Eden Roc

I recently got married and wanted somewhere special to take my wife for our honeymoon, my travel agent came across this hotel and it sounded exactly what we wanted. It was described as ultra all inclusive and it was stated on multiple opportunities that it was 5 star. Needless to say we were very excited. On arriving in Rhodes we were slightly shocked on approaching the hotel. The approach road leading down to it was strewn with rubbish. You are instantly welcomed by an abandoned building covered in graffiti and abandoned cars. there were bins overflowing so much so that the rubbish was covering the road. We checked in which was efficient and the staff on the front desk were friendly and helpful despite it being the early hours of the morning. We were taken to our room by a helpful member of the concierge team. The room was not the same as it appeared in the photos we had been provided and we noticed that there were several areas of poor maintenance and poor decorating. As can be seen in the photographs the painting looks incredibly messy, the switches to lift the blind on one of the windows didn’t work, and there was mold on the bathroom tiles. The worst part for us though was there was a slight gap in the top of the sliding patio door, which was allowing insects into the room. On two occasions we found very large spiders in the room, one of which the housekeeping members of staff said was in her words ‘dangerous’. There were also ants everywhere in the room, particularly in the bathroom, however we also found them in our bed. This was mentioned two the receptionstaff twice, two separate housekeepers and a member of maintenance staff, however no one seemed interested in resolving the issue for us, and nothing changed during the duration of our stay apart from on one occasion a maintenance worker came into the room and started hitting one spider with a brush to kill it, and on another a housekeeper covered another spider in spray, leaving a pool of the spray on our bedroom floor which wasn’t cleaned up. The room was not in any way whatsoever a 5 star hotel room, and was below the quality of what I would expect from budget hotels in the UK. The mini bar was nice, however only stocked upon our arrival. The hotel is advertising itself everywhere as a 5 star resort, this should be replenished more often. The food at the hotel was at two completely opposite spectrums for us. We tried the ‘Taste of Eden’ buffet on a few occasions for both breakfast and dinner. The quality of the food here was unfortunately quite poor and notwithstanding of a 5 star hotel. Several ‘themed’ evenings were put on, however the food was relatively similar on each of these. There was never a great variety of food and the quality of some of the items such as the bacon at breakfast and other meats was very questionable. We’ve had much better buffets at much cheaper hotels. The à la carte restaurants were the saving grace for us. We managed to get bookings for 4 of them, all of which were fantastic. The quality at these was superb, with very well thought out menus. There wasn’t a single course that wouldn’t have looked out of place in the best of restaurants. The presentation was wonderful, and the staff at each were clearly well attuned to working in a higher standard of establishment. Our wine glasses were never empty for more than a couple of minutes. We couldn’t believe the difference in these when compared to the buffet. The hotel advertises that it provides branded spirits in their drinks, however this is only true for certain very specific drinks. The spirits used in most of their cocktails, from what we could see, is the cheap unbranded types. This does make a difference to their taste and I would question the alcohol content of them, which did seem lower than you would expect. Despite this there are a couple of great cocktails on their menus, especially at the à la carte restaurants. There are a few bars around the site but we did have to queue on a few occasions for 10+ minutes for drinks. There is a soda machine near to the beach, however the cups for this on a couple of occasions had gone by approx 3pm and they were not replenished again. The main highlights of this hotel are the views to the front and its beachside location, which is a fantastic place to relax. There are plenty on sunbeds and we didn’t once struggle to find a good spot or somewhere to sit down. There is a watersports company on the beach who we used on a few occasions that were absolutely fantastic and incredibly helpful. Overall we can’t but feel quite disappointed with our visit. This was supposed to be a special one for us in that it was our honeymoon, however there were too many things wrong to make it the special experience that we were looking and paying for. The hotel is in no way a 5 star resort. It lacks far too much that other 5 star resorts do and some areas are simply no where near up to scratch to match this standard. You can get far better for your money elsewhere. At the price point charged for this hotel I would suggest looking at other resorts, which provide a much better return on your money, especially if you don’t like spiders!

My close friends and I have just returned home after an unforgettable 10 days at Eden Roc, and it's difficult to put into words just how special our stay was. Family members had visited before and couldn't stop talking about how incredible the hotel was. As much as I trusted their recommendation, there was always a small part of me wondering, "Could it really be as good as everyone says?" I'm delighted to say it exceeded every expectation we had. The hotel itself is absolutely stunning. Every area is beautifully maintained, clean, the attention to detail is second to none, and the service is unlike anything I've experienced before. Every member of staff genuinely seems invested in making your holiday as memorable as possible, always going above and beyond with a smile. A special mention has to go to Tsampikos from Guest Relations, who played such an important part in making my proposal to my now fiancée absolutely perfect. From recommending the ideal location around the resort, to arranging champagne in our room afterwards and ensuring the area remained private for such a personal moment, he couldn't have done more for us. What made it even more special was the genuine interest he took afterwards, asking to see photos and celebrating the occasion with us. It's something we'll never forget. The food throughout our stay was exceptional. The Peruvian restaurant was probably our favourite, but honestly, we didn't have a single disappointing meal. The Italian, Teppanyaki and Meze restaurants were all outstanding, while the buffet offered an incredible variety of fresh, high-quality food for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The cocktails deserve a mention too—creative, beautifully made and with plenty of choice. The evening entertainment was another highlight. There was such a variety of talented performers throughout our stay, and many nights ended with us dancing and having an amazing time. George at the Champagne Bar also deserves a special mention. He was incredibly friendly, knowledgeable and welcoming, and his personality left a lasting impression on all of us. Something else that really stood out was the hotel's commitment to continually improving. Throughout our stay they actively sought feedback from guests, demonstrating that they genuinely care about delivering the very best experience possible. Eden Roc has given us memories that will last a lifetime. Not only did we enjoy the best holiday we've ever had, but it's also where one of the biggest moments of our lives took place. For that, we'll always be grateful. There isn't the slightest doubt in our minds that we'll be back. Thank you to everyone at Eden Roc for making our stay so unforgettable.

We travelled as a party of seven to celebrate my mother and father in law’s 50th wedding anniversary, and the Eden Roc could not have given them a better present. The pool, the food, the beach and above all the people made this an genuinely unforgettable holiday and an incredible first time visit to this beautiful place. The staff are what elevate this place. On the helpdesk, Maria could not have been more helpful and pleasant, making sure we had everything we needed, even going so far as to make our boat trip a perfect one by helping me organise some refreshments. Andreas also on the helpdesk always greeted and checked how we all were, and sorted our taxis without a moment’s fuss. At the bars we were looked after superbly by Nicarios (bar manager in the evenings), Nikos behind the bar, Angelica, Yanis, Pounos and Adriana during the day. Every one of them remembered us, remembered what we drank, and made a point of a proper welcome. In the main restaurant, Eleni at dinner and Elani and Sava at breakfast kept everything running beautifully and were unfailingly cheerful. Down at the beach bar and food station, Chandril and Jason were brilliant. Orlando on pool support deserves a special mention: a permanently smiling guy who made the poolside a pleasure. And the two Rafaels in the hotel shop were kind enough to teach us a few words of Greek along the way, which made the goodbyes at the end that much harder. The pool is superb, the beach is lovely, and the food was consistently excellent and plentiful across the whole week. All seven of us were genuinely sad to leave. Thank you to everyone at the Eden Roc. You made a very special anniversary into something the whole family will remember.