"I never usually write a review but this hotel does seem to split opinions to either good or bad so I thought I would try to help a little!
This was our first time to Kos, what an absolutely beautiful place! We travelled as a family of 7, ages between 11-70.
Pros:
Staff: extremely friendly and helpful, the cleaning staff don't stop, they are constantly cleaning something! The service at meal times is great, never a dirty plate left. The bar staff don't stop, in the evening a queue can form as there is only one bar but it always went down quickly.
Location: beautiful beach location. Beach is a little rocky so aqua shoes are recommended. The sea water is beautiful and there is always fish around which was lovely to watch. The hotel is about 20 minutes away from town (walk) but you can go along the coast road, stunning. The views are wonderful! Really feel the holiday vibe with this location, not overly tourist in any way. The town is a great little place to explore, so many restaurants, bars, shops.
Entertainment staff: they work their socks off! They never stop, they are always trying to engage everyone. Our kids loved them. Us adults aren't the type to really join in as its not our thing but that wasn't a problem. The kids had a great time. Entertainment at night was sometimes okay but other times fantastic, its what you make of it.
Sunbeds: pet peeve for me is sunbed wars on holiday, you don't need to worry here. We went in August, pool doesn't open until 10am, sunbeds were always available which was great. Found that people came and went (which didnt bother us in the slightest) and that beds would become free throughout the day too. Sunbeds on the beach are free to the hotel guests aswell.
Taverna: its by the beach, good little spot for 'snacky' foods during the day and our kids preferred that most days instead of going for lunch in the dining hall.
Crepes: the fresh crepes made at the pool bar were a big hit with our kids, most days their faces had a nice coating of chocolate sauce!
Pool: the pool area is lovely, at first I wasn't sure if the pool was big enough for everyone but it absolutely is and is a great space to sit and relax.
Cons:
Food: I hate to say it but we struggled with the food. Lots of choice but quality just wasn't great, we aren't snobs with food and usually make the best of it but some days were a struggle. My husband will eat anything usually but he didnt enjoy it, especially the breakfasts. The meat quality wasn't great. However, the pizza and pasta stations were good and saved the day, most days. The kids didnt enjoy the desserts either.
Drinks: the beer, its not a great quality and you have no other beer on offer to even buy. Its not quality which was such a shame. The cocktails, okay but again not great. The spirits must be extremely weak. The fruit juices in the morning at breakfast, really watered down.
Rooms: the room in itself was okay, basic but what you needed, the bathroom however, wasn't good. We had a bath with a shower, the shower pointed every direction other than into the bath which resulted in a soaked floor. You had to play a game of tetris to figure out how to even turn the shower on. However in our kids room (we had 2 rooms) they had a walk in shower which was so much better! It seems to be the luck of the draw with what you get.
The decor: the hotel is dated, it feels dated and you don't get any kind of luxury feeling from this place. Its far for a 5 star, I would most probably say a 3 star at best. The dining room looks like a school hall with shabby tables and chairs, most of which are damaged. They sometimes put table cloths on them which helped a little with the look of the place but its not a nice place to sit and eat. It all needs a paint job, a refresh, new tables and chairs. The whole hotel needs some love, it could be absolutely beautiful. The staff work so hard to keep it clean but what it really needs is modernisation.
We had a lovely holiday but we wouldn't return to this hotel unfortunately, it just didnt tick enough boxes. If you've booked here, you will have a lovely holiday if you make the most of it but if you struggle like us with the food, the town offers lots of restaurants.
Recommendation: go to malibu's beach bar, its about a 6 minute walk from the hotel along the beach front, we had the best time there! Beds are free around the pool, 9 euro on the beach for two beds and an umbrella. Good drinks, good music, the owners are absolutely fantastic, really welcoming, we will go there again for sure!"