. But my god is it boring. My husband and i went away (having been to Rhodes before) and we were not expecting a huge nightlife or entertainment, but some would have been nice. We were bored senseless - to say the least!!! The entertainment in the hotel could not be any worse, in fact one night there was a 50 year old fat bellydancer who (I think-or looked like) she had never done it before in her life. Be aware that you will still spend money as you will have to leave the hotel due to boredom. The resort of Ixia is a bit quite, with quiet bars and a few eateries, but on the whole very boring. The hotel looks lovely, the pool area is always cleaned. You will NEVER get a sun-bed so dont even try!!! The noise in the hotel at nights is bad with people running through the corridor (as it all echo's and is all marble). The food is always warm and topped up, we though on the first few days that it was great, but soon you notice that it is the same stuff every single day and it gets a bit repetitive. But you can always go out. Rating: Excellent for peace and relaxation -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Belair Beach Hotel - Ixia Operator and Date: (Olympic Direct) Olympic - sep 2006 Opinion submitted in September 2006 by : The Mole Family LEEDS Resort Rating: Good Accommodation Rating: Very Good My/Our Holiday Review: We have just come back from a 2 week holiday staying at the Bel Air Beach Hotel. We had a fantastic time and thought the hotel was great. The staff were very friendly and helpful, especially the receptionists. The rooms were very comfortable and clean (maid service every day), with free air conditioning (July - Sept), a fridge, hairdryer, TV and a fantastic shower. However, we had to pay 20 Euros for the fortnight for the safety deposit box in the room. The food was very nice, with a good variety both at breakfast and in the evening. Ate out 3 times at Restaurant Alexandros in Ixia and would recommend this. Ate out once in Rhodes Old Town (Zorbas), which was expensive and crp! Majority of the rooms have great sea views or overlook the pool. There is also a tennis court,table tennis and a pool table which would have been better if someone hadn't nicked the white ball! We were really happy with this hotel and would defintely stay there again. The private beach which is across the very busy road is great to spend your days soaking up the sun and is run by Yiannis who is very friendly and likes to chat. It can be quite windy some days, but this is actually very welcome as it makes the hot weather more bearable. If your hiring a car or a scooter be aware that the roads are very busy and a bit daunting when approaching junctions as everyone goes for the gap! Visited: Valley of the butterflies (5 Euros each), which was a bit of a let down as the butterflies are all one species and once you've seen one ..... Seven springs - which was an even bigger let down as there really isn't much there. Kallithea - not too far from Ixia and would recommend this as both the spa and the surrounding area is very pretty. Anthony Quinn Beach (Ladiko) - a small cove which is very busy and not that spectacular. Lindos - worth visiting, with a lovely acropolis which doesn't take that long to reach on foot. However, it does get busy in the day time. Rhodes Town - definitely the highlight of the island. The Old Town is gorgeous, especially at night, but as you would expect prices are much higher. The new town and the harbour is also worth a good look around. Taxis from Ixia cost 6 Euros. All in all we had a great time and wouldn't hesitate to go back to Rhodes again. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Belair Beach Hotel - Ixia Operator and Date: (Airtours Direct) Airtours - Aug 2006 Opinion submitted in September 2006 by : Paul Upton - Bristol (38, 33) Resort Rating: Good Accommodation Rating: Very Good My/Our Holiday Review: You get mixed reports as to the hotel's star rating - some say 3, others (inc. the hotel!) say 4. I would suggest it's nearer a 3 than a 4. That said, the hotel is very clean and certainly not unpleasant on the eye. The same can be said about the rooms which are also of a good size and everything works. The hotel staff are, without exception, the most cheerful, pleasant people you could expect to meet and a credit to their country. It's a pity the same couldn't be said about many of the guests, in particular the spanners who insisted on wearing sunglasses at dinner, but I guess that's outside the hotel's remit! The food is plentiful and, from my experience, typical of what one can expect from a Greek hotel buffet - namely lots of meat (shame as we are both veggie), Greek salad, and whilst it's not going to win any gastronomic awards, perfectly edible. There's a private beach, but as with all the western Rhodes coastline in that area at least, it's not the best, with mostly pebbles, wind and very choppy water. We found the beaches on the east coast to be generally much better and only around half an hour's drive or so from Ixia. If you're after a lively, sandy beach, we found Faliraki surprisingly good. We'd recommend Popeye's tour (15 Euros pp) which goes from the harbour there and takes you to a few nearby coves, inc. Anthony Quinn Bay which is wonderful for snorkelling. Do also get to the various coves at Kalithea (just north of Faliraki) as these have big stretches of shallow water and are therefore particularly good for young children. Rhodes town is also very pleasant, being divided into the old town built within the ancient fortress and the new part where the shopping is a lot less touristy. A great blend and certainly the old town is somewhere you can spend a lot of time in the evenings. Getting around Rhodes by taxi is also very good - we never experienced anything but very reasonable fares and helpful drivers. Overall, I would certainly recommend the hotel as good value-for-money. I would not say that Ixia itself is the best place to stay, but it is conveniently located in terms of access to other parts of the island eg Rhodes Town, airport etc. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Belair Beach Hotel - Ixia Operator and Date: (Olympic Direct) Olympic - July 2006 Opinion submitted in August 2006 by : Alan - Grimsby 48 and son Ben 9 Resort Rating: Below Average Accommodation Rating: Very Good My/Our Holiday Review: Ixia is a small and quiet little resort and doesn't have much to offer. Just a few restaurants and bars and very little in the way of entertainment. The hotel is quite small with just 164 rooms but that's a plus point as you get a friendly face from all the employees and has a relaxed feel. (No fighting for sunbeds around the substantial pool, or rushes for the dining room!)I can't praise the staff highly enough. They were the nicest hotel staff I've ever come across and they made our stay a very pleasent one. Everything is basic but spotlessly clean, the rooms having a fridge, (ours didn't work!)a tv with German? Sky, great air con and a great powerful shower in the bathroom!!! ( The food unfortunately also very basic and samey but edible enough. The pool was nice and deep but there was a bad smell on occasions which I never discovered the source of as it came and went. We didn't spend much time in Ixia as it was too quiet for us, but a 10 minute taxi ride to wonderful Rhodes Town only cost 6 euros if flagged down and 7 euros if ordered from reception. We had a fantastic holiday in Rhodes! :) However, I wouldn't go back as we feel we did most of what the island has to offer and need more to keep us interested. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Belair Beach Hotel - Ixia Operator and Date: Air Tours - July 2006 Opinion submitted in July 2006 by : David and Marilyn Taylor - Bo'ness (58,56) Resort Rating: Good Accommodation Rating: Average My/Our Holiday Review: We stayed in this hotel in July 2006 and had mixed views on it. LOCATION - Isis is quite a quiet resort and not for those seeking a wild nightlife. Street lighting is poor (if it exists at all) ACCOMMODATION - Comfortable with all necessary amenities and nice views from the rooms. Fridge included which is quite handy for keeping water and other perishable goods in. STAFF - Very friendly and helpful in most departments especially reception. Bar staff didn't look or act as though they enjoyed their jobs. RESTAURANT - Self service. Food edible but not to our taste. Lacked variety and in our opinion let the hotel down by its quality. Not keen on self service but the food was some of the poorest we have ever experienced in a 3* hotel of this type. Saved by the fact that it is often worthwhile opting for half board in the knowledge that there is never usually that much difference in price between self catering package holidays and HB. We therefore left ourselves with the option of eating elsewhere which we did for 50% of the time. POOL - Clean and no annoying booking of loungers with towels. Loungers always available and area quite a pleasant environment although, occasional sewage smells permeated the air. POOL CAFE / BAR - Friendly staff and reasonable snack food. LOUNGES - Clean and well maintained. EATING OUT - Plenty of restaurants but practically all with a sameness about them. You know the type, with pictures of dishes outside. We discovered a very good restaurant called the GOURMET (turn left up the side of the the Coconut restaurant) where a husband and wife team prepare food of a high standard including a Greek MEZE. The food is more expensive than the run of the mill bars but the quality is of a 5* standard. Try it at least once and you will not be disappointed! Sadly, because it is off the main thoroughfare by about 150 yards it does not get the custom it deserves. HIGHLIGHT - The highlight of our holiday was a jeep safari arranged via the holiday rep. This was a great way to see the island and in the company of jovial hosts (English)who know the island well and make the trip interesting and an adventure.Ray our host was superb and full of banter and interesting facts about the places and customs. Enjoy the Bacardi sponsored safari shelter(man made) where they provide you with a light lunch of bread, cheese, tomato and wine. Excellent value this trip. OTHER TOURS - We went to Lindos but didn't consider it value and could easly have got a local bus from Rhodes Town for about a third of the price. GENERAL - Rhodes has not been subjected to incomers investment (sensible Greeks) so the resorts are more basic than Spain. They could do a bit more with the sea front areas to provide more pleasant walking environments. A lot of history to the island but historical sites are in danger as they do not get enough protection from the masses. Don't think we would go back to Rhodes but can't really fault the island. The people are certainly pleasant and friendly. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bel air Hotel - Ixia Operator and Date: (Olympic Direct) Olympic Holidays - May 2006 Opinion submitted in June 2006 by : Sarah - Manchester, 2 Resort Rating: Average Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: I stayed at the Bel Air in May 2006. I found the hotel to superb. Very clean and pleasant, esp the restaurant staff and reception staff. Also, Yannis the man at the beach, he was always very pleasant and asking about England. I felt Ixia wasn't a place for young ones (me and my friend). Ixia during the time we spent there was full of the older generation and some children. I wouldn't recommend to anybody seeking to party (may be this will change in summer months, i.e July, August). We found it to be too quiet. There was a lovely bar which was Fat Boy slims. We always had a great night there. It was owned by a English guy. The cocktails where freshly made whilst you were waiting. Overall the holiday was a relaxing one... -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Belair Beach Hotel - Ixia Operator and Date: (Airtours Direct) Airtours-Oct 2005 Opinion submitted in Oct 2005 by : Don and Deb (35 32) Resort Rating: Average Accommodation Rating: Average My/Our Holiday Review: We went to the Bel Air 05/10/2005-12/10/2005. The actual hotel, reception, bar, and rooms were fine. The shower was fantastic, probably the most powerful we've ever had. Over the week the food in the hotel deteriorated. Neither of us are vegetarians,but we still found the choice very limited. There was spaghetti and a tomato sauce every night. The food was greasy, not well presented, the desserts were repetative with a choice of 2 plus the same ice creams every night. Opposite the hotel was a really nice resturant called something like the Iyalssion centre. Good Greek food. In Rhodes old town was a very nice restaurant just off Socratus called Romeos. A very worthwhile trip was Lindos. From Rhodes town you can get a bus which takes about an hour and 20 mins. Walk up to the Acropolis. The Taxis around Rhodes are quick and inexpensive. From Ixia to Rhodes Town will cost you about 6 euros. Overall the hotel was fine not worthy of its A class rating. Rhodes old town very interesting and picturesque. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Belair Beach Hotel - Ixia Operator and Date: (Airtours Direct) Airtours - June/July 2005 Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : Ricky Lewis - Lincoln 16 Resort Rating: Very Good Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: We could not find any fault with Hotel Belair Beach at all. The Staff, The Rooms, The Food, THE PRICE were all excellent. The resort of Ixia was alot bigger and better than we had expected. The hotel is about a 5 minute walk from the bars and restaurants. We ate out in Ixia 1 night out of the 14 just to try something different. At night time we tended to stick to the same couple of bars: Velois - An English Bar Argo Both were really good and had great staff! Everyone in Ixia are really friendly and cant do enough for you. The hotel has its own private beach. If you go down to the private beach you will find Yannis, and Greek man that will sit and talk to you and then you struggle to get rid of him, but he is really friendly and a couple of times came down with Beers for the people on the beach!! Behind the reception in the hotel you will find a lady called Mika, she is really helpful and if you have anything wrong with you, she'll tell you whats best to sort it out. The food in the hotel was very nice but very repetative, however there is ALWAYS something there that you'll like. I would say that Ixia is there for a family holiday mainly, but everyone who was there that we spoke to enjoyed it. I wouldn't hesitate to go back. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Belair Beach Hotel - Ixia Operator and Date: (Thomson Holidays Direct) Thomson Holidays Jun 2005 Opinion submitted in Apr 2006 by : Alex, Tania 35, 27 Resort Rating: Good Accommodation Rating: Very Good My/Our Holiday Review: One reason we picked Ixia, because got a fair deal for the hotel. Rest of money went on 11 day car rental. And we weren't wrong. Hotel - beautiful, well kept, refurbished, built in 70's style, had a charm, ALL rooms have sea view!! Magnificent one. Rhodes - you can find it all. History, clean ocean, nice beaches, adventure. fun. The best thing - wherewer you go, you are back at hotel for dinner, no problem. Delicious eating-out as well. These guys ower there have mastered tourism like no place, and We have seen the med. no hurrasing and dirt like turkey, no sour faces and lack of manners like croatia, no hard industry like Spain. Everything in Rhodes is cool and smooth. Recommend. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Belle Helene - Ixia Operator and Date: excel holidays - 2005 / 2006 Opinion submitted in June 2006 by : ALBERT SHIRLRY JAMIE. HAROLD Resort Rating: Very Good Accommodation Rating: Average My/Our Holiday Opinion: Hotel owners are ok. Take plenty of insect repelant as there are plenty of all kinds including cock roaches dont pay for the air conditioning as the remote to work it is in a sealed unit and you cant use it to increase. We found this to be a total rip off you could not tell it was on and at 8 euro a night is not so good. There are plenty of places to eat and plenty of supermarkets and if you want money changing use a little supermarket just down the street called the partners always give top rates both on cheques and cash going left from the belle helene. And across the road. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Belle Helene - Ixia Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook - august 2005 Opinion submitted in Jan 2006 by : michael (22) and jennifer (20) Resort Rating: Good Accommodation Rating: Average My/Our Holiday Review: the hotel/apartment was small and family run. the owners, nikos and irmgard, were pleasant but not very talkative! we had to pay a huge cost of e8 per day for the air conditioning, which really mounts up over a two week stay as you really cant live without out it! if your thinking of visiting rhodes, we would recommend you did not go in august unless you can handle heat as hot as the sun! the hotel was clean, although the rooms were small. our view was nothing special, although we did have two balconies. the pool was clean and there is a bar which serves alcohol, soft drinks and food. we did not try the food, as there is a selection of bars and restaurants availible at close range. one of the closest restaurants "my place" is great value for money and has the nicest owner who remembered us every time we visited . there are not many bars but you can walk up towards rhodes town which has a huge strip of bars and places to eat. we took a trip to lindos, well worth a visit. you can take a donkey ride up the steep hill which is definately recommended, as the walk up this steep mountain at the peak heat of the day is enough to make you faint! but it is worth the trip for the amazing views and the sights of the acropolis. this holiday was really on budget for both of us. and if your on a low budget then this is definately recommended for a very enjoyable holiday. However we will probably not be returning in the near future -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hotel Blue Bay - Ixia Operator and Date: 20-08-2005 Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : Resort Rating: Below Average Accommodation Rating: Below Average My/Our Holiday Review: Food is always the same,and cold. planes about 40 meter up your hotel the must time of the day and night. people of the hotel are not nice. beer is mixed with water. drinks are deliverd in plastic its smels like plastic. rooms are nice ,animatie good but cheap no shows like spain. see beautiful, pools are oke. no chip maschine for money. elivitor must time defect. breakfast very poor.no package store when youre living the hotel by evening.security is noting this hotel is not all inclusief for food ore drinks.the food is very bad we even so mades ,the restaurant is very old but they are renoviting so about a few years ir could by nice.but save your may for a other hotel on the east side the see is perfect and rhodos is great to sea we have good wheater rent a car for a week is better and make every day a ride to somting to visit lay in the sun at midday. Next time we are going again to spain its better and cheaper there more for your mooney Blue Blay hotel is not good hotel sorry but is true al lot of people where over bookt. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Blue Bay Beach Resort - Ixia Operator and Date: med hotels, june 2005 Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : Debby Breslin and family, 28,31,8 Resort Rating: Very Good Accommodation Rating: Average My/Our Holiday Review: We have just returned from the blue bay and would recommend this hotel to anyone with young children. The hotel facilities are excellent, the food fresh, tasty and there is plenty of choice. there is also a snack bar with plenty of choice - sandwiches, pizza, salad, fruit, pasties, ands lots more available all day every day. The hotel rooms are basic but that wasnt a problem for us as we only spent a few hours in the room per day. The animation team are excellent, they work really hard every day and get all the hotel guests involved in activities including water polo, darts, volley ball, football. the list of activities is endless and its impossable to get bored. My son loved the kids club, that suprised me as he never usually wants to join them. We will definetly be going back, we usually go to spain but I think the people in Greece are far friendlier and thats what makes the holiday. The location is just stunning, the sea is bright blue and clean. There is a good local bus service that stops at the hotel every day but can get full so be there early! The all-inclusive drinks are ok, only local beer, wine and spirits. The soft drinks are nice, and theres plenty of free bottled water. My husband enjoyed the local beer (he will only drink Stella) so thats saying something! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Blue Bay Seaside Resort Hotel - Ixia Operator and Date: lastminute.com July 2004 Opinion submitted in Oct 2004 by : Louise Gillen (37,18,16) Resort Rating: Very Good Accommodation Rating: Very Good My/Our Holiday Review: he hotel is situated right on the beachin a very quiet area. There are 3 swimming pools, all very nice, and with kiddies areas.You have to pay for the sun loungers. The food was plentiful, and a wide range at every sitting. Tables were cleared very quickly by the staff,and the food was checked/re-filled constantly, even in peak times.Food was available from 7am until midnight every day! Drinks were quite limited in choice for the all inclusive, basic spirits & soft drinks, wine & beer,but plentiful in amount, and what more could you want?! All staff were friendly and efficient. Our room was airy, big & spotless, cleaned every day, fresh towels were left most days. We had a shower & a bath, 2 bedrooms and a balcony overlooking the pool, sea & Turkish coastline. The planes do go over the hotel, and are exciting to watch. They loop round the coastline of Turkey & then in to Rhodes. We watched the magnificent sunset every evening,sinking behind Turkey, from the taverna, sipping wine,on the beach terrace. There is entertainment in the day if you want to join in, and at night, including a late night disco in the hotel. Rhodes Town is only approx 15 minute bus ride away and worth a visit, as is Lindos by boat. We had fun and would go back. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Blue Eyes Apartments - Ixia Operator and Date: (Thomson Holidays Direct) Thomson Holidays - August 2005 Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : Vicky - Birmingham (6 girls - all aged 18) Resort Rating: Very Good Accommodation Rating: Very Good My/Our Holiday Review: Blue Eyes apartments is just off the main road, close to everything - beach, restaurants and shops. We were very impressed with these apartments - they were very basic but extremely clean. Quite a big balcony, bathroom is quite small. All in all - excellent apartments. Service from the staff is also good - cleaners come in everyday, clean sheets and towels 3 times a week. Good bar downstairs with cheap drinks!! Just round the corner is an excellent restuarant - Dimitrios. Excellent food and very cheap. It is only a short taxi ride into Rhodes Town where there is a huge strip of bars and clubs, but doesn't get lively until about 11/11.30pm - only 6euros in a taxi (but beware it is full of greeks!). Most evenings we went to Faliraki - as everyone there was english! - and it is not as bad as its reputation. We had no problems there, only downfall is that it was 14euros in a taxi, which isn't too bad if there is 3 or 4 of u in a taxi. The main club there is called Qclub and its really good. Dancing on the bar etc....! The beach is literally about 3 mins away from the apartments which is good, but the beach isn't anything special. It is particularly stoney in some parts and u have to swim out a little bit to avoid the stones! There is not much of a current though so swimming in it is quite safe. On one part of the beach, u can do watersports eg. Jetski's, pedlo's, windsurfing, and its not too expensive either. its appoximately 4euros to rent a sunbed each for the day - so quite good. all in all a good holiday! the only downfall is that the hotel didn't have its own pool, so we used a pool that was 5 mins from the apartments. pool wasn't that big but was clean and not too cold! the pool also had a snack bar so you could order food and drink throughout the day. All in all a very good holiday. Will definately be going back again! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Blue Roses Apartments - Ixia Operator and Date: Olympic Aug 07 Opinion submitted in August 2007 by : Tasha - Nottinghamshire all 18 Resort Rating: Very Good Accommodation Rating: Very Good My/Our Holiday Review: We booked a last min deal, and we ended up going to Ixia... we also had extra accomodation called Blue Roses - to be fair i was thinking "oh god".. We are all young girls, who fancied a quiet but good holiday at the same time and i loved every min. Our apartments were basic but very clean, the owner is very friendly.. the apartments was next to everything. A mile strips of foooood !!Loved it. We had to get bus/taxi to travel into Rhodes and Faliraki but the bus is only 1 euro 80 and taxi into Rhodes 7 and Faliraki was 14. Cant really tell u much about them places as we went for the alcohol. U need to visit a resturant called Fatmans Slims. English bar and proper english food and the prices are fantastic My only down side to Ixia was the main road which is a nightmare to cross and the greeks wouldnt think twice doing 70/80 mph whilst eating their sandwich and also the beach is very pebbly, but u get a gorgeous breeze on the beach where in Rhodes u dont ! I will be going back there nexy year, i loved every minute of it ! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hotel Capsis - Ixia Operator and Date: (Thomson Holidays Direct) Thomson Holidays July 2004 Opinion submitted in Aug 2004 by : Norma McGovern - Dundee (48,53) Resort Rating: Average Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: Hotel Capsis is a wonderful hotel with all the amenities you would expect from an hotel of this standard. Lovely swimming pools (not too deep) and there was no shortage of sunbeds or brollies. The food was above average with a good selection, although, we chose to eat out every other night. Most of the restuarants were very good and reasonably priced. We found the staff to be very nice and friendly although the bar prices (as you would expect in a hotel of this standard) were extortionate. Best to take advantage of the several happy hours at different locations in the hotel. (They don't seem to want the customers to know about them, so do ask for the times). Also, if you are on half board you can get a ten euro discount, per person, off the prices of the a la carte poolside restaurant if you choose not to take dinner in the general restaurant. The meals there were very nice and with the discount you would pay just what you would at any restuarant in the resort. You can do this as many times as you like. We found the resort to be a bit too quiet. It is a very long resort and the Capsis is at the end of Ixia going towards Rhodes. All the big hotels are situated on this stretch of road and it is a good 20 minute walk till you get to the more built up area. We found that there were only one or two bars with any kind of entertainment, (karaoke, saxaphonist) and that most were only half full. The same appeared to be the case with the restuarants. On speaking to one long standing local bar owner, he explained the problem was due to the large number of all inclusive hotels in Ixia which is preventing many, many people from venturing out in the evening (or day). As they have "already paid" for everything, they are reluctant to leave the confines of their hotel. This is having an adverse effect on the many bars, restaurants and shops with many closed up. Although I would return to Rhodes and I loved the hotel Capsis, I would not return to Ixia. Rhodes Town is much more appealing to us and we would consider going there in the future. Old Town Rhodes is lovely but beware of eating/drinking at any of the restaurants just as you go into any of the "gates" of the old town. There is a good chance that you might get ripped off (as we found out). They do the usual, entice you in and as you are usually gasping for a refreshment it is tempting to do so. Always ask for the menu so you can check the price of the drinks, etc. We didn't. We ordered one beer and one fruit juce and were charged 13 euros!!!! So beware. On the whole Rhodes island is a lovely place, the locals are very friendly and do not hassle you the way some others do. One unexpected incident that we experienced was quite a substantial earth tremor!!!! which emanated from Turkey but don't let that put you off. The temperature in Ixia is very nice as there is usually a breeze which helps to keep you cool. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Club Elina - Ixia Operator and Date: (Kosmar Discounts) Kosmar - aug 2005 Opinion submitted in Mar 2006 by : Wentworth family (Kym 36, Alan 38, Talie 8 Sammi 6) Resort Rating: Excellent Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: Just one word sums up the whole experience - FANTASTIC! The service from Kosmar at the airport was friendly and very professional, we were at our hotel within 40 minutes of landing! There's a first! Lovely hotel, couldn't fault it and we were made so welcome by the staff. The restaurant manager remembered us after just one visit- really makes you feel important and welcome. Kosmar rep, Mel, was the best we have had in any holiday - knew the island inside out and nothing was too much trouble. She even gave us her personal tel number and popped in on her day off to give us a travel iron to borrow. You absolutely MUST visit Lindos and the waterpark in Faliraki was superb. All in all a fab time and the entertainers have to be commended for their hard work. The last nights show was a laugh and a half - ladies get your men involved and your in for a real treat. Thanks to Maria, Eleni, Katerina and all Kosmar staff for the best holiday to date. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hotel Cosmopolitan - Ixia Operator and Date: Thomas Cook - July 2007 Opinion submitted in July 2007 by : E and G - Hampshire Resort Rating: Excellent Accommodation Rating: Good My/Our Holiday Review: We arrived at the Cosmopolitan Hotel with some trepidation due to some of the critical and negative reviews we had read. On arrival at approx 0200am on a Sunday morning at the beginning of July, we were greeted by 2 male reception staff who immediately gave us our room key (264) and then one transported us and our luggage to our room in a nearby annex to the main hotel. The room on first site was a little dated but spotlessly clean. The bed was a bit creaky due to the wooden slats moving every time one of us turned over and the pillows were uncomfortable - but these are minor criticisms to what became a brilliant holiday staying at a wonderfully friendly hotel. All the staff at the hotel are extremely helpful and always do their best to cater to guests needs. The chambermaids were friendly as were the reception staff - who were polite, helpful and professional. Two special people should get their own mention - Spiros and Kiki from the dining room were amazing. They never stopped working at a frantic pace. Both were always smiling and could never do enough to help. They always made us feel wecomed and special and are a credit to the Cosmopolitan. The hotel is sited just outside the main part of Ixia. The road outside is very busy and can be difficult and dangerous to cross but an undergound pass is available directly outside the hotel. Taxis are always available to take you anywhere - just 6 euro's to Rhodes town. A great day out to Lindos by boat is recommended - beautiful town on a hillside with turquoise clear water and sandy beach below. Butterfly Valley enjoyable and pretty but not an awful lot to see. Be careful of the timeshare/property touts on scooters who love to collar british holiday makers with their "oh you have won major prize on our scratch card - we just need 90mins of your time". Don't be fooled. They offer you a free taxi ride to a hard sale in Triander a nearby town. I'd rather not waste precious holiday time, but that's individual choice. We also did a day trip to Turkey. This was enjoyable with the only minus being the constant attentions of the Bazaar shop owners. Interesting and lovely scenery though. Food in the hotel was wonderful - always plenty of choice and always hot. You can have as much to eat and drink as you want. I cannot fault the menu or standard of food offered. Entertainment is ok for those wanting to stay around the hotel. All in all I would recommend a stay at the Cosmopolitan to anyone. We will definately return in the future. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hotel Cosmopolitan - Ixia Operator and Date: first choice - July 2007 Opinion submitted in July 2007 by : louise michael denson cambs Resort Rating: Very Good Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: the hotel is set in very nice grounds but is on a main road which can be very busy the beach can be accessed by a underground tunnel which you do want to use as the cars dont slow down for anyone!the reception staff are helpful but there english wasnt brillant so be patient,it is air conditioned which was very welcoming as we went in july and it was very hot as are the rooms which we found to be of a very high standard very clean maids came in every day with clean towels in fact we coudnt fault the rooms at all. The food wasnt wot we expected breakfast was ok if you enjoy your chips plenty of fruit,cereal bacon and eggs were there if you wanted,the evening meal was again ok you wouldnt go hungry but it was very similar most nights we did go and eat in Rhoudes old town a couple of nights would recommend mamma sofia as it was very good service wide menu and very good value for money.drinks in the hotel were deer but Adam the barman was a great source of entertainment Yannis bar out the front of the hotel is well worth a visit cheesy music excellent service and cheaper than the hotel for drinks.The hotel is in a good site for the local bus but they dont always run to the timetable taxi rank is staight accross the road about 6euros each way you will be in rhoudes town in 10mins.we went to butterfly valley its quite a way out but not worth the 10euros to get in only saw 1 type of butterfly which you could of seen for free in the cafe next door.Lindos is well worth going to for great views and shopping,you have the choice of walking up to the acropolis or taking a donkey! All in all we had a very good holiday as this was our first time to greece we will look to go again to another island. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hotel Cosmopolitan - Ixia Operator and Date: First Choice. June 2007 Opinion submitted in July 2007 by : Jean and Ray. Leeds Resort Rating: Good Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: After reading reviews, we went to The Cosmopolitan with an open mind, and thankfully had a wonderful holiday. Our room was lovely, comfortable beds air-con and kept spotlessly clean on a daily basis. The receptionists were outstanding with their cheerful natures and always there to help. The pool is large and again spotlessly clean and the bar staff were efficient and friendly. If we were to have 1 criticism it would be the evening entertainment.. or lack of!! There was a tourist Greek Night and a Karaoke night, but other than that the poor entertainment drove us out. But that was great as it happens.. more later! The food was excellent, always hot with loads of variety, and we were looked after and our every wish pandered to by Spiros and Kiki, who worked tirelessly and happily. However, watch out for the Maitre D (he is called Stavros!). He is VERY pushy for you to leave dinner and visit his sons bar called CLIK (right next door to the hotel). It is called Clik for a reason, and that is that he cliks with the staff of the hotel, and tourists are very much second class citizens! The bar was soulless and totally boring. The plus side is that if you walk passed about 20 yds, you will come across a "gem" called History Bar. It is run by Aris, who is charming, extremely funny, tells a wealth of humorous stories, and generous with his measures!! He will accommodate you with your choice of music, his snacks are excellent and the atmosphere is to die for. We danced, sang, enjoyed peace and tranquility as we watched the sunset over the Turkish mountains, we were frequently there to enjoy sunrise also, as Aris will stay open as long as you wish. And we laughed all week. Aris is an absolute star and a credit to Greek bars and entertainment. We can't wait to go there again in the not too distant future! The Old Town is a must, and apart from the seeping history and the beautiful medieval architecture a visit to Romeo's Restaurant is highly recommended. Giorgos and Heidi (the owners) are sweet people, the food is excellent and a live bazooka band plays quietly every night. Very romantic!! If you want to rock and roll, then go to Colorado's (Bar Street in new town)..live band from 11pm to 6am every night and they are FANTASTIC!! All English music and you can dance your heart out until you drop! We will definitely return to The Cosmopolitan very soon. It is perfectly situated with the Old town only a few minutes by taxi away, and the breeze on the west of the island is much appreciated in the intense heat. We went to Lindos and nearly died in their souring heat with NO breeze whatsoever!! Cosmopolitan, History Bar and Romeo's made for us the perfect holiday -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hotel Cosmopolitan - Ixia Operator and Date: First Choice - October 2006 Opinion submitted in October 2006 by : Dean Southall - S Wales (34,30) Resort Rating: Excellent Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: I've just come back from Ixia, Rhodes. After a few dodgy reviews about Hotel Cosmopolitan I thought I should give my opinion. Hotel:- (1)It was very clean and comfortable throughout our stay. (2)We stayed half board. The food was very good. There was always a good selection on the menu. Breakfast would have a choice of cereals,fruits, fresh bread,pancakes and also english breakfast (eggs,bacon etc). Evening meals would have a soup starter, salad cart,choice of fish,pork,steak,chicken etc (this varies from night to night), deserts would be ice cream, apple pie, tiramasu, fruits etc. The quality of the food was very good!! The service from the waiters was always excellent. Just to mention and thank SPIRIOS and KIKI who looked after us all week in the restaurant and were a shining example for the hotel catering!!! (3) Entertainment - This was probably the only thing i would mark the hotel down on, though they did have a greek dancing night and live music, both of which where ok. RESORT :- Ixia is a very nice resort, though on a main and very noisy road!!! The hotel was about a mile walk into the main shops, restaurants. This was no problem though. We did eat out one night in a restaurant called COCONUTS. The service was excellent!!! the food also excellent!!!! There was a nice bar called the WHITE CORNER which had live football and british TV. The service in this bar is excellent!!! Also there is a fantastic bakery called ETANH. Please go there. The cakes are amazing!!!!! If you are going self catering i would shop for food in a supermarket called NANNOU. Its much cheaper than the small supermarkets and it has a excellent choice. Rhodes town is about 6 euros in a taxi. We loved this town. it has a great atmosphere!!!! I would definately go there again. Overall:- A great holiday!!!! Ixia is a good place to stay and is very near Rhodes town, also only 15 mins from the airport. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hotel Cosmopolitan - Ixia Operator and Date: 1st choice - June 2006 Opinion submitted in July 2006 by : pepsi/arlene Resort Rating: Average Accommodation Rating: Very Good My/Our Holiday Review: hi we stayed at the cosmopolitan and it was spotless ,half boarde the food was a excellant plenty of variation buffet dining. the pool bar was good mickos and mikie,s were brill bar staff.6euros for a taxi into rhodes old town and is great for shopping in the castle and palace . we did a couple of boat trips which were cheaper to book with rodas excursions just out side the hotel to the right 500 hdr yards. there is a few bars and nice restrauts turning left out of the hotel but are quite a walk , its best to go under the subway opposite the hotel and walk on the beach side then use the under pass further up past the traffic lights is a suicide crossing.some of the boat trips were not that good ill callit a learning curve but if u dont go on any ull never leave the poolside any way we had a good hol where we were was cofortable a breeze blowing no trouble ,this resort i s quiet and relaxing away fromthe hustle and busle of the other towns ,i e,falarakie hope this gives u an idea .....enjoy PEPSI/ARLENE JUNE 2006 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hotel Cosmopolitan - Ixia Operator and Date: (Portland Direct) Portland - May 2006 Opinion submitted in August 2006 by : Mason Shropshire (69,63,50,43,14) Resort Rating: Average Accommodation Rating: Good My/Our Holiday Review: This was our first visit to Rhodes, when we arrived it was 2am in the morning, the receptionist was very helpful he even carried some of our cases to the rooms, we was booked in our rooms within 10 minutes of arriving. Hotel Room: First impression of the room, what a disapointment, it was very clean but basic i would not class it as a 4, the bed linen and towels were changed everyday and the room was cleaned, by the 4th night we had got used to it. The dining area was in the main block, the food i am sorry to say was more of a disapointment than the room, we never had a hot meal in all the 7 days we were there, we went to the dining room when it opened, half hour after opening and half hour before it closed, but no, the food was never hot, my husband told the manager, who said that it was to do with the air conditioning, the manager asked my husband what he would like to eat, he then would go and get it for him and put it in the microwave in the kitchen. Ixia was a very quiet resort there are a few bars, it you are looking for a busy nightlife don't go to this hotel, it's ok if you like walking. Rhodes Town is very busy and very good for shopping, we used to go there in the morning, then go round the pool about 1pm, we never had a problem getting a sunbed, which surprised me, as at most hotels we have been to, people normally put there towels down to reserve them, maybe it was the time of the year. We would go back to Rhodes but not to Ixia as it was too quiet for us, We like plenty of shops and bars in walking distance, maybe i will try Faliraki. