"I have stayed at this hotel around six times. I have also tried several other hotels on Kos, and I can confirm that Neptune is probably one of the best hotels on the island.
We stay there not necessarily because it is perfect, but mostly because it offers around 80% - 90% of what we need, and it is simply nice to return to the same familiar place. However, the problem is that every time we come back, more things seem to get worse, while very few things improve.
Why We Still Like It
- Good pools. I especially like the indoor pool, which is usually empty. There are no balls flying around, so you can give swimming lessons there and actually enjoy swimming.
- Large and diverse grounds. Since there is not much to do outside the hotel, it is nice to be able to take a pleasant walk within the hotel grounds.
- A good variety of restaurants.
- It is quiet. There is no loud open-air disco late in the evening. The only exception is the Greek Night concert on Thursdays.
- No all-inclusive option with unlimited free alcohol. People who are looking for that usually stay somewhere else, which contributes to a better overall quality of guests.
- The excellent Tam Tam Café is only a short walk away along the beach. I am not even sure what I like more: the hotel itself or that café. 😊
The Negative Side
The general problem is that Neptune used to be a very cosy hotel mainly targeting Swiss and German guests. Now it is trying, rather unsuccessfully, to become a global resort.
Several years ago, the hotel replaced the old ice-cream stand with a new one that probably looks better in marketing photos but serves unattractive, extremely sugary ice cream. It only opens at 12:30 and stays open until late in the evening. Why? I want to be able to buy ice cream at 11:00. Lunch service in the restaurants also starts at 12:30. It is unclear how they arrived at such an inconvenient starting time.
As mentioned in other reviews, the beaches are not suitable for small children. The small sandy beach that is still available was also full of sharp stones in the water. Somehow, the beaches at the nearby TUI Magic Life and Horizon hotels do not seem to have the same problems. Perhaps instead of investing money in rebuilding the reception area for better marketing photos, more money should be spent on improving the beach.
Sunbed reservations are no longer controlled. Instead, the hotel has simply added more sunbeds, placing them so close together that guests practically have to breathe on each other.
The children’s entertainment, especially the mini disco, has become terrible. Six years ago, it was a fantastic experience. Now the hotel has apparently decided to hire some international entertainment teams. Even though around 90% of the guests are German-speaking, they have replaced German songs with English ones and hired some rather low-quality entertainers.
If the hotel wants to target British customers, it will need to offer unlimited cheap whisky and low-quality food. However, it will then lose many of its existing German-speaking regular guests.
The overall quality of the guests also seemed lower this year. There were far fewer visitors from Switzerland than in previous years. This may be because, for the prices Neptune charges, families can find better alternatives elsewhere.
Despite all these criticisms, I still give Neptune five stars. I believe this is a fair rating when compared with other hotels and the general level of service in Greece. If the same hotel were located in the United States or the Caribbean, I would probably give it four stars, or perhaps even three."
