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Times
4 days ago
- Times
16 of the best hotels in Rhodes
According to Greek myth, Rhodes was created when the sun god Helios fell in love with a nymph named Rhodes who transformed herself into an island when his sunlight touched her skin. And with 300 days of sunshine a year, award-winning blue-flag beaches and a fascinating winemaking history, this Island of the Sun lives up to its name. Far more than just bargain beach breaks, it offers spa-centred retreats, design-led luxury hotels and historic boutique hotels hidden among its Unesco-listed old town, which is not only one of the best-preserved medieval towns in Europe but was once home to the Statue of Liberty-sized Colossus of Rhodes — one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. This article contains affiliate links that will earn us revenue ££ | Best for a sense of history This special building in the heart of the old town was originally built by the medieval Knights of Rhodes, also known as the Order of St John. It's now a high-end boutique hotel with a pared-back interior — featuring exposed stones and wooden beams — that lets the building's original features sing. Each of the eight en suite rooms has the same minimalist approach to decor, and guests receive a complimentary bottle of wine on arrival. Historic attractions such as the clock tower and the Palace of the Grand Master are just steps away. • Read our full guide to Greece £££ | POOL | Best for sporty types The Eden Roc brand is renowned for its clean-line, California-cool spaces. Their five-star beachfront property in Rhodes, positioned between Rhodes Town and Kalithea, offers the same, while still welcoming families with larger bungalows, saltwater pools with slides and a kids' club. They've chosen to focus on sports over a spa, with tennis and basketball courts plus daily yoga, dance and fitness classes. There are also eight fine-dining restaurants to choose from. Other perks include dinner in a local restaurant and branded spirits included as part of the all-inclusive package. £ | POOL | Best for chic design Billed as a laid-back retreat infused with feelgood factor, this adults-only four-star property is part of a new generation of hip hotels on the island. The 271 minimalist rooms are decorated using earthy textures and materials, while the three restaurants serve everything from Asian street food to vegan snacks. And then there's the Captain Cook bar — one of three on site — which has a constant supply of cocktails and live DJs. If you can tear yourself away from the nearby beach, there's also a gym for workouts. £ | SPA | Best for a central location Smack in the centre of Rhodes old town, this adults-only luxury boutique option solves the age-old conundrum of having to get a taxi back to your hotel after a boozy night out, because these ten rooms and four suites belong to a gastronomic restaurant and wine bar. Arranged side by side in lively shades of reds, blues and yellows, the rooms — each with its own outdoor terrace — feature hand-painted murals dedicated to Greeks that made their country proud, while suites have jet-stream baths. The small wellness suite serves up facials and massages, as well as a hot tub and sauna, and the hotel can arrange private winery tours and tastings. Yamas! Read our full review of 10GR Hotel and Wine Bar ££ | POOL | Best for fancy families Named after the dama dama deer native to the island, this palm tree-studded luxury all-inclusive resort sits on the famous sand-and-pebble child-friendly Faliraki beach and features a mix of guestrooms and bungalows clustered around a showstopping 100-metre-long freshwater pool. Rooms are typical Grecian white with pops of coral and kids aged 12 and below stay for free. The Grecoland kids' club is also included. Perks for adults include complimentary fitness classes and unlimited drinks including premium brands. A classy all-rounder. ££ | SPA | POOL | Best for spa lovers Everything about the five-star resort spa Atrium Prestige, situated in the quieter south, centres around H2O. It sits on the seafront, features a vast swirl of four swimming pools, and every single one of its 251 rooms have jet-stream baths. Above all, there's the Thalasso spa — the only one of its kind on the island — providing sea-based therapies, such as pearl facials, algae wraps and exfoliators using coral-pink sand, in candlelit treatment room. There's a bamboozling array of room choices and grades, but we think the best price/quality pick is the Prestige Junior Bungalow suite with private infinity pool. Rooms lack a little flair due to dated furniture pieces, but the sea views always steal attention. • Best Greek island hotels• Greek islands you can visit all year round £ | Best for a rustic feel A bijou three-star in Rhodes old town that delivers at every turn. This compact high-rise has 11 classy coastal-themed rooms that incorporate touches of raw woods and rustic elements such as a headboard made of stacked white stones, or a metal bucket serving as the bathroom sink. Perks include all-natural eco mattresses and pillows, a breakfast-only spread fit for Zeus, quirky wooden rental bikes and a dinky roof terrace that outshines even some five-stars thanks to its hot tub flanked by a pair of stylish sunloungers. It is accessible and only accepts guests aged 16 or over. £££ | SPA | POOL | Best for couples escapes Lindos