Alia Studios

We stayed two weeks at this wonderful property in Haraki. Located close to all the most beautiful beaches of Rhodes. The rooms are spacious and comfortable with everything you need. The staff is wonderful, attentive and helpful. The food is superb whether you choose to eat Greek or taste something Italian especially for children. Exceptional indeed! Breakfast very varied and with fresh and quality products. A special thanks to Rowena for her patience and availability. A hard worker always with a smile on her face. Thank you all for the wonderful holiday. We miss you so much ❣️

Let me begin by applauding "Alia Beachfront Resort" for its remarkable talent in misdirection. According to the website, we booked a "beachfront" experience, visions of ocean breezes and sea views danced in our heads. In reality? We were promptly ushered to their "sister property", a charming little compound nestled a solid 10-minute walk away from the beach. Turns out, at Alia, "beachfront" is more of a state of mind than an actual location. Our room welcomed us with a bustling community of ants who, by the looks of it, had been paying rent longer than most guests. And the so-called “private plunge pool”? A chlorine-soaked science experiment. Within an hour, our once-vibrant swimsuits had been transformed into faded relics of color, a true chemical marvel. The overpowering stench of bleach made it clear this was not a place for swimming, but for sterilizing surgical tools. The bathroom? A masterclass in structural unreliability. Fixtures literally fell off the wall upon contact—just in case you wanted an interactive design feature. And the shower? Why have a separate bathing area when you can flood the "entire" bathroom floor every time you try to rinse off? It’s not a flaw, t’s immersive water-themed chaos. A sort of spa-meets-sinkhole vibe. For those wondering about in-room security, don’t. There was no safe. Because why would you want one of those? Every basic hotel on earth has one, even the lovely 10-room boutique spot we stayed in during our first night in Rhodes Old Town managed to provide that basic amenity, along with actualclean sheets, and a bed that didn’t feel like a suspension bridge. The towels, naturally, deserve a special mention. They appear to have been washed and dried on a gravel road, offering the texture of coarse sandpaper with the drying efficiency of a napkin. Perfect for exfoliating your entire body whether you asked for it or not. Breakfast? A tragic culinary event best described as “inedible.” The staff, while polite, seemed completely untrained, well-meaning but clearly out of their depth when it came to actual hospitality. Oh, and let’s not forget the nightly entertainment: stray dogs taking over the pool and lounging on the furniture like they’re executive members of the loyalty program. One even barked and lunged at us while we were walking the grounds at night. Nothing like a touch of fear to round out your luxury experience. We weren’t alone in our disappointment. We were part of a large group of friends attending a local wedding, all of whom had their own horror stories to share. Every. Single. Couple. From ants to flooding showers to awful food, the complaints were consistent and unanimous. Even the guests who did manage to stay at the "actual" beachfront property (yes, it does exist) weren’t impressed. Peeling paint, overgrown weeds, and a vibe of general abandonment made it clear that the problems aren’t location-specific, they’re systemic. The absolute best part of our stay? Check-out. That glorious moment when we left Alia Beachfront Resort behind, vowing never to return. If this is what passes for “resort luxury,” I’d hate to see their idea of rustic. This is a hostel at best. Anyone considering staying here is wasting their money, and vacation time.

We booked this hotel in January 2025. When we arrived at 9:30 PM with two kids (8 and 11 years old), they couldn’t find our reservation. Believe it or not, a hotel of this size doesn’t even have a proper booking system. After one hour of waiting, they finally found a “solution” only because I showed the reservation number and payment proof. Here’s a list of the issues we faced – but the worst part comes at the end: Our room was not ready on arrival. We had to wait 2 hours. No hangers in the room – it took 7 days to get them. The remote control had no batteries – it took 3 days to fix. The TV on the main floor never worked. No mattress on one of the beds (see photo). They only fixed it the same day because I refused to accept it. The fridge was dirty, with leftover food from the previous guest – it took 1 day to clean and organize. Wi-Fi was extremely unstable, losing connection all the time. Loud music until 1:30 AM, making it impossible to rest. No shampoo, soap, or bathroom amenities – they only provided them after 7 days of asking. Shower was broken, spraying water to the ceiling – fixed after 1 day. No explanation about the reservation problem. Blanket was dirty with paint stains (see photo) – it took 7 days to replace it. Many items listed in the room description simply did not exist (see screenshot). After 5 days of repeatedly asking to speak with the manager, who seemed to be working remotely (or hiding from guests), he finally sent me a WhatsApp message and I managed to meet him. I thought, after explaining everything, he would offer compensation. But no – I had to ask for it. And here was the “compensation”: 2 massages (which were actually good), a half-price boat trip to Symi, and a dinner at the hotel’s Italian restaurant. Sounds nice? Not really. During the “compensation” dinner, we sat at the Italian restaurant and ordered pizzas (to avoid surprises). Suddenly, we started hearing shouting and swear words from the kitchen. The waiters came to warn us that some dishes would take longer (luckily not the pizzas). We were shocked – it’s supposed to be a family-friendly place, but we were sitting just 30 meters from the kitchen (see photo) with our kids. I asked the waiter who was yelling, and he said: “It’s the chef.” When I suggested calling the manager or owner, he replied: “That IS the owner… and this happens all the time.” At that moment, everything made sense – the problem starts with the management itself. Honestly, I felt sorry for anyone who booked all-inclusive. It must be a daily nightmare. The manager is rarely present, never at the reception, and seems to avoid guests. The hotel has a beautiful setting, but zero proper management. Everything is manual, no systems, no organization. If you want to experience something like Hell’s Kitchen combined with a hotel manager doing “home office” to escape guests, this is the place. The only positive thing: most staff are very friendly, but it’s clear they work in fear of the owner and manager. Conclusion: A beautiful place, but an absolute management disaster. I would never recommend it.