Venezia Resort Hotel

"We just got back from 8 nights a the Venezia resort in Rhodes. I will start with the negatives which there are not many, as i like to leave my reviews on a positive. We arrived around 1.30pm, so were given wristbands to go have a drink and some lunch until checkin time at 3pm. We enquired about the cost of upgrading from a Superior room to a room with a rooftop spa, and were quoted about 1500 euros extra - this was a misunderstanding on the staff side and we were later told the price would be around 600 euros. Not a major negative but it would be good to have staff know their costs of upgrading properly. We also enquired about upgrading our A.I to premium AI to allow a wider selection of drinks / cocktails and were quoted 60 euros each, per day. This does seem way to high to be honest, theres no way we would have drunk our way through an extra 960 euros over 8 days. Lastly we felt the pool at the Oasis wasnt particularly inviting - it felt like it needed a lick of paint on the fountain and perhaps steps down into the water would have changed its whole feel rather than the ladders - merely an observational small note. on a couple of nights someone was smoking weed which was wafting up into our balcony and into our room - which if you dislike the smell is very off putting. Anyway, thats our negatives. We had an absolutely amazing week, big Kudos to Theodore the head barmanager, and Eden in the oasis bar who made us feel very welcome all week and did an amazing job. Basically the venezia is sort of like two hotels next to each other that have now formed to become one hotel. Its no issue at all, and once you have your bearings it melds together perfectly. We were in block 5, so had a balcony overloooking the main pool area and entertainment area. Word of warning its very loud at night but we enjoyed the party atmosphere and the music is turned down at 11pm. Avoid block 5 if you goto bed early!. All inclusive drinks are 10am -11pm from the Cosmopolitan bar next to the main pool, and the snack bar pool area has burgers, chips, slouvaki kebabs, pizza and hot dogs available all day plus icecream - drinks are serve yourself in this area. Our favourite area by a long way was the adults only Marrakesh oasis, just at the back of the hotel (everyone can go in, but you have to be over 18) - the oasis has chilled lounge music playing all day, and super comformatable loungers - drinks available to. You get 2 Al La Carte visits on your AI week which you book in with the app (access code given on checkin for the app). The greek a la carte food was absolutely delicious, whilst we felt the oasis a la carte food could do with some improvement (where was the fresh houmous and harrisa infused charcoal grilled meat&veg?) - We also purchased cocktails at oasis in the evening on our a la carte visit and i have to say they are truely exceptional (yes they are that good!)- the signature cocktails of Passion in marrakesh or g&p elixir are infused with many flavours with the syrups being cooked & infused by hand on site - and worth every penny. Food wise there is a different theme in the AI restuarant every night, and food was of a good quality and tasty, a little better than the majority of AI we have been to. There is a quieter lounge bar were many older quests enjoy a more relaxed drink next to the restaraunt (they tend to play uno there for example). AI includes pepsi max, pepsi, all the other soft drinks you expect, decent beer / local spirits and around 5 cocktails (the usual blue lagoon, tequila sunrise etc). Roomwise bed was very comfy, Room safe is 15 euros extra and we had a kettle, mugs, spoons, and fridge in our room. TV was poor but we werent there to watch TV - you can mirror display from your device however. Air con was very good and shower was hot and powerful. Evening entertainment was a bit hit and miss, sometimes we enjoyed it sometimes it wasnt for us..like bingo is a HARD NO, but comedy skits and fire display a big yes... but the team work super hard and you cant cater to everyone all the time, so still a positive in our book. Our room was cleaned to a high standard daily and we cannot fault anything with the hotel or our stay beyond what ive mentioned. Onsite shop is open 24/7 - you just pay for the items in the shop at reception next to it - very handy for a late night snack or nessecity. . Taxi wise it was 10-11 euros into Faliriki centre (the main strip) and numerous taxis sitting about when you want to return back to the hotel at the end of the night. Hotel are happy to book you a cab if you ask them. We absolutely would (and will come back) to the Venezia - it was an amazing holiday and cant wait to come back"

"Stayed for a week with my family at the beginning of May. Unfortunately we had to move rooms as the room was too small and quite basic so we upgraded. Our next room a Superior double (room 517) was lovely but very noisy as it was right beside the entertainment. The entertainment finished around 11-11.30pm so not ideal especially with a toddler trying to sleep. Food and drinks were good, although lunch could have had more choice. The snack bar was very good and we ate there most days. Staff were excellent and so friendly and helpful. The hotel was very clean and well looked after. I would definitely stay again just in a quieter part of the hotel."