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hotel Cosmopolitan - Ixia Operator and Date:* (Portland Direct) Portland - 2006 Opinion submitted in September 2006 by : Caroline Resort Rating: Average Accommodation Rating: Below Average My/Our Holiday Review: Accom. Having researched the hotel on this website, I was sceptical. I had previously e-mailed the hotel to request one of the refurbished rooms within the main hotel as suggested on this site by another customer. This was not acknowledged and we were allocated a room in one of the annexes. These rooms are clean and the chambermaids are excellent, however the standard is ridiculously low. The beds are made up of small, old, rickety wooden frames with thin mattresses and the pillows appear to be cast offs from old sofa cushions. Not pleasant! The bathroom and tiling is in dire need of refurbishing and whilst clean, offers no mod cons or home comforts. The walls are whitewashed and the room is full of dark wooden furniture and a pointless television is attached to the wall. However you only sleep and shower there! Food. Hit and miss. The food was always cold, and even with the good choice of pasta, meat, veg and desserts, this still doesn't seem acceptable in a 4 star hotel. The servery burners were not switched on in 10 days. Breakfast is very early but worth getting up for. Good choice of fruit, cereal, bread and hot food. If you get up at 8, reserve your sunbed along with the other 50 people waiting then go to breakfast, you're set for the day! We were on half board and I would not recommend it. Go out to eat! It was the only way to tolerate it. That being said, the weather was amazing, the pool was lovely (apart from ludicrous amounts of lilos) and the breeze from the sea was great. I would never go here again unless it was a bargain basement price. And accommodation only. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hotel Cosmopolitan - Ixia Operator and Date: (Portland Direct) Portland, October 2005 Opinion submitted in Nov 2005 by : Jeff & Julie Maskell, Resort Rating: Average Accommodation Rating: Poor My/Our Holiday Review: Stayed at the Cosmopolitan Hotel. Very disappointed with the original room we were allocated, supposed to be 4* but wasn't, had to pay 105 Euros to upgrade to a superior room, which turned out to be the picture in the brochure and what is pretty standard 4* anywhere in Europe. Food was repetative, lacked choice and if you are a veggie, no chance! Ixia did not appeal, but if you are a windsurfer its OK. Beach large grey rocks. But the upside is Rhodes Town, full of history, loads to see, you will need a whole day at least. If we were to return we would certainly stay at Lindos, as this is beautiful and Greece as we know it. Lovely sheltered bay with the Acropolis on the hill above the town. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hotel Cosmopolitan - Ixia Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) JMC - August 2005 Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : Brian and Sharon - Nottingham (53, 35, 5) Resort Rating: Average Accommodation Rating: Average My/Our Holiday Review: We stayed at The Cosmopolitan Hotel in Ixia from 17 - 31 August 2005. The bedrooms were basic but functional and clean. The pool suffered from the normal European mid/low market hotel syndrome of towels covering all sunbeds by 9am! Dont blame other nationalities either ....... The main culprits were the British! However the hotel didn't help by having up signs stating you couldn't reserve sunbeds with a towel ......... but doing nothing to remove the said towels other than on one morning out of 14! The food was extremely mundane ....... The bread was excellent! The meal served on the Thomas Cook flight home was more interesting. I must however say thank you to both George and Valerie in the restaurant .......... both very hard workers and always smiling! Hopefully Valerie can do a training session for the Pool Bar Staff for next year ........ other than one very tall guy who was excellent, the other staff appear to have had a personality bypass! The main part of Ixia is approx a 3/4 mile walk away with lots of eating places and bars. The best bar we found (by a mile) was The History Bar, just 80 metres from the hotel ........ run by Aris ........... We would go back to Ixia purely to say hello to Aris and his staff again anytime. Rhodes old town at night is lovely (a tip is ask your taxi driver to take you to the top gates) its then all down hill from there. We only did one day trip ....... to Lindos. A beautiful little village with typical Greek buildings and very narrow streets. An abundance of rooftop restaurants ........ which at night must be a brilliant atmosphere! Lindos may not be ideal for less mobile people .......... We sailed by boat from Rhodes town to Lindos, when you arrive there is a walk of about 600 metres into the town ....... up a very steep hill ......... but you can take a donkey for 5 Euro's! Taxi's to Rhodes town from Ixia are 6 Euro's. From Ixia to the Airport 12/15 Euros. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hotel Cosmopolitan - Ixia Operator and Date: (Portland Direct) Portland _august 2005 Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : Nicola Clarke (31,35,9,7,55,53,28,23,18,17) Resort Rating: Good Accommodation Rating: Good My/Our Holiday Review: We travelled to hotel cosmopolitan with portland direct which is part of the Thomson Holidays group When we arrived at about 10pm we were all very tired we checked in but they had seperated our 9 year old son from us which odviously was suitable,as we had no rep with us i contacted the 24 hour Thomson Holidays line who told us that nothing could be done untill sunday but we arrived on the wednesday. So my son was in a room not even on the same floor as us. First impressions of the hotel were brilliant the reception area is fantastic,but the rooms are very dated and there is no room to put your clothes,however they are very clean,fresh towels & bed linen everyday. The food in the restaurant was not suitable for children they tend to caiter for continental guest more than the english so we struggled with the food and ate out quite alot. There is no childrens entertainment at this hotel apart form colouring in for under 6s so my children did get bored. The pool area was fantasic very clean and pleny of room for sun beds. The hotel is situated in a quiet part of ixia so there was not many shops or restuarants so you will need to taxi every where or wait up to 40 minuets for a bus. We spent our evenings in the bar next door to the hotel called The farmhouse i strongly recommed it it has crazy golf,a childrens area and they play killer every night which was a good laugh T.G & erol the owners were very welcoming and made our holiday enjoyable. overall a good holiday but no way would i give this hotel a 4* i have stayed in better 3. Please remember if you book with portland they do not have a rep in this hotel at all and if you have a problem you can only speak to somebody over the phone. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hotel Cosmopolitan - Ixia Operator and Date:* (Portland Direct) Portland Direct - September 2004 Opinion submitted in Jan 2005 by : Lesley Williams - Worksop (48,47,16) Resort Rating: Good Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: Booked a weeks holiday to the Hotel about a fortnight before we went. Arrived at the Hotel about 2am - quite impressed at the entrance, no problem checking in went straight to our room. Very spacious, not much wardrobe space and draw space for three people. Room clean and tidy but in need of renovation, which was being done when the hotel was closed ready for 2005. Sheets and towels changed every day which was very good. Food quite good for us but my sixteen year old not very impressed but tried a few things and got by. Staff at the Hotel very friendly and helpful. Beach pebbly and the resort not changed much over the years but caused no problem. Rhodes town about 10 minutes away by Taxi which is just across the road. Check out Yannis bar just below the Hotel fantastic! All in all had a fantastic holiday and would go back again. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hotel Cosmopolitan - Ixia Operator and Date: (Portland Direct) Portland - August 2004 Opinion submitted in Sept 2004 by : 35, 35 ,28 Resort Rating: Good Accommodation Rating: Very Good My/Our Holiday Review: We booked our holiday to Rhodes 4 weeks before departure, and had taken quite a lot of time to research where we would be going, including using this site for reference. The reviews were mostly good, so it took away that horrible feeling of dread and "what are we going to go away to" We had a good flight on the way out from East Midlands with Britannia and arrived late night in Rhodes (we certainly recommend the late night flights as it means you just check in, go to bed, and then get up refreshed for the start of your holiday) On arrival to the hotel, which took about an hour due to other drop off's (although only a 5 minute drive from Rhodes airport)we were pleasantly surprised by the Cosmopolitan. It was a large hotel, with nice marbled foyer, and friendly staff, albeit at 2 am in the morning. We were allocated our 2 "sea view" rooms, and were helped with our luggage. We settled to sleep looking forward to the next morning. We unfortunately were awoken at about 5am by the road noise, which was really loud even with the patio doors shut. We decided that we could not stay the whole week with having to put up with the noise (especially as we live rurally and were not used to any traffic noise anyway) So after breakfast we asked if we could please move rooms to a quieter part of the hotel. This request was greeted kindly, and we were told we would be moved to a room in the main hotel, on the 2nd floor. This room was very quiet, still had a sea and pool view (which we had paid some £35 extra per room in our holiday price)and was a mirror image of the other room. A happy result with no hassles. Please don't think this is a drama to put you off your holiday, it was easily sorted, and didn't upset our holiday at all. Rooms: I would say that these are clean and tidy, but are in need of renovation ! We are told that they are about to all undertake a revamp for 2005, which will really make a difference.The Barman Adam told us that there is an extensive program of total renovation going on after the summer season when the hotel closes. It seems that the hotel rooms are being renovated top to bottom, so in advance I would definately say to request (by email from the hotels website)rooms in the 700 region. These rooms I was told are newly renovated and are much nicer. The bathrooms are quite small, and need updating, but as you only use them for a few minutes a day, are adequate. The beds are twin beds, but are quite comfortable. There is a large tv with about 20 channels of which 2 or 3 are English speaking. CNN being the main channel for the UK Every room has air-conditioning.On our level in the main hotel 2nd floor we had a really large balcony which ran the length of the floor, and was shared by those on that level. Restaurant: The restaurant was very good, the staff are friendly, and can't do enough for you. The food was very good, better than some 5* hotels we have stayed in. There was a very varied menu every night, with some 9 different main dishes to choose from. There is ice cream for the kids if you have them, along with jelly, and trifles and litte fairy cakes. The salad bar was brilliant. 3 courses a night, and each course was thoroughly enjoyed.You should definately not worry about the standard of the food - it's very good, even catering for the vegetarians very well. One word of warning DRINKS ARE EXPENSIVE HERE ! 2 cokes with dinner cost 4 Euro's, and beers 3 Euro's each average price. A cocktail in the main bar cost around 4.50 Euro's each Look out for happy hour !!! Tuesday's and Saturdays at 9pm for 1 hour Beach : The beach is very pebbly, and has large (what I can only describe as cobbles!) mingled in the sand. It's clean, and the sea is some of the bluest I have seen in the med. There are lots of windsurfers to rent as well as 'Kite' sufers too - excellent weather for surfing, and lots of people we met had a great time renting those. Their is a lovely strong breeze on the beach, which makes for comfortable sunbathing, no sweating here ! Beds are rented out via a guy who sits on the beach Prices for a day is 3.50 euro's each bed I have to say that these are the most comfortable beds ever on a beach ! so worth the cash. Make sure you try the doughnuts on the beach from the guy and girl sellers in the white pick-up, they are lovely, dont buy from the 'Fruit Guy' they aren't so fresh ! We did have a few problems with getting the beds around the pool area at the hotel, I think they are pretty much taken by 7-8am - so be up early for those !Once again "towel syndrome" was in full action, with no-one from the hotel staff attempting to remove them. It's defiantely a 1st come 1st served scenario for those ! With regards to nightlife, it seems there is 'action' going on a few minutes into the town area, but there are only mostly bars and restaurants, rather than clubs. We took a taxi into Rhodes Old Town which cost 6 euro's each way (5 minutes ride) Not an awful lot to see, but pretty to wander around, and sit in the pavement bar and escape the heat for a morning. All in all we had a great holiday,got ourselves a lovely tan and would recommend those who are wanting a quiet get a way from it holiday to go to the Cosmopolitan. Hope this helps ! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hotel Cosmopolitan - Ixia Operator and Date: August 2004 Opinion submitted in Aug 2004 by : Angela Attrill - Merseyside (48,45,10) Resort Rating: No rating Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: Just returned from Rhodes and had one of our best holidays yet. The Cosmopolitan Hotel was excellent with good accommodation and wonderful food - especially the deserts. The staff are very friendly and helpful. The hotel has recently been refurbished so decor was very impressive. Entertainment very well organised by the "animation team" or rather the "attraction team" as we called them. They were good with the kids and did their best to provide something for everyone. Lots of different age groups and nationalities which I thought was good for my son as he made friends with an Austrian boy and a boy from Hull, England. Went by boat to Lindos, very warm but had a lovely day as water is crystal clear with lovely beaches. On the way back stopped off in Stegna Bay when the highlight of my son's holiday was to dive in from the boat. Rhodes old town is very impressive with it's walled perimeter. Be warned though that some of the bars near the harbour can charge excessively for drinks so look at the price list first! The new town has nice shops and is clean and people friendly. Spent some time in the sports shops discussing football and their Euro 2004 win. Would stay at Cosmopolitan Hotel again but resort was a little quiet especially if we had taken our 18 year old daughter but then again Rhodes town is 5 mins in taxi with a great nightlife. Rhodes is a lovely place to vist for a holiday. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dionysos Hotel - Ixia Operator and Date: (Cosmos Direct) Cosmos - July 2006 Opinion submitted in August 2006 by : Bev Parker - Leeds (52,48) Resort Rating: Below Average Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: Spent a fab 2 weeks at Dionysos. Staff very helpful esoecially Yannis waiter at breakfast and in bar on an evening. Rooms large, well equiped and clean. Not a great deal to do outside hotel on an evening, just a couple of bars and restaurants, but entertainment in hotel every night.Pool bar/restaurant very good value and excelent food, quite romantic on an evening candle lit. Do hire a car plenty to see roads good and well sign posted, but if going to Rhodes Town get a taxi. Highly recommend this hotel if you want to see Rhodes or just spend time around the huge pool. Not many English in hotel mainly Dutch and Scandinavian. All hotel staff speak english. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dionysos Hotel - Ixia Operator and Date: 2006 Opinion submitted in July 2006 by : John Jessop- Essex,38,33,28,25,26,27,28,42,34 Resort Rating: Average Accommodation Rating: Very Good My/Our Holiday Review: Firstly I must point out that this holiday was booked primarly for the windsurfing, which was fantastic, so be warned when the wind blows it really BLOWS, makes for some good waves too, I booked this on behalf of a party of nine, so when, after being driven though some run down areas on the coaches first stop i felt a bit of pressure, we pulled into the Dionysos enterance we were quite immpressed, as we entered and checked in my friends, much to my relief, were very happy with the first immpression. We found the hotel very clean, very good selection for berakfast, friendly helpfull staff. The pool was clean (salt water)sun beds were always avalible we didn't eat in the hotel only for the fact that each night we wanted to see differnt parts of the resort. We went to Rhodes old town once in the eveing beware how they cost your meal there were things on the bill that did not add up, if bread is put on the table you will most likely be charged even though you did not order it. There are so many restarants in Ixia and the food, though some better than others, was over all good, the Ideal cafe was very good value and good food this was our regular lunch time venue. The down side.... Well the beach not so good if your looking for that sandy golden beach holiday, the resort looks a little rough around the edges in places, but the freindly welcome and service you recive makes up for it. Overall this was a top holiday i would go back to Ixia and the Dionysos. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dionyssos Hotel - Ixia Operator and Date: (Cosmos Discounts) Cosmos - June 2005 Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : Leigh and Michelle Thompson (36,32) Resort Rating: Very Good Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: What a great Hotel. On the evening before we left we were advised by our Agents, Lunn Poly/Thomson Holidays , that the hotel was reducing our food to B&B not HB as booked. However, when we arrived we were assured that we were definately HB and could choose anything from the restaurant menu for our dinner or indeed swap dinner for lunch. The menu was fairly wide with a good selection of meat and fish meals and a special of the day. The pool was superb with no part of it being too deep meant that it was never crowded. On most days you would be able to claim a sun lounger up to midday and a fair few of these were in the shade if you don't fancy frying in the heat all day. We got married in Rhodes and decided to have our evening reception at the hotel and they were absolutely fantastic. For only 28 euros per head, there were a total of 12 of us in Rhodes for the wedding with 4 of us staying at the Dionysos, we had a 5 course meal and the decorations laid on by the hotel were second to none. They had arranged our tables in a horseshoe shape right by the pool and had decorated the whole area with flowers and confetti. I cannot think how many guests holiday photos this will appear on! Throughout the holiday the Hotel staff were absolutely fantastic and nothing was too much for them, from ordering a taxi to translating the Greek in the front of our wedding album. The resort although on the quiet side has some great restaurants and the bars are great fun too. If you go to Ixia a great bar is the Velois Bar, next to the Bamboo Garden Chinese Restaurant. The 2 "front of house" guys, Chris and Mark are fantastic and as friendly as you like. They will do anything for you from snacks and cocktails to adorning a pint of Caffreys with Melon, sparklers and umbrellas just for a laugh. All said, Ixia is a great place and I would definately return, to the Dionysos if available. Taxi's are cheap, Faliraki 15 euros, Lindos 35 Euros and Rhodes Old Town 6 euros -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dionyssos Hotel - Ixia Operator and Date: (Cosmos Discounts) Cosmos - Aug 2004 Opinion submitted in Sept 2004 by : Richard - Rugeley ( 41, 39, 11, 7 ) Resort Rating: Good Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: Wasnt to sure what to expect having read the 2 reviews listed previously, but i am glad we ignored what was wrote.The hotel is situated outside of the resort but a 25 minute walk gets you pretty much to the centre. Not a lot of bars locally but if you are looking for them then a short 6 euro taxi ride to either Rhodes Town or Trianda will sort you out. The hotel is excellent, it is listed as a 4 star but it seemed much much more, the service & staff were second to none, nothing was any trouble.If i had to criticise anything then it was the childrens facilities, the hotel seems more geared up for adults but did its best for the many children there, the food was varied, hot & plentiful but my two boys did turn up there noses at it once or twice as it was more towards adults. The animation team were great people & worked very hard, & whilst the entertainment was on every night, it was traditional but repeated the second week. The pool was the real highlight, a very large spacious lagoon style pool, be aware that this is a salt water pool so on that first dip can be a bit of a mouthful, but there is plenty of room for everyone. The hotel has a great policy of reserving sunbeds, they do not allow the use of towels to reserve them so there is usually plenty to go round, because of this we found that beds were available right up until 10.00am, but for all you early birds you will need to sit with the beds in order to keep them. The hotel is not used widely by the Brits, its mainly Scandinavians, Belgians,French & Germans, but they were all a great mix of people & made it a great interesting place to stay, Cosmos have now got this in its 2005 brochure as one of their Gold Hotels so there may be more british there in the coming year. All in all the Dionysos is a great place to lay back & chill out & even though the kids facilities were limited we are looking to book there again next year. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dionyssos Hotel - Ixia Operator and Date: (Cosmos Discounts) Cosmos - July 2004 Opinion submitted in Aug 2004 by : ( 26+28 ) Resort Rating: Average Accommodation Rating: Good My/Our Holiday Review: The Hotel: We stayed here for 2 weeks on HB basis. Our room was smart and clean with a large balcony. We didnt think much of the food - very similar each night, often cold/warm and not very tasty. Infact we ate out every night but twice for the whole two weeks. The pool is large, very crowded and very busy with lots of noisy kids - not an ideal situation for us! The Resort: Generally very very quiet. Only a couple of shops, bars and a few restaurants. The best restaurant we came accross was the Olympia, everything about it was fantastic, including the prices. The Ideal cafe was also good value for money and tasty food. The beach was ok - a bit dirty, half pebble, half sand and a few large rocks thrown in. Loungers were ?7 euros and you really had to have them. Difficult to get into the sea unless you had jelly shoes on and the sea most days was very rough! But fun! The bonus was the silence, it was so quiet and peaceful it was worth the money. Trips: We booked trips with Cosmos which were all very expensive but were worth it. The jeep safari was excellent, a bit bumpy but its the best way to get off-road and see the Island and have an english tour guide who knows what he is talking about. Nightlife: Faliraki is worth a visit. A beautiful town, plenty to see and do and excellent nightlife. Only around ?15 euros in taxi ride from Ixia - much better than getting the bus. Didnt see any trouble at all. Rhodes Town has some good nightlife too - lots of bars lined up along one street although it has nothing on Faliraki. If you're not sure where you're going in either places, just ask for Bar Street and someone will point you in the right direction. Rhodes Old town is a must. Only ?6 euros in a taxi and you can literally spend hours walking around. I thought it was amazing. Lots of shops and restaurants here too, although avoid the roof top restaurants. The extra they charge you is not worth the view of the harbour! The new town is very busy, bustling with life and good for shopping, although everything seemed very expensive. Genreally a very relaxing holiday, although with what we spent eating out every day and eating and drinking every night, plus all the taxi rides and the sun lounger hire, it proved a very expensive holiday! But well worth it! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Edem Hotel - Ixia Operator and Date: (Libra Discounts) Libra - aug 2004 Opinion submitted in Sept 2004 by : steve powell - sale (51, 44, 6) Resort Rating: Good Accommodation Rating: Very Good My/Our Holiday Review: Edem offers very good spacious studios (some with 2 balconies!), good gardens, big pool for number of studios, plenty of sunbeds. Didn't know much about it when we booked, but now there are a couple more good reviews which are absolutely right. Position is very quiet, no motorbikes waking you up, not directly under flight path, 200 yds from pebble beach, same from main rd. and bus stop. Supermarkets and tavernas - small selection within 5 mins walk, more within 10-15 mins incl. big Pappou s'market one way and main Ialyssos xroads the other. Recommended close by on the road parallel to beach are Maria's taverna - lovely people, good food. Also must mention PhotoArt jewellery/photo shop on the same road, nothing too much trouble and really good prices e.g. they went to Rhodes town specially to get a St. Christopher and chain for our son, solid silver, price 8E. Also lots of good silver rings etc. We must mention a rather strange incident half way through the holiday. We all got letters from the hotel management saying they were severing links with Libra because of payment problems, and that we would have to vacate our rooms next day! After a lot of "discussion", the hotel and Libra came to an agreement to let us stay on, but I think it is very unlikely that this accommodation will be with Libra next year! In fact lots of photos were being taken for another brochure just before we left. We felt that it was wrong for the hotel owners to involve us in their dispute, and any discussions and negotiations should have been between themseves and Libra without involving and upsetting us. Having said that, in all other aspects they were fine - e.g. they let us keep our room till 3.30am when we were leaving, and didn't charge anything. Also, we heard that people who were supposed to be going there with Libra in Sept. and Oct. who had been told their accom. would be changing, had phoned the hotel to see if they could book direct, which says something as to how good the place is. The whole area seemed fairly quiet for August - people were blaming the Olympics, but not sure if that was the real reason. However, Rhodes town was still as beautiful and busy as ever. For those of you who are absolutely mad-dog and must walk in the heat of the day, I can recommend a walk into Rhodes town via the high road - turn right at the lights near the Hilton in Ixia, go up the hill, turn left at the xroads, enjoy the wonderful view of Ixia/Trianda/Kremasti from the high road, then drop off on the right into the Archaeological site and the amphitheatre and stadium and then down into the town. Also, try and walk in the moat area in between the walls of the old city - very picturesque, and also very peaceful considering where it is! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Edem Apartments - Ixia Operator and Date: (Libra Discounts) Libra - June 2004 Opinion submitted in June 2005 by : Becci - Berkshire (21, 21, 18, 18) Resort Rating: Excellent Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: We actually went here for a week at the end of June 2004. We had an absolutely fantastic time at Edem and can highly recommend it to anyone. We were looking for a cheap holiday in the sun without all the 'excitement' of Faliraki, and we definitely found it here. The rooms are perfectly clean, with a friendly cleaner who came in every day. The pool was just about the right size, almost always a sun lounger available, and the apartments themselves look exactly like the brochure showed. We did have some upset - on the Wedensday night, our room was broken into and my bag and the bag of my friend were stolen. We were in the room asleep at the time, which was fairly scary! We woke soon after it had happened, and called the owners. They came out to us at 3am and took us to the police station, made sure we gave all the details to the police and then took us back there in the morning to make a formal report for our insurers. They did everything they could to help us - including a Greek coffee later that morning! What made the holiday great was that we were so close to the sea and to the bus stop yet the resort was so quiet. I'd been to Rhodes before in a hotel with a room above a noisy bar, and it definitely wasn't like that! The bar served a good range of cocktails, and they do a mean cheeseburger! My brother and his friend must have funded the pool table with the number of games they played! Overall advice for Rhodes if you're going there - don't expect to be able to self-cater. But a three course meal costs around £7, so eat out. Buy mosquito repellents out there - the stuff they sell here isn't strong enough, and the bggers eat you alive! Drink plenty of water, and if you don't like mineral water, take some squash over with you. It's about 35 degree minimum over June and July, and you'll need to keep the water levels up. Finally, don't expect a bus to turn up on time. Get there when it's due and expect a wait! It's a good service and hardly takes any time to get up to Rhodes town, but they don't keep to any particular timetable! We were really pleased to have picked the Edem apartments, and would have gone again this year if they'd been in any brochure we saw. If you've already booked, you're going to have a fab time! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Edem Hotel - Ixia Operator and Date:* (Libra Discounts) Libra - june 2004 Opinion submitted in July 2004 by : clare + gary (34, 30) Resort Rating: Good Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: Stayed at the edem hotel for 1 week at the end of june and would highly recommend these apartments! Spotlessly clean rooms, towels changed regular and very comfy. There is air conditioning available for a supplement of 6 euros per day which was definitely worth it as it was so hot. The hotel owners are very friendly and there is a lovely pool and bar area which also serves snacks. The hotel is in a nice quiet area but still in easy reach of the beach and bars/restaurants of ialysos/trianta. Ixia is at the opposite side and is about a 10 minute walk where there is a wider selection of bars, shops, restaurants. Highly recommended in Ixia is the velois cocktail bar for drinks and jason 2 restaurant for meals. In trianta I highly recommend la bonita restaurant, they do fab steaks! For a livelier night rhodes town is only 10 mins away in a taxi which costs about 7 euros. The old town is really nice on a night and has some lovely restaurants and is good for a little shopping when it is a bit cooler. All in all a great holiday at the edem apartments! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Edem Hotel - Ixia Operator and Date: (Libra Discounts) Libra - May 2004 Opinion submitted in June 2004 by : Colin & Denise Phillipson (45,46) Resort Rating: Very Good Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: I cannot belive no one has written anything about these Apartments they are the best we have ever stayed in in Greece the staff are all very nice everywhere was clean even have a bath which is good for Greece the pool area was vey good and there was plently of sunbeds no need to be up early like the Germans to save the beds we have been coming to the same resort for 6 Years having stayed at The Elina hotel 3 times I would say these apartments are as good as the Elina was and now that it is all inclusive we would not go again seems there are now too many all inclucives in the area which is taking the trade away from the Bars and shops as no one leaves there Hotels which is not good for the locals The resort it is an excellant place not to busy which is what we like we have meet lots of really nice people when coming here some are still very good friends the best bar is Phillips bar where the food is excellant the lamb chops are to die for and the family are very friendly are always pleased to see us where many regulars go back year after year anyone wishing to go here will have a good time can't wait to go back next year will go back to the same apartments and hopefully a few of us will be there agian to have a few partys in Phillips bar -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Electra Palace Hotel - Ixia Operator and Date: (Thomson Holidays Direct) Thomson Holidays - Sept 2004 Opinion submitted in Sept 2004 by : Mark 35 - Kent (30,4) Resort Rating: Very Good Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Opinion: This Hotel was Excellent for all ages and families. Very clean, maids came into the rooms every day, and there were staff keeping the hotel clean and tidy all day. When booking; request a sea view room as these rooms are a lot nicer and quieter than the rooms which face the pool.All noise does stop after 12 so its not too bad. The sheets and bedding are changed daily and so are the towles. The food was Excellent, something for everyone and quite a lot of choice. Drinks were readily available with a good variety, not just local ones which I thought was a bonus. There was a Good choice of food and drinks for Children and plenty of ice-cream and jelly available. The Entertainment was OK but do not expect too much!! The kids like the mini disco at night, which is on for half an hour, but be warned it does not change. The Hotel is fairly near the airport, so you do hear the planes a little. Just by Patty's bar on the beach is a train ride which will take you round the area and is worth the trip, This costs about 3 euros per person and 1.50 for kids. The old town in Rhodes is nice, and there are plenty of tour boats on hand to give you a trip. The Electra palace was an excellent choice and I would return myself or recommend to anyone. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ixian Grand - Ixia Operator and Date: First Choice - August 2006 Opinion submitted in December 2006 by : 33, 33, 11, 6 Resort Rating: Poor Accommodation Rating: Good My/Our Holiday Review: Holidayed at the Ixian Grand hotel this year, our family consisted of 4 and friends of ours consisted of 3. On first impression this hotel appears to be everything that the website makes it out to be but trust me when I say that it is all an illusion. This hotel claims to be a 5 star venue, I would be surprised if it would be granted 3 stars in England. Sleeping accomodation was good and the relaxing area's of the hotel were also upto scratch, however it all goes down hill from there. Dirty cutlery in the restaraunt, a terrible choice of food for everyone without exception, entertainment was truely dreadful during the day & night,the majority of people who worked at the hotel struggled to crack a smile at the best of times.This hotel seemed to make all that entered it feel like they were starting the first days of a life prison sentence, not the start of an enjoyable holiday. I apologise to anyone who is reading this review whilst eating as the next paragraph is truely awful. Whilst sitting around the pool during our holiday it was bought to my attention by my kids that someone had done a 'POO' in the pool I removed my kids from the pool and notified the management of the situation, they said that it would be taken care of ASAP, it was'nt and numerous kids then proceeded to unwittingly stand in it. To cut a long story short my daughter then contracted a serious ear infection, as did some other children and ended up spending a lot of time and money visiting the local hospital and doctors trying to remedy the infection so we would be able to fly home.Hotel management showed no sign of remorse and an apology never came. Our friends who we went with also suffered at the hands of this terrible hotel when their daughter was playing on the steps that surrounded the entertainers stage, as she was stepping down the steps she landed on the top of a glass that had been discarded the night before, and which the hotel staff should have removed. She suffered a cut to her foot and medical assistance was required. Once again the management would not take ownership of the complaint and claimed that it was the fault of the dirty guest's! What about that for a high opinion of the guests who pay their wages. In short the hotel and surrounding area is the pits, staff are dreadful and the food is stomach wrenchingly terrible. If you are looking for a good family holiday in a hotel that puts the customer first, I would suggest you go to the RESORT HOTEL in OLUDENIZ TURKEY ! and avoid this hotel and Rhodes -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Elina Hotel - Ixian Grand - Ixia Operator and Date: First Choice Aug 2006 Opinion submitted in August 2006 by : colin and Rose 50 Resort Rating: Average Accommodation Rating: Very Good My/Our Holiday Review: Hotel very clean, most staff excellent apart from the "happy pool man" who chose to ignore everybody and clean the pool at its busiest time. Dining room manager very good tried to accomodate me as a vegetarian .Food choice very good but never hot only warm or on some occasions cold (except the soup) A la carte restuarant check your menu before choosing your night we were dissapointed with our night my vegetarian main meal option was 4 rings of advocado and 4 rings of courjette with 1 sliced pepper all grilled) but speaking to another couple who went in on a different night they had a lovely menu (obviously different choice every night) Surrounding area We personally prefered Trianda to Ixia more choice of shops but both towns within easy walking distance. Rhodes town very nice especially the old town but Rhodes airport very basic, disorganised and very hot so take plenty of water for your departure day. Weather on our stay very hot (44-46) overall good holiday but 7 days enough would not return to Rhodes. