Labranda Blue Bay Resort

This accommodation definitely surprised my wife and me. We travel a lot and go on trips every year, but this one will definitely remain in our memory as the worst trip we've ever had. At first, the hotel seemed modern and spacious. The sea, pools, and all the facilities were close by, and the staff were friendly and smiling. At 1:30 PM we were given our room keys and told that we would be taken to our building, which already seemed a bit strange. While waiting for our room to be ready, we had been staying in what turned out to be the main building (the hotel has a main building and an annex building). At that point, we didn't mind because we had no idea what was waiting for us. As soon as we entered the room, there was a strange smell similar to mold. The bathroom door couldn't stay open—it would automatically swing shut every time. Both mirrors were dirty, there was a spider web on the safe, neither of the room telephones worked, and the air conditioner was also broken. When we stepped out onto the balcony, we noticed that someone had left a phone case on the table. We went to the reception and asked them to clean the room and repair the equipment (the telephones, air conditioner, and the bathroom door). We were told that it was a public holiday, so there was no maintenance staff available and everything could only be fixed the next day. However, they assured us that housekeeping would clean the room immediately. We returned to our room and waited for the housekeeping staff, but although they walked past our room several times, they never came in. We went back to the reception once again to ask if there was a problem and when our room would finally be cleaned. We also asked if we could change rooms and even offered to pay extra for a different one, but our request was refused. The next day, we were finally offered another room in the same building, and we accepted. Unfortunately, it was no better. The cleanliness was below any acceptable standard, the bathroom door wouldn't close and was completely detached from its upper rail, and on the balcony we found another unpleasant surprise—a random piece of rubber lying there. At least the air conditioner and both telephones were working this time, which was the only positive thing. Neither the hotel nor the travel agency offered us an apology or any compensation, which was extremely disappointing. Our very first day of vacation was completely ruined because we spent almost the entire day trying to resolve the issues with reception and our room, making several trips back and forth to explain the situation. What did we like? Definitely the food. There was a wide variety of dishes, and the à la carte restaurants were excellent, especially the Asian restaurant Akira. We also loved the cats freely roaming around the hotel grounds. :) Everything else was simply a nightmare.

We've just returned from an 11-night stay at Blue Bay Resort in Ialysos, Rhodes, with family and friends, and had a fantastic holiday.

We stayed in one of the annexe rooms, which was modern, comfortable, with very comfy beds and a lovely rainfall shower. We had a small issue with our first room, but the reception team resolved it quickly and professionally, setting the tone for the rest of our stay. Our room was spotless every day thanks to our wonderful cleaner, who always made sure we had fresh towels.

The food was very good, with plenty of choice at every meal. We especially enjoyed grabbing gyros, pizza and chips from the snack bar and eating with the beautiful sea view. The Indian à la carte restaurant was also well worth booking for its delicious three-course meal. The all-inclusive drinks were fine with the white wine being a favourite!

The hotel was clean throughout, staff were friendly and hardworking, and there were always plenty of sunbeds available. The only minor downside was that some of the sunbeds could do with updating, but it didn't affect our holiday at all.

There was lots of information about excursions, and we'd highly recommend the boat trip to Symi – it's absolutely stunning. There are also a few shops within walking distance, Billy's Bar just outside the hotel is worth a visit, and there's a bus stop around 10 minutes away with regular €3 buses into Rhodes Town.

Despite being close to the airport, the planes never bothered us.

The absolute highlight of our holiday, however, was the animation team. They work incredibly hard from morning until late at night to keep everyone entertained, creating such a fun and welcoming atmosphere around the hotel.

A very special mention has to go to Noah, who quite simply made our holiday. From the very first day, he made the effort to get to know not just us, but our daughter and the other family we travelled with too. Every day he stopped for a chat, remembered everyone's names, and made us all feel genuinely welcome. It never felt forced—it was obvious he truly cared that guests were having a great time.

Whether he was teaching us French boules, keeping the volleyball games fun and competitive, or simply making us laugh around the pool, his energy, enthusiasm, and kindness never faded. He has an incredible ability to bring people together, encourage everyone to join in, and make every activity enjoyable, regardless of age or ability. His positivity is infectious, and his passion for what he does shines through in everything he does. He is an absolute credit to Blue Bay Resort, and without him our holiday simply wouldn't have been the same. He played a huge part in making this a memorable family holiday.

A big shout-out also to Tomas, Suvi and Francesca, whose energy and dance routines were incredible! They kept us thoroughly entertained every evening, and we definitely felt the workout trying to keep up with them!

A huge thank you to everyone at Blue Bay Resort for such a wonderful stay. We left with amazing memories and wouldn't hesitate to return.