"The Elysium is a fantastic Resort which impresses from arrival until departure.
Located in Kalithea, 2 minutes bus (1 stop) from Kalithea Springs or 20-30 minute walk, which is lovely in the evening. 15 minutes bus to Rhodes town and 10 minutes bus to Faliraki. The area itself is quiet as it is only surrounded by other self contained resorts, which gives a calm, relaxing atmosphere.
The rooms are stunning, most with views of the sea, which the hotel backs onto. The rooms provide comfortable beds, a TV, which can access youtube or screen share with your phone, as well as varied international channels. The bathroom was spotless, with various toiletries provided and the balcony was spacious to sit as well as dry off towels and swimwear. Huge praise goes to the housekeeping team who work incredibly hard to maintain such high standards and are kind and friendly to talk to.
The pool is gorgeous, huge, with a pool bar in the middle. There are ample sunbeds, we were never fighting for one, no matter the time we went down, with fixed umbrellas per 2 beds. The sunbeds are comfortable and cushioned, to the point of being easy to fall asleep. The pool varies in depth, from shallow child friendly to 1.6m deep for the adults and brave. As the hotel backs onto the beach, there is also the option to get beds there, of the same standard, which are part of the hotel and included. The sea is reasonably calm and quite relaxing to swim in, however goes deep quick and is gravelled, so beach shoes recommended (available from hotel shop). The beach bar and pool bar both offer similar service for refreshments, with the option to order from you sun lounger or the hotel app, so you don't have to miss out on a minute in the sun.
The hotel shop is well stocked with the essentials and gifts. Much larger than I was expecting, is well priced and open all day. The staff are very helpful as well.
The food is exquisite! We ate in the main buffet restaurant every night, they offer daily specials from a menu when you first sit down and/or you can choose to pick from the huge selections they have to offer. Even the pickiest of eaters can find something here. They do fresh cooking stations which offer varied cuisines, a make your own pasta station, a "carvery station" where they have fresh meat or fish which they cut for you. The desserts are to die for! Despite the huge selection on a daily basis, there is something different every night. The only recurring dishes are the pizza, chicken nuggets/fish finger and chips and spag bol for the kids or big kids. At breakfast, as expected, a huge selection of food options and juices. with freshly cooked crepes, pancakes and waffles.
The evening entertainment was good at the beach bar. Offering relaxed vibes or full on disco. The Crystal lounge, next to reception, offers chilled place to sit, with a live piano player most nights and a stunning view across the bay.
Now about the staff... They are amazing! A huge team of staff throughout the hotel, which puts any other customer service team to shame. It almost seems unfair as, even though we were there 2 weeks, we couldn't meet them all. Firstly, the staff behind the scenes. The hotel is impeccably maintained and if anything breaks the staff are there within minutes to sort out. The grounds are kept clean and tidy, the plant life is de-weeded and the sun loungers are cleaned down every morning, even jet washed. As previously stated the housekeepers are efficient and friendly and keep the rooms spotless. When we arrived, we were met with friendly smiles and a welcoming greeting. We were put to ease and made to feel welcomed instantly. MARIOS, in particular made us feel welcome, always greeted us when we saw him and asked after us. He did a fantastic job showing us around the hotel and escorting us to our room. At breakfast, the staff are friendly and efficient. Take drink and egg orders quickly. The staff always take an interest in every guest. MICHALIS was great, he took our order every morning and knew what we wanted before we did. BRUNA was also brilliant, very polite and approachable. spoke with us daily to ask after us, a good way to start the day. By the pool, it is easy to over look the pool side attendant, however the lifeguards would do anything for the guests around the pool, keeping the pool side safe and tidy, making sure there was nothing in the pool and the floor was safe and dry (as can be expected by a pool). There is a shed where you can collect fresh beach towels as frequently as required. The gentlemen who manned this shed every day was polite and friendly, always greeted with a smile, even when just walking past. The pool bar staff were super friendly and efficient, running around in the heat to get everyone their food and drinks quickly. JOSHUA was especially brilliant, very chatty and took an interest in each guest. He was easy to have a laugh with. On an evening, at dinner, there was a huge team to staff in the restaurant, making sure each station at the buffet was stocked up and the waiter staff looking after the diners. It appeared as if there were 2-3 waiters per 10-15 tables. This allowed the staff to take care of each table quickly and efficiently. Empty plates were taken away almost as soon as finished with, ready for your next course. If your glass was close to empty, someone would be over to top you up. The staff would converse with you and take an interest. It was clear to see that every member of staff shared this work ethic throughout the restaurant, however for us the stand outs were GABRIEL and ROYET.
There was also a team of supervisor staff around the restaurant walking around with there ear pieces in. Now I'm sure they had an important job to do, but we found them intimidating, it appeared as if the guests were getting in their way and I feel they could learn or remember their customer service skills from the rest of the staff.
Ultimately, The Elysium, is a very impressive hotel, where they can't do enough for you. From what you see to what you don't, the attention to detail is second to none and I would highly recommend and would definitely return. Thank you all.
Tips
- Be prepared to charge to your room as paying as you go is a bit time consuming.
- If you want drinks during the day, get them from the shop if you can, you'll save a bit money."