Blu is a breath of fresh air. Seemingly chiselled from the rocky coastline, this timber and stone-clad five-star hugs the curve of Vlycha Bay like an amphitheatre and unabashedly celebrates its epic views of the blue Aegean. The seascapes are mirrored in the Zen-like rooms with splashes of aqua and white curtains that fade to tie-dye blue. Hydro-massage baths come as standard in all rooms, but for added luxury you can upgrade to a deluxe superior double for a hot tub on the balcony, or a villa or maisonette for a private pool and hot tub. No whippersnappers are allowed at this adults-only escape, so leisure activities are tailored for two: from couples massages in the ayurvedic spa to tennis lessons. £££ | SPA | POOL | Best for entertainment Adult travellers seeking a box-ticking bubble of luxury you never have to leave will find it at this sprawling, all-inclusive, hard-to-fault five-star. Reminiscent of the Middle East thanks to its use of curves in the architecture, light open spaces and high-sheen floors, the 250 contemporary rooms blend olive linens, white sheets and light woods. Most have a sea view, but guests can splash out on a swim-up Junior Suite, or a private bungalow with grassy garden and pool close to the half-a-mile private beach. Entertainment is a real ace card here: from Zumba and yoga classes to mixology and cooking lessons, as well as live bands and a nightclub. £££ | Best for historical charm Sick of large glossy hotels? The antidote is this six-room, four-star that oozes old-soul charm. The medieval home belonged to the knight who oversaw the garrison guarding the nearby 'Red Gate' at the entrance to Rhodes old town and the traditional Ottoman balcony window posted above the front door sets the tone for what lies within. Thick stone archways, beds on mezzanine levels and objets d'art galore characterise this transporting boutique hotel. Rooms feature a free minibar and most have clawfoot bathtubs. Our pick is the Orhan, which opens onto a secret courtyard with a trickling water feature. ££ | Best for quality service A historic and personable hotel on the quieter western edge of Rhodes old town, this place has six spacious rooms with high, timber-beam ceilings and Egyptian cotton sheets. The Andromeda suite is the most romantic, thanks to arched glass windows opening onto a dreamy private terrace with an LED-lit hot tub. What it lacks in facilities it makes up for with attentive service: from the unpacking of suitcases for you on arrival and breakfast served to your balcony to in-room massages on request. £ | POOL | Best for group getaways The three-star aparthotel Alia, on the east coast, brings families and groups a dose of independence — self-catering apartments are coupled with hotel perks such as daily cleaning, a gaggle of five swimming pools, an open-air gym and sauna, plus two on-site restaurants and bars for those who don't want to cook using the kitchenettes. If budget allows, avoid the economy rooms and book the Junior or Loft suites, where you'll find fresher decor and private pools shaded by raffia parasols. Alia is equidistant between the shingle Haraki and Agathi beaches. • Best villas in Rhodes• Best beaches in Greece ££ | SPA | POOL | Best for design lovers This bohemian adults-only bolt hole is a real breath stealer. At the base of the monastery-capped Tsambika mountain, it's a secluded spot with friendly staff, where each room has access to a shared or private pool. The boho vibe blends a sophisticated palette of beiges, blacks and whites with fringed hammocks, tribal-print pillows, pouffes and throws and hand-picked accessories. The pick of the bunch is the suite with a private pool, with views of the cacti-studded garden and a whirlpool bath big enough for two to wallow in. Sweat in the state-of-the-art gym, chill out at the yoga shala, or shop at the boutique — but don't miss the gatherings at sunset for cocktails and poolside DJ beats. ££ | SPA | POOL | Best for a pool near the old town Hotels inside Rhodes old town rarely have places to swim, so this 75-room five-star just outside the old walls is the best of both worlds: a space to have a splash at the statue-lined pool without being too far from the action. A brasserie and the fine-dining Il Parco dish up Mediterranean fare, and there's a trio of bars — the pick of which is undoubtedly the Galaxy rooftop lounge for cocktails and sunset views over the crenellated walls of medieval Rhodes. Rooms are sleek, if a little bland, and you can relax in them after being rubbed, buffed and scrubbed at the spa with a sauna, hot tub and Turkish hammam. ££ | SPA | POOL | Best for beach babes Next door to Lindos Blu Luxury Hotel & Suites, the Lindos Mare enjoys an elevated position above the sea and is a peaceful, family-friendly five-star. Yes, the private beach can only be accessed via a stone stairway or elevator, but once there guests can try banana boats and other water sports. Youngsters will also get a kick out of the separate kids' pool and play club. Rooms are Aegean-style with accents of lavender in the doubles, and bright whites and seascape pictures in the superior rooms — always pay extra for a sea view. £ | Best for city exploring Trinity started life as a merchant's house back in the 15th century and its sympathetic restoration honours that history, with simple white linens and decor that lets the exposed stone walls and timber-beam ceilings sing. It has just six rooms with kitchenettes and an elegant freestanding bathtub; if you book a double and forgo a balcony you'll gain a separate hot tub. There's no restaurant, but the friendly staff serve you a drool-worthy breakfast. A superb find that far exceeds its three-star rating. • Best Greek islands• Best hotels with swim-up rooms in Greece What's your favourite Rhodes hotel? Please share in the comments below