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Elina Hotel - Ixian Grand - Ixia Operator and Date: First Choice - June 2006 Opinion submitted in July 2006 by : Malkin / Leese Wedding party of 12 ages 21 - 60 Resort Rating: Good Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: June 10th - 24th June. After reading preavious reports on the Ixian Grand, I must admit we had our concerns,but we were pleasantly suprised. The shingle beach only goes about two metres and then is all sand so go and enjoy a swim as i only found out about the nice sandy bottom on the last day. The Ixian Grand is spotlessly clean,furnishings very nice and well kept but in the main hotel is still being upgraded gradually. The cleaning team,restaurant & bar staff are second to none.The restaurant & pool snack area were constantly being cleaned. The staff work very,very hard and are always polite.So please leave the odd euro as they deserve it. The Entertainment Team work all day long. They try to get everyone to join in but are not bothered if you don,t and just get about there job.Worth watching is the glass walking and nail bed act done by Willy off the entertainment team. The Hotel is still being updated and there were a few minor problems with some of the tiles around one of the pools.These should be sorted by now. We all managed to get fed every mealtime even though some of the party were fussy eaters, all food was well cooked but not redhot. But that seems to be the same on buffet style meals. My daughter got married the second week there at the Filermos Monestery which was very nice but way to hot for our party so be warned dress accordingly on the day and take a small bottle of water with you. Also wear suitable shoes as there is quite alot of walking. After the wedding we had the reception at Alexandros Resaurant on the main road in Ixia not the beach side. We had been to look around and get the menus available and the prices. George the Boss is very helpful and gave us a great deal on both meal and all the drinks on the day so you don,t have to worry about anymore expense on the night unless you want to leave a tip which we did as we had drunk much more than the price we had payed for drinks so felt obliged as he has to make a living.The food was fanastic as was the table settings, the staff so friendly and up for a laugh.And to Georges word we could have stopped till 1am drinking but had all had enough by 11pm as we arrived there at 4.45pm. We all ended up going back for another meal as it had been that good and the secound time did not dissapoint anyone. So we recomend you try the restaurant and see for yourselves. If you like Indian food then the RAJ restaurant in Faliraki is the place to go as it out shone alot of indian restaurants in england for the meal quaility. It is situated behind the sling shot ride at the bottom of the main street were all the bars are. 16euros if ordering taxi from hotel and 15euros back from taxi rank. All Taxi fares a set with no difference after midnight but you get charged 1euro extra if you book or flag down a taxi. The only problem we had on our stay was the mosquitoe bites we all tried repelents and after bite products but all suffered. So be prepared ,the suntan lotion p20 seamed to keep them away but miss a day and you got bit. All in all we had a fabulous time with the wedding and the holiday. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Elina Hotel - Ixian Grand - Ixia Operator and Date: (Olympic Direct) Olympic - June 2006 Opinion submitted in July 2006 by : Co. Armagh (45,31,10 months) Resort Rating: Very Good Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: Stayed at the Ixian grand and had a great time. Can't comment on Olympic Rep as we didn't attend our welcome meeting but we did get provided with a taxi to and from the airport which was brilliant. Were very pleased with the hotel and the room allocated to us. We had emailed the hotel before we left and requested a quiet room due to having a small baby and they obliged. Check -in was quick, which, at 2am was very welcome. The staff were very helpful and friendly and the Customer Services reps were particularly helpful with regards to getting baby food etc heated. The room was cleaned daily and was in good decorative order. The food was good, lots of variety and well cooked but like all all-inclusive deals gets a bit repetitive after 2 weeks. The waiters, waitresses and manager in the restaurant were really great although the manager stuck to the 'long trousers in the evening' rule rigidly. My husband was sent to change on the first night and I saw him send others too. Drinks were self-service at the snack bar and in the restaurant and the bar staff at the other bars were fine too. The pool areas were lovely , really clean and well maintained and pleasant. There is a good mixture of nationalities staying there, Finnish, Swedish, Dutch, Norwegian, German, Italian and French so if you like to stay in a prodominantly British hotel this may not be the place for you, although everyone speaks good English (guests and staff) and the entertainment is in English). All in all, we had an excellent holiday and I would recommend the Ixian Grand to anyone. We are planning on going back next year. Cannot speak highly enough of this hotel. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Elina Hotel - Ixian Grand - Ixia Operator and Date: (Olympic Direct) Olympic - May 2006 Opinion submitted in May 2006 by : R Burt - Cheshire (24, 27) Resort Rating: Average Accommodation Rating: Below Average My/Our Holiday Review: All I can say is...what a poor hotel. The Ixian Grand looks impressive, the website makes you think you have picked up a real holiday bargain, and at promotes itself as a 5* Hotel. It isn't. The Ixian Grand does a good job of looking like a 5* Hotel, with its soft furnishings, wide open spaces and beautiful pools, but on arrival, you begin to see through the cosmetics and realise it is in fact a 3* Hotel at a push. The holiday was booked as a party of 5 (2 double rooms, 1 single) We were greeted by reception to be told that the hotel had double booked one of the rooms, and that the single room would not be available until the next day at the earliest,and to recompense one of the double rooms would be upgraded to a suite with 2 bedrooms. This was not the case. It was a 1 bedroom suite with a half wall and a sofa bed. the next day, we were advised that the single room would not be available until half way through our week long stay, and that the only solution that could be offered was a room in a different Hotel. This meant that for the first few days, the party was split. The remaining double room was located in the Garden Wing, and upon arrival, we could here that there was some kind of animal trapped in the bathroom ceiling. Going to reception to complain, we were told that it was a brid and someone would be along to see in the morning. The next morning, we went down to speak to the manager to be told that he would not be there until evening. Turns out it was a bit bigger than a bird, and was in fact 3 kittens!! Upon returning to the room, there appeared to still be some animals trapped in the ceiling, and we visited reception again. Again, the kittens were removed. The animals kept returning to the cailing, and we actually ended up going onto the roof (Very easily, as the stairs continue upwards beyond the top level) and taking a kitten down to reception. The manager was still not available (as seemed to be the situation every time you needed to complain) and so we ended up keeping hold of a kitten for about an hour in reception until he arrived. To block the hole the animals were getting in with, the manager authorised the use of a tablecloth. Very Poor, and totally unproffessional. To add to this, the air conditioning started to leak, and flooded the room. The hotel generally is poor, with a small selection of food with little variety. The bar is very busy, with 1 member of staff serving. The service overall is below standard, and glasses are removed from the pool area rarely. The pool bar was hardly ever open, and the Beach Bar does not yet exist. The location of the hotel is also poor, set right on the outskirts of the resort, next to a sewerage outlet - I wouldn't swim in the sea, put it that way. The smell of Sewerage is really noticable on the night. As a regular visitor to Greece, and Rhodes in particular, this was the worst holiday I have ever been on. A la Carte meal was fine...The soup was cold (But wasn't meant to be!) and the desserts were very poor - the same as the room next door. This hotel does a good job of looking good, but if you are looking for a 4 or 5* Holiday, do not visit the Ixian Grand. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ixian Grand - Ixia Operator and Date: 2006 Opinion submitted in July 2006 by : L Sturgeon (45,31,10 months) Resort Rating: Very Good Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: Stayed at the Ixian grand and had a great time. Can't comment on Olympic Rep as we didn't attend our welcome meeting but we did get provided with a taxi to and from the airport which was brilliant. Were very pleased with the hotel and the room allocated to us. We had emailed the hotel before we left and requested a quiet room due to having a small baby and they obliged. Check -in was quick, which, at 2am was very welcome. The staff were very helpful and friendly and the Customer Services reps were particularly helpful with regards to getting baby food etc heated. The room was cleaned daily and was in good decorative order. The food was good, lots of variety and well cooked but like all all-inclusive deals gets a bit repetitive after 2 weeks. The waiters, waitresses and manager in the restaurant were really great although the manager stuck to the 'long trousers in the evening' rule rigidly. My husband was sent to change on the first night and I saw him send others too. Drinks were self-service at the snack bar and in the restaurant and the bar staff at the other bars were fine too. The pool areas were lovely, really clean and well maintained and pleasant. There is a good mixture of nationalities staying there, Finnish, Swedish, Dutch, Norwegian, German, Italian and French so if you like to stay in a predominantly British hotel this may not be the place for you, although everyone speaks good English (guests and staff) and the entertainment is in English). All in all, we had an excellent holiday and I would recommend the Ixian Grand to anyone. We are planning on going back next year. Cannot speak highly enough of this hotel. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Elina Hotel - Ixian Grand - Ixia Operator and Date: (Olympic Direct) Olympic - August/Sept 2005 Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : David and Caroline Reiling - Rugby, 48,47,16 Resort Rating: Very Good Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: We have just returned from our first holiday to Greece on the beautiful island of Rhodes. We stayed at the 4star Hotel Elina in the resort of Ixia. We found it to be a first class quality hotel - well presented clean, tidy and well maintained. This hotel is to be 5star in 2006 and is to be renamed the Ixian Grand. The welcome is a pleasant experience and not the usual hustle and bustle associated with checking in - it was very sedate and calming with a nice cold drink awaiting. Could have done with that drink being an ice cold alcoholic long one though. Porter service was good too. The room was a family room and was spacious and clean - more than big enough for our family of three (two adults and a 16 year old lad). The room was equipped with air con which worked fine albeit not as cool as we would have liked but it did work. (NB we had room 153 which had a separate magnetic key fob so that we could leave lights and air con ON all the time.nice and cool after a long day in the sun). The ground floor terrace we had overlooked the garden pool/bar and was very pleasant first thing in the morning with tea/coffee and a few of the hotels marbled or choc chip cookies - wow you must try them. It also overlooked the animation entertainment area as well and although noisy till midnight it wasn't too intrusive as we were up till 1-2am each night anyway. The bathroom was of a good standard and supplied with a decent shower, loads of hot water, fresh towels and shampoos etc every day, even a shoe shine and sewing kit, bathrobes too (although only avail in a small XL) You are all supplied with beach towels but it is a bit of a hassle to get them changed ..? Our room was cleaned and beds made daily too. The three restaurants were good and consisted of a main, an ethnic and an a la carte. The food served was of way above average quality for all inclusive fare. You typically had a choice of a soup of the day, fish, pasta, potatoes, chips, turkey, chicken, beef, pork, a Greek dish and a chef special supplemented by a good range of salads and fresh cheeses. Followed by a range of desserts to make your mouth water. The ethnic was our favourite as in here they serve lunch and this could be anything from Spanish, Greek, Mexican, Indian, Chinese, Lebanese, to Italian and was of very good quality. So much so I personally complimented the chef on more than one occasion. (No real choice for really young children - ie no chicken nuggets fish fingers etc). The main restaurant is controlled by Costas and he's a gem very polite and always "happy" or was it "Be happy" . Be aware there is a half hearted attempt at a dress code in the evening for the guys, full length trousers or jeans (and t-shirts allowed) for evening meal - children and ladies are allowed three quarter lengths. The other meals shorts and t-shirts are fine The location of the hotel is on the outskirts of Ixia and has a nice stretch of beach but beware it has a 5meter band of large shingle/pebbles to breach before you can get into the sea - I suggest you get some beach shoes such as the divers wear.unless you want very sore feet or are used to beaches in Wales. well worth it or buy them there as they're only about 6-8 euros. Ixia itself is within walking distance but for those who don't walk its about 4 euros by taxi, Rhodes is about 6-8 euros and the taxi fare to the airport is about 10-12 euros. Taxis are freely available from the road at the top of the hotel drive. (Nb: they charge extra if its booked via the hotel or if you flag one down and want two taxis) If you fancy a real pint there is a canny bar called Fat man Slims - typically British but he has the full selection of football, pool table, darts, and a PS2 oh and some real beer too. Ray (the owner) and his staff Kate, Ashley and Alex work really hard to ensure you enjoy yourself; whilst there. And if you're a tad hungry try the Combo (a meal of spicy chicken wings, wedges, drumsticks, onion rings, garlic bread and dips at 5 euros per person - WOW) There's an ATM and a card phone within walking distance from the hotel. Just turn left out of the hotel drive and keep walking till you hit the shops (Card Phone) then a little further towards the Y junction after the two or three small shops (ATM). The shops by the way are more than reasonable and fare rather well in comparison to the Rhodes old town shops and markets. Watch out for the friendly "Hun" as this is a predominantly German guest hotel - you need to be up early (645am -730am) to beat them jerry's to the sun lounge sin all beach and pool areas. And they don't queue for nobody they just jump straight in and get their food or order their drinks We had the experience of seeing two German "book" their beds by placing their towels on them at pre 8am and they didn't return to them till 330pm - oh how we chuckled on their return when they found their pads missing - we took them as we didn't have any. There were a few "loud" Italian guests too, why do they shout? The entertainment is the usual animation team mix of slapstick comedy and song, but all the team worked hard to keep the adults and children busy. Notably Thys and Lenka. The other facilities consist of two freshwater pools and one seawater pool. There's a limited gym including a table tennis table, but it is very cool inside, the games room consists of a pool table and some games machines. There is also a very small crazy golf area - only four holes..a couple of tennis courts and a couple of French boules areas. The animation team make regular trawls round the guests to encourage involvement but are always polite and never force anyone to join in. The highlights of the day being the regular "roll call" of the hotel anthem at 11am 1230pm and 4pm for pool volley ball, darts and a quiz. There's lots to do and to prove it we never saw our 16 year old son till evening meal time, then he disappeared again till 1am ish as it is very easy to make friends here. We met some lovely people there notably Chris and Karen from Liverpool, (thanks for Owen by the way) , Mark and Eve from Suffolk (looks like we need a miracle for the ashes), and not forgetting our Norwegian friends Solvay and Jorgen (don't you just love that German salmon). Thanks for your company mate's, enjoyed meeting you all and hope you will stay in touch. We have now tasted Greece and will definitely be going back there and Rhodes too. We personally wouldn't hesitate to go back to the Elina or Ixian Grand as it will be in 2006. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Elina Hotel - Ixia Operator and Date: Eclipse - July 2005 Opinion submitted in Aug 2005 by : Wendy - Hartlepool (43, 37, 41, 40 & 7) Resort Rating: Very Good Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: We all thought the hotel was superb... was running as a 5* as changing name to Ixia Grand and getting 5* next year... The hotel grounds, pool area and interior was kept clean at all times never any rubbish lying around. Lewis in the restaurant was brilliant - looked after every family and the food was good. Drinks plentyful... can help yourself at the poolside to all the soft drinks, coffee and "BEER". The cocktail bar at night was great, we lived on Long Island Iced Teas... only thing we looked for was something to eat later on at night... when you get peckish after a few beers.. only cheese and ham sandwiches on offer!! If you fancy a meal out try La Bonita.. bit pricey but well worth it.. We just loved out 2 weeks and met some really nice people, staff & guests... -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Elina Hotel - Ixia Operator and Date: (Olympic Direct) Olympic Holidays May 25th-8th June Opinion submitted in June 2005 by : Dennis Horswell (39,39,7) Resort Rating: Below Average Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: Have just stayed at this hotel and found it excellant. Not the best 4star but better than 3 star. Food very good quality but only one choice of veg every dinner, also they did not do any childrens food. Snack bar did not open outside restaurant hours and when it did open for lunch there was no choices, it was a set menu and once again did not cater for children except when they did an itailian day and had pizza on the menu. Pools were very good and plenty off lounges avaiable. First 2 days were full off Germans and Swedish and then after that the english came and even the numbers. Entertainmemt got better the longer we stayed and even became enjoyable towards the end. Not a lot in the resort and stretches out a long way but close enough to Rhodes town to enjoy the old town which is a must do. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Elina Hotel - Ixia Operator and Date: (Olympic Direct) Olympic may 2005 Opinion submitted in May 2005 by : margaret gibson Soton 65 69 70 72 Resort Rating: Very Good Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: have just spent a lovely holiday at the Elina Ixia very clean bed linen towels changed daily. Food excellent a great choice resturant manager excellent made sure everything was to your satisfacten evening entertainment not very lively would be better having someone playing music to dance or listen to than what they put on outside found that very childish at times. Rhodes old town well worth a visit during the day and at night taxi fares very cheap went on an organized Island trip enjoyed a very full day. Would go back to this hotel again as it was excellent in every way -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Elina Hotel - Ixia Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - May 2005 Opinion submitted in May 2005 by : 35, 35, 6, 15 month Resort Rating: Average Accommodation Rating: Very Good My/Our Holiday Review: The Hotel Elina has just gone through some renovation work, it is beautiful and the staff are very helpful. The restaurant is clean and the food is good, as you would expect from an all-inclusive hotel. There is now an a la carte restaurant which is excellent and has been designed with style, the food is also very good. The pool again has been overhauled and a massive decking area has also been built. Basically an excellent hotel if you're over 50 or even 60. I kid you not the animation team try there best but basically the hotel offer very little entertainment, and nothing really for families. There were only 4 families with children when we stayed there the rest of the hotel was occupied by retired GERMANS friendly enough, but as rude as ever. Towards the end of the week another coach full of oldies turn up this time the BRITISH over 50's. Like ive said an excellent hotel but if you have children go to the Atlantic Princess up the road. Ixia has a few tavernas nothing much else. Rhodes town is lovely the old town. Will return again in 20 years with my SAGA brochure firmly tucked under my arm. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Elina Hotel - Ixia Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - July 2004 Opinion submitted in Aug 2004 by : Doncaster (43,42,15,16) Resort Rating: Good Accommodation Rating: Good My/Our Holiday Review: We arrived mid afternoon to a warm welcome from the hotel staff. After we had checked in we were invited for a drink on the terrace, which i thought was a nice gesture. The hotel staff took our cases to our rooms which was much appreciated especially when your rooms are on the 3rd floor. The hotel is kept spotlessly clean all the time and the hotel staff are very helpfull and polite except for one bartender who we nick named Mr angry because of his abrupt and rude attitude, but the restaraunt manager 'Costas' was fantastic. The hotel has two pools, a salt water large pool and a smaller pool which has it's own pool bar with seating actually in the water. We went all inclusive and we where slightly dissapointed by the lack of food available compared to what we had expected from what friends had told us about their holidays all inclusive. The food itself was never hot and the selection of food was very poor, and children where not catered for at all. Ixia itself has plenty of bars and restaraunts and on the whole it was very clean. Rhodes town is certainly worth a visit, visit the new town first and then visit the old town which we did at night time and it was brill. I really enjoyed my stay in Ixia but if you have children you need to make sure that you are stopping in a hotel that has`plenty to do otherwise the kids will get bored very quickly. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Elina Hotel - Ixia Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice July 2004 Opinion submitted in Aug 2004 by : (14,14,42,44.) Resort Rating: Good Accommodation Rating: Good My/Our Holiday Review: Upon arrival at the hotel, Everything looks very clean & well maintained, This becomes more apparant during the stay as there are maids & cleaners busy all the time. 'Costas' The dining room manager does a very good job in making you welcome & the service in the restaurant is very good. The food does not always meet expectations as there is not a good choice or variety, (its a bit repetative & not very hot). Only two bar men are working at the bar on a evening which makes getting a drink very slow & you can only get two drinks per person so it feels like your queing all the time. The outside pool bar closes at 6pm, so everyone has to go inside, not very well planned when temperatures are around 30%. there are not enough outdoor seating to relax on a evening. There are two pools which are very clean & spacious with an area designated for chilren, The beach is only a stone throw from the hotel, unfortunatly, it seems as though thats what everyone has done as it is a pebble beach & you need footwear on to get to the sea which is absolutely fabulous. Entertainment on a evening leaves a lot to be desired, its a mini disco or karoeki, and it lasts for one hour then its fend for yourself. overall, we had a (not bad) holiday, but were very grateful that there were other bars in the area. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hilton Rhodes Resort - Ixia Operator and Date: Independant - September 2005 Opinion submitted in Nov 2005 by : Steve and Bev - Wakefield (44,43) Resort Rating: Average Accommodation Rating: Very Good My/Our Holiday Review: This is a really nice hotel with a fabulous pool area. The rooms are very clean and well kept, as you would expect of a Hilton and we received welcome gifts of Ouzo and canopes on the first evening. Usual big breakfast room with absolutely everything you could possibly want for breakfast. The resort of Ixia is average at best, but as the advantage of being a short taxi or bus ride from Rhodes Town. The taxi service on Rhodes is fantastic with evry fare being a fixed price and this is depicted on all the taxi rank stations. The costs are also available on a leaflet, so you can plan your trip with confidence of not being taken advantage of. Beware though, if you are a couple the taxi drivers will pick up another couple to fill the cab and this does not entitle you to any fare reduction. Best restaurant in Ixia without doubt is a small Italian restaurant called Napoli. Beware of where you eat in Rhodes Town, its very expensive in the old town and the wine is totally outragous in its pricing. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hilton Rhodes Resort - Ixia Operator and Date: Argo Holidays - August 2005 Opinion submitted in Aug 2005 by : Nikki and Steve - 26 and 35 Resort Rating: Good Accommodation Rating: Very Good My/Our Holiday Review: The resort is very quiet, with a few shops, bars and restaurants, but enough to keep you busy for a week or two. Rhodes town is only a 5 min taxi ride away and full of history and shops and well worth a day or evening out. The hotel was certainly not a 5, more a lower end 4. Imagine you are going to a 3/4 hotel and you won't be disappointed. The communal areas in the hotel were nice and more of a 5) fashion - restaurant, pool, bar etc, but the rooms were looking a bit shabby, however were adequate and clean. The staff were friendly and helpful. The food was really good, plenty of variety both local and international dishes, however drinks were +++++ expensive so go to one of the bars next to the hotel and drink for 1/4 of the price. The beach is accessed via an underground tunnel and is pebbly so take some shoes for in the sea. The sea was great for swimming - like a warm bath! Overall Rhodes was a fab place that we will certainly visit again. The hotel was great and the resort good for a quiet (ish) holiday. Argo holidays offered appauling service so I would suggest booking via a better known tour operator. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hilton Rhodes Resort - Ixia Operator and Date: (Sovereign Direct) Sovereign - 2005 Opinion submitted in Oct 2005 by : Mike & Kathy Sims-Huntingdon (56, 57) Resort Rating: Very Good Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: I think many of the comments written already on the Rhodes Hilton cover most of what there is to say. My wife and I had a fantastic holiday at this hotel and from the minute we entered the massive Reception and the way we were greeted, we knew we would find quality service. This hotel has a Pan European clientele, Italian, German, French, British and quite a few Romanians-it created a good atmosphere and really made us feel we had actually come abroad! Quality of rooms was excellent, a sea view really is a must and the higher the floors the better (the poolside night entertainment can get a little loud at times-although not always). Although we had booked sea view at an additional supplement, it had no tea/coffee making facilities, no ironing board and iron as described in a previous report. However, rooms were spacious and kept spotlessly clean (rooms seem to be cleaned before 11am every day-great friendly cleaning teams. Food was excellent with something for everyone. Great salads as you might expect, Greek and european dishes every night in buffet format with food replenished at the buffet so no waiting for fresh to arrive. The Ents Team were very friendly and took pool aerobics and water polo each day but weren't in your face. At about 4-30 each day as the sun starts to cool they play sessions of what they call "Chill down time music" at the pool side-it was relaxing and made you feel as it said"chilled out". Rhodes town is amazing,Mandraki harbour, the old town with cobbled narrow streets and shops built into the castle walls was fantastic, especially at night when it really comes to life. A trip to the castle of the Knights Templar and Grand Master's house at the top of Rhodes was an amazing experience with the walk back down to the town through medieval cobbled streets. This was one of the most relaxing holidays we have had for a long time and I include the far east in that. The only downside is Rhodes airport. This small airport takes about 20 charter flights an hour so trying to get your bags can be stressful-the day we arrived the board director had packed up so we had no idea which bag carousel ours was coming in on -lots of running around trying to find our luggage. Also beware on flying out. Not only is it chaotic trying to find your check in desk but you have to queue to have your suitcases scanned downstairs prior to check in (big queues here so leave your hotel that bit earlier and don't put glass bottles in the case or they make you take them out) and then hand baggage checked upstairs in Departures(big queues again here. Apart from the airport, Rhoses is a great place for a holiday and the Hilton is a hotel we will definately return to knowing its quality and location -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hilton Rhodes Resort - Ixia Operator and Date: (Thomson Holidays Direct) Thomson Holidays - 2004 Opinion submitted in Aug 2004 by : Parker Family - Warwickshire (51, 49, 16, 14) Resort Rating: Good Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: AIRPORT/HOTEL ARRIVAL We booked with Thomson Holidays A La Carte which entitled us to a taxi transfer from the Airport. We arrived at the Airport and surprisingly had collected our luggage within 20 mins, Thomson Holidays rep allocated us a taxi and 15 minutes later we were in the reception of the Hotel. Don't be put off by the design of the Hotel - it looks like a lego built construction of concrete - but inside it is immaculate. When booking eleven months previous we did request adjoining rooms - on arrival we were told by the Hotel that our request had not been possible and although the rooms were on the same floor, we found they were literally from one side of the hotel to the other. (No problem at all with the rooms but in a hotel of this size and reputation you would expect your request to be met). Back down to Reception within five minutes and after asking for the Duty Manager and explaining our disappointment we were moved two nights later. (Whether this was a lack of organisation by Thomson Holidays s we don't know - but we got it sorted ourselves). The rooms are very clean and comfortably furnished - spotless bathroom - kettle and top up of coffee/tea etc every morning - fold away iron/ironing board (if you feel the need!) and fresh beach towels every day. You MUST HAVE a sea view - and get a room on a higher floor (ours was 11th - away from the music below). HOTEL Excellent - what you would expect from a five star Hilton. It is a very large site with gardens/large pool/childrens' pool where games are sometimes held + a terrace pool - which is much quieter and was our preference + indoor pool. Plenty of sunbeds to be had at any time of day. Plenty of shady quiet spots and what was a real surprise here was that you could sit at a table by the pool all day and not once be bothered by waiters expecting you to buy drinks etc. The staff are extremely polite and helpful without being stuffy. Also a private walk under the road to the beach which also has sunbeds and parasols. Lots going on - you could stay at this hotel for two weeks and not move outside the grounds - entertainment at night is not bad at all - all outside around the pool and must say we were surprised that the drinks in the Hotel were very reasonable - about the same as you would pay at home. The restaurant (there is an upgrade restaurant if you wish but everyone seemed to use the main buffet style one)is very good indeed. Breakfasts could keep you going all day - so much to choose from, in fact too much. Dinner is also buffet - again lots of choice and always something for everyone - and puddings to die for. The hotel has a little arcade of shops - including a sort of newsagent/souvenir shop - the bottled water in here is just the same price as the supermarket down the road. RESORT Nothing much in Ixia - just a stretch of pebble beach and large hotels. You do get a nice sea breeze on this side of the island which in August is very welcome. The plus point is it is just 10 minutes away by taxi to Rhodes Town. For our family of four it was cheaper by taxi than local bus. Six euros took us to the centre of the town - if you ask the hotel to call a taxi for you it will cost an extra euro. Go to the bottom of the drive and taxis are going backwards and forwards all the time and are usually looking for business. Rhodes Old Town a lovely place - lots of "touristy" shops and Greek restaurant owners begging you to go inside but the history of the place is fascinating. If you go to any of the historical sites round the Island with children 16 and under they get in free (photocopy of passports alway useful - but we were never asked to prove ages). TRIPS We booked our first trip with the Thomson Holidays rep at a cost of 140 euros for a guided tour of Rhodes Old Town and Lindos. We had an alarm call at 6.30 am - skimmed breakfast and were waiting for the coach at 8.00 am. One hour later we were still waiting - 'phoned the Thomson Holidays rep who told us that "there hadn't been enough people to fill the trip" so it had been cancelled. Needless to say this was our last trip with Thomson Holidays s. Got the money back next day - got the guidebook and did our own tour of Rhodes Old Town and went in search of local tour operator. The one to go to is about a quarter of a mile to the left of the Hotel. Opposite the "Atyna"?? cafe there is a small arcade of shops - find the SIGMA Travel and Tour Agents. They do all sorts of trips - we booked a trip to Lindos for 60 euros for four of us and hoped for the best. The air conditioned coach turned up exactly on time - we had a superb English speaking guide and a great day out at Lindos. We were back at the Hotel spot on time. And if you use this operator they will reduce the cost of the next excursion you book with them. So, no wonder Thomson Holidays 's don't get enough people to go on their trips. LOCALITY Not a lot around you expect other hotels. Supermarkets are within a few minutes walking distance - we found the Posoidania supermarket the cheapest for most things (about ten minutes walk to the left of the Hotel) - this supermarket will also change your travellers' cheques and charge absolutely no commission - in the Bank they charge a fixed rate of 4.40 euros. OVERALL If you want a relaxing lazy holiday with guaranteed sunshine this is the place. Would thoroughly recommend the Hotel but have to say that we were disappointed at the "Thomson Holidays s" input - you could book this sort of hotel on the internet and the rest would be easy. We have always booked with Thomson Holidays s in the past but if you are booking places like the Hilton you would probably find it easier and cheaper via the inernet - might try it for 2005. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lisa Hotel - Ixia Operator and Date: olympic aug 2007 Opinion submitted in August 2007 by : stan and joyce denton ( 58, 52 ) Resort Rating: Average Accommodation Rating: Average My/Our Holiday Review: arrived 5 30 ish asked for fridge as agreed. met david on reception, pleasant and precise. told us the owner would sort out when he arrived , saying he would be app half hour.When the owner arrived he offered to rent us a fridge at 6 euros per day.i explained we had been told there would be a fridge or a mini fridge in our room.Instead of trying to discuss this matter and sort out our request reasonably, he lost his temper and said if we wanted 5 star to get out of his hotel.This was the half an hour after our arrival. The next day we saw the olympic rep and he said no other rooms were available on the island that belonged to them and if we wanted to move to other accommodation it would need to be at our own expense ( after having paid £350.00 each for the holiday already).We knew this was a 2* hotel and the accommodation although basic was bearable. The cleaners worked hard and kept it tidy. The pool area was o.k. but the attitude of the ownwer was not customer orientated at all. If you are prepared to spend all day and night in the hotel spending, he then would be your best freind .if you wanted to explore the island no help was forthcoming.our first 4 days were hell. the olympic rep gave me the phone no of the resort manageress. being told this was her private accessible no.it was never answered i was told she had phoned the owner of the hotel but we did not get the privilege of speaking to her. my holiday was ruined by a very bad tempered and rude owner . the breakfasts were absolutely rubbish.if you decide to go there i would not advise b& b as we were told the same as what tony from barnsley said: first day the rolls ie bread buns and croissants were fresh there after they deteriorated until they couldn't be eaten. some of the women guests ended up crying at diff times as this man made them feel so unwelcome by snide unreasonable remarks.on the plus side george and gregory were pleasant and a pleasure to meet.if you want a pleasant holiday doing nothing all day drinking all night please book there . to the pool side the rooms overlook it is quite decent but to the opposite there is derelict land.people did leave after a day or 2 and booked at there own expense.wherever we now go on holiday it couldn't be worse. one couple came to try and patch up there relationship and she moved out he stayed. i have been in 1-2-3 star accomadation and never complained .i drunk in a few bars ect but by far phillips bar was pro the best . we also formed many strong relations with a varied crew of folk. i hope this does help you in future to make up your mind stan . -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lisa Hotel - Ixia Operator and Date: Olympic Holidays July 2007 Opinion submitted in August 2007 by : Tony Rigby - Barnsley (42) Resort Rating: Very Good Accommodation Rating: Very Good My/Our Holiday Opinion: I have to say that some of the comments on here really shock me and I wonder if they are talking about the same Hotel?? Firstly let me give you a little background on the Lisa. It was built about 1982 by the current owners Father who retired about 5 years ago. The hotel remained closed for two years until Michael re opened it three years ago. Needless to say it needed a lot of work just to get it open. Each year Michael spends as much as he can afford renovating it (he installed air con last year and replaced all the pool furniture) Having paid £240 each for 2 weeks B+B in high season including flights and transfers we decided that no matter how bad the reviews were we were going to make the best of this long overdue holiday. We have had 14 Greek holidays in the last ten years and never paid more than £250 each, that's tight Yorkshire folk for you! We were very warmly greeted by the lady on reception who turned out to be the owner's sister. She informed us that the hotel now had air conditioning and that safety deposit boxes were available if required. We paid a very reasonable 6 euros per day for the air con which saved our lives considering it was 43 degrees when we arrived! (Its 7 euros if you book one day at a time). Our first impressions of the hotel were that although a little dated by UK standards it was very, very clean. The staircase to our room on the second floor was bright, airy and again spotless. Our room (201) was modestly furnished with two pine beds, two bedside tables, a coffee table, mirror, double wardrobe, kettle and two mugs. On the balcony there were two chairs and a small table. The bathroom was a little disappointing in that the tiles were a bit dated and the sanitary ware was poorly laid out, but again spotless with towels that anyone would be proud to hang on the line! . The beds had brand new mattresses and crisp white sheets and pillow cases and no missing or broken slats! The beds were firm but comfortable. Outside the pool was fantastic and very clean. It had brand new parasols, sun beds and side tables in white plastic. There was a pool bar come snack bar which had a limited menu for food but was well stocked with drinks. The food was really very good and great value for money (try the egg, chips and beans..best in Rhodes). It is run by the owner's brother in law and stays open until 6pm by which time the main bar opens. In the evening most people take a steady stroll down to Ixia it takes exactly 10 minutes (we timed it) to get to the main road and a restaurant called Whispers which has a good menu, fair prices but slow service. There is also a good bus service which runs every 15 minutes. Jump on this for two stops (1.30 euros) and you are at the best bars and restaurants the most popular being .... Which is Italian owned and very, very busy, so try to eat before 8.30 or after 10pm (1 litre of wine, a large Greek salad and large pizza cost 24 euros.