"What a fantastic hotel this is. Me and my husband have just returned from a week AI to celebrate our first wedding anniversary. Overall we loved it and would return, however to manage expectations I have been honest and provide constructive feedback. It is good value for money, clean and great food. The staff are all lovely and helpful. The room we stayed in was 714 which was just behind reception near the Marrakesh adults only section which was perfect for us. It was lovely and quiet and the room stayed cool and air con was good when needed. The room was clean and modern with coffee making facilities and a fridge which was great. The TV mainly catered for German guests but we did manage to get news or MTV in English if we wanted whilst getting ready but did not really need it. The shower was great, and the sink was in the bedroom area which was useful when both getting ready at the same time. We made use of the adults area so cannot really judge the daytime other pools but when we had a wander there were always plenty of sunbeds available at this time of year and great for families. Marrakesh adults area- This is absolutely stunning however there were some draw backs for us. Only beer and wine is included in the AI so this did get boring and as we were on a budget did not want to waste money on cocktails at €10 a pop! However the beds and parasols are much nicer and comfier than the other main areas, especially for someone who gets a bad back. There are also Bali beds but these are at an extra cost and honestly we did not feel the need. There was always plenty of beds but I expect this gets busy at peak season. The pool is cold but you get used to it once you’re in and is great on those hot days! There is chilled music through the day too. Bar snacks here are also at an extra cost unfortunately so we headed to the restaurant or snack bars for lunch which was a good excuse to stretch the legs. There is a heated smaller pool behind the spa area with beds and parasols which is also lovely and more private. I would suggest more parasols and music up here though. Maybe for the adult guests you could offer an upgraded AI package to include local spirits and offer AI snacks here too? Although I do think it should be included anyway. There would still be the option to pay for other food and premium drinks. Over all an excellent addition to the hotel however AI needs work. The cosmopolitan pool had an events timetable but we did not experience this so can’t comment. Food- Overall the food is excellent, the best AI food I have had. There is always a good selection and it was always well cooked. Meat was tender and food well flavoured and seasoned. They have different theme nights such as Mexican, Italian, Asian and obviously Greek. For those who like plain food there was always chips pasta chicken etc. The breakfast was great but did get a little boring at the end. Maybe the odd special would mix it up a little (eggs Benedict, rancheros etc?) The bread was delivered from the local bakery and it showed, it was stunning! Also lurpack butter and we found a bottle of HP but they could offer some more of these! Beer and wine was also included in the self serve. The desserts looked amazing but we didn’t bother with these as not fond of sweet. The toaster machine starts off strong early on but barely warms the bread if you get to breakfast later on! I know these are always bad but there is only one and it really needs replacing! I used the panini machine in the end but the toaster causes a lot of frustration and unnecessary waiting around blocking the area. Clearing of plates and water to the table could be improved too. The setting in the buffet restaurant is beautiful, the view is stunning 😍 overlooks the hills and out to sea. The Athena restaurant was the only one available to book for AI unfortunately as they said the one in the Marrakesh area was not opened yet. It was early season and the hotel was not full so understandable but this should be made clear. We booked the restaurant for our anniversary dinner which was lovely. The setting is beautiful. We had the bread and dip plate, with a starter each (fried cheese balls and meatballs) a Greek salad to share and we both had mince moussaka for main. The food was excellent, I would have happily paid for this in a restaurant, best moussaka I have ever had! There could be more options on the menu however what we had was so good! The snack bars offer great options, the kids here definitely seem to enjoy it! There is pizza, burgers, chips, and souvlaki pitta (like a gyros) with self serve soft drinks, beer & wine and ice cream. The souvlaki was our fave! Evening entertainment- This was not great unfortunately but we managed to keep ourselves entertained with card games etc. The usual kids disco was on around 8 and adult entertainment around 9/9.30. The kids enjoyed the typical holiday songs but the adult entertainment was not good. The fire show consisted of two candles (one blew out) and a couple of guys doing something which we could not see or understand? The Michael Jackson show was a guy dancing in front of a screen showing a bad quality video from a Michael Jackson concert with poor sound and audience members screaming! This fortunately lasted only 2 songs then it was over. The staff really tried and I felt for them but I feel you need to invest in some real entertainment/training/get more creative. The sports bar isn’t really a sports bar but once we found the bar manager (literally went to seek him out after 2 requests to turn the tv on!) he was great and turned the tv on so we could watch Leeds v Spurs. I understand the bar staff are busy but if you advertise live sports then make sure the tv is on and showing it? Places we visited- Rhodes old town. €2.50 each on the public bus from outside the hotel (going down the hill) and we got the Rhodes>Faliraki sea shuttle back for €10 each. Just check return times on the day as the last boat was 15.30 despite advertising a 17.15 and 18.30 boat also! You can get this out to Rhodes or Lindos too from Faliraki harbour. Anthony Quinn bay. This lives up to the hype! We arrived early just before 9am as had read it gets busy. We were second on the beach. By lunchtime it was really filling up. It is a pebble beach so I would recommend beach shoes and good walking shoes. Take the steps by the Kounna beach bar to avoid a very steep slope! Swimming here was gorgeous! Further round there are sunbeds to hire but we just sat on towels. The beach bar is stunning!! You can reserve a table overlooking the bay, we hadn’t but still got a good view from our table. We ordered a taxi via the hotel reception which was €10.50 and to return I called the number on the ticket I was given. You press 1 (I think) for the order online option and you get a text with a link which shows your car and tracking like uber. This was €12.50 back. Faliraki- we visited a few bars but it was fairly quiet tbh. A lot of places not fully open. Some recommendations are: Monkey bar for a great beach view, Colossus was our fave, a great selection of reasonably priced drinks in a lovely setting. The staff are all lovely. We got a taxi each way for €10 as I was struggling with my feet but a good walk downhill, up hill is another story! I only managed this once! The hotel will book taxis for you and they are decent prices and arrive quickly. Returning from Faliraki we got a taxi outside Colossus where they would park and wait."