Olympic Palace Resort Hotel & Convention Center

Raj Bhachu

We stayed at the Olympic Palace Hotel in Rhodes, Greece, to celebrate my son’s birthday, and unfortunately, our experience was extremely disappointing. In my opinion, this hotel does not deserve a 5-star rating and falls far below the standard you would expect. Based on our experience, I would rate it no more than 2 stars. Firstly, the room view was very disappointing, and the rooms themselves were cramped. Outside my son’s room, there was a rusty, leaking pipe, which was completely unacceptable for a hotel claiming to be 5-star. The bedside light in our room was not working, and the plug socket was loose when we tried to plug something in. These are basic maintenance issues that should not be present in a hotel of this supposed standard. The attitude of the staff was another major disappointment. We found them very rude and certainly not welcoming or helpful. Good customer service is a fundamental part of a 5-star experience, and sadly, this was completely lacking during our stay. To make matters worse, we were charged €1 to use the weighing scales for our suitcases. We had three suitcases to weigh, and I find it ridiculous that guests are expected to pay for such a basic service in a hotel advertising itself as 5-star. We met other holidaymakers staying at a different hotel who told us that weighing their suitcases was free of charge and that their hotel staff were extremely friendly. This only highlighted the difference in service and hospitality. We also booked half board, expecting a reasonable level of service with our meals. However, we were charged extra for drinks at dinner, including water. I find it unacceptable that even water was charged separately, and this added to our overall disappointment with the experience. Overall, this hotel fell well below our expectations in terms of room quality, maintenance, customer service and value for money. When you book a hotel advertised as 5-star, you expect comfort, cleanliness, working facilities and friendly staff. Unfortunately, we did not receive that standard. It was particularly disappointing because we had chosen this hotel for a special occasion, my son’s birthday, and the experience did not live up to what we had hoped for. I would not recommend the Olympic Palace Hotel to anyone looking for a genuine 5-star experience. In my opinion, it is nowhere near the standard it claims to offer, and I would certainly not stay here again. I hope management takes these concerns seriously and makes the necessary improvements, because guests deserve far better for the money they pay.

Aimee Orr

The Olympic Palace hotel would be an incredible choice for anyone with a family or young children, however for myself and my partner, it was not ideal. The food is not good, my partner got food poisoning from the meat at dinner one night. Breakfast was good one morning and then terrible the next. The hotel itself is beautiful and the communal areas are extremely well kept, however the rooms were quite dated, especially the bathrooms (no walk in shower etc). The pools are very close together and there isn’t much room, a lot of loungers in one place and still not enough for the amount of guests. We had to use the beach most days due to not being able to find a space. The pools are incredibly busy and overrun with kids, again, would be great for anyone with a family. The private beach is amazing but would be good if there was a bar or drinks area for all inclusive guests. I definitely do not believe all inclusive was value for money. Many cocktails were not included and at dinner the only alcoholic options were draft beer and wine. Again, food choices were not great at the buffet, we were not able to use the à la carte due to my boyfriend being so unwell for the last few days of our trip. One thing to note is the staff were fantastic. Very attentive and friendly. Cleaning and maintenance staff were outside early morning everyday keeping the communal areas tidy and clean. Overall, the hotel is a good hotel and I absolutely know young children would love it, but for us it missed the mark. Definitely not a 5 star stay, I’d say 3.5/4 due to all of the inconsistencies.

Clive Prosser

This hotel is 50 years old, however ALL of the communal areas are top class and bang up to date, they must have been refurbished. Our room was huge with a great sea view balcony however it was a little dated. Despite being large, only the pool area got busy, the rest of the resort offered many and varied areas to sit or lie down for relaxation. The beach beds are the most comfortable we've known. The selection of food on offer was amazing and it changed every night by the theme of the day, we were spoilt for choice during breakfast.

Tom McCormick

Brilliant stay at the Olympic Palace Hotel in Ixia, Rhodes. I'd highly recommend this hotel for an all-inclusive break in Greece. My girlfriend and I came here for a 10-day stay and absolutely loved it. It also became even more special as I proposed to her while we were here! **The Hotel & Facilities** The hotel is almost 50 years old, but you'd never know it. It feels modern throughout, especially the lobby, restaurants and rooftop bar. Access in and out is easy, with mini golf, a pizzeria and beach access at the front. There's also a padel court, giant chess board, gym, spa and a few small shops. A lovely garden area leads to the pools and pool bar, where the snack bar serves everything from late breakfast through to early dinner before becoming one of the evening restaurants. The lifts are a little small and can get busy, but we never had to wait long. **The Room** Our room was excellent—spotlessly clean, spacious and kept cool throughout our stay. The bed was incredibly comfortable and we definitely enjoyed a few lie-ins! We had a sea view balcony on the 7th floor with fantastic views towards Rhodes Town and even the Turkish coastline. My only small criticism would be the shower controls, which were easy to knock while showering. **The Food** The food was excellent with plenty of choice at every meal. Breakfast, lunch and dinner all offered a wide variety, whether in the main buffet or the poolside snack bar. Dinner could get a little busy around 7pm, but queues moved quickly and there was always a themed section alongside the usual options. The desserts were also much better than you typically get at an all-inclusive. **Staff** Every member of staff we encountered was friendly, welcoming and helpful. Check-in was smooth and informative, and the restaurant staff worked incredibly hard. Drinks service could occasionally be a little slow during busy periods, but nothing that spoiled our holiday. **Bars & Drinks** The local beer was good, the cocktails were decent, and I'd definitely recommend the vodka slushies from the pool bar! The rooftop bar was a great place to spend the evening with fantastic views, live music and entertainment. **A Few Tips** * The €3 bus outside the hotel takes you straight into Rhodes Town and near the Old Town. * Turn left out of the hotel and walk five minutes to Glory Days FBI Sports Bar for good beer and a great atmosphere. * Le Gourmet, just down the road, is well worth a visit for authentic Greek food. * Hiring a car is a great way to explore the island—we used Speedway Car Hire just down the road. Overall, we had an amazing stay and wouldn't hesitate to recommend the Olympic Palace Hotel. We'd happily return.

Lauren Marshall

Not 5* service and not a family Hotel. From check-in, the reception staff were unfriendly. We also reported a problem with our room safe, but it was never fixed. The food was one of the highlights, with plenty of choice at breakfast and dinner. However, the service in the restaurant was poor. We travelled with our young son and had to find our own high chair every day- even though we were served by the same waiters. Staff never helped make space at the table. Morning coffee was never offered and the couple of days we requested the coffee arrived lukewarm and served in half-empty jugs. Drinks at dinner also took a long time. We've visited a couple Greek islands now and are used to staff being very welcoming to children, but here it felt like they didn’t want children. The mini disco is held on the tennis court away from the hotel and bars, and isn't much of a disco. Check-out annoyed me. Our room card stated a 12pm check-out, but at 11am a member of staff knocked on the door and told us the card was wrong, asking us to leave within 15 minutes. It was handled rudely, and no one even offered to help with our luggage. If your cards are printed wrong they should be amended or a note left in your room. It should not be done on the day. The hotel's best feature is its location, right on the beach with plenty of shops and bars nearby. Just be aware that the beach is pebbly and the sea can be quite rough. BOOKED VIA TUI - complaint made and they accept no liability.