£16). Take a leisurely stroll back to the hotel on foot which takes 25 minutes. At the hotels main bar you will find Michael (the owner) and George (his Son) entertaining the guests. Michael served his apprenticeship in all the best bars and restaurants in Rhodes and is well known on the Island. You will never meet a more genuine, friendly and kind person in your life. The Father/Son bond is a pleasure to behold. Everyone is made to feel very welcome. During our stay there were lots of single men and women all of which were made to feel part of one huge family. With reasonable prices, generous measures, free shots, free peanuts and popcorn, a great atmosphere good music its no wonder that the bar stayed open till 3 or 4 AM. But don't worry you will not be kept awake if you retire early, Michael keeps the noise levels down and asks that people at the bar respects the other guests who may be sleeping. The breakfasts are a bit of a disaster, we asked Michael about this and he said that he also was not happy with them and is looking to change them. His problem is that the Baker delivers the rolls and croissants at 1am and therefore by 8am they are 7 hours old and past there best. You also have to understand that the tour operators only pay Michael 5 euros per ROOM per night! Which explains why he has to watch the pennies! Don't forget he has to pay the cleaners too (who were fantastic and very trust worthy) as well as pay the linen service company. In conclusion if you don't like walking, or a quiet location, or if you want all the modern conveniences of a five star hotel, and want to insult the owner and moan constantly, then the Lisa is not for you. Remember if someone was staying in your home and moaned about the accommodation you wouldn't have much time for them either! However, if you want a relaxing holiday, in a spotless family run hotel, with a great pool choose the Lisa and you too will feel like one of the family! See you next year! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lisa Hotel - Ixia Operator and Date: (Olympic Direct) Olympic - August 2006 Opinion submitted in September 2006 by : C & J Hale - Cheltenham Resort Rating: Average Accommodation Rating: Poor My/Our Holiday Review: Only 2 star Budget hotel so we expected basic. What we did not expect was basic and dirty.(My wife had to do some serious shelf/cupboard dusting before we could put clothes away.) Both towels and sheets were faded, thin & grubby and had been seamed many times to cover thin patches and holes. Several friends we made stated that their sheets still did have holes. An electrical pull switch had been pulled out of our bathroom wall and just hung there with one wire connected and one wire loose. A complaint to the management elicited a statement that it would be fixed right away - it was still like it when we left. The beds had slatted bottoms, many were missing or cracked, making it very uncomfortable to sleep. My wife's bed had holes in the bottom of the mattress, with the stuffing dragging on the floor. The pool was excellent and very clean, but the chairs around the pool, (a mixture of metal & plastic)were in a very poor state of repair and in some cases were downright dangerous. As expected, breakfasts were basic and continental, but on numerous occasions the rolls & croissants were verging on stale. And you do tend to get fed up with either peach or strawberry jam for 14 days. The management was only interested if you were prepared to spend all day round the pool and all night in the bar - spending money. Otherwise they were unhelpful, putting obstacles in the way to you going out for the day/evening, in some cases actually lieing in order to get you to stay. On the plus side, we met some fantastic people staying in the hotel and had a great laugh. We set up an "Escape Committee" and spent many hysterical hours planning elaborate escape plans. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lisa Apartments - Ixia Operator and Date: (Olympic Direct) Olympic holidays - 2005 Opinion submitted in Aug 2005 by : Ipswich Chris (29,24) Resort Rating: Very Good Accommodation Rating: Good My/Our Holiday Review: A Nice, simple, clean hotel. Family owned, good service and helpful staff. About 5 minutes walk from the main shops and restaurants, the brochure reccomended the need of a torch at night to get to the hotel, but this was not neccessary. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hotel Lito - Ixia Operator and Date: (Olympic Direct) Olympic - June 2006 Opinion submitted in June 2006 by : 52, 53. Resort Rating: Average Accommodation Rating: Good My/Our Holiday Review: Ixia for us during our stay was constantly windy, Rhodes Town is only 5 minutes by bus, but 35 Minutes walking. The hotel is clean, but is in a time warp 1970's, good clean rooms apart from the constant wind, we were on the top 4th floor, the bar at the front of the hotel was very disappointing though, for the toilets you had to go up to reception 14 steps up past the reception desk then down to the toilets, and of course the same coming back. The pool was excellent 3.5 metres deep, a fair size, usual towel reservation required for sun lounges when busy, the road outside was always busy & quite noisy, Air conditioning is an essential on cost at 40 Euros per week, Safety deposit box in room 10 euros per week. Good clean linen in rooms maintained daily, but the constant road noise and problems crossing the road was off-putting, if we did go to Rhodes again it would be a more sheltered spot, the south coast. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hotel Lito - Ixia Operator and Date: (Olympic Direct) Olympic-July 2005. Opinion submitted in Aug 2005 by : Simone (26) and Steven (27) Resort Rating: Average Accommodation Rating: Very Good My/Our Holiday Review: The hotel Lito is direcltly opposite the beach and we had a lovely sea view room.The hotel is spotless, with maid service every day.There is a bus stop just ouside the hotel which takes you to Rhodes town within a few minutes (1 euro 70) or you can always flag a taxi down, which costs 6 euros. Despite what the holiday brichures say, there is nothing in Ixia! There are about 5 shops, we only saw 2 bars, and there are a few restaurants.If we hadn't have been so close to Rhodes town, we would have asked to move resort. Apart from 1 night, we spent the whole time in Rhodes town, which has everything you could possibly want from a resort: nice beach, culture and history, countless shops, bars and restaurants, a lovely harbour, an old and new town. The shops, bars and restarants of the old town are surrounded by the old castle walls, which are very imposing and romantic! I would definitley recommend rhodes town to anyone. We also went to Kalithea, as it's good for snorkelling, and took a boat trip to Lindos, which has lovely scenery, but is even hotter than ixia and rhodes town!One good thing we found about where we were based, was that although it was very hot, there was a lovely breeze.Also, only got bit twice, which is a record for me as normally i'm bitten loads! Overall, we had a lovely time in Ixia/rhodes town, and would reccomend hotel Lito, but it was mainly thanks to being so close to Rhodes Town,as Ixia is just too quiet. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hotel Lito - Ixia Operator and Date: (Olympic Direct) Olympic - Jul 2004 Opinion submitted in July 2004 by : Liam Ó Cuinn - Co Tyrone (55,50,13) Resort Rating: Very Good Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: Firstly, avoid the scratch card brigade in Rhodes Town.They are selling timeshare or holiday exchange or whatever con name they call it now. Hotel is very clean and quiet. Linen and towels changed every day. Plenty of room around pool and plenty of sunbeds. All nationalities. Air conditioning is essential. Nice breezy, shingly beach on other side of VERY busy road. Safest to use subway at Hilton Hotel. Lito is central to a dozen or more restaurants - all similar and all good.Bus tour around island was good but boat trip to Lindos was very hot. Mosquitoes were in fine form so be warned. Only down side is lack of attractions for teenagers but then that is usually a problem.Plenty of good supermarkets closeby and pubs with large screen movies showing.Push for sea view other wise you will be staring at wooded hillside from your balcony. Breakfast is OK with plenty nof variety. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Miramara Park Village Hotel - Ixia Operator and Date: (Thomson Holidays Direct) Thomson Holidays - July 2005 Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : Roger, Lyn, Alex, Olivia (52, 45, 9, 7) Resort Rating: Good Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: We stayed at the very 'exclusive - Miramare Hotel'in Ixia.Our tour operator was 'Thomson Holidays -A la Carte' who laid on a taxi for us. As soon as we got out and entered the hotel complex we were amazed at the sight before our eyes. A lagoon encased by tidy lawns leading down to the sea-a truly magnificent sight to behold.The accomodation comprised a little village of one/two storey villas built in the traditional Greece style, beautifully painted and adorned with colourful flowers.Our villa was fully air-conditioned and was kept spotlessly clean throughout our stay with fresh towels for the beach/villa every day. There is a quaint train which runs from one end of the complex to the other and as the pool is at one end and the dining area is at the other this is a necessity.Some villas have a sea-view and others have a garden fronted patio, all delightful.The pool is very clean and large enought to accommodate a large number of guests, with plenty of sunbeds and shady trees with a pool bar open from 10am-6pm and a nearby sea-view cafe bar serving meals throughout the day.There is also a well stocked supermarket on site and the drinks are far cheaper there, than the pool-bar.Get out early to put your towels on the sun-beds, and the beach is full of pebbles,lots of water-sports activities to do, if your that way inclined. There is a very good mini-club near to the pool, with a small supervised pool of its own for younger children. Lots of toys and games for the children to play and the two ladies Christina/Maria are very friendly who are employed to keep the children occupied throughout the day from 10am-6pm.It is amaziningly cool inside the mini-kids-club and the children can retreat there from the intense heat,our children enjoyed this facility very much even the older boy. We booked bed/breakfast at the complex and have to say it was the right choice as the evening meals are expensive e.g.72-100 euros for 2xadults 2xchildren and the menu is not extensive. But we preferred to eat out at night and can recommend 'The-Coconut Restaurant' which is a few minutes walk away on the main street.If you go give our regard to 'George' who stands at the door trying to pull the punters in offering discount, but believe me it is the best/cleanest place to eat round about 45-55euros for food/drink family of four. Breakfast at the complex is the best value, with plenty of variety to choose from and caters for a wide selection of different nationalities, my children ended up eating pancakes for breakfast, I declined and stuck to the bacon/eggs.This hotel is very cosmopolitan and very few english people have discovered its true charm.No lager louts,lots of families with young children and extremely helpful staff.Don't worry about the language barrier all staff spoke very good english and my husband speaks French which enabled us to communicate with other families. Keep reading there is a bit more information yet!!!!!!!A must for all those who have children is the 'Water-Park' at Falaraki which is a 15euro taxi ride away (each-way)but which is one of the best we have come across,price for entrance is 30euros each for adults and 15euro each for children, lots of shade and places to eat.A boat trip to Symi is a pleasant way to spend the day but don't expect to find too much at Symi, except for the cats/sponges when you get there.Don't be fooled by all the talk of the Dolphins they were conspicuous by their absence the day we went!!!Rhodes town and Lindos full of historical interest if you can stand the heat.Lots of mini-markets on the main-drag and if you smoke it is 10euros for 200 cigs and local wine 6euros.The pavements are not very good with pot-holes and the smell of sewerage was a little ripe on the 'main-drag'(not in the hotel). If you have come this far reading our report, as we like to be truthful, we rate this hotel very highly and you won't be dissappointed at all but remember you are paying for the quality/service of a 4t hotel.The locals are very friendly and gave the Miramare the reputation of the best on the island and we can see why. Would we go again 'yes if we could stand the heat' it was between 36/40c with a heat wave pending. 'Happy-Holiday' if you decide its for you. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Miramare Wonderland - Ixia Operator and Date: Olympic Holidays - May 2007 Opinion submitted in August 2007 by : Tony Gerry - Glasgow (31,32) Resort Rating: Excellent Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: We went to the Miramare Wonderland on honeymoon after much deliberating of where to spend our first two weeks as husband and wife and we were not disappointed. We arrived early hours of Sunday morning and were whisked away to our accommodation by taxi which took no more that 20 minutes from airport. We were greeted on arrival and shown to our room by the porter. We had a deluxe suite which looks on to the lagoon directly in front of the reception building. From our terrace we could dip our toes in! It looks exactly like the photos on their website. To the left we could see the sea (and Turkey), the right was the train and straight ahead was the piano bar that was wonderfully lit up at night. We could sit on our terrace, listening to the piano player and sip our drinks before heading out for dinner. We were staying on bed and breakfast basis and were glad to have selected this given the quality of the restaurants on the main road outside the hotel. We enjoyed our evening walks deciding where it would be tonight for dinner. Meals are very good value, the portions are enormous and at times we wished that we had got one main course between the two of us i.e Greek plate at Alexandros. After dinner we would go to one of the bars which were mostly quiet as it was early in the season but busy enough to enjoy. We found all the hotel staff to be very friendly and helpful. The maid service was very good, with bedding and towels being changed daily. Flowers and champagne were placed in the room as gifts from the hotel for being a honeymoon couple. The flowers were beautiful and filled our room with lovely fragrance for almost all of the two weeks we were there. The pool area was excellent with the comfiest loungers I have ever laid on. Again there was no problem securing one of these for the day as it was early in the season. There were people of many nationalities staying in the hotel which was a welcome change for us and suited perfectly as we wanted a quiet relaxing time after stresses of organising a wedding. Overall, I would say the Miramare Wonderland is a very special place. The landscaping and buildings are beautiful, I loved the contrasting colours of the walls and flowers. It is highly maintained with gardeners and pool cleaners out daily. Accommodation was excellent, furniture and tiling in bathroom was to high standard and little touches like the canopy over the double bed made it a bit more special. We had a fabulous time there, the resort was just perfect too with no loud bars or people trying to get you in for a drink. A polite 'not tonight' was always enough. If you are looking for a quiet holiday in beautifully well kept surroundings then this is the place to go. We cannot reccommend it highly enough. We will be back next year, hopefully. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Miramare Wonderland - Ixia Operator and Date: (Olympic Direct) Olympic - August 2005 Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : Ian Hill 34; 33 ; 5 ; 10 months Resort Rating: Excellent Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: The hotel is next to the old demised Miramare site which formerly played host to the ludicrously rich and famous. It still clings on to this by accepting small dogs. Few amenities, no pampering, limited small hotel. Children would not have permitted me to book elsewhere however because of the train. On the whole it is a good choice, more for families than couples ( No double beds) Most people had children. It has guests mainly French, British, Russian, Italian, Dutch and German. All freindly. Mainly professional/ self employed It lies on the main road from the airport to Rhodes Town. It is one of the few hotels actually on the beach side of this main road. also eg Bella Helena. Comprising of about 170 odd rooms. All the Beach front and seaview rooms are one story but many of the garden view are two floors. There are also some smaller purely hotel rooms. The second floor suites have a shaky balcony with large gaps between the rails approx 12 inches apart unsuitable for toddlers. The resort is regarded as the best hotel in Rhodes. Its main features are its central location, a shaded, well tended garden, and a green electric train which the children adore. Generally the staff are extremly friendly and helpfull. As you face north towards Turkey, the hotel is split with a very small air-conditioned reception in the center. In front is the lagoon and the breakfast/ half board restaurant, to the left all accomodation. To the right about 750 meters is the " paying " restaurant, pool, childrens club, and up to 700 meters to the right again more accomodation. As you leave reception facing the road, Rhodes Town , the Hilton, most of the popular hotels, are left. To the right Kremasti and the airport. The road is a killer, and most of the restaurants are on the other side. Took up to 10 mins to cross with 2 infants/ pushchair. The rooms are pleasant and quite spacious. The bedroom is cramped.The airconditioning was efficient but operated on a magnetic key that deactivated when you left the room. All suites have a fridge and two patio doors that open out either onto a view of a beatiful garden or a view of the sea towards Turkey. The ground floor garden suites are better for children as you can see the train and are safer. Mosquitos will enter the rooms however, under gaps under the doors. The airport is nearby so you will see aircraft decending but since they are landing there is virtually no noise. Some noise at night however from the road and barking dogs nearby. The food is excellent, clean, varied well prepared. You could not ask for better. The quality of the ingredients are the best. Service is a bit chaotic however. You don't notice at breakfast, apart from waiting for coffee, or having to help yourself to a dirty highchair. ( take own Flash wipes) We went ate at the paying restaurant Gullivers quite a few times in the day and night. Food was excellent but limited. Service took a long long time on occasions, to the point of walking out. The staff are incredibly hardworking good people, but their efforts are poorly managed. Every bar girl in the main " bar" had a surgical wrist support ! from carrying tray of drinks that were too heavy. Average cost 100 euros for 2 adults 1 child with wine and a few cocktails. Beer 4.8 Euros. cocktail 8 Euros. sandwich 11 Euros. Outside To the right is restarants and Kremasti. There is a bar opposite reception which cheap beer (2.5 Euros a pint for Carling xxtra cold) a few chinese, afew small supermarkets. A large supermarket, a few car rental places. I reccomend SIXT..... perfect and cheap. Directly next door is a small shopping mall selling antiques, trips, ICECREAM TO GO in 15 flavours. Also a large bar/ pastry shop ETAPH which even had its own pool. Try it. Mainly local so you get a few frowns, but the childrens play area is excellent as are the reasonable luchtime menu and frappes. To the left are the main popular restaurants. are much of a muchness. All will offer a discount of 20 % if you linger by the door or ask. Haggle !!!! Jason II, Alexadros (best for children and friendliest ballons play area); Coconut; Demitries (watch a old bloke dancing to zorba Tues Thurs). to the left a reasonable supermarket with better exchange rates than the bank. Take nappies.. about casefull.. they are expensive... take babyfood... they only sell two types each two euros each... for a 40 pence pot ;take babymilk. you cannot get the Brit stuff here ANYWHERE. Daytrips.... We rented a car. It was considerably cheaper to do so before we arrived. Empona in mountains.. eat at Baki Bros. Local, no tourists and REAL GREEK FOOD. Place sells the best white wine I have ever drunk. Local winery. Wanted to stay. Monolith on west cost. A demised castle. The greeks appear to have used most of the castle rocks to construct a path to reach the ruin. Nice kebab on the foot of it however. Lindos On east coast. Nice for day out and a meal. lots of restaurants on roofs in a compact space, some with swimming pools as the beach is miles away . The acropolis is good and being reconstructed. Reached by a lot of steps. Breathtaking views. Kremasti to east. Host to fetes on every bank holiday. DO NOT MISS. launderette. £ 2.5 for 5 kilos. Do your holiday washing before you get home !!!!!!!! Learn greek as they dont speak English A cheap local town Falaraki = ghost town no louts Nobody ! Beaches best on east coast. Anthony quinn. Tsampinka the best as excellent food watersports and sand. Most popular with locals on Sundays. Kalithea, the most fun, with a demised Mousillina Spa and clear water for snorkelling, and sunbeds all around a historical site. West coast beaches desserted apart from locals but best for watching the sun set (next to goats). Butterflies dissapointing, but essential. Ostrich parks inhumane, and contain animals in poor condition and should be boycotted. Please dont visit, they are shunned by the locals. Falaraki Water Park. Fantastic. Best water park in Europe. This is the childrens favourite day out. Pirate ships, cheap food, trains, lazy rivers, wave machine with loud music. Love the place. Use the lockers. Don't not leave your bags on view. This is the number one crime spot for stolen passports credit cards etc. Passports to UK is primary goal. OLD RHODES town. WOW ! no place on earth like this. Singles are attracted to the bars, at the latest of night. Drink a yard of ale or a 2 litre stein. with no violence or aggrivation. Everyone is nice. lets keep it that way ! Very addictive place. Ate there many nights. Did lots of shopping. Bit like an Arab market but much more secure Families wander through the congested old town even at midnight. The restaurants in the Jewish Quarter are poor, unhygenic and have a different lease each year. Try the Kasbah ! lebonese food cooked french. Better than London . If not one of the main square restaurants, not within sight of the sea horses ! You know what I mean when you get there . Dont change money here rates are poor. Shopping good for tourist items New Town. has Mcdonalds, Goodies (same thing) pizzaland, Hillfieger designers etc, more for locals. Parking at night impossible. Ended up parking on just south of aquarium, bit scarey at 1.00 am . Parking best by North gate before 6.00 pm Locals will try to steal spaces as you are actually parking. Roadrage extraveganza. Palace of grandmasters. Just go. Visit of lifetime. Cannot be disappointed. Town moat. I enjoyed walk but very hot. 4 k walk. used garden taps to keep cool. Be carefull if you enter the cul de sac on south side. I insisted on entering as i'm into the castley things and seige warfare. In practice it is home to a hundred wild cats ?? or dogs and is infested with fleas or ticks or mosquitos Best hotel in Rhodes. If i visited again then it would probally be this one. If not the hilton as you get a double bed and far more health/ pampering stuff. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Miramare Wonderland - Ixia Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - June 2005 Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : Mark Palmer - Maidstone,Kent (35,33) Resort Rating: Excellent Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: Paradise - The moment you arrive you meet the most wonderful staff and you relax immediately. The hotel is made up of individual villas/apartments (max 2 storeys )and spread over large beautifully landscaped gardens. The accomadation is sort of 5 star traditional Greek rustic style and just felt right.We had a full sea view and was worth paying for that little extra. There are lagoons,pine trees and a minature steam train that can drop you off at the pool or take your luggage to your room. The place was supposedly full when we were there but you wouldn't know it, the pool is jaw dropping stunning, it is one of those infinity pools and is just wonderfully designed. The breeze coming off the Aegean sea is a godsend it just adds to making this a perfect holiday retreat. Even though the hotel is loacted on a fairly busy road as soon as you walk through reception you wouldn't know that to be the case. The restaurant that you take breakfast in is just wonderfull and the views spectacular. The beach is small and pebbly but that was fine as there so much room around the pool,but it is just so nice to have both options right on your doorstep. Ixia has a great little strip of bars & Restaurants not too boistrous just perfect for couples and families alike. We mainly ended up going to the same bars & restaurants as you get so attached to the friendly staff (Argo sea bar & Alexandross). We wanted a chill out relaxing holiday with a bit of luxury and that is what we got and more,wish we were still there. Thanks -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nathalie Hotel - Ixia Operator and Date: Libra August 2006 Opinion submitted in September 2006 by : Johnston 36, 66 Resort Rating: Good Accommodation Rating: Good My/Our Holiday Review: Just returned home on the 6th September after a week at the nathalie Hotel. The hotel is clean but in need of decoration and needs some general TLC.It is in a quiet location only a short distance from restaurants etc. Patti works at the pool bar, works very hard, food always good and piping hot.We at the Napoli, food here was very good with good service.The coach drops you off at this restaurant as road too narrow.Be prepared when getting off here as you will have to take you case about 300metre up the road, it seems longer when the sun is beating down on you and your rep is striding out miles ahead of you. There is no lift at the hotel.We went to Rhodes town by local bus about 1.70 euros, they run fairly on time but can be quite busy later at night.The old town is very nice a maze of narrow streets and shops, can be quite warm.Mosquiotoes were a nightmare never had so many bites in all my years on holiday.Locals were saying it had been a bad year for them, everyone had nasty bites.We never went to Lindos but heard from others worth a visit. People seemed to be making own arrangments for trips as they said booking with rep was a lot more expensive. Overall had a good holiday . A good night can be had in Valentino's bar. Barman there is crazy. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nathalie Hotel - Ixia Operator and Date: (Airtours Direct) Airtours - June/July 2006 Opinion submitted in August 2006 by : Leane and James - Newcastle (20,26) Resort Rating: Very Good Accommodation Rating: Good My/Our Holiday Review: Had 2 fantastic weeks in Ixia. We couldn't fault our accomodation, was spotless. Rooms were cleaned everyday and throughout the whole hotel it was very clean. Staff were very friendly in particular Magda - made great cocktails! The main road was a bit of a pain to cross but that didn't matter too much as only crossed it to get to the beach. We spent most days sunbathing on the beach with the nice breeze, the shingle pebbles weren't as bad as thought as it was sandy once you walked further into the sea. It was very hot so we preferred the beach to the pool. We ate out every night our favourite restaurants were Dimitrios, Alexandros and Coconut. The food was all very similar but we found they all had different atmospheres. We went to Rhodes town -Bar Street for one night out and would reccomend to try it if you are wanting a lively night. The prices of drinks are dearer than Ixia but well worth it! In Ixia we drank a lot in Valentino's - the barman Costas was crazy but a good laugh! His barmaid Katerina was brilliant! This is where we met more people, sitting round the bar. Another good bar was fat man slims - really good staff and they make fresh fruit cocktails which were lovely.. If you go to Lindos be prepared for the heat as it was 10 degrees hotter on that side of the island plus no breeze! We went on the boat trip but would reccomend the bus as the boat journey was long and uncomfortable. Overall an excellent holiday, lovely people and we would definately go back!! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nathalie Hotel - Ixia Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook - August 2005 Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : Violet (late fifties) Resort Rating: Very Good Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: Would recommend this hotel to anyone. Small and very friendly, spotlessly clean with excellent staff. Hope to return soon. Eating out - try Alexandros - great quality food and big portions, very friendly owners. Can't remember the name of the cocktail bar, but well worth a visit, again very friendly staff and great prices. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nathalie Hotel - Ixia Operator and Date: (MyTravel Direct) My Travel - August 2005 Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : Diane Graham - Carlisle (36,34,14,11,8) Resort Rating: Very Good Accommodation Rating: Good My/Our Holiday Review: Returned yesterday from 2 weeks at the Nathalie. Hotel is up a side street but only takes 2 minutes to walk up it and it is quite safe. The Nathalie is a very clean hotel with basic facilities. The pool is extremely cold until about 11am as it takes to that time for the sun to come around the corner of the hotel, but lovely from that time onwards. John at the pool bar makes excellent food, thorougly enjoyed the mixed platter. There was a bbq and a karaoke night while there and both were really enjoyable. Lisa is an excellent singer. The person to meet is Magda behind the bar, she is lovely and makes you feel very welcome, she also makes fantastic black russian cocktails. The only drawback of the hotel was all the extras you had to pay for. We had 2 rooms and paid for Air-conditioning for both which was 164 euros. The other items to hire were fridge,kettle and mugs, fans,sunbed matresses, safety deposit box and the washing machine. It would have been nice to be pre-warned about all of this. Overall a lovely hotel, lovely staff and would go back. Ixia is great with the nicest restaurants on the island,Jason 2,Coconut,Alexandros and also Valeria,turn left at end of lane not right for this one, were all lovely to eat in with friendly staff who were great with the children. The waterpark at Faliraki is one of the best i have been to.The butterfly valley is nice but wear strong shoes to climb up the second section.At seven springs you must walk through the tunnel.Take your swimsuit if you go to Pressonisi. Rhodes is beautiful and i would reccomend it to anyone and the Nathalie is a lovely hotel. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nathalie Hotel - Ixia Operator and Date: (Libra Discounts) Libra - July 2005 Opinion submitted in Aug 2005 by : Tracey, Gary, Arron, Bradley, 35, 35, 10, 7 Resort Rating: Poor Accommodation Rating: Poor My/Our Holiday Review: Please do not consider this holiday with children, the Libra brochure states that there is a ball room for children etc, there is nothing for children at all, (except a shallow end in the pool). There are signs stating that you can not reserve a sun bed and items will be removed, wrong, and if you want a sun bed, be up early, because no end of people were putting their towels on sun beds and then going out for the day. Also be careful around the pool it is leathal, the edge slopes down and is very slippy, my son caught his leg in the grate many a time. The pool has sharp edges down at the shallow end as well. The sun beds are very close to the edge of the pool and one guy fell in, fully clothed. Do not expect anything brilliant for breakfast, it is the same every day, except for sunday when you are treated to scrambled eggs and beans or scrambled egg and sausage, and what you don't eat that day then you will be served with it the next day, stale bread etc. The hotel is mixed nationalities as well, this isn't mentioned in the brochure either. Be prepared to pay for everything, kettle, fridge, air con, fans etc. The rooms looked clean, but i noticed that we had had some nuts one day and they were still on the floor the next week. The Libra rep is brilliant and very helpful (Deborah), she will answer any questions, but when we were dropped off we, by another Libra rep, we were just pointed up the road, luckily the hotel is in sight at the end of the road, otherwise we would have got lost, it does seem a long trek with the suitcases up the road to the hotel, but it is not as far when you are out and about walking. Will not return to this hotel, but Rhodes itself is beautiful and well worth taking a look -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nathalie Hotel - Ixia Operator and Date: (Libra Discounts) Libra - May 2005 Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : Roger Keys 42,52 Resort Rating: Very Good Accommodation Rating: Very Good My/Our Holiday Review: This small family run hotel more than lived up to expectations. Great breakfasts , think we were possibly the loss leaders. Everywhere very clean, very friendly staff. We ate ate Jason 2 many times and also Napoli, excellent value for money. Beach not so good, but the pool was perfect for catching the rays, Pooside Bar at the hotel was more than adequate. Highly recommended, we will be back -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nathalie Hotel - Ixia Operator and Date: (MyTravel Direct) My Travel - May 2005 Opinion submitted in June 2005 by : David Newton-Manchester (40) Resort Rating: Very Good Accommodation Rating: Very Good My/Our Holiday Review: My wife and I spent a very pleasant two weeks holiday (11-26/05/2005) at the Nathalie, Ixia. Hotel is located 30 minutes from airport in a quite residential/holiday apartment's area of Ixia, some 500 yards from the main road. Coach dropped us on the main road leaving us a walk with our luggage (airport type trolleys can be collected from hotel). Only 2 floors of the 3 floor hotel were open. Stayed in room 215. Sun in the morning but pleasant shade in the evening keeping the room cool at night. Air conditioning available at 6 euros per night but was not needed. Room was basic but clean. The Greeks still do not know how to sound proof doors corridor noise was loud and clear. Fortunately hotel was quiet so sleep was relatively undisturbed (except on Karaoke Nights). Hotel pool was very pleasant although sun bathing areas were a little small with some areas in shade through the day. If hotel was full then I am not sure if the pool area could handle the numbers. Pool very clean although water was ice cold. Pool bar and food available all day, up to 5 pm. Cushioned sun bed mattress available for daily hire at 80 cents. Continental style breakfast included in price. Tea/coffee, fruit juice, toast, bread and cornflakes with fruit, Greek yoghurt on through week. Boiled egg or sausage and beans once a week. Beach is located on the other side of Ixia's main road approximately 5 -10 mins from hotel. Beach is pebbly and not particularly pleasant for sun bathing. Temperature during the day was around 25 deg c. Most afternoons a sea breeze would pick keeping the evening temperature a little low. Ixia spread out on either side of the very busy main road (take care when crossing). A number of souvenir shops and super markets close on main road near to hotel. A good choice of restaurants were tried the following are recommended: - Greek -Alexandros, Jason No2, Dimitries and Coconut. Italian- Napoli. The resort was very quiet in May with little to do after 10.30. Travel into Rhodes Town for night life. Hired car (Suzuki Jimny)-110 euros for 3 days. No difficulty encountered in getting around the northern portion of the island (stayed north due to interesting places to visit and the reported inferior roads to the southern tip ). Places worth a visit: - Rhodes Town and harbour 90 mins walk from hotel or 15 mins by bus. Note. 6 euros per person (p.p.) to enter palace and another 6 euros p.p. to walk the ramparts, 3 euros p.p. to enter the medieval hospital. Lindos, Ancient Kamiros and Filermos. Water park in Falaraki entrance 20 euros p.p-opened for its first week of the season w.c. 16/05/2005 not all rides open. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nathalie Hotel - Ixia Operator and Date: (Libra Discounts) Libra - May 2005 Opinion submitted in June 2005 by : Marie, Billy (38, 50) Resort Rating: Very Good Accommodation Rating: Very Good My/Our Holiday Review: We arrived at about 6.00am on 15 May for 2 weeks. The weather was unseasonally hot for that time of year we were told. Hotel was lovely and clean and just enough for our needs. We had a room at the back on the side of the hotel so no need for air conditioning. They were cleaned every morning. The staff couldn't do enough for you and and had karaoke and quiz nights to get everyone mixing. It was good fun. Eating out we found the Napolis and Alexandros restaurants to be very good. Alexandros served plates with food heaped on them. The also had an excellent fast food place next door which was run by Anna, she was scottish and very nice. Rhodes town is accessible by foot as were most places we visted. Lindos and Symi are a must and. I would definitely vistit here again -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nathalie Hotel - Ixia Operator and Date: (Libra Discounts) Libra - September 2004 Opinion submitted in Oct 2004 by : Marc & Ali (27,34) Resort Rating: Excellent Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: We have recently been for a couple of weeks to Rhodes in Ixia and stayed at the hotel Nathalie, we had heard good things so thought we would give it a go. Accommodation We booked the holiday via teletext and the hotel Nathalie was one of the hotels offered so we looked in the brochure and checked it out on this site and liked what we saw. The room was just right for what we needed (we had a pool view on the 3rd floor), the pool and surrounding area were good. The whole place was quiet and kept clean. There is a daily maid service and the whole place is very clean. The breakfast is basic but sufficient and they try to keep it varied. All the staff were very friendly and helpful especially Lisa a lovely Scottish lady who owns the place with her husband Yiannis. Fridges, Air con, kettles etc are all available for hire as well as a safe deposit box which is a must just for peace of mind. If your return flight is at an awkward time you can ask to keep your or another room on for an extra night. Resort The Hotel is just back from the main road of Ixia. There are plenty of shops, restaurants and a few bars. The main road is very busy so take care crossing it. We ventured to the beach once as we preferred to stay by the pool and it was shingle but fine (there are nicer beaches around the island). There were a few bars, mostly ones with huge T.V.s showing football but we didn't try these apart from listening to karaoke and having the odd drink in the hotel bar after our meal. If you run out of places there is a slightly busier resort of Trianda just up the road. Food The Restaurants we tried and liked were: Jason No2, My Place, Golden Wheat and Bamboo Chinese, Alexandros, Coconut, Dimitrios and Napoli we had good meals at all these places and staff were always helpful as well as the prices reasonable. We really got into the Greek food, eating Greek salads every day as well as trying Mousakk, Souvlaki, Stifado, Keftedes and my favourite Gyros (yum). These were mostly in the evening as we used the poolside bar in the day which had a good choice of Greek and English food. Rhodes Town This is just 5 mins taxi ride from the hotel, agree a price (6 Euros) first and flag one down rather than have one called to the hotel. The old town is beautiful (especially at night) and has lots of nice little gift shops and taverna's. The new town has more modern shops. Simi We would recommend going on this trip, we booked it directly via Sigma(in the same complex as the bakery) for 17 Euros each, the island is beautiful and we could have done with longer on this at this beautiful, practically untouched island. Days Out We hired a car for 2 days in the 2nd week from Ixia Rent A Car which is opposite the hotel, the English lady who runs the place with her husband is very nice and helpful and will do her best to help you. After getting used to driving on the right side of the road and the manic way the Greeks drive we were glad to venture further around the island. We asked Lisa at the hotel for a list of places to visit with beautiful views in mind and followed this to a tee: 1st day - East Coast - Prasonnis (where the 2 seas meet), Kattavia (pretty little village), Pefkos(beach), Charaki (beach bay/promenade), Kalithea Spa(beautiful place to swim, say hi to the gang of cats). 