"Atlantica Thalassa Hotel, Kos – Honest Family Review (October Half Term, 7 Nights)
4/5 stars – A good family holiday, but a few things stopped it being five-star worthy.
We stayed at the Atlantica Thalassa Hotel for seven nights during October half term as a family of six. Overall, we had an enjoyable holiday, and there were plenty of positives, particularly the staff, cleanliness and entertainment for the children. However, there were also a few things that let the hotel down, which I think are worth mentioning for anyone considering booking.
The Pros
First impressions and check-in
We were greeted warmly by a member of the reception team, who kindly allowed us to go for lunch before completing the check-in process. She took our passports, and by the time we had finished eating, almost everything was sorted. A lovely, practical start after travelling.
Food and drink
Despite some of the negative reviews we had read beforehand, we all found a variety of food we enjoyed throughout our stay. That said, there is quite a lot of repetition, and I did get the impression that the hotel tries to be economical by reusing leftover ingredients in different dishes.
We did have one issue with a piece of pork, but Stimitier dealt with it quickly and liaised with the kitchen staff to resolve it.
Our favourites included the duck, fish dishes, ribs, moussaka, baklava, chocolate mousse cake, hazelnut gateau, fresh bread, salads and fresh fruit. There was enough choice for everyone in our family to find something they liked.
My favourite cocktails, Margaritas, weren’t included in the all-inclusive drinks menu, but at €7 each, I thought they were reasonably priced. I did notice that several popular drinks came at an additional cost. My main criticism was that the alcohol in some of the drinks tasted very watered down or poor quality, which was disappointing.
However, Christina deserves a special mention here. She went above and beyond to make my Margaritas to my preference, using lime rather than the lemon listed on the menu. She said she had fresh lime juice and alternated their usual recipe and made them beautifully. Her friendliness and attention to detail made all the difference.
I also enjoyed the coffees, which were nice enough, although the coffee from the indoor bar was noticeably better. No ice coffee was offered as a choice but staff happily provided ice and fresh milk to a coffee if requested.
Cleanliness and rooms
The hotel is spotless, modern and well maintained. Our beds were beautifully comfortable, which is always important when you’re away with the family.
There were plenty of sunbeds available during our stay, so there was no need to get up at the crack of dawn to reserve them. Staff were also on hand to provide clean beach towels when needed.
The staff – a real highlight
This is where the hotel really shines. So many members of staff deserve recognition for their friendliness and hard work.
The entertainment team went above and beyond for our children. Kat, in particular, was absolutely fantastic. She showed up day after day with enthusiasm and made a real effort with the children. My two youngest became very fond of her, and she genuinely helped make their holiday special. She deserves recognition for the effort she puts into her role!
Christina and Aladdin were also fabulous: friendly, welcoming and clearly hardworking.
The chefs were helpful throughout our stay, even providing extra baklava when it had run out in the restaurant.
Stimitier was consistently friendly and approachable. She even joined me and some of the other families I had met for a chat and kindly wished us farewell with a traditional aperitif before we left. A lovely personal touch.
The reception team were also helpful and happy to offer recommendations whenever we needed them.
Evening entertainment
We thought the evening entertainment was great for families. There was a good mix of music quizzes, karaoke, bingo and children’s dancing, so there was usually something to keep everyone entertained.
We were particularly pleased to win two music quizzes, taking home two bottles of fizz and a bottle of red wine!
The hotel also has a selection of board games, and our children particularly enjoyed playing chess. It’s a nice little extra for quieter moments.
Location and things to do
The hotel is well placed for getting into Kos Town. There’s a local bus that takes around 15 minutes and costs just over €2 per person, or you can take a minibus for around €15. Kos Town has plenty of tourist shops and restaurants, so I’d definitely recommend a visit if you fancy a change from the hotel food.
There’s also a shop called Maria’s about a 10-minute walk up the road, with plenty of choice and large six-packs of water for under €3.