The Guardian
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Ruins by Amy Taylor review – Euro getaway turns to hell in this addictive, soapy thriller
Emma and Julian are in their 30s and don't know what is next in their lives. A recent miscarriage has shaken them both and splintered them in different directions, though the long-term couple doesn't know that yet. So, like many well-to-do thirtysomethings, they leave their home in London and head for the sunnier climes of Greece to house-sit for a friend. It's there that Emma suggests shaking up their relationship by opening it to other people: she wants to watch Julian sleep with another woman. He's hesitant but he loves her, so he goes along with it. Enter Lena, a decade-younger Greek woman Emma meets at a bar. Naturally, the interloper complicates things. Melbourne author Amy Taylor's second novel is a leap forward from her debut. 2023's Search History was a fine entry into the messy millennial fiction canon, following a woman who becomes digitally obsessed with her boyfriend's dead ex. Ruins is, in many ways, more sophisticated. Emma and Julian are millennials, too, but a little older than the protagonist of Search History; they run in academic circles, where dinner parties are peppered with discussions of philosophy and literature, which also snake through the book itself. A recurring motif is the Greek myth of Medea, the scorned woman who murders her own children in an act of revenge on her husband. Emma reads the play throughout the novel, as the events in her own life begin to subtly mirror the myth, at least emotionally. The constant mention of Medea grows a little irksome, but ties in neatly with the novel's setting and nods to Greek tragedy. Lena is an effective foil for Emma, highlighting the obsession with women's youth. In one scene at a nightclub, Emma has an epiphany when men ogle Lena and ignore her. 'She was surprised, and a little disgusted with herself, that she missed the attention,' Taylor writes, comparing the male gaze to a market valuation. 'It was as if her currency had lowered in value and she'd never realised.' Suddenly, the younger woman is a threat. Julian has the opposite experience as an ageing man – 'a shifting of the scales that Emma had not expected'. While at first he is reluctant to accept the new terms of his relationship, the realisation of his power, both social and sexual, twists the narrative again – Emma and Lena are quietly, unwittingly pitted against each other, while the man retains ultimate control. Lena's older brother, Darius, also illustrates the point, though from a more sinister angle – while at first it seems that he simply wants to protect his sister, his increasingly violent actions imply that he is more interested in her obedience and submission. This commentary on gender politics feels nuanced and cohesive – more so than the similar themes in Taylor's debut. Emma and Julian remain committed to each other throughout, though Lena haunts their relationship. Taylor contrasts this with blissful snapshots of the couple's early, uncomplicated courtship, and Lena's own wishes for a simple adult life, which has only just begun before it is blown up by the affair. All of this sits alongside the all-encompassing modern question of whether or not to have children. Emma and Julian's seemingly perfect relationship is slowly buckling under the weight of the decision, and Lena's presence exacerbates their growing differences. Within their unique arrangement, the couple sees the possibility of exploring family life through a non-traditional lens – Taylor probes modern relationship structures as a potential solution to the issue, but the overarching question still hovers like a shroud. Above it all, the oppressive heat of the Athens summer looms large. Taylor's descriptions of the city are evocative, from the bustling Monastiraki flea market to the old apartment buildings in which much of the action happens. The mercury rises alongside the growing tensions in an addictive crescendo – as the novel races towards a shocking denouement, it feels at once claustrophobic and urgent. Sign up to Saved for Later Catch up on the fun stuff with Guardian Australia's culture and lifestyle rundown of pop culture, trends and tips after newsletter promotion The interpersonal twists – the betrayals and revelations – do start to feel soapy. It makes sense: before Ruins was published, a screen adaptation had already been announced. Some of the big plot twists are obvious; one in particular is revealed at such a melodramatic moment that the suspension of disbelief is difficult. But Taylor is a beautiful, sensitive writer – she imbues even the more outlandish parts of the story with care. For Emma and Julian, this bruising summer in Greece reveals more about their own inner worlds; returning to London, they must grapple with these new truths as they march, ever forward, into the great unknown of the rest of their lives. Ruins by Amy Taylor is out now (Allen & Unwin, $32.99)