2nd day - West Coast - Butterfly Valley(beautiful even out of season with no butterflys), Kameiros(ancient ruins), Siana (lovely village where you can by honey, oil and souma -it has a kick) and lastly Monolithios (castle high up in the hills) all these places were beautiful with the most breathtaking views we have ever seen being on the 2nd day. All in all we had a lovely 2 weeks, Rhodes seems best suited to couples who want a relaxing holiday, somewhere with history and beautiful scenery. Last couple of tips, make sure you protect yourself against mozzies or they will get you, don't book trips via the reps as they are a lot cheaper via the hotel or directly and beware of the airport on the way back as it is chaos. Enjoy Marc and Ali -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nathalie Hotel - Ixia Operator and Date: (Libra Discounts) Libra (lastminute.com) - September 2004 Opinion submitted in Sept 2004 by : Louisa McLaughlin & Ian Peebles Resort Rating: Very Good Accommodation Rating: Very Good My/Our Holiday Review: Returned recently from the Nathalie Hotel - and it was the best holiday myslef and my partner have been on. We were looking for a relaxing holiday and thats exactly what we got. The hotel was very clean, rooms and public areas also. All staff were exceptionally helpful, especially Magda in the bar! Just remember if you book to request air con. aS we booked through lastminute.com - we were not aware of this. However the staff were very helpfull and moved us to a room with air con and a fridge. Pool area was very good - catching the sun well into the evening. The area may not be entirely suitable for small children however. Bar food was excellent also. The resort itself was very plesent. Everyone is very friendly and cannot do enough for you. The restuarants are exceptional, with excellent portion sizes and service. The Coconut and Napolis were our favourite places to eat. The beach is small, quiet and mostly shingle, but the parasoles and beds are right at the waters edge - so just buy a cheap pair of shoes to get you over the pebbles. Its only about a meter and it changes to sand and lovely warm water (warmer than the pool!) All in all - we had a fantastic time, no club reps trying to pull us into clubs / bars etc. We will definatly be returning. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nathalie Hotel - Ixia Operator and Date: (Libra Discounts) Libra - May 2004 Opinion submitted in Aug 2004 by : Steve and Alison (31,27) Resort Rating: Good Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: We stayed at the Nathalie for a week in May and had a brilliant time.The owners Lisa & Yiannis and all the staff were really great.Everyone went out of their way to make sure that we had a good holiday.The hotel was really clean and well maintained with a great pool and snack bar.Breakfast was basic but there was something different every day and you can hire a fridge for 15 euros a week. Ixia is a very laid back resort,set along a busy road which goes straight to Rhodes Town.(5 euros in a taxi)The beach is shingle and very quiet & peaceful.Napoli Restaurant is excellent and only 5 mins walk from the hotel and Coconut Restaurant is also superb and a 15 min walk away. Rhodes itself is excellent with loads to see and do.The ruins at Ancient Kamiros are spectacular, as is the beach at the bottom of the island where the Aegean meets the Med.Rhodes Old Town is lovely and it gives you the feeling that you've steeped back in time. All in all we had a fabulous time and will definately return to the Nathalie.Visit their website at www nathatliehotel gr -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nathalie Hotel - Ixia Operator and Date: (Libra Discounts) Libra May 2004 Opinion submitted in July 2004 by : Rich 42 Julie 43 Resort Rating: Good Accommodation Rating: Very Good My/Our Holiday Review: We had a 2 week stay in the Nathalie on the 5th May and the weather was lovely. The resort was fairly quiet although it did liven up a little the second week. The hotel was clean and all the staff very helpful.. We felt the best place to eat was "The Napoli" Nicholas the proprietor was a very friendly host and the food was fantastic. It was just at the bottom of road from the hotel. A nice bar was "My Place" just opposite. Hiring a car and visiting the island is a must. We visited Lindos and Rhodes Town which were marvellous. We also visited a beach just past Falaraki called Tsampika and hired beds and had a lovely lunch at "Savva's". A taxi ride to Rhodes Town from the Nathalie was 5 euros. The beaches in Ixia/Ialyssos were mostle shingle/pebble and a sunbed is a must(7 Euros for 2 beds and parasol). One little problem if you are not too good on your feet is that the coach drops you off around 500 yards away but the hotel has trollies for your cases. All in all a good 2 weeks. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Oceanis Hotel - Ixia Operator and Date: August 2007 Opinion submitted in August 2007 by : Caroline Wabe - Norfolk 49,57 Resort Rating: Excellent Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: I read a few of the reviews and wondered what I had let myself in for. However the Oceanis and all its staff are FANTASTIC (Except the entertainment)....read on This part of the Island is lovely with a breeze from the sea very gently taking away the dead heat. The hotel was fantastic and was clean and very accomodating. The staff were friendly, the food fantastic and everyone was very helpful. The entertainment is the only thing that lets this hotel down. Well I use 'entertainment loosley!! It was so bad it wasn't funny!! There are a few shops/bars in Ixia however Rhodes Old Town is a MUST. It is full of history, shops that cater for all ages, and very friendly people. You won't see all the old town in one day allow yourself two days to wander the narrow streets and explore. Lindos is another great place to visit take a donkey to the Acropolis be warned it is very hot up there. The beach is shingles but small and not so bad. Visit Papa Ouzo on the greek night ha what a treat!! Enjoy Ixia Enjoy the Oceanis we did and would certainly return! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Oceanis Hotel - Ixia Operator and Date: First Choice - July 2007 Opinion submitted in July 2007 by : 27, 36, 36, 37 Resort Rating: Very Good Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: we have just returned from a week all inclusive at the Oceanis Hotel in Ixia, and had the most fantastic holiday, The hotel is immaculate, the rooms spotless and the pool is enormous! when we first arrived the hotel didnt look like a 4 star from the outside, but it more than makes up for it when you walk in. we had a couple of days out, the island tour we booked through the rep, which was great. we also did a trip to lindos, which is an absolute must - but very hot! we decided not to do the rep trip though, as at 25 euros each it worked out more expensive for the 4 of us than a taxi (which is only 36 euros each way). we got to lindos at about 3, did the shops and acropolis, then had dinner. this was much better timings than the coach trip, as we couldnt have stood the heat all day! we also went into Rhodes town 3 times, the old town is lovely. it was only 6 euros in taxi, and took about 5 minutes. the shops and restaurants/bars in ixia were really nice, not loads there but enough to wander for an hour or so. the food in the hotel was great. the freshest fruit and salad we have ever had all inclusive, and loads of variety even for vegetarians. our only downside was that the rep didnt really have much knowledge of Rhodes - but reception and the local shops are really helpful and will tell you the best places to go all in all an excellent holiday, lovely weather and hotel - and we would definately return to this hotel again. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Oceanis Hotel - Ixia Operator and Date: May 2007 Opinion submitted in May 2007 by : Alan Rote -Birmingham (59 59) Resort Rating: Below Average Accommodation Rating: Average My/Our Holiday Review: I have read about the Hotel Oceanis on various review sites and thought it worth a try.We requesetd a room on the fifth floor as it was reportrd that they had been refurbished (they had but below floors had not). The Hotel is all inclusive and we went on the 16 may 2007 and it is not an all year round hotel so it was surprising that the ouside areas were not that clean nor had the grass been cut or other sites weeded. Common outside areas around the pool were washed down circa 9 am and all the debris got washed into the pool. Outside windows were 'sprayed' with the same hose pipe and served as the weekly clean. The drinks in the bar were refreshingly good but why o why only have one bar man on with queueslasting up to 10 mins at night. mentioning at night, the entertainment was appaling, with juvenile 'animation' and there was no near by entertianment outside the hotel either Walking for half an hour in either direction was futile and only taxi trips to Rhodes old town saved me from going mad. Meal times were good in that the dining room although not large (and what a strange lay out with steps net to the buffet bar-just waiting for someone to fall over)there was no overcrowding and the staff were exceptionmaly freiendly. The air conditioning was on i the dining room but not the rooms(strange!) and the reports of the usual night time 'bites' were prevelant. Overall the view was that the hotel had pleasant places to sit through out the day and night but lacked agood location and the entertainment was greatky lacking. We would not go back there again! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Oceanis Hotel - Ixia Operator and Date: First Choice - 2007 Opinion submitted in July 2007 by : Caron 41, Maria 40 Resort Rating: Good Accommodation Rating: Very Good My/Our Holiday Review: We arrived at the hotel at 4 in the morning never again (this was our choice). On arrival very impressed with hotel only problem was we could net get a drink (and we were only after water). We were told to wait till breakfast. Next morning got up for breakfast and water. Hotel food was ok at breakfast but not a great breakfast lover. However lunch, eveining meal and snacks were enough to keep you going for ever. The man behind the bar once you had ordered a drink he could remember what you wanted. Entertainment was not great but we had just gone on holiday to relax and this was the place to do it. Our room was cleaned and was spotless every day and towels were also changed every day. The maids even laid our nightclothes out in patterns on our beds. It was lovely and after some of the reviews on this site we were very dubious. But we have no hesitation into recommending this hotel. Staff were friendly, helpful and polite and our Rep Lisa was great. THANKS FOR A FAB HOLIDAY -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Oceanis Hotel - Ixia Operator and Date: Thomas Cook - 2007 Opinion submitted in June 2007 by : Maria Jackson (40) Caron Gariner (42) Resort Rating: Excellent Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: On arrival very impressed only problem was we arrived at 4 o clock in the morning everything was shut (no water available) ensure that you purchase water at the airport if late night flight. Food was excellent manager in restaurant very friendly and was managing all staff very well. Hotel was spotless. Had fridge in room which was great. Bed changed and made every day, Towels changed every day. Maid even made our pyjamas into patterns on our beds every day. Could not fault this hotel in any way. Clean, staff friendly, helpful. First Choice Rep was excellent we had no complaints but chatted to her on regular basis. Entertainment was ok but didnt really bother us as we were out to chill and not ready to party the night away. Had a great time and would definately return to this hotel again. Carpeted room so if you have children great idea as no problems when applyng lotions etc no slippy floor. GREAT HOLIDAY WISH WE WERE STILL THERE !!!!!! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Oceanis Hotel - Ixia Operator and Date: yourholidays - 2007 Opinion submitted in June 2007 by : Hughes 74/70 Resort Rating: Good Accommodation Rating: Good My/Our Holiday Review: This is not a 5 star hotel as advertised. The food was very repetative and not good quality. The rooms were in desperate need of updating. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Oceanis Hotel - Ixia Operator and Date: hellenic voyages - Aug 2006 Opinion submitted in October 2006 by : carl 36 vicky 35 liam 8 Resort Rating: Average Accommodation Rating: Below Average My/Our Holiday Review: spent 2 weeks in august at oceanis, supposed to be all inclusive but spent a fortune. the food wasn't very good, not much choice and had to wait ages for trays to be filled up. bar staff not very friendly, could only get 2 very small glasses of beer per visit to bar, cola was something else!!!!awful.... rooms lovely and clean, clean towels daily pool area very nre and modern but pool itself not very clean, my son came home with a very bad ear infection... airport brilliant for a greek island, flight with xl was great wouldnt come back to this hotel again, but rhodes is a beautiful island plenty to see and do lindos and rhodes town are great, -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Oceanis Hotel - Ixia Operator and Date: Hellenic - August 2006 Opinion submitted in September 2006 by : Rachel (34), Mark (37) ,Joseph (7) Resort Rating: Good Accommodation Rating: Average My/Our Holiday Review: To be brief, we had a really good holiday but there are a few pointers that i would find helpful if i were to read this before my pending holiday. The hotel is nice, the public areas are fantastic, very modern and cool. The bedrooms are also fantastic and newly refurbed, that is if you are lucky enough to stay on the 5th floor. We were not and it seemed that mainly it was European holiday makers that got the best rooms. I don't think that there were any English visitors that got the good rooms. We were on the 3rd floor at the back of the hotel,our room however was adequate for us and always cleaned well. The all inclusive deal is very poor. There were several limitations and only at set times was it available. A very bad package, which meant we spent a lot of money eating out and also on daily items such as ice creams and pop. The snack bar staff are miserable and unhelpful, the beach is shingle and you dare not walk into the sea without shoes on.The food is very repeatative and we were bored of it after the first wk. Rhodes town is fab and only 6euros in a taxi which can be called from reception. Waterpark, Anthony Quinn Bay and Lindos trips were fab. Definately not a 4 / 5star, more like a 3. Afterall of these grumbles we had a good holiday, Hellenic cocked up and over booked some flights and our room. Won't book with them again or return to Oceanis Hotel. We would return to Rhodes but stay somewhere like the Hilton or Rodan Amathus next door to us. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Oceanis Hotel - Ixia Operator and Date:* Your holidays June 2006 Opinion submitted in June 2006 by : Fulton 46,42 Resort Rating: Average Accommodation Rating: Average My/Our Holiday Review: The Hotel Oceanis is described as between a 4 and 5 star hotel but it certainly isn't. Flights with XL airways were excellent. i don't like being negative about hotels but this one certainly warranted it. Check in was hassle free although we must have got the worst room in the hotel room 218 which looked onto the dining room roof. Rooms are dated although quite spacious. No air conditioning available in June. The maid kept the room clean. As all inclusive it would be nice to have some cans of juice and beer and water left in the fridge like in the carribbean. Food, this is an all inclusive hotel and the food was terrible. Breakfast and lunch you could just about tolerate if you like the same thing every day and don't mind the queues around a small central buffet area but we only managed two evening meals before having to eat out the rest of the holiday. There was very little choice and nothing for children except chips. Everything was very greasy. Pool There are two pools the large one and a small rectangular one. There is a beach across the road (cross at your peril!) with sunbeds at three euros fifty each per day. The sunbeds were reserved early each morning and crammed in so close together even if you got one you couldn't move. It would work out quite expensive for people to use the beach every day it cost us about 70 euros. Beware the pool water is freezing. Beach this is a shingle beach and you definately need some form of footwear to enter the sea. The area around Ixia is very exposed and windy so could be quite cold on the beach even in the heat of summer. Bar service This was without doubt the worst thing about the Hotel. The bar staff were grumpy, unhelpful and resentful. We overheard people complaining to reception about the bar man in the main bar. Every drink was given grudgenley and the staff have a lot to learn about hospitality. There was no waiter service at the pool, or in the evening. Entertainment the less said the better. Watch out for the mosquitos they are rampant everywhere. Resort and Rhodes Town The resort was quite nice with loads of eating and drinking places with excellent service and good food at reasonable prices. There are a few supermarkets selling everything you would expect and they are open till late. Rhodes town was fantastic especialy the old town althought the cobbles can be a bit sore on the feet. You can get the bus or a taxi in and its got great shops and restaraunts. Watch out for the boat trip vendors on the harbour front as they can be rude if you don't buy from them. The boat trip to Lindos is well worth it its a really nice place but don't buy coffee of drinks in the cafes right off the boat as they are a rip off. Try the Lindos taxi (donkey ride) up to the Acroplois or town its good fun. We would go back to Rhodes but not to this hotel -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Oceanis Hotel - Ixia Operator and Date: your holidays - june 2006 Opinion submitted in June 2006 by : John Cooper ( 61, 60, Resort Rating: Very Good Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: This is a superb hotel, newly refurbished,it is beautiful throughout, 5.the rooms are spotless,the food is excellent, with a great choice. i have been to rhodes 4 times before, but this hotel is by far the best I have been to. the staff were very friendly, and the service was excellent. a light was faulty in the bathroom, andwhen we reported it, it was fixed in 10 minutes.the only thing i could say was not great, was the entertainment. This did not affect me at all, as I have yet to see decent entertainment in any hotel i have been in, and normally go into town. I would recommend this hotel to anyone.I think if anyone complained about this hotel, they would be better off staying at home. It was brilliant! john cooper Glasgow -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Oceanis Hotel - Ixia Operator and Date:* First Choice - 2005 / 2006 Opinion submitted in June 2006 by : Jaclyn - Shropshire, ages 50-18 Resort Rating: Very Good Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: My first visit to Greece and definetley not my last. After a stupid o clock flight - yes, we picked it - we arrived really weary at about 0330 into a fantastic and spotless reception area and greeted by a really friendly reception manager. The rooms were no less disappointing, immaculately clean, bathroom was beautiful and the beds were spotless. We had a pool/sea view so more than pleased with that. Meals were as expected when in a foreign country, if you dont expect a la carte then you won't be disappointed. Always remember that these people are trying their best to cater for hundreds of people and it's no use moaning - you chose these package holidays after all !!!!!!!!!! SUNBEDS AND TOWELS:- EVERYONE AT THIS HOTEL SEEMS TO BE UP REALLY EARLY TO PUT THEIR TOWELS OUT - CHEAT - DO IT BEFORE YOU GO TO BED!!! The pool are was fabulous, it has a waterfall going into it, and sunbeds are free regardless of what board status you are at the hotel.. also, at lunchtime, the hotel put on a small buffet free of charge for half board guests.. it's enough for a lunchtime snack andperfectly acceptable.. Dont book trips through your rep, grab a taxi to Mandrake Harbour in Old Rhodes town and there are dozens of boats - half the price of trips with your rep. everyone speaks English so no problems there. Lindos is an absolutye MUST !! Get the donkeys to the Acropolis - fabulous. Symi is pretty little island, but you only get a few hours in the harbour really, and unfortunately don;t get chance to see how beautiful this island is, the beaches are stunning! Old Rhodes town is fantastic for shopping, we went twice, and i am now taking on a second job to pay off the credit card bill for everything i bought there! If you go to Old Rhodes, try to find Socrates Garden restaurant, it's just off the main row of shops - it is gorgeous, waterfalls in it etc.. We did a week, and ate out only once at Alexandras, but it was very nice and worth the money.. I travel alot, and never go back to the same place twice, but the Oceanis and Rhodes will be visited again by us without a doubt - i would recommend it to anyone. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Oceanis Hotel - Ixia Operator and Date: Oct 2005 Opinion submitted in Nov 2005 by : Nigel Banks Resort Rating: Very Good Accommodation Rating: Good My/Our Holiday Review: Good old trusty Rhodes, lovely weather for October and have come home a few pounds heavier thanks to the excellent food at the Oceanis hotel. Staff very friendly, food as mentioned very good and the drinks (we were all inclusive)were in abundant if not perhaps watered down a touch, either that or i am now imune to alcohol. Only real gripe was the lack of evening entertainment, we only had one night that had entertainment and although the group were good, a few more nights entertainment wouldnt go a miss (perhaps it was because it was October and not peak season)which brings me to the swimming pools, bloody freezing (remember its October). All in all, an enjoyable holiday, could complain about the flights which were at silly o clock in the morning both times, but its what we agreed too eh. Nice place, done it, now for somewhere else. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Oceanis Hotel - Ixia Operator and Date: Hellenic Voyages - September 2005 Opinion submitted in Oct 2005 by : Jenny & Steve Blackpool. 40, 41 Resort Rating: Poor Accommodation Rating: Very Good My/Our Holiday Review: Just returned last night from The Oceanis. From the outside, the hotel doesn't look anything special, but as soon as you walk up the steps to the door, WOW!- It could easily match any top 5* hotel. The spiral staircases, polished wooden floors, secluded lighting and marble everywhere - it looks great. However.. after the first floor refurb, the stair carpet was threadbare! - Apparently, the refurb is being done a bit at a time. Not worries though - after all, how much time do you spend on the stairs?! The rooms were adequate. I noted in several write ups and in some brochures, that there should have been a mini bar? - There wasn't in our room, however, we did make our own rather well stocked one in the very handy fridge! We were lucky enough to get a sea/pool view room on the second floor. It was a delight to wake in the morning and look out over the sea to spectacular views of Turkey and the early morning fishermen. The bathroom was fine and did have complimentary soap - but that was it. As for the maids, they were great. Did a sterling job every day, and in our case, didn't arrive until after 10am - so they weren't a problem. The food.. hmm. We are fairly seasoned travellers and live by the philosophy "When in Rome" - In other words, we never eat English food or go to English pubs when on holiday, we can do that here. - So the food...YUK! We both love Greek food, and found what we got in restaurants when we ate out was great. The hotel food was atrocious! Everything was swimming in oil, and the choice was extremely limited. Usually pork or chicken, but always fish every day. The pork in gravy turned into pork stew the next day, likewise the chicken. There was plenty of salad though.. For us, the food let the hotel down badly, even breakfast was awful.. Almost cooked eggs.. YAK! But food isn't that important,You can always eat out, however, if you do go full board, think it's wise to be prepared! The staff were 'efficient'. The restaurant manager Nikos and his team were great - always a friendly word and a smile - which at the end of a busy season, must be difficult to keep up! Staff at reception were a different ball game.. cold and couldn't care less! Treated you with total indifference, especially the woman with blonde hair who seemed to be always shouting at someone down the hotel phone! Even when you needed your key, she simply flicked her head at you as if to say "What?", said something to the caller, and then threw the key on the counter and resumed her shouting down the phone! The animation staff were very popular, and provided much entertainment, and seemed to enjoy it, again, even though they were almost at the end of the busy season. The pool was brilliant, but it was THE coldest pool I have ever been in! - Even after the blazing sun had been on it all day it just didn't warm up!It was alright once you got used to it though. The waterfall & bridges were lovely though, it really did look the part. As mentioned in other reviews, don't bother booking the trip to Rhodes town with the reps at 17 euros, it really is only an hour walk along the coast and does divert away from the road so you can hardly hear the traffic and the view is spectacular. Or if you're not up to that, it's just 6 euros in a taxi which are plentiful, both ways. The old town is lovely, and there's a lot to see. Really worth a visit. The trip to Lindos is worth a look. We chose to go by boat, which was 31 euros, but there is the option of the coach for 24 euros. The boat trip was lovely, and took about an hour and a half. During the trip, various points of interest were pointed out and on the way back, we stopped at Kolymbia to dive off the boat. Very refreshing! Lindos itself is stunning and steeped in history, although the hike, and I mean HIKE! up to the acropolis is not for the faint hearted! You can go by donkey if you want, but when you see the poor things, you might change your mind..! It's a good day out though. Aside from that, Ixia itself does not really have much to offer. There are a few restaurants and one or two bars along the busy coast road. Plus a few supermarkets and a gold shop, that's about it. The beach, and I use that term VERY loosely, is in fact not a beach, but a very thin strip of dirty and untidy pebbles. The sunbeds were 3.50 euros per day. The sea was quite rough here and quite dirty, there was always what looked like the contents of several dustbins floating around in it. Lots of watersports though, if you like that sort of thing. A man did drive onto the beach in his truck to sell fruit a couple of times a day, and there were also small cabins dotted every few hundred feet which sold beer, water, crisps & sandwiches etc. That's about it. Hope someone finds it helpful. Although we had a good break, I don't think we will be going to Ixia again. Maybe Lindos next time if we go back to Rhodes. Happy holidays! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Oceanis Hotel - Ixia Operator and Date: (Thomson Holidays Direct) Thomson Holidays - aug2005 Opinion submitted in Jan 2006 by : carly and michael (18, 18 ) Resort Rating: Excellent Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: stayed here for one week. best holiday ever. rooms were lovely really liked the sea view over looking turkey and would really recomend it to any one as the other side over looks a cliff and it only costs ten pound extra. rooms cleaned every day. couldnt get any closer to the beach. bars and restuarants just down the road but not so close that you can hear them at night. really liked blue eyes bar,heiniken beer on tap was one euro a pint and the blue eyed cocktails are wicked. rhodes old town is brilliant went there twice. loads of bars, restuarants and shops.dont wear high heels as the streets are cobbled. hotel looks lovely as you pull up. the hilton next door looks horrible compared to this. all marble and glass everywhere. the only bad thing is that its a stony beach but when you get in the sea its sand. look out for the little brown jellyfish as my boyfriend got stung by one and said it really hurts. the food was nice at dinner but the breakfest was poor but it's cheap to eat out for a bit of brekkie. the beer in the resort is ok but if you wanna get drunk then try ouzo and sprite. overall the best holiday ever and would reccomend it to anyone! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Oceanis Hotel - Ixia Operator and Date: (Olympic Direct) Olympic - July 2005 Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : Angela, Keith, Laura, Rachel, James(46,53,16,16,9) Resort Rating: Poor Accommodation Rating: Average My/Our Holiday Review: The resort is a single small stretch on the busy main road into Rhodes town. The beach is made up of large pebbles, you need plastic shoes to get into the water but the sea is fab. The Oceanis is just beginning a re-furbishment programme, with the pool area and the reception having been completed. Both of these areas are very impressive. The rooms are clean but sparse and the balcony is very small, I never saw anyone sitting out on theirs. Towels and bed linen are changed daily. The air conditioning is poor, not cooling down the room only the area in front of the unit. The restaurant is on the first floor and again the air conditioning is poor but if you can sit outside the view across to Turkey is super.Spiros, the maitre d', greets and seats you, men are expected to wear long trousers in the evening. The food was good quality, plentiful with lots of choice for all tastes.Drinks are self-service, juices,soft drinks,beer and wine, also water which is cold and fine to drink. The snack bar near the pool is the main bar in the day and the evening, there is another bar inside but the staff did not want to serve AI guests. Snacks, hot and cold, are available from 10 to 6, you help yourself to these and tea and coffee. The pool area is lovely with loads of sunbeds available free to AI guests, half-board guests pay 2.50 euros daily. The pool guy goes nuts if you try to put your towel on a bed before 8 am but if you don't mind where you sit you can get a bed at 12 ( 2 teenage girls in our party can vouch for this).The pool was very clean and very safe, adults can stand up all around. Entertainment - what a let down. 3 young people playing music day and evening. Aqua aerobics, darts, water polo was about it during the day, nothing for children. In the evening you can play bingo for 5 euros, no thanks.Then it was either the same CD over and over or some sort of audience participation, one night there was a Greek duo. No Greek evening and certainly nothing for teenagers. The girls went out with other friends that they met, other teenagers who were bored with the entertainment. This hotel is classed as 4 star but would be lucky to make 3 stars in Spain. We didn't think that having half-board and AI guests worked, the staff had a more friendly approach to guests who were tipping and they got waiter service whereas AI guests did not get waiter service even if they were disabled, as one of our party is. Had a good holiday, we never let any niggles spoil our holidays but we would not go back to the Oceanis. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Oceania Hotel - Ixia Operator and Date: Kosmos, june Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : Lily and Toby wood 37,39 Resort Rating: Below Average Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: The hotel was lovely and food extremely nice. The decor and furnishings seemed more like a 5 star in England, than a 4 star. The hotel was difficult to fault. However some of the brochures I read in England stated there is an indoor pool (now outdoor - the roof was taken off) Gym (now a games arcade room) Hairdresser (now disused) and a free lunch time buffet for half board guests (not correct much to my embarresment when i tried to find out - the staff thought i was asking for free food - always take write-ups in brochures with a pinch of salf). The resort of Ixia was rather `pants`. It wasn't so much a resort but a motorway lined with restaurants and the occasional bar. On the first day we got there we went for a walk to `have a look round. After an hour of walking up and down the main road (there aren't any side streets) I wanted to scream as the noise and the fumes from the busy traffic was driving me bonkers. It was very difficult to escape the noise from the traffic - however, we did manage to escape to `sunny day's which is near jason 2. This consists of a small pool and a nice snack bar. As long as you are buying something the sun loungers are free and it's fairly peaceful. Further down towards Rhodes town passed some of the big hotels - eg The Hilton - There is a beach restaurant which if you get in front of that on a sun bed - you can just about avoid the traffic noise. Other than that get some ear-plugs or turn your hearing aid off. Honesty I cannot tell you how bad it was. For the first 3 days of the holiday I was dreaming I was driving a bus as the sheer noise (even at 4am in the morning) invades your consciousness even when you are asleep. Also it was impossible to eat `al fresco' (unless motorway dining al fresco is your kind of thing) Rhodes old town was a delight (beware the food is a bit more expensive). Don't bother going on the day trip to rhodes town from ixia - it's not worth it - you can walk it into Rhodes town and get a taxi back for 6 euros (a trip to the town with reps was 17 euros each!) I wouldn't go to Ixia again as it's just not like a proper resort. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Oceanis Hotel - Ixia Operator and Date: Hellenic Voyages june 2005 Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : Resort Rating: Very Good Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: Have just got back from a one week stay at the Hotel Oceanis, the hotel has just been renevated and the pool area is gorgeous. Have to say i had a great time but would not recomend for young couple as you are frowned upon by the elderly mass of emmerdale extras if you so much as splash in the pool, although there were some funny things that you have to experience, every morning they did water aerobics and there was always a pervy 70 year old french man with a tache shaking his shlong in a pair of speedos while drooling over the women!!! Also the glass collector who doesnt understand a word of english who looks like manwell off faulty towers managed to drop more glasses than he collected! Also there was a women who looked like cilla of coronation street with a orange tan who insisted jumping around everywhere topless to show off her headlamps...sorry new boob job! The food was very nice although desert could of been abit more varied, melon in the morning, melon for dinner and they went wild for tea...melon and moldy pears! good hotel though, might pop back sometime!! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Oceanis Hotel - Ixia Operator and Date: Helenic Voyages - June 2005 Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : Anthony Joynes, Lynsey Boyd Resort Rating: Very Good Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: Booked this holiday as a late deal on teletext holidays, never done it before but would definately do it again! We were unsure of what to expect from the hotel as we heard that it was different from the brochure pictures-And how different it is!The hotel has had a massive refurbishment and it looks fantastic!The pool areas are excellent, the hotel has amazing views of the Turkey. DO NOT PAY FOR HALF BOARD!!Pay the little extra to go all inclusive as it is well worth it!Food is nice if your willing to try different things, entertainment at night could be improved but i am sure that it will be. Hotel staff are very helpful especially one of the bar staff called 'nikos'. The rooms are very nice and have mini bar which is nice. Cleaners are a bit annoying calling so early in the morning when you've been on the ale till 5 or 6 in the morning!But that is easily sorted with a quick 'go away'!.Bar serves free up until 12 so be sure to double up your drinks just before!If you're anything like us you can have a lovely holiday and get your moneys worth from the bar alone so its nice to eat out a few times. Try the chinese restaurants just a short walk away. Also be sure to get away to rhodes town or faliraki when the all inclusive bar runs out as taxis are very cheap!Also lindos is a nice day out. Had a great time and will definately be returning to Rhodes! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Oceanis Hotel - Ixia Operator and Date: (Thomson Holidays Direct) Thomson Holidays June 2005 Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : Roger /Linda (41/37) Resort Rating: Average Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: By booking directly as a late deal, we saved hundreds of pounds, it's worth trying if you're willing to risk it. Also, opt out of transfers with your holiday agent if you can, getting a taxi is only about €11 (£8) each way, and saves waiting at the airport. It takes about 15 mins to Ixia. The 2005 brochures haven't been updated - the hotel has been refurbished since those photos were taken! RESORT: Beach isn't too good, it's mostly shingle - there are watersports though. HOTEL: Hotel was spotless, rooms were cleaned every day. POOL: The pool catches the sun well, so it was warm all the time. There are free sunbeds (only if you were on AI). However, some of the brochures claim there is an indoor pool. There was, but it has now had it's roof removed and is now an outdoor pool! FOOD: Food was okay, but not amazing, however there was pleanty of it. Mainly buffet style. Staff were friendly, and apoke good English. Guests were mainly English, with a few French. GREAT VALUE FOR MONEY! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Oceanis Hotel - Ixia Operator and Date: Quicktravel-June 2005 Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : Heather (28), Julia (28) Resort Rating: Excellent Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: Hi Just returned from Hotel Oceanis in Ixia last night and had a fantastic holiday! Hotel has just been refurbished so pool area is gorgeous and hotel itself is lovely. Rooms are basic but clean and air conditioining is good. Maid service excellent and beds quite comfortable but pillows a bit like sand bags! All inclusive package is worthwhile if you like a few bevies but food is lacking in imagination. Very similar dishes for lunch and dinner but breakfast is good. Snack bar is open during the day but when we were there snacks consisted of rock hard sandwiches and biscuits. Drink can flow all day if you choose but one of the barmen is a right nark and not very pleasant. The bar inside the hotel opens at 6pm-2am but all incl drinks only go on until 12. Staff very friendly but stressed at times and we found out when talking to them that they work 7 days a week without any time off so this explained their occasional grumpiness! The glass collector/waiter Yanis is very helpful and constantly smiles! This is the first time the hotel has gone all inclusive and I don't think they expected Brits to drink so much! They ran out of vodka twice but there are plenty more options! The animation team come round the poolside daily to entice you into darts/water polo/french bowls etc but don't hassle you in any way so if you say no thank you they will leave you in peace. Entertainment at night is quite funny but only goes on until 11.30pm, so if you leave the hotel you can go right or left and choose from many bars/restaurants which are all lovely! HAD A BRILLIANT TIME AND HOTEL IS FANTASTIC AND WILL HOPEFULLY IMPROVE THE FOOD WITH TIME! Weather was fab (42 degrees) but mosquito bites were a nightmare so prepare before you go! Rhodes old town is ten minutes in a taxi and worthwhile for shops, restaurants and bars. Enjoy! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Oceanis Hotel - Ixia Operator and Date: helenic voyages-may 2005 Opinion submitted in May 2005 by : TREV,DEBS CHESHIRE[46,44] Resort Rating: Good Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Opinion: ixia itself contains plenty of bars,restaraunts and supermarket shops that sell anything.ixia beach not up to much so not recommended for children.oceanis hotel has had makeover,absolutely fantastic,the difference is amazing holiday brochures dont do it justice. if possible go all inclusive,if your tour operator does not do it you can pay hotel 15euros per person per day,good value when on half board you pay 5 euros for a sunbed mattress.food was very good quality on buffet basis,being replenished all the time,so it was not sitting under hot lamps for long periods. rooms very comfortable,but air con not on until july,august?apart from this would recommend to anyone. SO ENJOY!!!!! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Oceanis Hotel - Ixia Operator and Date: Hellenic Voyages - 2005 Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : Julie - Manchester (70's, 40's and teens) Resort Rating: Excellent Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: Holiday brochures need updating as all the pool area has been modernised during the winter. The views across to Turkey and sunsets are to die for. The hotel is spotless, an army of chambermaids clean the rooms daily with a change of linen and towels. The restaurant can be quite busy in the evening but the Head Waiter (Spyros) would always try to seat you immediately and where you preferred. Although there wasn't a great deal of choice the food was always hot (unusual for Greece) and there was always chips, pasta, rice and vegetarian dishes. The staff were very friendly. There's no kids clubs but the animation team try to include them in games and have a mini disco in the evening with the usual shows. For families with younger teenagers the resort was great, good music bars but not like Faliraki and safe for them to go out. Would definately go back to this hotel. