Lydia Maris Resort & spa

"I've honestly lost count of the number of times I've stayed at Lydia Maris now! We've been visiting since 2011/2012, and it genuinely feels like a home away from home. I love this place so much, and I can never understand some of the negative reviews I read, as my experiences here have always been so positive. That's exactly why I keep coming back! I'm pretty sure this trip was my 10th visit! The location of Lydia Maris couldn't be better. It's just a one-minute walk from the Kolymbia strip, where you'll find lovely little shops, restaurants, bars, car hire services and plenty of places to book day trips. There are also a couple of different beaches within a 5–10-minute walk. There's a bus stop directly outside the hotel, making it easy to explore further afield, whether you're heading south to Lindos or north towards Faliraki and Rhodes Town. Over the years, I've stayed in many different rooms, and of course, I have my favourites! Some are more modern than others, but all the rooms I've stayed in have been clean, comfortable and well maintained throughout the week by the hardworking housekeeping team. Some rooms are naturally closer to the bar and entertainment areas, but the noise levels have never been an issue for me. The food is always very good, with a huge selection available at breakfast, lunch and dinner. My personal favourites are the pizza bar and the grill serving gyros — both are absolutely delicious, and the food is always presented beautifully. Last but certainly not least, the staff are fantastic! Everyone is so friendly, welcoming and helpful, and they really help make each stay special. I'd like to give a few special mentions from this year's holiday: Maria and Tsampika at Reception – always brilliant, year after year! Gustavo, Kiki and Bartek from the entertainment team – absolutely fantastic and great fun. Ralph, Dennis, Mark and Clark in the restaurant – so friendly and accommodating. Nothing was ever too much trouble for them! The lovely lady working in the grill area – I'm so sorry I can't remember your name, but you were wonderful! I've only mentioned a few people by name, and I wouldn't want that to take anything away from all the other brilliant team members at Lydia Maris. Everyone works incredibly hard around the clock, and their efforts really do make a difference. I honestly can't wait to return next year! Thank you, Lydia Maris, for yet another lovely holiday and for continuing to make this such a special place to visit. See you all again soon! ❤️"

"The title is a saying that suggests that something is pretending to be something it isn't. The Lydia Maris is a 2* hotel pretending to be a 5*. A bit harsh? Read on. Arrival When we arrived at 11pm, these were our first impressions: Unappealing, dark entrance. Rude, unhelpful, unfriendly receptionist. Given bag with 2 sandwiches, 2 apples and 2 biscuits. Instructed to wait to be shown to our room and for our wristbands to be fitted. The Room Adequate space. Nice balcony. Right next to the pool and entertainment area. Not enough storage. Only 8 hangers between the 2 of us. Nowhere to hang wet towels or swimwear. Bathroom smelt like a sewer. Room Cleaning Awful! Our room , especially the bathroom, was not properly cleaned during our 2 week stay. Marks on taps, round the outside of the basin and on the toilet were there throughout our stay, even after our rep had spoken to the hotel. Dirty towels left in the shower to be changed were still there after the cleaner had been. Food Plentiful, varied, tasty. Unfortunately, "hot" food was at best lukewarm. Grill - went once. So bad, we didn't go again. Pizza oven - excellent. Go for the show cooking - it's usually hot. We both had stomach upsets during our stay. Pool Area Cramped. Lots of sunbeds ...but many are broken. Noisy. Loud music from the Pool Bar all day and night, often competing with music and announcements from the entertainment area. No quiet area. Not cleaned frequently enough throughout the day - especially cigarette butts. We saw a live cockroach in the outdoor eating area. Entertainment Dreadful! Seemed to consist of one person shouting unintelligibly into a microphone whilst his helpers tried to rally the troops! We avoided it after the first couple of nights. Drinks After the first 2 bottles, you had to buy bottled water. Alcoholic drinks were ok. Good variety. Beer lacked flavour. Cocktails were good. The Staff. Most of the staff were hard working, helpful and lovely. However, the manager was downright rude. Probably related to the bloke on reception when we arrived! Noise In the evening, after the lobby bar closes at 9.30pm, there is nowhere to go for a quiet drink. You either sit by the pool bar and get blasted by loud music from 2 different sources or you suffer the entertainment. We went out most nights! Because of the design of the hotel, if any group stays up drinking into the early hours and gets a bit rowdy there is no way to block out the noise. Miscellaneous You pay extra for a key to the safe. (E35 for 2 weeks.) The instructions are not very clear on how it should be used. Basically, you only need it when you reset the passcode for the safe. You have to pay a deposit for pool towels, which are available at reception. Information about the hotel and its facilities is very poor. Recommendations Don't go to the Lydia Maris! To Horiatiko - taverna. Great home cooked Greek food. Brillantina - nice bar. Island Breeze - nice bar. Serves food too. Walk to Nisaki Beach. Have a drink at the bar and enjoy the view. Walk from Nisaki Beach to St Nicolas Harbour. Visit St Nicolas Chapel. Book trips at the kiosk just outside the hotel. Go to: Rhodes Old Town Lindos"

"We returned about three weeks ago from this wonderful family vacation. In the future, we would probably look for a hotel with a direct beach location again, but we still had ten wonderful days at this hotel. The food was always good, the hotel is clean, the rooms are spacious, and the staff is very friendly; we would especially like to highlight the lovely Kiki from the animation team, who gave our daughter ten unforgettable days. Kiki, you were great and without you, the vacation would have been only half as nice!!!! Thank you thank you thank you"