"An honest , balanced review for those eagerly awaiting their stay at Mitsis Rinela.
We stayed here for a week over the May half-term as a family of four, and overall we had a wonderful holiday. There is so much to love about this resort, and we made some fantastic memories. While there were a few areas that could be improved, I hope this review gives a balanced and honest account for anyone considering booking.
Pros
Our swim-up family room was absolutely stunning and was, without doubt, the highlight of our holiday. We were fortunate to be allocated an end room, which gave us plenty of additional space to relax. We visited when temperatures were in the mid-20s, so I can’t comment on whether the pool is heated, but it felt pleasantly warm throughout our stay.
One unexpected highlight of having the shared swim-up pool was seeing our son make such lovely friendships with other children staying nearby. It was wonderful watching them play together, and it really added to the family atmosphere. Those friendships became one of his favourite memories from the holiday, and it was genuinely lovely to see.
One of the biggest perks of having a swim-up room was being able to have breakfast in the Taverna rather than the main buffet restaurant. This was a huge bonus for us, and on a couple of mornings there was even a pianist playing, which, along with the sunning sea view, created such a lovely atmosphere to start the day.
The beach was beautiful, with soft sand and plenty of sunbeds available, even later in the day. We could very easily (and did!) spend the whole day beside the beach.
The new splash park was a massive hit with our children, we spent a lot of time here, and always found it easy to grab some sun beds beside the park. During one of our play sessions, my son cut his foot, and I can’t praise the first aid team enough. They were incredibly thorough, professional and reassuring, making what could have been quite a stressful situation much easier for us.
Although our children didn’t use the kids’ club, it always looked busy with lots of well-organised activities.
We attended the children’s disco each night and although slightly predictable, we did attend each night and we left with a smile each night aswell so we did appreciate this being on for our little ones.
The à la carte restaurants were excellent. We especially loved the Mexican at lunchtime (so much so that we asked reception and they allowed us to booked it twice!), and we also really enjoyed the Pan-Asian , Italian and Steak restaurants.
The snack stations around the resort were fantastic. The pancakes, ice cream and unlimited corn on the cob were huge favourites with our children.
The hotel grounds were always clean, well maintained and beautifully presented, our room was right by the entrance for the botanic gardens which was a lovely escape for a scenic, quiet 5 minutes with a book.
Our late check-out request was approved, which we really appreciated and made travelling home with two young children much easier. We had until 7pm in our room that day.
Cons
Our biggest disappointment was the communication before we arrived. We deliberately changed our flights to an early morning departure so we could enjoy a full first day. Before travelling, I emailed the hotel to ask whether we should book the previous night to guarantee somewhere for us to rest on arrival, explaining that we were travelling with two young children.
I was reassured that they “almost always” provide an early check-in room, even if it isn’t your allocated room, so guests can rest while waiting. Based on that advice, we chose not to book the extra night.
Unfortunately, when we arrived, at 3AM we ended up sleeping in the lobby for around three /four hours. When I mentioned to reception that rooms had been available to book the previous day when I looked online, I was told that although they may have been available then, they wouldn’t have been cleaned because we hadn’t booked them. While I completely understand that early check-in can never be guaranteed and there is always a risk of having to wait, I do wish our expectations had been managed more realistically rather than being reassured it “almost always” happens. We were more than happy to pay for the previous night’s stay if that had been recommended, so clearer communication beforehand would have allowed us to make an informed decision.
Another point worth mentioning is the airport transfer information on the app. It advertises free transfers and allowed us to book one, so naturally we expected our transfer to arrive. Unfortunately, at around 2am, no transfer turned up. We later discovered that the complimentary transfers only apply to bookings made directly through the hotel, but this wasn’t made clear when we made the reservation in the app. A little more clarity around the eligibility criteria would help avoid confusion and unnecessary stress, particularly for families arriving late at night.
The buffet , unfortunately for us was another disappointment. We eat a wide variety of foods, as do our children, but we struggled to find anything that really appealed to us. We felt the presentation didn’t reflect the standard we’d expect from a 5-star resort, and the service was slow. Throughout our dinner here we were not offered drinks, and rather than waiting around, we chose to eat what we’d managed to get on our plates and leave. The only other night that we had no à la carte booking, we ventured into town rather than attempting the buffet again.
One other concern was the flooring around the main pool and theatre area. We didn’t spend time around the main pool ourselves because we had the swim-up room, but we walked through this area every evening on our way to the entertainment. Even when completely dry, the flooring was incredibly slippery. We quickly got into the habit of taking our shoes off whenever we walked through because it genuinely felt safer than wearing any type of footwear. This did stand out as a potential safety concern and is something I think the hotel should look into.
Things to be aware of
If you’re considering booking a swim-up room, there are a couple of things worth knowing.
The “Secret Bar” service isn’t an on-demand service throughout the day. During our stay, staff visited around three times a day to take drink orders. Personally, we found this perfectly adequate, but I know some neighbouring guests had expected continuous waiter service and were disappointed. It’s worth knowing in advance so your expectations match what’s actually offered.
We also noticed that guests who weren’t staying in the swim-up rooms regularly used the shared swim-up pool and placed towels on the loungers directly outside the rooms. This didn’t personally bother us. We’d heard the main pool could get very busy, so we completely understood why people were drawn to the quieter area. However, several neighbouring guests were understandably frustrated, as they expected this area to remain exclusive. To the hotel’s credit, management did respond to complaints and asked non-residents to leave on several occasions.
The children’s menus in the à la carte restaurants also felt very limited. Chicken nuggets seemed to be one of the only child-friendly options on many menus. Our children enjoy trying different foods, so the staff kindly allowed them to order from the adult menu instead, which we really appreciated. However, this meant receiving full adult-sized portions that they simply couldn’t finish, leaving us feeling quite wasteful. Offering either more varied children’s options or child-sized portions of selected adult meals would be a great improvement.
It also may be worth noting that the staff are rather non chalant - not particularly rude but not over enthusiastic.. it was our sons 3rd birthday, he had a badge on and I wrote in our dinner / breakfast reservation that this was a special one and not one comment was made to him which I found quite sad. Not really the service we have recieved elsewhere although again it didn’t bother us too much as sometimes staff can be too over the top, however for a special occasion we would have wanted a slight fuss made.
Overall
Despite the points above, we genuinely had a fantastic holiday. The stunning swim-up room, beautiful beach, excellent à la carte restaurants, new splash park and the opportunity to explore the island by hire car made for a memorable family holiday.
I genuinely believe this hotel has the potential to be a true 5-star resort. With a refurbishment of the main lobby and buffet area, clearer and more consistent communication before arrival, and a few family-focused improvements to the dining experience, I think it would comfortably reach that standard.
Would we return? Absolutely. We made wonderful memories here and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to others, as long as they’re aware of the few points mentioned above. Hopefully, with a few small improvements, this resort will become every bit the 5-star destination it has the potential to be."