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Oceanis Hotel - Ixia Operator and Date: Yourholidays (HolidayBrokers) - 2005 Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : Alan Owen-Lancaster (57,40.16) Resort Rating: Good Accommodation Rating: Good My/Our Holiday Review: Well we informed this was 5* Hotel when we booked but it is no where near that rating, First Choice rate it as 3+ which is about right.Public rooms, Bars,Resteraunt and swimming pool where very good.We were told they had applied for 5* status and and had been turned down because of the bedrooms which is right because they are very dated and need upgrading, the air conditioning is from the dark ages and struggles to keep the rooms cool in the 90s heat(we had 2 rooms so we are not going of ours alone)one room did not even have a shower curtain. Its says 24 hours air conditioning mid June till Sept in the bedrooms this is only when your key is in the magnetic holder, once you take it out to go out of the room off goes the air conditioning !!! but you can unscrew the end and take the magnet out and leave it in the socket, but you have to hope the cleaners don't spot it and remove it as they did with our daughters probaly because she did not get up till dinnertime and they try to clean your rooms as early as 09.00 am which is not on. Resturant staff were very good and friendly, the food was okay but not a very large selection of choices as other all inclusive Hotels but the food was always hot. Snacks were a joke on all inclusive and were the worst we have ever come across. Bar staff were okay but were overworked and seemed stressed, there is a clown there they call the BellBoy were is so slow its like watching paint dry. The entertainment Team were the worst we ever came across and the Hotel only put on a guest turn once a week, I am sure this is make the all inclusive guests look elsewhere for entertainment as we did and so did alot of others. The Pool area is lovely and the sunbeds are free to all inclusive(you can upgrade for 15 eros a day)the only downside is and you know who you are!!! the grass area is where the sunbeds are is covered in cig ends which you have to walk over to get to the pool or the bar. I bet you don't do that at home and we can only descrbe this as disgusting. An okay holiday would not be going back again to that Hotel though, but Rhodes is very nice and very hot, watch out for the mossies they will eat you alive. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Oceanis Hotel - Ixia Operator and Date: Hellenic Voyages Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : Helen Barrow - 21, Tim Brocklehurst - 20 Resort Rating: Excellent Accommodation Rating: Very Good My/Our Holiday Review: What can i say about this fabulous hotel. It was refurbished winter 2004, and boy can you tell. It looks absolutely nothing like it does in the brochure or on the websites, it has been gutted and completely redone in terms of the pool and restaurant, and the rooms are to be completed this winter (of which are nice as they stand.) The location is the best, the beach is over the road (a bit pebbly though), literally 10 paces away. The road is a busy one, but this is something that cannot be considered in any way to have bearing on a person's holiday! The food was constantly improving during our stay. The head waiter was lovely, greeting all guests. The drinks in the bar downstairs were fabulous - a vodka and lemonade seemed to be the equivalent of 3 or 4 over here! They pour generously. Talk about getting your money's worth! The pool is stunning. It has two bridges going across it which lead to a seating area in the middle. There is a waterfall effect at the back of the pool which creates a relaxing atmosphere constantly. There is also a kids section which is warmer as it is shallower than the main pool. The snack bar is situated near the pool, and is for all inclusive guests and other guests; whilst a buffet is put on for AI guests in-between the meal times (which are accommodating: 7-9.30 for breakfast, 12.30-2.30 for lunch and 6.30-9.30 for dinner.) The sun-loungers can be reserved with towels, but only after 8am, which is a fair system. The rooms themselves have air conditioning (which is a little high to feel the benefit really) and a fridge, balcony, hairdryer, bath/shower etc and the maid service is impeccable. Rooms are hoovered and cleaned EVERY DAY. Bathrooms are scrubbed each day and clean towels are ready for you when you come back in. Beds are made for you, and any rubbish cleared up. The entertainment consists of two people who are the 'Animation team.' It wasn't bad, but nothing spectacular, however they did seem to try. Aqua-aerobics, water polo, french bowls and darts were just some of the activities available, and they have a tennis court too. The only thing i did not like were all of the people chain-smoking around the pool 24/7. Perhaps they need to look at this issue. Also, we were on the first floor, and the noise could be heard from the bar after 12. What you have to bear in mind though, is the fact that we got a great deal, and landed on our feet. I really have never been to somewhere so nice on a £420 pp budget for 2 weeks all inclusive. This is definitely a hotel to visit. I know i would go back there in the future. I could not have asked for any more, It was a nice surprise for us, and i should imagine it will be even better after the second phase of the refurbishment. There you have it. Don't just take my word, try it. Happy holiday hunting! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Oceanis Hotel - Ixia Operator and Date: Hellenic Voyages - 2005 Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : (39, 39, 12, 9) Resort Rating: Very Good Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: This hotel had just completed a full outside renovation, pictures shown in brochure and websites do not show the excellent poolside areas and reception/bar areas. The rooms were basic and cleaned daily but could do with a better cooling system as the air con is not turned on until the high season. Daily and nightly entertainment was arranged by the animation team - a bit repetitve. Food was very good with a varied choice but snacks were not on par with other all-inclusive packages i.e. practically none existent unless you wanted to pay but plenty of ice cream available within the time slot periods. Limited all-inclusive alcohol choices, beer, vodka, whisky, gin etc but no liquors or cocktails, but found out on the last night that tekilla sunrise was available. In total, a very enjoyable holiday. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Oceanis Hotel - Ixia Operator and Date: PLANET TRAVEL - 2004 / 2005 Opinion submitted in June 2005 by : 33,30 Resort Rating: Excellent Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: Hotel Oceanis what a hotel it is so beautiful can not fault it in any way everything is spot on, food is to die for, rooms are lovely and very clean,all staff are helpful and friendly and when you see the pool area which over looks the sea trust us it is a wow.There are various day time activities and evening entertainment provided by the hotel.Shops,restaraunts and bars only a short walk away. You must visit Rhodos old town(6 euros by taxi)it is spectacular,plenty of shops as well for all your gifts.This holiday is a must we are plannig our return visit. A very relaxing couple/family resort. PS take plenty of mosquito spray. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hotel Olympic Palace - Ixia Operator and Date: Thomas cook july 2007 Opinion submitted in August 2007 by : j ross sunderland.48,45,24,23,18,11 Resort Rating: Average Accommodation Rating: Very Good My/Our Holiday Review: olympic palace with a sea view 5 star,room at the back zero,unless your a young clubber who wants no more than a bed to sleep in,a sea view is imperative,unless you like looking at a rock face 5 meteres from your balcony.you have probablys read the same thing on other reviews,but believe me the back of the hotel is appalling.The hotels facilitys and entertainment program are first class and appeal to all ages.the swimming pools are brilliant,and theres a day time entertainment program around the pool to keep just about everyone happy. if you spend your days relaxing round the pool and just need somewhere to have a meal on a night then ixia is fine.it consists of a 100 metre stretch of road with perhaps 8 to 10 resteraunts and bars,all of which are very nice.there is only one english bar and resteraunt,fat man slims,which i can highly recommended.any decent stretch of beach have been snaffled up by the hotels and what is left right opposite the olympic palace resembles a dolomite covered building sight.the beach is the only reason to cross the main road,so its just as well it aint too appealing,because you can stand on the roadside for twenty minutes trying to cross,as the traffic is fast and relentless.this is no eggageration,for such a small island it beggars belief where all the traffic is coming from,or indeed where it is going,its not for the faint hearted.the noise from the traffic also interferes with any relaxation,and theres absolutely no where to sit,as there is no promenade to speak of.my opinion of ixia is that it is an ideal base for commuting into the fantastic rhodes town,which is only 3 miles and a 7 euro taxi ride from the hotel,which is good value if theres 3 or 4 of you,as the bus ride which resembles a cattle truck on the way to market is 1 euro 80.the reception phones a taxi for you on request for free and rarely takes more than 3 minutes to arrive. all in all a good holiday if you take ixia for what it is,and dont take into account the appalling rhodes airport,which has two luggage carousels trying to cope with 8 flights arriving within 15 minutes of each other,it took us 1 hour and 40 minutes to retrieve our luggage,but the fact that its only 20 minutes from the airport to ixia and one of the first drop offs made up for it in some way.but remember its worth the 180 euros for the sea view,believe me -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hotel Olympic Palace - Ixia Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook - Aug 2006 Opinion submitted in September 2006 by : Anita Packman - Kent (42,47,19,19,17) Resort Rating: Average Accommodation Rating: Very Good My/Our Holiday Review: We have recently returned from this Hotel and this is not a 5* as Thomas Cook thinks it is. We did not pay for a Sea View room, and if you dont pay you dont get. We arrived at 4am to be put into a cave which had a view of the mountain and a service road. We paid the hotel around £100 to change (which was cheaper than the travel company). The staff were very friendly and helpful and the entertainment team of Leon and Metro were very funny, they had my son (19)on stage 1 night to help with a show. There were daily Aqua arobics, darts and water polo which were fun. The pools were cleaned once a week so by the end of the week they looked slightly green, and you have to get up by 6am to get sunbeds - although there were signs stating "no reserving beds" which no one took notice of. Food was ok and limited with the buffet with special menus every other night (2 set meals) and if you didnt like the dinners on offer there was always spaggetti and peaches. There are 3 bars in the hotel, the pool bar which is run by Christiana during the day a great, she is lovely and sooo funny. The lounge bar is hardly used and the bar on the 8th floor is only really used when there is a show on. Entertainment in the evening was a kids disco followed by bingo then a show which was ok. There is not much entertainment outside the hotel, there is a public mini golf course at the front of the hotel and a few restaurants (all offering the same foods) and a few cocktail bars (which were 1/2 the price of the hotels drinks). A word of warning there are no baby changing facilities as a family we met found out and also the toilets by the show bar outside are not open in the evening, so you have to go into the reception or your room. Also the beach is across the very busy road (apparantly there is an underpass quite a way up the road, you have to take your life in your hands to cross the road. Would we go there again? I dont think so. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hotel Olympic Palace - Ixia Operator and Date: (Direct Holidays) Direct Holidays - August 2006 Opinion submitted in September 2006 by : Catherine - County Durham (37,35,11) Resort Rating: Average Accommodation Rating: Good My/Our Holiday Review: Just returned from two weeks at the Olympic Palace. Weather fantastic. The Hotel at first glance looks very good. However when we were allocated a room at the back of the hotel overlooking the cliff? Hotel describe this as the garden view we were very disappointed. The room was very dated. The pool area is not the best either. Not wanting to be to negative the staff in this hotel are very friendly especially the restaurant staff who really go out of there way to make you feel welcome. Special mention for George and Yiota who are a credit to the hotel. The food was very good also. Out and about there isnt much going on in Ixia. A good bar to try though is the White Corner, drinks very reasonable here and the staff lovely. A taxi or bus drive to Rhodes old town takes about ten to fifteen minutes it is not within walking distance like a lot of the brochures lead you to believe. At least not in the August heat. A boat trip to Symi is a must we enjoyed this much more than the trip we took to Lindos. If you have children you can visit the Aquarium this is reasonably priced about 12 euros for the three of us. Very good for the kids and adults. It is just along from the marina in Rhodes on the beach head. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hotel Olympic Palace - Ixia Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook july 2006 Opinion submitted in August 2006 by : faye waterfield 0leicestershire (14,45,47) Resort Rating: Poor Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: we have just got back from our 2 weeks stay at olympic palace we had a great time the hotel was clean and tidy the only problem was we had 1 of the back rooms which was small ,needed to be refurbished and was darker but it didnt really help that a great big mountian was blocking half og the hotels sunlight.however the rooms at the front with beach and pool view are bigger with fairly big balconies but cost an extra 140 euro for 2 weeks. the breakfast and dinner was great , dinners range from themed nights that provide a good variety and the waiter served nights which you pick from a menu but i would reccomend trying to be earlier for this as it does take a while.but the waiters are friendly and provide a good service we mostly got served by the 3 top men: elias terry and kairiakos (kirri)who we had a laugh with. the daytime entertainment arouind the pool was provided by the 3 members of the animation team which provided entertainment for adults and children 6 das a week.the nightime entertaimment was either small shows at the ageian bar or the not entierly professional anamation team in the pool bar but i would recamend watching the cabaret and the comady show has they were hilarius. there is a 18 hole golf corse outside the hotel but if you do want a game smother yourself in mossie spray as thats were we think we kept getting ours from. apart from the golf corse there not much else to do in ixia in half a night you would have walked around it and there is no live shows or anything.buti would recommend the caballero pub the cowboy/saloon style pub as it has the best entertainment music,tv,ect. and the people who work there are really fun and friendly,. as there is little nightlife a taxi cost 6-7 euros to rhodes old or new town there is more things to do here and i would recormned visiting old town at nite its less hotter but and less busier (ut dont plan a trip out on a sunday as few shops and attractions are open.)if you are planning to go to lindos for a day bring lots of water and fans because there is no breeze that side of the island plus u got to walk up hill! by the way due to the poor state of the islands plumbing you are told not to flush yourloo roll down the toilet but in the bins provided( i no so gross!!) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hotel Olympic Palace - Ixia Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook - July 2006 Opinion submitted in August 2006 by : Di Waugh - Yorkshire (38,37,14) Resort Rating: Average Accommodation Rating: Very Good My/Our Holiday Review: The 'fair' standard of the fixtures and fittings in the Hotel are compensated by the wonderfully helpful, friendly - hard working staff. I would recommend that if you are unable to book a sea view room through your tour operator, to contact the Hotel directly, instead. I did this prior to our holiday as Thomas Cook stated there were no sea view rooms available - I had emailed the Hotel directly and had a room reserved for us (supplement paid to the Hotel. The road through Ixia is busy however, we didn't find it too bad. There are subway's outside the Rodian Amathus and Hilton Hotel's which are very useful. Instead of hiring sunbeds on the beach at Ixia we hired them from the Rodian Amathus. These beds are situated on grass (lawn) or on their bit of beach - much less crowded and very peaceful. The Thomas Cook rep (Angie) was certainly the most helpful and informative rep we have ever been appointed to - not pushy at all. We hired an Avis car (maybe not the cheapest; but guaranteed quality car and maximum insurance cover). Angie very kindly provided us with a map highlighting some of the Island's best sights, beaches, shopping, etc - such a personal service! We had never been to Greece before and we were not disappointed with Rhodes. The people are truly special. Our return journey home was memorable in the fact that airport check-in is appalling. I understand the airport is small and there are necessary security checks to be made before departure, however for the very young, pregnant, frail, disabled this is a true endurance. Definately something for the tour operators to look at. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hotel Olympic Palace - Ixia Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook - June 2006 Opinion submitted in June 2006 by : Mark S - Northumberland 2006 Resort Rating: Very Good Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: Overall 8/10 We booked with Thomas Cook - 1st warning! the seats on the Thomas Cook planes to Rhodes from Newcastle are tightly packed in, the slightest movement from the person in front took mine and my wife's knees out. As you arrive at the hotel reception, you just think WOW! I'm really staying here? We just wished we were first drop off just so everyone else could see how nice the place was. Looking like a cruise ship, this hotel is located in Ixia, 6 euros in a taxi from Rhodes town. Everything about this hotel is great, the staff are very friendly, the rooms high quality and very clean, (we had a room with a view), in fact the only downside to the hotel was the food offered in the restaraunt, most nights a buffet, but every night the food was more or less the same with little quality to it, Mashed potato every night just with a different name to it, I never knew there were so many different ways to mash a spud. We were half board and ended up spending half our stay eating out. Two of the waiters in the restaraunt were full of self importance, and did on occassions just stop and stand in your way. It was the whole restaraunt dining experience that let the place down for us, well took the shine off anyway. In a hotel with 5 bars, (" weren't open when we stayed), a snack bar, supermarket, hairdressers, kids club, table tennis, pool table, small amusement arcade, 4 swimming pools, (one indoors) you can't really go wrong. Plusses: clean towels AND bedding every day; towels for use at the pool available for a 10 euro returnable deposit from the supermarket, close proximity to Rhodes town Minusses: Holiday club scratch card hawkers are pitched just next to the hotel entrance, beach isn't the best, very windy, air conditioning in the room wasn't on, especially poor as there was a heat wave, although the fan did work. Prices at the pool bar (2.4 euros' for a can of diet coke). But worst of all the food & dining experience in the restaraunt. Very busy road to cross to get to the beach, but useful to avoid the hawkers. Recommends: Staying at this hotel! Velois bar, for lunch time snacks, as well as evening drinks (and Emmerdale) Eddy's Pub for evening drinks Posedinia: Evening meals, although in our view the restaraunts were all pretty similar on the main road Alternatives: Check out Miramare wonderland - I had a walk round, its sea front as well but looks really nice. Would we go back? Yes probably, although on a bed and breakfast basis only. Half Board is a wasted experience in this place. and certainly not on a Thomas Cook plane. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hotel Olympic Palace - Ixia Operator and Date: First Choice May/June 2006 Opinion submitted in June 2006 by : Neil Murray - Barry (32, 31, 8,6, 4 mnths) Resort Rating: Below Average Accommodation Rating: Very Good My/Our Holiday Review: If your looking for an exciting resort with a variety of different shops and bars etc... then keep looking. If however your looking for a quite resort and don't mind going to the same bars and restaruants all the time then Ixia is for you. Ixia is a one street resort. There is one long street which has 90% of all the shops etc on it. There are a few bars and shops off the main street but not up by where we stayed. We went with other family members and the majority of us stayed at the Olympic Palace Hotel. The Hotel itself was very good. The reception area was huge and spotless (as was the rest of the hotel) The room (seaview) was just like the picture on the hotel's web site. One of our party had a single room which was at the back of the hotel and was 50foot away from a CLIFF. Not much of a view there, so it is worth while paying the extra for a sea view. The rooms were cleaned daily and the linen and towels were changed daily. We found the maids really friendly and they loved our 4mnth old son. Just before we left we had flowers put in the room by the maids. We went half board and found the food went from ok to good in quality.Breakfast was the same each day. There was a cooked breakfast which had bacon sausages, boiled, fried and scambled eggs as well as potatoes. There was also the various meats, some cheese, bread rolls and cereals. The evening meal varied slightly each day. Some days was a buffet starter with a served main course (2 options) and a kids meal (not the best but at least they ate the chips) other days the whole meal was buffet. The pools were great. There are 3 in total. The main pool goes from just over a meter in depth to over 3 meters. Be carefull though the pool drops very suddely to the full depth. my 8 and 6 yr old children loved this pool and by the nd of the holiday both were diving and jumping in to the deep end. the next pool is only 1.2 meters deep and has the pool bar in it. This was great, you could have a beer or cocktail and keep your feet cool at the same time. The last pool was the kids pool. We would recommend bying your children the swimming shoes from the shop in the hotel (5 euros a pair) if your child will be using this pool a lot as the younger children in our group all had small cuts and grazes on there toes from this pool. We found some great restauraunts just to the left of the hotel as you come out on to the main road. There is a fab chinese restaurant about a 10 - 15 min walk called the Golden Fish, great place to eat with the kids. The Coconut is also a good place to eat. the food is reasonably priced and of an excellent quality and the kids are looked after by the staf, but more importantly they have a play area. The Posidena is also a good place to eat (or drink) but is a little more pricey. Of the bars our favourite was the Cabellero (or Cowboy bar as we called it) drinks were cheap and the staff friendly. They enjoyed a good joke. One bar to avoid is Valentino's. The owner is too busy trying to be mine host and leaves all the work the one waitress, who to be fair works very hard but just cannot cope. We spent most of our time at the Art and Craft shop next door to the luna bar9another good place to drink). My kids renamed it the Bling Bling shop and had a great time in there with the owner Natasha. Taxis are really cheap on rhodes. We went into Rhodes town several times and it cost us 7 euros each way. Ths shops and bars etc.. are on the whole a little more expensive but there is amuch wider variety of them. The Water park at Falaraki is only 15 euros each way from ixia and is well worth a visit. Be warned though it is quite exposed so take plenty of sun cream. The food and drink is very reasonably priced inside and the sun beds and shades are free. It cost 20 Euros per adult and 15 per child. On the whole we had a good time. We would certainly stay in the Olympic palace again but only if they moved the hotel, lock stock and barrel, to a bit more lively location. The Greeks are very friendly and nothing is to much trouble for them. There only fault(if you can call it that) is that they are very laid back and don't rush at anything. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hotel Olympic Palace - Ixia Operator and Date: (Olympic Direct) Olympic Holidays October 2005 Opinion submitted in Apr 2006 by : Stewart - Ross Shire - 55,54,53,47 Resort Rating: Good Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: We spent two weeks in the Olympic Palace in October 2005 and can highly recommend it as a place to stay and relax in. We were a party of 4 adults. We had front rooms on the fifth floor with large balconies and lovely views over to Turkey. Being October we did not have the sun directly shining on our balconies but rooms further round would have had the afternoon and evening sun. I can understand people not liking the back facing rooms.... that is why we chose to pay extra for the sea view rooms. The rooms were spacious and were cleaned every day with the bed linen and towels changed daily. Our shower curtain was even taken away one day and cleaned! The beds are not over big and some might find them a bit hard but I believe that is the case in most Greek hotels. The restaurant serves a buffet breakfast of hot and cold food with plenty choice. In the evening the meals are also buffet although three times a week there is a choice of two set main courses. If this does not suit the buffet starters could easily act as main courses. There was soup every day and a choice of at least seven sweets with ice cream to follow. The choice was so large that even in two weeks we did not find it repetitive. One of our party required glutton free meals and when the head waiter discovered this he went out of his way to ensure that she got the right food every evening. He prepared special soup for her and brought her main course to the table every night. This was excellent service that we have rarely encountered elsewhere. We found all the staff to be very friendly and helpful especially in the restaurant. There were always plent of free sunbeds to go round and the poolside was well off the busy road and sheltered. There was a snack bar beside the pools which served a good variety of food and drink. You could get a beach towel from the hotel shop for a deposit of 10 euros. The towel could be exchanged regularly for a clean one and you get your 10 euros back when you leave The entertainment was varied and enjoyable.... gave the disco a miss though! There is a car hire firm in the hotel lobby which gave very good service ... 30 euros per day for any standard car delivered to the door. The town is a 6 euro taxi ride of about 10 minutes but it is possible to walk into Rhodes in under an hour. If you are planning any trips I would advise you to book independently and not through the tour rep. We found we could get identical trips from Sigma travel just along the road much cheaper. The rep offerred a trip to Symi for 37 euros. We paid 17 at Sigma. Booking at the harbour directly probably saves a few more euros, Ixia itself is a bit limited and the beach is small and shingle. Plenty lovely beaches around the island though. Ixia is a good place from which to explore the island and very handy for the airport. Rhodes old town is well worth a visit or three. The island is easy to get around and we found no trouble in driving although it was October and so quieter. All in all the Olympic Palace had everything we were looking for and I would have no hestitation in recommending it as an excellent hotel and base from which to explore Rhodes. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hotel Olympic Palace - Ixia Operator and Date: (Olympic Direct) Olympic - June 2005 Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : Bates Family ( 34, 33, 8, 7) Resort Rating: Excellent Accommodation Rating: Very Good My/Our Holiday Review: Our holiday opinion The hotel is well laid out but has nothing saying were things are you almost come across things by accident Although I would recommend the hotel it is really relaxed place, everyone is friendly and loved the kids. The restaurant has different meal arrangements to most other hotels we had stayed at before, a buffet starter if you wanted or a choice of two set meals which changed every evening to a theme. But chips for the kids were available if you asked. There was not a lot of selection from the buffet and nothing was clearly marked to what it was. The staff in the restaurant are always friendly and willing to go out of there way for you. The rooms were very large and spacious we had a room overlooking the Agean Sea. The balcony was half as big as the room with table and chairs. We where on the fourth floor and could see the Turkish coastline very clearly, the sunsets was unreal. The rooms were not so up to date as other reviews have said, the bathroom was avocado green and the basin was not fixed to the wall very well, and the hairdryer was not up to much. There is mini bar in fridge at a cost but no tea and coffee facilities available. Air conditioning in the room was very good, there is a safe in the room which you could hire for 12 euros per week. Rooms are cleaned and bed linen changed daily, cleaners are very friendly and did not just barge-in. The pool area was always clean, people did reserve beds with towels, but there was always beds free to go round. There are two large fresh water pools and a small kids pool. A nice poolside bar and snack bar is available. A one man animation team ( Billy) kept people busy with darts, mini golf, volley ball and water polo. A kids club is also available (Louisa) she made the kids very welcome and keeps them entertained with mini golf, tennis, painting, face painting etc. Evening entertainment was also quite good in the roof top bar although the drinks were more expensive there. We went to the entertainment most nights karaoke, disco, Greek dancing and bingo if you like that sort of thing. Across the road from the resort is a beach full of pebbles, but the sea is nice and sandy when you get out past the pebbles. There is a windsurfing team with jet ski's for hire which were great fun. Just down the road to the left of the hotel are supermarkets and loads of restaurants and friendly bars. Ixis has a nice breeze all the time, which keeps you cool even when temperature's are high. The hotel rep went on for England about nothing at the welcome meeting, we found that the excursions can be found cheaper out and about. Look for trips to Lindos, Turkey and Symi in the harbour in the old town for a better deal. Beware of the scratch card man selling timeshares they are worse that the mossy's. Rhodes old town was very nice but most shops selling same sort of things. There is a bus service runs up to Rhodes town but we decided to get a taxi, for the four of us was only 6 euros each way Overall our holiday was very nice we found a lot of new friends, you may even come across Dave and Marci who have been back to the hotel 6 times in the last 5 years. He to gave us some top tips on where to go and not to go. I would recommend this hotel to other people but again a holiday is what you make it!!! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hotel Olympic Palace - Ixia Operator and Date: (Direct Holidays) Direct Holidays - may 2005 Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : 20,27 Resort Rating: Average Accommodation Rating: Good My/Our Holiday Review: we visited the hotel olympic palace for the first time in may this year. from what we had seen in the brochure we were expecting good things of the hotel and resort!!! im not sure if we went too early in the season but hardly anywhere in ixia was open, we only found 3 bars and a couple of restaurants open the whole 2 wks we were there!!! the resort itself is nice and peaceful, disappointed with the beach!! the hotel itself was nice, if you had requested a sea view!! didnt like the idea of the evening meals not being buffet style, wasnt much on the munu that i liked!! we visited dimitrios restaurant, the food is gorgeous and the staff are friendly, well worth a visit. We also visited the water park in faliraki, well worth the money, plenty of slides. overall the holiday wasnt too bad but i expected more!! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hotel Olympic Palace - Ixia Operator and Date: Firt Choice - May 2005 Opinion submitted in May 2005 by : Debbie Freeman - Bristol (41,48) Resort Rating: Average Accommodation Rating: Poor My/Our Holiday Review: Due to technical problems we had an 'over night' at this place, and it could have ruined our holiday! The staff treated us like a herd of animals. But the worst of it was our room, number 357. It was that bad its etched on my brain! It was dank, dark, damp, fousty and the smell of sewage made us heave and gag, and I promise that was not an under statement. The toilet had a 'sterilised' lable on it but was dirty. We couldnt sleep in there, and slept in the lobby instead, it really was that bad. We were by no means the only ones to complain, and the smell was slightly fainter out side! I know it was short notice, but it was truly awful! May be not all the rooms are that bad, but I can vouch that the ones at the back of the hotel are awful and look out on the a mountain face, which let no light in at all. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hotel Olympic Palace - Ixia Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook- October 2004 Opinion submitted in Oct 2004 by : Michael and leanne - county durham 28.20 Resort Rating: Good Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: We have recently returned from our holiday in Ixia, Rhodes which we went in october to avoid the hustle and bustle of peak season and were not dissapointed. we stayed at the Olympic palace and booked through thomas cook. The hotel at first glance was very impressive! a beautiful white hotel in the shape of a ship (more or less) and when we first walked into the reception we were amazed!There was marble everywhere including the ceiling! This theme continued throughout including the room which was nice.It consisted of a decent sized double bed,tv,air con,mini bar,bath,shower and a card entry system. ther was also a safety deposit box too for an extra 18euros. After reading various reviews on holidays uncovered we contacted thomas cook and requested a sea view room, however they informed us that rooms could not be pre booked.On arrival at the olympic palace hotel we spoke to many guests who informed us that they had infact booked a sea view room before they arrived.We were told by other guests that we could upgrade as there where rooms available, this was at a cost which never looked into due to being miss informed by thomas cook. The room we were in was facing the hills which wasn't really very nice to look at, but within a few days we got used to it. I would highly recommend requesting a sea view it would be well worth spending a little extra. The pools are on the first floor and took us 2 days to find as there where no signs indicating the location. The pools are of decent size and very clean.There is also a pool bar and gym(should you want to) and had no problem getting sunbeds. Our only concern about our stay was the lack of choice and information of the food. The starters where buffet style with no info to let you know what you were eating, and obtaining info was hard.You had 2 choices of main course, usually veal but also other pallete rich food such as poached salmon and caviar!!! You could however get childrens meals instead that is!We would recommend to the olympic palace hotel that they give their guests a wider range of main course as these foods aren't appetising to quite alot of people. Also another thing that we notcied was that the hotel did not cater for guests who were vegetarian, this was another down fall. Ixia itself is small and quiet with the usual touristy supermarkets and restaurants and gold and silver shops. The best English breakfast can be found about a 10 minute walk when you turn left when you leave the hotel at an excellent english ran bar called FAT MAN SLIMS where they use real bacon and sausage a nice pint, another thing that was great was that they also servred breakfast from 8:00am until about 6:30pm. The people who worked in the bar gave us some really useful tips and info about what to do and where to go.They also had t.v.'s for watching football or watching a film. They also have a pool table, nintendo and will quite happily cater all night in order to keep customers happy!well worth a visit.We found we spent most evenings here as it was a friendly atmosphere and we made some really good friends. The owner Ray was always a good laugh and loved a challenge making cocktails. The excursions that were available to those who wanted was, a trip to lindos where the mode of transport is still a donkey, not really something that was to our taste, another excursion that was available was a trip to Turkey the trip includes going on hydro-foil over to turkey , where on your journey you recieve a turkish lunch. When you arrive in Turkey you are taken on a visit to gold factory where you can actually see jewelery being made, this trip also takes places on an afternoon. Another excursion available was scuba diving.Also it is well worth a look into Faliraki if you want night life, despite the tales you here its not that wild just a little more busy. Faliraki is approximately 15minutes in a taxi. Another place to visit are Rhodes old and new towns there are lots of shops and restaurants here. Do not go here between 3:00pm and 7:00pm, if you are shopping as the shops shut.Rhodes town its self is more for the older age groups. However we did not go on any excursions e.g. Turkey as we spent most of our money on eating out due to the food not being what we would have liked. I would recommend this resort to other people but maybe not so late in the year as it was a bit too quite. I would also recommend only going bed & breakfast at the olympic palace if you are as choosey as we are about what you eat, it will save alot of disappointment. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hotel Olympic Palace - Ixia Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook - Oct 2004 Opinion submitted in Oct 2004 by : Dean Wilson 39 Tania Wilson 37 Resort Rating: Very Good Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: Olympic palace, no problems whatsoever, staff really nice and helpful.We were initially placed in a room at the back, we paid to upgrade to a sea view on floor 2 (only 5 euro per day)and were delighted. Balconies sre much larger on the front as well. Beware the onsite phones are a little expensive and drinks with your paid for evening meal (even basic drinks like orange) will appear on your final bill. If you fancy a less commercial feeling bar with GENUINELY friendly owners and staff (food is ok too) walk 25 mins towards airport and look for Debbies bar on the right, another 5 mins walk gets you to "green corner" - the main traffic lights at the top of Trianda main street. If you take a taxi just ask to be dropped on the main road at "Sunday apartments - Trianda" If you want to eat out, but close to the hotel I recommend dimitris - just 2 mins walk from the hotel. Huge portions, I defy you to finish it and NOT feel guilty. If you like this area I have stayed at another place I would recommend(self catering tho) and that is Hotel EDEM at Trianda. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hotel Olympic Palace - Ixia Operator and Date: october 2004 Opinion submitted in Oct 2004 by : 41 and 32 Resort Rating: Excellent Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: Whilst travelling through Rhodes i thought perhaps i had made a miatake in coming but i soon changed my mind when we got to our hotel in Ixia. Rooms were very large and i would reccommend a sea view. as the other side is a mountain. George the waiter is fantastic and is full of information about Rhodes and Tilos his Island. He speaks about 15 languages incliding a little welsh!!! Drinks are expensive in hotel but cheaper elsewhere The food is lovely, good choice but if you were to stay for two weeks half board i think you would get bored. do ask for chips if you want them. Jason 2 restarant is good and cheap. The beach is lovely do try the jet skis great fun!!!! Pool area is lovely too but pool was cold then again it is october. Would definateky return to Rhodes as it is beautiful. