The Kouros Exclusive

Hi All! 👋 This was the 2nd part of our Rhodes holiday, where we booked a boutique hotel, staying for 4 nights only. Overall, we had a good experience, with many positives, but a few negatives too. Please see below for honest insights: Positives: 1. Facilities & Feel of Hotel- We had asked for a boutique hotel, and that was exactly what we got. Although there was over 100 guests staying (approx), the atmosphere still felt intimate but also very comfortable. The reception sets the scene of “tranquility”, and that flowed throughout the whole hotel. We had booked the “Junior Suite with Private Pool”, which I would definitely recommend as we, and many of the guests, was in their private suite rather than the main pool (please see attached pictures of the suite as it was amazing). The hotel was generally clean, well staffed, and had the usual amenities you would expect a 4 star boutique hotel to have. 2. Staff- All of the staff deserve a lot of credit at this hotel! Everyone was incredibly friendly, attentive, and considering it was hot at 35 degrees, they were always very hard working. A special shout out to the reception manager, who was extra kind, and always went out of his way to help us out, particularly with my partner being pregnant they done all they could to support her, which we are very thankful for! 3. Location- This will be a mixed review from a lot of guests, as the hotel is not near the beach, and not close to the Faliraki strip OR a lot of restaurants. For us, this was ideal as we didn’t want the busy atmosphere, instead we mostly stayed in our suite, with our private pool. As a side note, we did venture out to a restaurant named “Oinos”, which had the best Greek mixed grill iv ever had so I would totally recommend! 😍 If you did wish for a busier atmosphere, you would need to walk at least 15+ minutes, so I would not recommend booking unless (like us) you wish to do nothing but relax within the hotel premises. Negatives: 1. Food Variety- This is a specific issue with the Half Board option. You have to have dinner at the 1 restaurant “La Terra”. During dinner, you get 5 courses BUT there is only 2 options for each course. We was very disappointed with this as the food was trying to be unique, so was not to the majority of people’s tastes. There is also strictly no changes allowed to the set menu, so if you did not like the choices you essentially could not eat anything. The menu does change each evening, but this caused us daily stress not knowing if we would eat at the restaurant on that evening or not (as we had already technical paid for it). What was extra annoying is that the same restaurant was open to the public, so a main menu was on offer, but not to hotel guests?.. As my partner was pregnant, she could not have 50% of the menu, so this was a real problem. This is the main reason for the 1 less star, deserving 4/5 overall. 2. Construction on site- Strangely during the peak July summer time, there was a lot of building work ongoing to expand the premises. This did not affect us specifically as we could not hear it from our suite, but you could hear the construction work by the main pool and snack bar. Overall, excluding the food.. this hotel suited our needs perfectly. If you are an open foodie, looking for a 4/5 night stay to only relax and not do a lot else, this is the one to book! 😁

The Good. This hotel boasts beautiful surroundings and well-maintained grounds that truly feel relaxing and upscale. The main pool area is lovely, with plenty of available and comfortable sun beds - a big plus. The breakfast is excellent, with a great variety and quality and the staff are friendly and helpful. Our room was nice and modern, and the bed is very comfortable. There is a small shop next to the hotel which provides all the essentials you need and there is a lovely beach within a 5-min walk. Overall, the property looks exclusive and delivers on that first impression. Please Consider. While the hotel markets itself as an exclusive adults-only resort, several practical details fall short of expectations, especially given the high price point. There is no air-conditioned bar or lounge area to relax in. You can sit inside the small restaurant for dinner, but it lacks air conditioning. On hot evenings, dining becomes quite uncomfortable. The half-board option is not à la carte as advertised on the website. Instead, it’s a set menu that changes nightly with only two appetiser and two main course choices (typically one fish and one meat). Despite the hotel stating they would provide alternative options to the limited half-board menu when booking (we were willing to transfer to B&B only), we were told on arrival that no other options were available and any deviations from the menu would incur extra charges. The menus are not published which created daily anxiety around dinner - we were even made to feel guilty for not trying dishes despite dietary needs or preferences. If you have dietary requirements or are a picky eater, I strongly recommend avoiding half board. Other notable points. Pool towels cost €20 to rent. You must pay for coffee pods for the in-room machine, and there is no milk provided. The room (we stayed in 708) had no drawers or storage space - just 5 hangars in an open wardrobe, no Wi-Fi coverage on the day bed, and we had to request soap/shampoo refills. The toilet opens into the main room and has a glass door with gaps, offering zero privacy — you can see and hear everything, which may not suit sharing with friends or a new partner. There was no table service at the pool. Despite the adults-only policy, children (some toddlers) were present at breakfast. Overall. The hotel looks and feels exclusive at first glance, but the little details disappoint and don’t match the premium pricing. It’s a nice property with strong positives in the pool, breakfast, and setting, but the small shortcomings and misleading advertising around half board and facilities make it less relaxing than expected. Choose carefully based on your needs.

We had a great experience with Kouros Exclusive. The staff was very very nice and helpful, they do their best to make your stay perfect. The food at the resort was all very good! The room was clean and looked after every day. We had a car so could get away very well, if you don't have a car there is a beach nearby and Faliraki where we also ate delicious. Kouros is worth repeating for us and highly recommended! We both booked a massage at Kouros and we liked it very much. The masseur is very kind, thoughtful and professional!