Next door tho this shop, there’s a restaurant serving beer, coffee and ice cream, which is handy if you want a little break from the hotel without travelling far.
Excursions to Turkey or the three islands are available, although they can add up for a family, at approximately €60–€70 per adult and €30–€40 per child.
The Cons
The hotel shop experience
Unfortunately, our experience with one member of staff working in the hotel shop was particularly disappointing.
She came across as rude and unwelcoming on several occasions. My husband wanted to let our child try on a pair of goggles to make sure they fitted before buying them, but she firmly told him, “No, no try!” She also reprimanded my daughter when she went into the shop to buy biscuits.
On another occasion, when my daughter left the restaurant with a plate of chips, the same member of staff appeared keen to report it to another member of the team. When I challenged her about the way she was speaking to my children and family, she denied shouting.
I appreciate that staff have rules to follow, but there’s a way to speak to guests, particularly children. The interactions left us feeling uncomfortable, and it was a real shame given how lovely the majority of the staff were.
Early morning noise and building works
Noise was another issue, particularly at the beginning of our stay.
On our second night, we were woken at around 5:50 am by the sound of glass bottles being collected. There was also ongoing building work adjacent to the main hotel building, with hammering audible early in the morning.
We could also hear chairs being scraped and moved around early downstairs, possibly due to guests arriving or leaving. Given how quiet the hotel was during our stay, with fewer than 50 guests, it was surprising how disruptive some of the noise could be.
We asked to change rooms because of the noise and an issue with our shower, which overflowed if the water pressure was turned up too high. We were told we would be upgraded, but the room we were subsequently offered appeared smaller and, in our opinion, was a downgrade rather than an upgrade. We therefore decided to stay where we were.
To be fair, the noise did improve as the week went on, but it was not the most relaxing start to our holiday.
The gym – a big disappointment for me
As someone who enjoys working out regularly, the lack of a proper gym was a significant negative.
There were a few outdoor exercise machines, including two bikes and a treadmill, but one of the machines was broken. They were also outdoors and covered in mosquitoes, which made using them rather unpleasant. I managed to use them just once during the entire week.
There is a gym called Olympia around 5–10 minutes away by bus or taxi, with plenty of facilities and sessions costing approximately €9. However, having to leave the hotel and pay extra to exercise isn’t ideal when you expect decent fitness facilities on site.
The so-called private beach
The beach is advertised as a private beach, but it is actually across the road from the hotel. My understanding is that there may be a charge to use it during the high season, although it was free when we visited in October.
It’s a relatively small stretch of sand, and the beach is quite stony and windy. We walked down to have a look, but didn’t feel particularly tempted to spend much time there.
Pools and water slides
The pools were perfectly adequate, especially the larger pool, and our children enjoyed using them throughout the week.
However, the pools aren’t heated, so the temperature depends on the weather. This is worth bearing in mind if you’re travelling outside the summer season.
If water slides are a priority during October half term, many of the local water parks and slides may be closed. We discovered that you could pay for a half-day or full-day pass at the neighbouring hotel, which included access to the slides, water park, buffet restaurant, drinks and snacks. We did this once, and it was a good option for the children.
Would we return?
Overall, we had a good family holiday at Atlantica Thalassa. The hotel is clean and modern, the beds are comfortable, the entertainment team are brilliant, and the majority of the staff really do make an effort to ensure guests have a good stay.
The food was better than we had expected, although repetitive, and the location makes it easy to visit Kos Town.
However, the early morning noise, building works, lack of a proper gym, disappointing beach and our experience in the hotel shop stopped us from giving it five stars.
For families looking for a relaxed, reasonably convenient all-inclusive holiday with good children’s entertainment, it’s worth considering. Just be aware of the limitations, particularly if you’re visiting in October or expect a well-equipped gym and a proper sandy beach.
Four stars from us – largely thanks to the wonderful staff who made the holiday enjoyable, despite the things that could have been better."