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hotel Olympic Palace - Ixia Operator and Date: Booked direct via internet - September 2004 Opinion submitted in Oct 2004 by : Tony and Helen (60 & 58) Resort Rating: Good Accommodation Rating: Very Good My/Our Holiday Review: By booking direct, we saved hundreds of pounds - well worth doing! The taxi transfer from the airport cost only 11 Euros each way and took only about 10 minutes. The Olympic Palace is a good hotel, well worth the 4 stars that most brochures seem to give it (although, not the 4 star plus that Cosmos claim). Do book a sea view; the balconies are enormous and the view is to die for. No noise disturbance, despite the road and the proximity of the airport. One thing that did annoy me is that the room was advertised as having a bath and shower, but the shower had no bracket and so had to be hand held (not just a missing bracket, it was made that way). The food is good and plentiful without ever being outstanding and does get a wee bit repititious. The pool areas are nice. The pool bar is good, but the piano bar does not serve draft beer and the rooftop bar is more expensive. The weakest point of the hotel is the entertainment. There is nothing during the day and the evening entertainment is poor and sparsely attended. If you want to take a trip, I can recommend Manos (turn right from the hotel and walk past the hotels). We went to Simi with him and the trip was excellent and less than half the price quoted by the reps. The car hire in the hotel was efficient and cheap (30 Euros a day). Ixia itself does not have a great deal going for it. Quite a lot of bars and shops, but they tend to be all rather the same. However, Rhodes is a great place and Rhodes town is excellent and very close - it can be walked to or a bus is just over 3 Euros or a taxi is 6 Euros. We went the last two weeks in September and the weather was perfect - cloudless skies and temperatures in the high eighties and low nineties. Overall we would recommend the destination and the hotel. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hotel Olympic Palace - Ixia Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook - July 2004 Opinion submitted in Aug 2004 by : Martin Rickards - Solihull ( 51,49,24,16) Resort Rating: Very Good Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: This was our fourth visit to the Olympic Palace Hotel in the last five years so you can tell that we really do enjoy this hotel. Some changes for this year that we noted were that the bathrooms have all been elegantly refurbished in black and white marble, the pools are now all freshwater rather than saltwater, but unfortunately the animation team has been withdrawn. Having said that the whole ambience is very friendly and cosmopolitan so making new friends and meeting people is not difficult. A good mix of all nationalities is present , many Brits alongside Germans, French, Dutch, Italians, Greeks and even some Americans. We stayed Half Board and found as usual that the food was plentiful, varied and to a high standard . Although the starters and deserts are from a buffet , the main course is waiter served. If you don't like the main course offerings you can use the buffet instead. The restaurant is where you will meet Giorgos( George), the waiter, who will keep you entertained with his fountain of knowledge of all things Greek. He really does make you feel that you have made contact with Greece, its people, traditions and food. He makes the difference between just any 4 star hotel and one that makes you want to return. Another major raeson we like the hotel is the size of the rooms and the balconies ( provided you book one with a sea view). The rooms must be twice the size of some other hotels we have stayed in and hence not at all claustrophobic. Decor could be improved but it feels typically Greek and the air conditioning is superb. Ixia is a family resort with plenty of local shops, restaurants and bars which will suffice most of your needs but please make the effort to go into Rhodes Town a few times. The historic setting is beautiful and there is plenty to do for everyone. The wonderful breeze at Ixia makes it a good watersports centre for windsurfing etc but has the added advantage of making the temperatures in July and August more bearable - which is not true for resorts on the other side of the island. You won't be disappointed with your holiday in the Olympic Palace and there's every chance that you too will want to go back. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hotel Olympic Palace - Ixia Operator and Date: July 2004 Opinion submitted in July 2004 by : 47, 47 19 AND 16 Resort Rating: Very Good Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: The Hotel Olympic Palace is a lovely Hotel, very spacious, incredibly large reception all polished marble and loads of seating. We had booked two sea view rooms and the views across the Aegan Sea to Turkey were outstanding, the balcony was half the size of the room and the rooms were very spacious indeed. Hotel has been built in the shape of a ship so my youngest daugher pointed out. It has numerous small bars, piano lounge, large roof top bar with spectacular views, great poolside area, lovely gardens and crazy golf course where a colony of lizards live which provide endless amusement. The food choice I thought was very good with a huge variety from the buffet for both breakfast and dinner. Weather was perfect, the breeze at Ixia makes the heat bearable. I was worried about the heat but it was OK at Ixia. However we hired a car for five days from the Hotel itself (only 140 euros for a five door Fiat Punto) and the heat at Lindos was unbelievable. However carrying a small spray bottle of water which cools you instantly and a handheld fan and keeping to the shade helps you cope. I think the heat on the other side of the Island is much hotter than Ixia. The only concerns I had was the extremely busy road outside the hotel which has to be crossed in order to reach the beach and the roads themselves. There are not many Give Way signs or indeed white dotted lines of any description and down small roads crossroads are a bit of a free for all so be careful and drive slowly down side roads. Rhodes Town itself was a bit of a nightmare driving through too but as long you accept that Road signs are few and far between and drive accordingly its OK. The other hazard to be aware of are the mopeds, crash helmets don't seem to be compulsory and tourists hire them oblivious of the risks. We visited a monastery up a mountain and saw a couple coming down the mountain on a tiny moped holding a small baby on the front seat, no crash helmets and nothing to secure the baby at all!! Just give them a wide berth as they have a tendency to wobble all over the place. In conclusion Ixia is a lovely resort, the sea is lovely and warm and plenty of facilities on the beaches we visited. Kallithea is great for snorkelling, the Butterfly Valley and Illyassos Monastery are well worth visiting. Hire a car but drive carefully as its a great way to see the island. Hire a car when you get there as its a lot cheaper. Have a great time. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pasedonia - Ixia Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook Opinion submitted in January 2007 by : Lyndsay Hawkins Hampshire Resort Rating: Excellent Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: This hotel was excellent could not fault it. The staff were amazing and could not do enough to help. If you have children they are supurb with them and will accomodate you in any way they can. We were there for a wedding and the wedding party were all staying in different hotels came to us almost every night. There is no towting unlike the other resturants. The food was AMAZING and far better than the restaurants around. They catered for out very need mad us feel very valued as guest. The accomidation was spacious and clean pool area was vibrant and pool bar served food and beverage. Evening entertainment was great and Grandad the front man was very funny. Ixia itself would not go again been to other parts of Rhodes and Ixia is boring with nothing to do of an evening and the beech is pebblie horrible gritty sand when there was any! Thomas Cook provided a very poor wedding service and wouldn't recommend you use them for that. Areas around Ixia such as Lindos are excellent I fyou could put this hotel in another resort would be back every year. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pine Trees - Ixia Operator and Date: Libra - May 2007 Opinion submitted in June 2007 by : Christa Sansom - Wells (62, 60) Resort Rating: No rating Accommodation Rating: Good My/Our Holiday Review: Pine Trees is a peaceful small place, more guesthouse than hotel. The owners George, Maria and Panayota are very friendly and helpful. Accomodation is simple, but clean. Swimmingpool large and set in lovely garden. Best of all is the 'cooking to order' by the family - dishes not on the menu. For example juicy pork chop, stuffed vegetables, eg. courgettes, aubergines, peppers, vine leaves etc. Good choice of meals, very reasonable priced. Take mosquito repellent, as there are plenty around! Downside: Busy road leading into Ixia town, no pavement. However, taxis are not expensive. For seafood lovers you find Mike's in a small lane running parallel to Sokratous Street (opposite Alexis Taverna). Low prices for freshest fish) Yoy choose from fish counter! Best excursion is Jeep Safari with super driver/guide, away from beaten roads, not for the easy to frighten guests. Bookable through Libra. Good value for money. If you want to be bored, book a coach trip to Lindos, where you have 4 hours to kill! All in all: A bargain holiday. Thank you George, Maria and Panayota! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pine Trees - Ixia Operator and Date: july 2005 Opinion submitted in Dec 2005 by : eddie chris (49 ,46) Resort Rating: Excellent Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Opinion: Our second time at the pinne trees hotel and we will be back in 2006 (see or last review 1n 204) rhodes is a fantasic place and worth a visit -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pine Trees - Ixia Operator and Date: august 2004 Opinion submitted in Sept 2004 by : margaret 50 49 50 48 Resort Rating: Very Good Accommodation Rating: Very Good My/Our Holiday Review: just came back from ixia stayed at pine trees hotel where we had a very friendly welcome off george and mary and george's mama very clean and tidy the rooms were cleaned every day.pool area spotless use of free sunbeds.my husband roy enjoyed the english breakfast for only 4euros which mama cooked every morning.mary and george spoke very good english nothing was to much trouble for them.we found mary was a special friend. from margaret and roy from wales. hope to return in the not to distant future -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hotel Pine Trees - Ixia Operator and Date: (Thomson Holidays Direct) Thomson Holidays -Aug 2004 Opinion submitted in Aug 2004 by : Bev - sotuh wales (50,50,49,48) Resort Rating: Very Good Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: Just returned from a weeks total chilled out hol at Pine Trees. Can't praise the hotel enough. Small, friendly, clean everything couples could need, A little further out of the way than we expected, but a short, cheap taxi ride was no trouble. Road to resort centre a little scary, but took torches and got taxis. Ambience at the hotel was so good that after eating out (different place each night) went straight back. Beacuse of the intimate nature we got to know nearly everyone staying there and ended up drinking most nights with them till quite late. This hotel is claimed as basic but in our opinion it is worthy of more. Would definately go back there, perhaps when not so hot, so that we could visit the wonderful city of Rhodes for longer. Suffering withdrawal symptoms already. I mentioned this website to Mary and George the owners who were very interested in it. I hope they read this - A big THANK YOU -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hotel Pine Trees - Ixia Operator and Date: (Thomson Holidays Direct) Thomson Holidays - August 2004 Opinion submitted in Aug 2004 by : Gemma Riley - Nottingham (22, 35) Resort Rating: Excellent Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: Our holiday to the Hotel Pine Trees in Ixia was possibly the best one ever. The apartment was lovely, just had a new bathroom fitted and was very nice, we had the air conditioning switched on which was only 45euros for the week and worth every penny. The apartment was cleaned every day and the cleaner did an excellent job. Mary and George, their son Ilios and Mama were all lovely people and very friendly and informative about local stuff. The pool was wonderful, big and clean and not too cold! There are sun beds all around the pool and sun umbrellas available free of charge. The pool bar served food and drink at very reasonable prices and Mama cooked a wicked full english for only 4euros! They served burgers and salads and omlettes and sandwiches and stuff throughout the day and they do a fab BBQ for all the residents every Monday nights for only 17euros which was brilliant, we got to meet everyone and mades loads of friends and the food itself was wonderful. Ixia itself is a lovely town, plenty of bars and tavernas and restaurants to choose from. We particularly liked Alexandros and Lunas the bar ran by two Canadian brothers they served wicked pancakes! The beach is nice but quite pebbly but it's only 10euros in a taxi to Faliraki which has a lovely sand beach. We went into Rhodes Old Town which is a must as the whole town is inside the old castle and wonderful to see. This only cost us around 6euros in a taxi. The Rhodes people were all very friendly and polite and could not do enough to help us, even the taxi drivers! Will definitely go to the Hotel Pine Trees again and we were v.sad to go home at the end of the week. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hotel Pine Trees - Ixia Operator and Date: july 2004 Opinion submitted in Dec 2004 by : eddie and christine - merseyside (47, 44) Resort Rating: Very Good Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: The Pine Trees is a small hotel (18 rooms) and is run by George, his wife Mary and George`s Mama. They and their son Iliyas were so friendly and made us very welcome. The location of the hotel is the only bad thing as it is on a bad bend on a very busy road and there is hardly any lighting, but we did manage to get back there safe and sound after a few nights on the ouzo. Ixia is a lovely place especially for food lovers as it seems that every other building on the main street is a restaurant. The places we liked the most were Alexandros and Le Gourmet, which was a bit more expensive but well worth every euro. The beach is nice but pebbly. Get a taxi to Rhodes Town for about 7 euros. It is a beautiful place to spend the day. We went on a day trip to Symi and Turkey with the travel firm in the shopping arcade in Ixia, and saved a fortune compared to the prices Thomson Holidays `s were charging. At the hotel George and Mary have a weekly barbecue which was a great laugh (17 euros well spent). We had a great time and were very sorry to leave. We would definately go there again and would highly recommend the Pine Trees hotel to anyone. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hotel Pine Trees - Ixia Operator and Date: (Thomson Holidays Direct) Thomson Holidays - July 2004 Opinion submitted in July 2004 by : Steph Holt - Manchester (35, 58) Resort Rating: Excellent Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: Can't think of a bad word to say about either the resort or the accomodation. Rhodes Town is buzzing and only an hour's walk away or alternatively a taxi ride is approx 10 mins and costs 6-8 euros. George & Mary, their son & George's Mama could not have made you feel more welcome and this rubbed off on the guests, everything was relaxed and friendly and when the time came I don't think that anybody really wanted to go. Definately somewhere that I would go back to. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Poseidonia Aparthotel - Ixia Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook - June 2006 Opinion submitted in October 2006 by : Susan Ball - Glossop (77, 60, 50, 24, 24) Resort Rating: Average Accommodation Rating: Very Good My/Our Holiday Review: The poseidonia apartments were in a good position in the centre of Ixia. The staff were helpful and the place was very clean with beds changed every day. The apartments were on the busy main road but were set back from the front of the hotel and there wasnt too much noise from the road. We were lucky as our two apartments were in the last block and there was a pool which we had to ourselves most of the fortnight away from the main pool and snack bar. If we were to go again we would ask for the same block. The hotel reception was very nice with places to sit and a nice bar plus a large restaurant. I would not recommend Ixia as a resort mainly because of the very busy main road. We have been to most of the Greek Islands and love Greece, Rhodes Town is a lovely place to visit and only a cheap taxi ride from Ixia (the taxis even stop at the bus stops and pick you up). If you go into Rhodes Town be sure to go at night as well it is very different and the old town should not be missed. It is more expensive in Rhodes Town to eat and drink, in Ixia there are plenty of places to eat at and they are all very reasonable, our favourites were Dimitris, Jasons and Eddys bar. There is not a lot to do in Ixia so it is worth going on coach trips to Lindos which is beautiful and Falaraki which has a good Water Park. The weather was very hot and it was only middle of June, especially the second week which got a bit unbearable and the mossies were biting like mad. All in all we had a good holiday and I would not like to put anyone off, we may go back to Rhodes in the future but I think we would stay in another resort as Ixia is full of big hotels and lots of traffic and we prefer small tavernas and little streets to browse the shops. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Poseidonia Aparthotel - Ixia Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook - 2006 Opinion submitted in September 2006 by : Del Reid -Herts Resort Rating: Good Accommodation Rating: Very Good My/Our Holiday Review: lovely hotel /apartments,very clean and well presented.very friendly staff and very helpful.close to Rhodes town and only a 6 euro in a cab.food was excellent and resonably priced,and generous portions.beach at ixia is not one of the best as it is mainly made up of stones,but benefits from a constant breeze.The only down side to this accomodation was the pool area ,beds were to close to pool edge ,thus leading to miserable dutch people moaning about getting wet when children were having a bit of fun.The hotel seem to cater mainly for Scandinavian people who unfortunately dont have the same sense of humour as english people,and seemed to cause a bit of conflict.overall excellent place for a family holiday,with superb weather -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rhodes / Rodos Palace - Ixia Operator and Date: Air Tours - July 2006 Opinion submitted in September 2006 by : Moira McCann - Southend on Sea (57,51,20,16.) Resort Rating: Average Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: Having read the previous reviews we were worried going to the Rodos Palace. First impressions were fabulous, beautiful foyer, plenty of bars and shops within the hotel. The rooms were good with bed linen and towels changed daily. The food was very good and there were so many choices for breakfast and dinner. The beach is stony but the watersports were good. The bus service to Rhodes town is not reliable so get a taxi if you can! I would recommend hiring a car for at least a couple of days and drive down the east side then west side of the island. You get to see so much more from a car than an organised tour. Lindos is a must and if you can get sail there even better. If you have booked this hotel you will not be disappointed. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rhodes / Rodos Palace - Ixia Operator and Date: Libra - May 2006 Opinion submitted in June 2006 by : James and Elaine, age 65 and 62 Resort Rating: Very Good Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: We have just returned from this lovely destination and excellentHotel, Upon arrival the hotel looks 5 * and is a 5* our rooms were clean and the bed linen and towels changed daily, the staff were more than helpful and the Libra Rep. was excellent. I would advice anyone not to read the bad reports about this hotel and go an see for themselves that it is excellent. Rhodes old town is great, cobbled streets with loads of shops and the shop keepers are the nicest most pleasent you could find anywhere. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rhodes / Rodos Palace - Ixia Operator and Date: (Olympic Direct) Olympic - October 2004 Opinion submitted in Jan 2005 by : Kieron and Moira Mc Clure (56, 52) Resort Rating: Good Accommodation Rating: Average My/Our Holiday Review: This accomodation is not the equivalent of an English 5 Star. To quote a response to a letter of complaint submitted to the operator - Olympic - "Olympic have given it a five star flame rating. The flame ratings are our own and purely used as a guideline".There was no evening entertainment as described in the Brochure and Olympics response to this was that you should bear in mind that some facilities are not available when making a late season booking. This information was not pointed out to us at the time of booking but Olympic inform us that it is in their General Information. We have no desire to read through the General Information (Usually in small print at the back of the Brochure) of every Tour Operator that we book a holiday with as this would consume so much time that we would never get to book a holiday at all.To add to this we considered that the food was not of English 5 Star standard until the last 3 days of our holiday, Olympics response was that this is subjective. We were very disappointed both with the standard of accomodation and Olympics response to our request to redress the situation, and would therefore not recommend either. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rhodes / Rodos Palace - Ixia Operator and Date: Med Hotels - 2004 Opinion submitted in Aug 2004 by : Fisherman Chris - Joanne (34,28) Resort Rating: Excellent Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: Fantastic holidays, I book an executive room. I request a king size bed with a sea view. Excellent large room, unique vacations for me and my wife. I might visit Rodos Palace again this season. I reserve from internet and a read many bad reviews but everything was excellent. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rhodes Palace - Ixia Operator and Date: (Olympic Direct) Olympic Holidays - Date Not Specified Opinion submitted in Jan 2004 by : Joanne & Darren (20, 20) Resort Rating: Average Accommodation Rating: Good My/Our Holiday Review: On the whole, Ixia is a quiet resort suitable for older couples and families. There are many four and five star hotels but just a hand full of resturants and even fewer bars, only one of which played music! Two resturants we would recomend are Alexandos and Jasons they are about a twenty minute walk from the hotel (turn left outside the hotel and keep walking ahead!!!) For those looking for a good night out, we would recomend Rhodes Town. It costs about three Euros in a taxi. There are qiute a few bar touts but in general they were friendly. There are about twenty bars, all play the latest music. Faliraki costs about twenty Euros in a taxi. It gets very busy but it is worth while going once or twice. There is also a water park in Faliraki-lots of fun! The hotel was fabulous. There are several bars, two large outdoor pools and an indoor pool. The staff are very friendly. We stayed in the self catering studios which were very spacious but not quite five star. We were self catering so did not try the hotel food. Watch out for the road outside the hotel it can take a while to cross and the drivers are wild! overall Ixia is a quiet,up-market resort. We had a great time but think it is more suited to older people. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rodian Amathus Beach Resort - Ixia Operator and Date: (Thomson Holidays Direct) Thomson Holidays August 2006 Opinion submitted in February 2007 by : Ange and Andy, 23 and 26 Resort Rating: Good Accommodation Rating: Very Good My/Our Holiday Review: We had read about this hotel and thought it would be amazing... but we were slightly disappointed after saving up all year to go for two weeks. The hotel itself is lovely - very clean, tidy and well presented. The rooms are comfortable and well kitted out with all you'd expect from a 5 star hotel. The views from the top floor are fantastic and they kind of make the hotel worth visiting. The Rep, Jamaican girl (can't remember her name) was lovely and she would do anything for you. She was a guru for everything to do on the island, who to visit for car hire etc. and was so friendly, she'd even wave at you if she was out in the town and saw you! Bless her! The town of Ixia isn't very big and we would have been a little stuck without hiring a scooter and quad bike. It was quite a walk to anywhere decent and the beaches opposite the hotel were so small, you could rarely get a lounger, and if you could, you couldn't walk in the sea without shoes on as your feet would be cut to pieces. We hired a scooter and went to explore the island. The driving part over in Rhodes is quite scary as the other drivers tend to drive very close to you, and in the two weeks we were there, we witnessed two accidents! My partner was keen to tell me it was nothing to do with the scooter, but the driver was the idiot! We found some interesting places on the scooter - there is a circus not too far away (which we never went to) but we visited during the day and saw them rehearsing etc. Rhodes Old Town is lovely if you like quaint places although we learnt to avoid the restaurants in the centre as they were overly commercialised and tended to consentrate on the image rather than the quality of the food. Further out, the food was gorgeous. The touts were out and about a lot, and it's something you have to avoid. The people overall are very friendly. The Old Town is a bit strange - it's in the middle and surrounded by walls - it's like a massive castle and inside is lots of shops and restaurants. It's odd but very interesting and should be visited. If you like to explore, have a look down some of the streets and the houses they live in - it's like going back in time and is very interesting. We ended up watching a couple singing and playing a guitar outside their flat (one room!) The streets get a bit dodgy the more far out you go so that's just a warning to be careful. There are several entrances into the Old Town and the less populated ones are a bit daunting. They are all manned by security guards and you can't drive in, you have to walk. You need a permit to go in in your vehicle. The pools in the hotel are lovely and there is a lot of choice on where to go to swim and sunbath... it's very pleasant and sun worshippers would love it. The hotel staff were quite friendly but we stayed half board and were astonished when we received our first bill for a bottle of water. The prices were ridiculous and you had to drink it in the restaurant and could not take the bottle of water anywhere else in the hotel, even if you were moving to the stage to watch the entertainment. You had to put it on the floor and buy another one if you wanted a drink. We were not impressed with this and made a point of having no drinks for the remainder of the holiday. The packed lunches are nice and we exchanged our dinner for this a few times to take it out on the scooter. The scooter hire places all seemed quite good, but the rep tells you the highly recommended ones and just go with what she says. The only other down side to the hotel is the fact that the restaurant boasts about its outside terraces for you to sit and eat your dinner whilst admiring the views. However, only go outside if you are happy to eat your dinner surrounded by smoke. We were choking on the fumes for an hour and it wasn't nice. You have no access to the views inside on the tables so unless you smoke, you can't enjoy this aspect of the hotel. We asked if they had a terrace that was non smoking and they replied that they couldn't enforce this. Rubbish!!! Anyway, that's about all I have to say on the hotel and the area. The other hotels next to it are good and the crazy golf next door is worth doing if you like that kind of thing. There is a water park in Faleraki but you'd have to hire a car or scooter to get there. It is worth a visit but make sure you get there early to avoid the queues. The nearest sandy beach is miles away and you have to find it on the country roads - it is absolutely gorgeous though when you get there. The sunbeds are really cheap with parasols included and the watersports are good prices too - ringos, parasailing and banana boats, plus others too. The shops on the beach are cheap and you can easily buy your lunch etc. If you're into naturism, Faleraki has a nudist beach which is nice, and very quiet. The prvy men loom around you a bit but if you stay near the bar, you won't have any problems. People come to gaup at you and laugh every now and then but if you're a naturist, you'll probably be used to this sort of thing anyway! The banana boat tour comes past the beach as well and they all stop to look at you - we used to have a laugh watching them and imagining what they were saying about us. However, you do have to have some form of beach shoe to go in the sea as it is very rocky and does hurt if you try to go without. Enjoy Rhodes!!! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rodian Amathus Beach Resort - Ixia Operator and Date: (Olympic Direct) Olympic July/Aug 2006 Opinion submitted in August 2006 by : Wood - Cheshire 42,42, 13 & 9 Resort Rating: Average Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: We have just returned after a fantastic time at the Rodian Amathus. the hotel is impeccably clean and the staff can't do enough for you. We had a family suite which was split level, with fabulous views towards Turkey. One of our children is a fussy eater, but this was never a problem here as the choice of food is extensive and they have a separate childrens menu. On the whole the food was excellent and we didn't have the same meal twice in the fortnight. Although the beach isn't wonderful here, ther are superb beaches on further down near Falaraki, two of which are Tsampiki and Agatha Beach. We hired a car through the rep (which was quite reasonable) found the best beaches between 20 - 30 mins in the car. The entertainment in the hotel is of a high standard and was better than some of the previous hotels we have stayed in. We will definately return to this lovely hotel again and wouldnt hesitate in recommending it. Just one thing to bear in mind, if you are traveling with toddlers and are booking a split level family suite, the stairs are fairly steep and have open treads and could be a hazard for little ones! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rodian Amathus Beach Resort - Ixia Operator and Date: First Choise - July 2006 Opinion submitted in August 2006 by : Sarah, Chris, Darren & Nicky (29,31,33 & 27) Resort Rating: Good Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: HOTEL: Excellent. However, people who think 5 star in UK means 5 star in Greece should bear in mind they are more 4 star compared with back home. But don't be disappointed in the least the facilities in this hotel are very high. The staff were very helpful and friendly and couldn't do enough for you. The rooms (ours were carpeted as opposed to tiled, overlooking the mountain view at the rear and the tennis court) were spacious and very clean. The air-conditioning was spot on the balconies were are standard size with room for a table and chairs and the usual drying rail. The bathroom was immaculate and some complimentary toiletries are provided (please note - some people seem to think that a fresh supply of toiletries should be supplied every day. The idea is, if you can afford the hotel, you would be bringing your own shower gel, shampoo, cotton buds, sewing kit etc). Slippers provided in the room you can take home though. Bathrobes have to stay behind. The turn down policy, chocolate on the pillow and fresh beach towels each day was a nice touch. Not to mention the leaving gift the day before departure (small bottle of Ouzo and some glasses - in a nice gift box). The restaurant - exceptional. They did their best to accommodate you wishes for outside/inside, smoking/non-smoking requests. The food was always hot and the chef's regularly brought out fresh trays of food. Two nights in a week are themed dinner night, (Greek theme and international theme whilst we were there). Breakfast - Buffet - plenty of choice, alternate omelette, scrambled egg days but boiled eggs always on offer and fried eggs too most days. The only draw back in Greece is that the sausages are mini frankfurters but other than that, a good fry-up was always in supply. Dinner - the choice of main meal on non-buffets nights was excellent and if you were fussy and didn't like any of the mains, there was more than enough choice on the starter buffet to still have a starter and main. There was plenty of choice for desserts too, gateau, mousse, jelly, tartlets, ice-cream, fruit, pastries. My brother struggled with desserts as he is more of a 'Battenburg and Mr Kiplings Cherry Bakewell' kinda guy but he manged to do the cheese board thing each night. There are plenty of sunbeds by all the pools and these are free of charge. The pools are clean and are freshwater - no mouthfulls of sea water here! Toilets/showers near each of the pools. Jut behind Reception is a shop selling papers, drinks etc. Take the time to walk into Ixia and get the large bottles of water/pop from there - much cheaper. RESORT: Ixia is a main road into Rhodes town lined with beach on one side and hotels, restaurants and some pubs on the other side. The road is busy but unless you have the hearing of a bat and sleep with the windows wide open the noise shouldn't be a problem. Didn't try any of the restaurants in Ixia as we filled our boots in the hotel. There are a number of bars in Ixia (not exactly Faliraki but if you have read the brochure you should know this before you book). If you are a philistine and only go to british bars then Fatman Slim's is the one for you. The owners and bar staff are english and very friendly and great for kids, meals are available and Sunday roast is served each week. Velois Cocktail Bar is very friendly too, a large screen with SKY and a number of other flat screen TVs dotted around with various english programmes on. The Mythos on draft here is exceptional, don't miss out! Also the White Corner or White Bar - (can't remember which name) is a good bar, open plan, inside and outside section with more than one TV to watch if you don't do conversation and straw type parasols. Swings for the kids. RHODES TOWN: Worth a trip day or night. Lots to see during the day. If you don't like history the shops are worth a trawl around (both old and new town). Went in one evening for drinks on BAR STREET. Very good night out, lot of swedish folk but very well behaved, they knew how to have a good time without throwing up. Out of all the bars we went in TOXIC was the most expensive, about 20 Euros for three bottles of lager and a bottle of cider. FALIRAKI: Got a taxi in one evening, 14 euros. Not as bad as I expected it to be, was pleasantly surprised but I personally still preferred Rhodes Town during the evening. Didn't go to Lindos this time but I intend to next year and will definately stay in the same hotel. TIP: Try speaking a little Greek with the waiters in the hotels and in the bars - they really appreicate the effort, even if you are wrong, believe me, next time they see you they remember you for having tried - its a bit of an ice-breaker. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rodian Amathus Beach Resort - Ixia Operator and Date: Libra - May 2006 Opinion submitted in March 2007 by : Suzanne - Joy (29,62) Resort Rating: Very Good Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: I spent a week in the Rodian Amathus with my Mum and had a fantastic holiday. Even on first impressions, I didn't envy any other holiday makers being dropped off at other hotels. Grand looking lobby with outdoor seating area and waterfall. Our room was great. It had a 'lounge' area as well as a sleeping area which was a real bonus. My Mum and I could finish every night off with a chat and a glass of wine in comfort and about 10pm a lovely chamber maid brought us goodnight chocolates which were normally left on pillows but as we were in I answerd the door and had a sly handful given to us, being ladies on our own! We loved the food. Buffet starter and dessert, but for main you had a choice from the menu which was finer dining, but still with a choice of buffet if there was nothing to your taste or you were still hungry. We found the more modest portion the menu choice gave you saved us from stuffing ourselves too horrendously. The shops are a bit samey, but have a better choice of gifts to buy than from many other islands I have holiday'd, plus we love to shop. Do take advantage of taxi's, they are cheap and have a fixed price tariff, depending where you go which all taxi's have to adhere to, so you shouldn't be ripped off. Would also STRONGLY recommend not booking your tours through your travel operator. There is a tourist agency set in a parade of shops half way along the main road who are cheaper and very friendly (on the beach side of the road). Rhodes town is great, as was Lindos...tho it does get hot there, and would recommend the island tour. All in all the safest place I've been, least heckling by shop and restaurant people. You do get approached but are quickly left alone -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rodian Amathus Beach Resort - Ixia Operator and Date: (Thomson Holidays Direct) Thomson Holidays - October 2005 Opinion submitted in Oct 2005 by : Jenna - Hull (20,21) Resort Rating: Average Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: Arrived at the Rodian Amathus early morning of the 9th October, and were quickly checked in. We had a very spacious bungalow room on the 11th floor with a slight view of the sea, also oen of the pools was on the same floor. We were on half board basis. The food was quite repetative even thought we were only there for 4 nights. There was alot each day but most was dishes you hadnt heard of. The best thing was the soup for starter it was different everyday and always delicious. Breakfasts were okay.but not much to choose from on the hot buffet. There was a range of fruits, yogurts and pancakes though. The resort of Ixia was quite small and not all that much to do on the night. Alot of the bars and restaurants had already closed with it being near to end of season. A good cocktail bar to sit in was the Velous Bar, cocktails as cheap as 3.50euros more than half the price of them in the hotel bar. Rhodes town was the better resort and only 6euros in a taxi that you can get from the hotel entrance or ask reception to call for one. This resort was very quaint. The old town in Rhodes town was better than the new town. It was set in what seemed to look like castle walls and inside there was all little boutiques, shops, little bars and restaurants. We also went to Lindos for the day, this resort was more for the older generation. There wasnt much here at all. Theres a main street were all the bars and shops are but you have to walk down a steep hill to get to them., and after it had been raining was quite slippery. You could also go on a donkey ride for about 3euros up the hill. The weather wasnt the best with us going in october but the good thing was that the Rodian has a small indoor pool, sauna,steam room and jacuzzi. You can also get massages at extra cozt but they were quite expensive. Faliraki wasnt far from Ixia but 15euros in taxi each way, but be warned everything apart from 2bars were closed down as it had been quiet all summer. The beaches were not very nice as they were pebble and shingle from Ixia to Rhodes town. The other side on Lindos and Pefkos side are sand beaches. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rodian Amathus Beach Resort - Ixia Operator and Date: (Thomson Holidays Direct) Thomson Holidays oct 2005 Opinion submitted in Oct 2005 by : abbott jolley (32 28 10 16 months) Resort Rating: Very Good Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: Hi there just returned from ixia after getting married. Well were do i start the hotel was fantastic although there is not a lot for children to do,there is not a lot a food choice for children either,but the upside is this hotel is absolutley brilliant we was upgraded to a family suite with veiws across the sea to turkey. On our wedding day we was presented with a bottle of champagne and rose petals on the bed,jill our wedding co-ordinater was superb nothing was to much trouble.Ixia was ok i had read some reviews before we went and didnt know what to expect the beach is a definate no no for children to pebbly,there is plenty of restaurants and bars, if you do go to any go to velios bar fantastic the people in there, Marco and Cristos are absolutley brilliant and the fishbowls are out of this world,they do snacks as well.Rhodes town is beautiful well worth a visit. All in all ixia is well worth a visit. