Mitsis Rodos Maris Resort and Spa

Having stayed at the select mitsis hotels previously we were worried the standard here may be disappointing but we were wrong. Although it could use some decorative updating in areas the food was of the same great standard (especially in the à la carte) and the cocktails and bar service were far better than any of the premium hotels we’ve stayed in before. The Woo woos at the pool bar are a must.

Maria at the kids club was excellent, our daughters Delilah & Boe adored her and she clearly genuinely enjoys entertaining and engaging with them. We’ve never had a holiday where they have wanted to go every day. I really hope the hotel value her.

The lobby bar staff were wonderful, and all of the staff were friendly and welcoming even though they must be tired at the end of the season. The entertainment staff also deserve mention.

The beach area is well thought out with loads of parasols, shaded areas and comfortable loungers, and the food trucks are a great touch although varying the food options occasionally would make it even better. We will definitely return to Mitsis hotels and the slight datedness of this property is reflected in the value for money and more than made up for by the staff.

Stayed for 5 days in October for a quick getaway, and for the most part I was impressed.

The resort couldn't be in a better location for me, it's in between Lindos and Kiotari and the area around the resort is very quiet. There are a few shops (including a supermarket) and bars directly outside the hotel if you want to go out of the hotel for a bit. There is also a bus stop (one in each direction) right outside the hotel that will take you to Lindos, Kiotari and Gennadi.

I stayed in room 656 which is a ground floor room with a terrace and sea view. The room itself is quite nice, it had air conditioning, a larger than average bathroom with a bath/shower, a minibar (which was restocked every day), and ample wardrobe space to store clothes and bags. The room is a little dated, but I personally think it's part of the charm of the place. The cleanliness of the room was to a good enough standard superficially with no stains, marks on walls/furniture etc, with the furniture being in good condition. Unfortunately when I dropped something and had to go under the bed to retrieve it, it did look like it hadn't been cleaned down there for a little while and I wasn't particularly comfortable putting my hand down there with all the dust and bits of dirt that were there, however for me that was only a minor thing which didn't affect my holiday and I'd like to think that housekeeping will be more mindful of this in the future. Something else that was slightly bothersome was the sound proofing (or lack of). You can really hear everything going on outside your room which can be annoying especially at night when you're trying to sleep, and you can still hear crickets chirping loudly and people having conversations outside. This didn't bother me too much as a heavy sleeper, but it is something to consider if you struggle to get off to sleep at night or wake up easily. There are also no walls separating you from your neighbour if you are sat outside, so if like me you like to have a bit of privacy when you're sat outside your room, this is something to think about for sure.

If there is one thing the Mitsis group gets right as a whole, it's the way they train their staff and the Rodos Maris is no exception. I didn't have any problems with a single member of staff and they were all so friendly, from check in at reception right down to the animation team, bar staff and housekeepers. Everyone wants to know you by name and picks up on your order habits. It really makes the stay feel a bit more personal. Something I did notice though is that no one has a name tag. As someone who feels a little awkward asking people their names, it would be nice to be able to see what their name is on a name tag, just as they know our names.

Food and drinks at the hotel were amazing. There is a cafe area open until I think 10pm, which serves your teas, coffees as well as beer and wine, and ice cream. Next door to that is a creperie and gyros station, both of which were simply divine and I visited them every day. Again the staff were really good especially the lady in the cafe. On the beach, there are food trucks serving asian, pizza and salads, as well as a bar. The queue for the bar did get quite long sometimes though which is to be expected since a good 75% of the hotel stays around the beach during the day. There is a buffet restaurant which serves breakfast, lunch, dinner and also a late dinner if you get peckish during the night. The food was ok however compared to other places I have stayed it did lack in variety from day to day. Then you've got the a la carte restaurants... the best of the bunch. During my stay I tried the brunch, American lunch, Mexican and Asian restaurants and I was honestly impressed with the standard of the food, it was excellent and I had zero complaints about any of the food I ate. The lobby bar was amazing and there were an extensive selection of drinks to choose from, probably the most I have ever seen included in an all inclusive. The bartenders were excellent and despite long queues forming at times, they did get orders served quickly.

Something to note if you are elderly, disabled or have children in a pushchair is that there are quite a lot of steps at this hotel and some of them are quite steep, so if you struggle with steps/steep inclines then this hotel probably isn't for you.

Overall, I had a very enjoyable stay at the Rodos Maris. For the £750 I paid for my 5 day stay, it was extremely good value for money across the board and I will definitely be returning.

Our room was always spotless and you put a smile on our face with your morning greetings.