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rodian Amathus Beach Resort - Ixia Operator and Date: (Thomson Holidays Direct) Thomson Holidays - September 2005 Opinion submitted in Oct 2005 by : Andrew Heeler - Peterborough (32 and 27) Resort Rating: Very Good Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: Ixia is really a collection of hotels with restaurants and bars scattered amonst them. The food in the restaurants was generally very good and reasonably priced. Ixia is known for having strong winds, but it is not a cold wind like we have here. The view from the coast to Turkey is great and the coast was popular with windsurfers and jet bikes. Rhodes town is just a short taxi ride away and is a wonderful place. The Old Town is full of character and despite all of the shops, still retains a real charm. The Palace of the Grand Masters is excellent. The cafes on the harbour front provide a great location to sit and watch the world go by. The hotel was great. The food in hotel was good and the staff were cheerful and worked very hard. If you are staying half board, you can get a ticket from reception to change your evening meal for lunch up to a value of 10 euros. We were lucky enough to have an upgrade and have a bungalow on the 11th floor. We heard that one couple weren't happy with their room, but the hotel were happy to move them. The pools on the 11th floor and ground floor were really good and there seemed to be plenty of sun loungers. The beach is stoney, but it is a private beach for the hotel and loungers are provided there too. The only critcism of the hotel were the prices. The drinks are very expensive (4.10 euros for a small beer) and the food at lunch is also pricey. For Thomson Holidays , the flights were excellent - both taking off on time and landing early - and the transfers were straightforward. Our rep, however, was useless. The coach didn't turn up for a trip and she made a mess of trying to resolve the situation. We would strongly recommend a trip to Symi, but if you don't have sea legs, take some tablets! Don't bother arranging this through the rep. We saved over 20 euros by booking at Mandraki harbour in Rhodes. The same applies to Lindos, great place, but probably easier to take yourself there unless it is a guided tour. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rodian Amathus Beach Resort - Ixia Operator and Date: Med Hotels- August 2005 Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : Janet, Steve and Alice Lawson - Sheffield (47, 50, 15 ) Resort Rating: Good Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: Resort of Ixia, a little commercialised but fairly lively. Quite a few places to eat and drink if you are not too discerning. We spent most of our time either visiting lovely Rhodes Town (Particularly attractive and full of atmosphere a night)or staying around the hotel. Rhodes Town is a short 6 euro taxi drive away. Taxis have fixed prices so you shouldn't get 'ripped off' Airport run from Ixia is 11 euros one way. This is our second visit to the hotel in two years after a recomendation from a friend. It did not dissapoint as the food was yet again excellent(We chose to eat in all of the hotels three resteraunts) and the staff were again very professional, helpful and friendly. This is a hotel where the 'The customer is King'and the staff cannot do enough for you. Eating at the hotel is a particularly pleasant experience, as you can enjoy your breakfast and dinner outside on the roof terrace looking out to sea and the bay of Ixia and watch the beautiful sunsets while you enjoy the lovely food, which is always beautifully prepared and elegantly served. There are three well maintained attractive pools and a private section of beach to keep you occupied and free beach towels are provided. This year there was also good quality entertainment every night. If I have one critisism the drinks are rather pricy (coffee 3.80 euros,cocktails 8.00 euros) however this is a 5* hotel and usually drinks are expensive in hotels. Despite this the drinks are nicely presented and usually come with a large bowl of good quality nuts (To make you more thirsty I presume!). All in all I can highly reccommend this hotel particularly as we had to stay in the Sofitel Capsis three doors down for an extra day due to a flight delay ( Kindly provided by Thompson.fly.com) and the food, atmosphere, and service was not a patch on the Amathus from what I could see in the short time we were there. We will be definately staying at the Amathus again in the very near future as once again the quality of the hotel and its surroundings significantly contributed to the enjoyment of our holiday . -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rodian Amathus Beach Resort - Ixia Operator and Date: Global Travel - June 2005 Opinion submitted in June 2006 by : Jon Angela 47,41 Resort Rating: Very Good Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: Arrived at the hotel (JUNE 2005) and were told by the rep on the bus that we had "made a good choice" As we walked into the reception area it looked the business , cool airy, clean and some helpful staff on hand. Room was a smaller side sea view room , but to be honest it was clean and the air con was fine which matters out there when its 40 degrees! I had heard conflicting reports about this hotel, but we found it very nice , clean the facilities were good , clean pools, your own personal touches ( slippers and dressing gown each ) a turn down service each night with a sweetie on the pillow , all nice touches , and on our anniversary we found a bottle of bubbly in our room with a card from the staff saying happy aniversary , which again was a nice personal touch. FOOD : The food was very good indeed, the breakfasts were either hot or cold buffet style , but with plenty of choice and the evening meals were a delight served on the terrace overlooking the bay listening to the swifts screaming overhead and giving a free aironautical show each evening ! lOCAL BARS We found a bar down the road - left out of hotel entrance called the LUNA BAR, which was a great place and sold beer for only one euro a big 650 ml bottle, which was a steal compared to the hotel prices which were very steep, 4.50 euros for a beer! The food at the Luna Bar was also excellent and we ate there daily in the afternoon when we came off the beach for a lunchtime snack, the staff were very friendly. Steve and Nick (co owners )were two really nice guys and really made you welcome, along with two Lovely girls, Serena and Becky two yorkshire lasses who worked for them, and who looked after us very well every time we walked in the place. All the customers who found the place returned there for the duration of their stay , which says something about the service,prices and ambience of the place. The Old Town is also a must see, TIP : make sure the taxi drops you at the Top of the town so you walk downhill in the heat exploring, as it gets mighty warm there in the day time. All in all a very nice holiday, we enjoyed it so much we are going back again - so will give another report if anything has changed for better or for worse. We were a couple looking for a classy hotel and we found it in the amathus, there were only a few children there so thats something for a family to consider as it seems aimed more for discerning adults who want a relaxing holiday. Beach is pebbly but hotel has its own loungers on a private area of the beach. All in all a nice relaxing holiday resort. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rodian Amathus Beach Resort - Ixia Operator and Date: (Manos Discounts) Manos June 2005 Opinion submitted in June 2005 by : Theresa - Rotherham (47,48,15) Resort Rating: Average Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: This is a beautiful hotel with very welcoming and friendly staff. We booked a suite which was absolutely first class. I beleive it is an ideal hotel for couples. Our teenage son did become somewhat bored and there did not seem to be anyone else close to his age in the hotel. He complained that although there were 3 pools to choose from none were deep enough to dive into. However, in his opinion,the fabulous choice of food made up for it as did the superbly aircondioned gym. The bar prices are expensive but the shop in reception sells all you need during the day at a fraction of the price. Wine in the restaurent 17.50, the exact same one in the hotel shop 5.50! The access to the beach was welcome as it is quite a busy road. If you like go in the sea then I suggest a pair of plastic or rubber shoes as the pebbles and shingle aren't very good to walk over. It is not an ideal beach for children. The resort area was not particularly impressive but there was suffcient for an evening stroll to a bar or to browse a few shops. Rhodes town is a must - 6 Eoros in a taxi - Do not miss the old town area which is a walled area crammed with quaint shops, bars and restaurants. Our return flight home was 06:30am and for 80 Euros we were able to keep our room until we left. Well worth it. Overall, a superb hotel for a relaxing holiday. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rodian Amathus Beach Resort - Ixia Operator and Date: (Olympic Direct) Olympic MAY 2005 Opinion submitted in Oct 2005 by : STEVE AND MADDIE MIDDLESBROUGH Resort Rating: Good Accommodation Rating: Good My/Our Holiday Review: We have never been to Greece before and decided on this hotel because of reviews we have read.Stayed for 10 nights on a half board basis.Food quality was reasonable if repetetive and there was no water served with meals.It seemed that if you wanted to drink in either the restaurant or pool bar then it was going to be expensive. Themed nights were expensive. No coffee making facilities in the room which was a big disappointment. Beautiful location overlooking the sea , excellent swimming pool on the 10th floor. Very spacious and there was no children there which made it very peaceful. Ixia is a small resort which was suitable for us but families and young couples need to be somewhere a bit livelier like Rhodes Town. If you get the opportunity a day trip to Symi is a must as is a day trip to Lindos. Very relaxing resorts.Greek islands are not very expensive to eat out and I would reccommend that if you are staying at the Rodian you do it on a bed and breakfast basis and take a kettle. Would I go back to Greece ? Definitely. We have booked to go to Santorini in May 2006 at the Notos Therme Hotel and Spa. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rodian Amathus Beach Resort - Ixia Operator and Date: (Thomson Holidays Direct) Thomson Holidays - September 2004 Opinion submitted in Jan 2005 by : Mr and Mrs Davies - South Wales (33, 30) Resort Rating: Excellent Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: Well, what can we say. We arrived at the Rodian Amathus on 1st September and got married on 8th September in Rhodes Town Hall. Everything about the holiday was superb. The cleaners did complain a bit though the day after our wedding as members of our family decorated our room with confetti. We decided to have our reception at the hotel which was absolutely perfect. We had about eight courses and it only cost about £30 per person. The Hotel was great. We had a room with a sea view. The food was great. I think this is the best hotel I have ever stayed in. Ixia itself was good, though quiet. If you want to book any trips walk up to the arcade in Ixia - there is a little place there which is worth visiting and the girl who we saw will tell you what things are worth visiting. We went to Symi Island for a trip which is well worth looking at. We also visited Butterfly Valley with our friends two children - they absolutely loved it. It is a good idea though to start from the top and work your way down - it can be quite steep. the children got tired quickly. We have booked to go back this year for our first anniversary -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rodian Amathus Beach Resort - Ixia Operator and Date: (Thomson Holidays Direct) Thomson Holidays - September 2004 Opinion submitted in Sept 2004 by : A & E Mosley - Macclesfield, Cheshire (55/56) Resort Rating: Good Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: We have just returned from an 11 night holiday at the Amathus Beach Hotel and it was superb! The hotel should be extremely proud of its staff as everyone that we dealt with, from Reception staff/Maitre d'hotel & restaurant staff/Housekeeping etc. were all excellent. The Hotel itself is both spacious and very clean, with great air conditioning (individually controlled). The room we stayed in (9th floor) was beautifully equipped/large and airy with a lovely view over the waterfall. The food was absolutely delicious and we were spoilt for choice with the superb variety of menu. There were three pools to choose from as well, of course, as the small area of private beach belonging to the hotel. We tended to use the pool on the 11th floor and loved it. There were always plenty of available sunbeds/parasols and the snack bar had a varied and delicious menu on offer as well as ice-cold, freshly squeezed orange juice and scrummy frappes. We travelled with Thomson Holidays but only saw our Rep the 'welcome' meeting (held at 10.00 am when we had not arrived at the hotel until 5.00 am!!)and at some meal times when we happened to eat at the same time. As the time for us to leave drew near,we did not hear from the rep re our courtesy room (we had to vacate our room by 12.00 noon, but were not being collected from the Hotel until 6.45 pm)or with any info about our collection time/arrangements. We sorted all the necessary arrangements ourselves (via the excellent reception staff)and did not actually see our Rep' on the day that we left. We were surprised by the lack of evening entertainment at the Hotel as we had been led to expect (via brochure & previous Thomson Holidays holidays)that this would be available until the end of the season or, at least, until the latter part of September. Drinks, snacks etc. were very expensive at the hotel but there were plenty of alternate venues nearby if you wanted to go out for a drink or the small shop in the Reception area of the hotel could supply water /wine/ spirits/ choccies etc. at less than half the bar costs. Altogether we had a fantastic holiday, in a beautiful setting, with a great hotel & staff and absolutely non-stop sunshine - what more could anybody want?! A final note to future guests of Thomson Holidays : DO NOT book your hire car or your day trips via the Rep. Go out of the main entrance of the hotel, turn left and walk for a few hundred metres (10/15 minutes) until you reach the SIX T CAR HIRE (at least half the operator's cost) and, on the opposite side of the road you can find all the same trips offered by Thomson Holidays at less than half the price - this is with SIGMA travel. We used both and were delighted. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rodian Amathus Beach Resort - Ixia Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - September 2004 Opinion submitted in Sept 2004 by : The Lee's (32, 27) Resort Rating: Good Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: We have just returned from a magical two weeks in Rhodes. The Rodian Amathus Beach Hotel is amazing and we really can't sing it's praises enough. We flew to Rhodes on the 1st Sept and were married at the Filerimos Monastery (beautiful place and definitely worth a visit) during the second week of our holiday. As we were so impressed with the hotel and standard of food we decided to have our wedding reception there - in the taverna by the bottom pool overlooking the sea. The hotel staff made our reception so special - service, food and attention to detail were exceptional. We had 32 guests at our wedding and Ixia was a brilliant base that suited all ages. Faliraki was a short taxi ride away for the nightlife and Rhodes town had something for everyone. Ixia itself had some very good restaurants - the Chinese does an excellent Sizzling Satay Beef! The Blue Eyes bar was great for cheap beer and the sports bar had some great cocktails! We read mixed reviews about Ixia and weren't quite sure what to expect, but we loved it. The sea is clear & blue, sometimes choppy but we liked that, the beach is pebbley with great views of Turkey and the constant breeze was lovely. The only down side was the road which was very busy at times, but after a few days of relaxation you forget about it. We had a twin room with full sea view which was well worth the money. Ixia has some amazing sunsets which you can sit and watch on the balcony.... If anyone is thinking of getting married in Rhodes I would strongly recommend it. Everything was organised for us in resort -from the transport, photographer to flowers - plus we had a cloudless blue sky in all our wedding photos!! Overall an unforgetable 2 weeks and a perfect wedding day.....Yamas!! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rodian Amathus Beach Resort - Ixia Operator and Date: Prestige Airtours - August 2004 Opinion submitted in Aug 2004 by : Nick, Jude & Lucy - Poole (50,48,14) Resort Rating: Average Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: Very good hotel with excellent facilities. Super views out to sea and Turkey. Our family suite with beautiful sea view was ideal for a couple with a teenage daughter as we had both a shower on the ground floor and a bathroom on the mezzanine level! Very well furnished and a huge balcony with table and chairs and 2 sunbeds. Food in the buffet restaurant was excellent both in quality and variety. Only a couple of moaners who presumably would have preferred chicken & chips or burgers!! Restaurant staff excellent and fell over themselves to ensure you were seated in the area of your choice. Outside terraces lovely. Our only criticism would be bar prices. However, small shop near reception sells cold drinks very cheaply! Not a great deal of entertainment(which suited us) but some during the day i.e games and aerobics. Greek evening with dancing very entertaining. All 3 pools nice and plenty of subeds even their own section of the beach. Sea is warm but can be rough and great fun with care. My husband's prescription sun glasses are now at the bottom of the ocean. Beach pebbly and plastic shoes can be bought very cheaply. Ixia is a typical small holiday resort - ok for a stroll after dinner. To the right of the hotel along the beach is the Ialysion cafe where we had lunch most days. Very cheap and friendly. Rhodes Town and Lindos well worth visiting and during the 3 days with car we also visited some other interesting small villages inland. A very pretty island with friendly people and a lot to see if you feel inclined. This is a lovely holiday hotel and we will definitely return. This hotel should not be compared to other Amathus Hotels in Cyprus which are members of the Leading Hotels of the World you are only paying a fraction of the price! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rodian Amathus Beach Resort - Ixia Operator and Date: (Airtours Direct) Airtours - July 2004 Opinion submitted in July 2004 by : Fay & Andrew Dillon - Essex (33,34) Resort Rating: Average Accommodation Rating: Good My/Our Holiday Review: Just arrived back from a week and was somewhat disappointed with the standard of the hotel. Although this hotel is rated as 5 star I would say it was more a 4 star aspiring to a 5 star. On first impressions the hotel looks impressive and has all of the amenities you'd expect of a 5 star however, when you look closely it does look at bit 'tired' in places. The breakfast and Dinner buffet held in the main restaurant on the 10th floor is good value with a good offering for all tastes and is in a great location for views out across to Turkey and is very picturesque. However, we decided to eat out for most of our stay to get more variety and a taste of actual greek cooking. We used the main pool on the ground floor and although there was both a restaurant and bar nobody made the effort to circulate every so often to see if anybody would like to order drinks Which is someting you would expect from a 5 star hotel. Unfortunately food wasn't that great in the pool bar restaurants and although we cashed in our evening meal for lunch the standard of food wasn't as good as the main 10th floor restaurant. The rooms and main rooms of the hotel were clean and well maintained it just lacked some sparkle and had a feeling that the majority of staff had given up and just didn't really care about putting their guests first and going the extra mile. Also, need to be careful of 'non residents' using the pool as no staff members were on hand to keep an eye on this and anybody could walk in off the street to use the facilities - which is somewhat annoying having paid 5 star prices when people from the 2 star apartments down the road can turn up and use the facilities. Overall not a bad hotel but the Wonderland Miramare looks a more exclusive luxurious place to stay if you fancy Ixia and 5 star accomodation. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rodian Amathus Beach Resort - Ixia Operator and Date: Amathus - July 2004 Opinion submitted in July 2004 by : Steven Goodrick - Swindon (47, 45) Resort Rating: Good Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: HOTEL - The Rodian Amathus is an excellent Hotel. The staff are very friendly and accomodating, and the food excellent. We stayed in one of the bungalows, and whilst this reduces the amount of sea view you get (simply because of the trees in front) the seclusion and extra space make up for it. If you book number 16 you will get a reasonable amount of sun on your very large terrace most of the day as well as a some all day shade. It is worth going half board as the food in the evening is very good, but if you exchange for mid day meal, you get a 9 euro credit pp which doesn't get much choice of middday meal. Any extra food you buy in the hotel or drinks will cost you a lot. Our end of week bar bill was E350 for 2 people and we didn't go mad. It is cheaper to get food/snacks outside and it is possible to get drinks from supermarkets and put it in your mini bar to cool down. The mini bar fridge has a small ice comparment. Whilst the hotel rooms give you glasses, you wont get tea and coffee making facilites in the rooms. Entertainment in the Hotel was low key, and not very well advertised, but we turned up for the Rhodian evening, and one other event and whilst not spectacular, was average entertainment. The Hotel didn't offer information about what was on or any useful information like where are good places to visit. Staff were happy to answer questions, but you tended to get one word answers. It would be useful to go with a list of things you want to do/find etc and get an fluent English speaking receptionist (Gaynor was good) to help at the start of the holiday to avoid disappointment. RESORT The resort is not the greatest, but it enables a pleasant walk after breakfast, and a few of the bars have a bit of lively entertainment. Apparently the restaurant called coconut is good, but we didn't get in there. It is very easy to hire a car or scooter along the shops that are a short walk along from the hotel. We hired a scooter for a few days to get in and out of Rhodes Old Town, as it is the best place to head for for shopping, boat trips etc, and taxis whilst only 6/7 Euros, mount up if you do it a few times a day. Scooter is 12 Euros a day or 20 for 2 days, but be careful on this form of transport - better to only do this if you already ride a motor cycle. THE ISLAND We hired a car and took a drive around, which was much cheaper than the coach trip and you can do all the same things if you want to. We found some off the beaten track places to eat/sunbathe/chat to locals and it left us with a good impression of the what the island is really like which we would not have got had we stayed in the hotel all week. Great holiday, we would definately go back. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rodian Amathus Beach Resort - Ixia Operator and Date: (Libra Discounts) Libra - June 2004 Opinion submitted in July 2004 by : Anne Marsh, - Stockport Resort Rating: Average Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Opinion: The hotel is absolutely fantastic, from being met by the porter taking your bags to your room to checking out with your free bottle of ouzo and shot glasses. There are three pools, one on the 11th floor with fantastic views to Rhodes Town and Trianda and Turkey in the distance and a split level pool in the grounds. None of the pools are particularly deep and in June there were plenty of sunbeds and umbrellas to be had. You also get beach towels and if you put them in the bathroom at night they will lbe replaced when the maids turn down your bed and leave your chocolate. The food is absolutely gorgeous, be prepared to come back weighing more than when you went out!! Breakfast is a buffet which included cereal, yoghurt and honey, the usual continental cooked meats etc, fresh fruit and then eggs, bacon etc. There is also about 5 different kinds of bread to choose from. Dinner is part buffet and part waiter served, your main course is waiter served and the menu is outside the restaurant each night. There is always soup, salad buffet, hot buffet and a "special" cooked by the chef whilst you wait and again the fantastic bread choice, if anything, there is just too much choice!! You can sit outside and eat and as the restaurant is on the 10th floor the views are great, as you can imagine this is quite popular and you can wait a while for tables. If you fancy a change and eating out at night, go to the reception in the morning and they will give you a chitty to use in one of the restautants in lieu of your evening meal, they also do lunch boxes if you are going out for the day. There's a pool bar on the ground floor which is partially submerged in the pool, a pool bar on the 11th floor, the main bar on the 11th floor and a cool shady waterfall bar through the reception, along with a Taverna and restaurant for lunch. If there is a downside to the bars, it's that the prices are very expensive, 21 euro's for three drinks we were paying between 8 & 11 for in the town, be prepared also to get bit by mozzies if you sit in the bar at night even the staff get bit!!!!! Also watch the mini bar prices, don't be tempted, there is a little shop in the reception area that sells water, soft drinks, booze, chocolate etc and it's easier than getting stung for using the mini bar. If you walk out of the hotel and turn left past the Olymic Palace hotel, there are loads of bars, restaurants and supermarkets all fairly reasonable. A taxi into Trianda, the next resort down, will cost 6 euros and the reception will book it for you. You can either get out at the Police Station which is where the taxi rank is and walk down the road past "Boby's" or ask to be put out at the Magic Life hotel and walk up the street, there is a great bar called the Sports Bar,you can't miss it, has more satellite dishes than the BBC, comfy chairs and cheapest drinks in town. As you are walking back to the taxi rank the road splits to the right there are also loads of bars down there. Worth a see is Rhodes Old Town at night again sk the reception to book you a taxi 6 euros and ask for the old town, not the harbour. If you are into boat trips get a taxi to Mandraki Harbour, this is in the new town, anywhere you want to go can be got to from here, can thoroughly recommend Symi. All in all this a great hotel, with ezcelent staff in a convenient location. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rodian Amathus Beach Resort - Ixia Operator and Date: (Thomson Holidays Direct) Thomson Holidays - May/June 2004 Opinion submitted in July 2004 by : Clare and Paul - Kent (35 & 34) Resort Rating: Below Average Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: One of the best five star hotels we have ever stayed in, we were waited on hand and foot! Thomson Holidays 's write up in their brouchure did not do this hotel the justice it deserves. We paid the supplement for a room with a side sea view (because no standard rooms at the time of booking were available) Thomson Holidays upgraded us to a Full Sea View, due to their booking error. The view accross the Agean sea to Turkey was worth every penny with the added bonus of having the afternoon and evening sun on the balcony. Every member of staff, from the manager to the kitchen porters where very polite, helpful and spoke execelent english. At meal times the matride will take you to your table. You can eat your meal out on the terrace, if the hotel if full there will be a short wait for a table. If your in no rush, then I would recommend you to wait. Breakfast was buffet service, tea and coffee served at the table to you. They had every thing you could want for a feast. But as we allways find, no other country has as good sausages as england! Evening meal was allways buffet, but you had a choice of chossing a main meal to be served to your table. The food during our two week stay was execelent, we had no complaints at all. Every evening was a diffrent choice, you must try the ostrich steaks! The evening enterainment consists of three shows a week and the evenings of a "in house" singer. Seen better show elsewhere, the bar area was a quite place to drink and relax. The rooms were lovely, sheets and towels changed every day. Towels for the pool area were supplied along with slippers and bath robes. Every night there was a "turn down" service on your bed, with a choclate placed on your pillow. Ixia - What a disspointment! It's just one main road leading to Rhodes town. There are a handful of resturants and local shops. Rhodes Town - Worth a visit round the old and new town, but very "touristy" The best part was walking in the moat that surrounds the old town, very, very quite hardly saw anyone. Lindos - Accropollis and donkeys! That's it. I would recommend this hotel to any one looking for a quite relxaing time with good food, all based within the hotel. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rodian Beach Hotel - Ixia Operator and Date: Apollo travel group - 2004 Opinion submitted in Sept 2004 by : Laurina - Kent (41,40,15,16) Resort Rating: Very Good Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: We had a lovely stay at this hotel and would definitely recommend it. We do like to exercise and it had a good gym. If you plan to use the make sure you take trainers and appropriate sports wear as they have new rules because people were using the gym with flip flops and swimming costumes etc. Only for 16 and over as kids were messing about on the machines. We took a travel kettle as you do not get tea and coffee making facilties and if you like to have hot drinks without having to pay for it all the time then its a good idea. We hired a motor bike and went up into the nearby hills. There is a church at the top with lovely views. Lindos was very hot. Lots of little lanes with shops selling local craft. Rhodes town is very beautiful especially at night. You will definitely not be disappointed with Rhodes. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rodos Palace - Ixia Operator and Date: Med Hotels September/October 2005 Opinion submitted in Oct 2005 by : G Hardy - London Resort Rating: Good Accommodation Rating: Average My/Our Holiday Review: Communal areas and service in this hotel and def 5 star - the rooms however are more like 2 star. We had a large apartment in the grounds which would have been lovely had it not been for the shabby (slight mold on bathroom walls and smashed coffee table on balcony) decor and very much in need of refurb - very 70s. I was with my 3 year old daughter - beware of the tv channels very explicit porn on several channels at any hour of day that is not encoded or anything - it goes off after a few minutes to ask if you want to pay - but this is not good when there are children around that could be flicking channels themselves. The only main gripe I have with holiday is Rhodes airport anyone travelling alone or with children beware there are very few trolleys and both on arrival and departure I had a nightmare time trying to find one - I was only saved by a fellow brit coming to help me and drag some of my cases to check in otherwise I would still be there. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rodos Palace - Ixia Operator and Date: (Olympic Direct) Olympic Holidays 08.09.2005 Opinion submitted in Oct 2005 by : David Fran Gelder (47 47) Resort Rating: Average Accommodation Rating: Poor My/Our Holiday Review: we booked our hol through the Sunday Times Hol company 5 star delux half Board This appeared to be an excellent deal. Was driven from airport in Mercedes taxi good start to the hol. Arrived in reception the foyer looked good we thought we had made a good choice! Was driven round to the back of the hotel to an apartment where it was pitch black no lighting up some stairs which i considered dangerous to a dirty apartment. the carpet on the floor was sticking to your shoes the bathroom was not clean other peoples hair was left in the sink there were exposed wires from the light fittings next to the bed, it needed refurb as was probably last decorated and furnished in the beginning of the70s, the sheets were clean but holes in my bed. In the morning we went down to the dining room which i would describe as a cattlemarket when we eventually found a table that had been cleared of pots we fought our way to the food. After breakfast we complained to management who asked us to come back at 1pm to look at other rooms. Went back at 1 we were told to to come back at 6pm. Not happy complained to rep and discovered there were other couples on the same offer in the same situation. we complained again and after some discussion were showm 3 rooms and ended up in an executive room which was fine. I have to say the hotel i feel is not a 5 star hotel and the food is definitely not we should have gone back to stay in the Cosmopolitan up the road where we stayed 5 years ago.the pool area was fine but the sunbeds could have done with a good clean. Some staff were fine others were surley pleased we werent staying longer than a week. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rodos Palace - Ixia Operator and Date: august 2005 Opinion submitted in Aug 2005 by : Bill-Angie-Billy-London (44-44-13) Resort Rating: Average Accommodation Rating: Good My/Our Holiday Review: Rodos Palace is a nice hotel and clean but would not rate a 5 star probably 4 at most,we were self catering in an apartment that was very spacious and clean but the decor was very dated 1970's,but had a sea view (we could see the sea)and was cleaned everyday,when we arrived our balcony doors were jammed open so we reported to reception and within 2 hours they were fixed(very impressed).On site there is a supermarket which was quite good and the people who ran it were very nice. The pools are clean indoor and outdoor but have no lifeguards ,the Gym is also very good but costs 9 euros each visit. There is also an impressive games room under the hotel pool tables arcades games, internet access, open 5pm to 11.30 pm,should have been open longer. Most of the people we met were Half board and not impressed with the food or the chaos at breakfast,ie people not queing and pushing in,they also preferred to have a lunch not evening meal which was ok and eat out at night. The Hotel is very popular with ourselves the Italians and Greeks alike and is also a convention center so be prepared when you pass through the reception area for people and cases everywhere day or night it is very busy. The beach is a short stroll away under the underpass thank god because the road outside the hotel is a fast busy road where we witnessed a few cars hitting each other because they drive like loonies.We normally hire a car but decided not to after a few cab rides. We were very dissapointed with the so-called shingle beach,it is not shingle more like sand and pebbles and stones,getting into and out of the agean sea (not the med this side of island)was very painfulon the feet.we can recommend the little caravan cafe on the beach where the food is very good and cheap,also the best restaurant (food and value)is Jasons2 in Ixia the staff are really freindly.Be careful if you have small children when walking to the restaurants and bars the road is very busy especially the bikes and scooters. Rodos town is a very nice historic place(lots of walking)lots of shops and Rhodes Harbour, eating there is a bit more expensive but ok,we can also recommend the waterpark in falaraki it was excellent and very clean. Overall we had a good holiday but would not return to rhodes due to the beaches and mad roads. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rodos Palace - Ixia Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook - August 2005 Opinion submitted in Aug 2005 by : Susan Goodwin - Hampshire (48, 48, 16, 13 ) Resort Rating: Average Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: Having just returned from holiday here we wanted to share our views on this excellent hotel. This was not our original booking, so we arrived with concerns having read previous reviews but this hotel did not disappoint.... The room furniture was somewhat dated, but both our rooms were clean, air-conditioned, without any problems and had sheets and towels changed daily. The Greek staff were helpful and very friendly. Entrance lobby and public rooms both luxurious and very comfortable. Swimming pool areas very good. Well stocked hotel shop and supermarket on site. Underground passage to the beach so you don't have to dice with death crossing the busy road. Daily programme of activities with the "animation team" NOT too pushy if you didn't want to join in. Also, programme of entertainment every evening for both younger children, and at 2200hrs for adults. Billiards/air hockey/games/internet room open in the evenings. Buffet breakfast and dinner provided an overwhelming choice. We all found the food to be of an excellent standard and very much looked forward to the meals. Greek choices everyday and an Asian evening during our stay. Arrive in good time for meals if you don't want to queue but this has to be expected when the hotel is full and the staff acted swiftly to try and resolve these problems. Dinner could be exchanged for lunch. Any complaint would seem petty but have to say the lift capacity is inadequate when the hotel is full-so hope you are on a lower floor and you won't be troubled by them!! We all feel we would both recommend and be happy to revisit the Rodos Palace. Ixia is, as published, a pebbly rather unattractive beach with a strong onshore breeze (nice and cooling) but well located for visiting Rhodes town - 6 Euros by taxi(prices fixed). Recommend the "red road train" around Rhodes old/new town - a one hour trip for only 3 Euros!! Also the boat trips available around the harbour. We took the day trip to Tilos/Nisyros to visit the volcano, which was very worthwhile. Also went on a day trip to Lindos to visit the Acropolis or swim (with fish) in the Mediterranean Sea. There is no guide when you book yourself but our family saved approx 75 Euros against the tour operator price. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rodos Palace - Ixia Operator and Date: (Libra Discounts) Libra-july 2005 Opinion submitted in Oct 2005 by : mogey-20,24 Resort Rating: Very Good Accommodation Rating: Very Good My/Our Holiday Review: i read alot of bad reports about this hotel before we went, but once we got there we realised we shouldn't read these reveiws, the hotel was really nice the facilities were excellent, pool was great! we were just in an ordinary hotel room with a pool view but it was great for just me and my boyfriend. ixia was quiet but we weren't looking for a mad 2 weeks, restaurants were great and the local people were the nicest people i have ever met, i would definatly recommend people to go into rhodes town if staying here as it is amazing! cobbled streets in the old town and plenty of shops in the new along with good nightlife and it is only a 2min taxi ride from rodos palace! definately worth a look. i would go back to this hotel tomorrow! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rodos Palace - Ixia Operator and Date: sunstar leisure - 2005 Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : helen badham . tim bonner Resort Rating: Average Accommodation Rating: Good My/Our Holiday Review: we were told this hotel was the best on the island? it isnt the best in ixia the rodian amatheus is.the hotel is 30 yrs old now and well in need of some tlc and a coat of paint? we stayed self catering and were very disappointed with the standard it def was not 5. the hotel itself i would class as 4. the staff are miserable and we got told off 3 times whilst in the piano bar for putting my bare feet on a foot rest?? the bar and reception staf are grumpy too.the pool area however is lovely although a little cramped. ixia itself is a little limited but old rhodes town is a must and very beautiful. wouldnt go back to this hotel but would sprint to the rodian amatheus as it was pure 5* luxury! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sirene Beach Hotel - Ixia Operator and Date: co-op travel may 06 Opinion submitted in June 2006 by : Steve37,Hayley33,14,11,7 Resort Rating: Average Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: Just got back from sirene beach hotel i

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