Ialyssos Bay

We loved our stay at the Ialyssos Bay Hotel and plan to return next year. We stayed for 10 days and were very satisfied overall. The food was great and varied, with superb desserts. We traveled with both elderly guests and children, and everyone was happy with the selection. The restaurant staff were wonderful and made us feel very well taken care of. In particular, Stefanos, the head waiter, went out of his way to ensure everything was satisfactory at all times. The hotel was clean, including the pool and pool area. There is a small shop in the lobby that carries most basic items and souvenirs. The sea is only a five-minute walk away and is clean and pleasant. The beach is pebbled, so bathing shoes are recommended; these are sold in the lobby shop. The room and bathroom were very good overall. The playground was basic but sufficient, and the children enjoyed it. The bar offered a good selection of cocktails, and the bartenders were skilled. The soft drinks were good and not excessively watered down. The entertainment was generally good, with some performances being excellent. We especially enjoyed the magician Haredin, who even engaged with our children for some great fun. Overall, the hotel offers excellent value for money, and I think one would be hard pressed to find a better deal. That said, there are a few areas where they could improve if they wanted to raise the bar further. Only one room key is provided, which can be inconvenient if you want to split up, although the staff were helpful and opened the room for us when needed. TV channels are mostly local, with very little or no content for children. There is no free bottled water in the rooms (which wasn’t a major issue for us). The fruit selection in the restaurant did not include more exotic options such as peaches, apricots, or cherries etc. Noise from the hallway can be loud due to limited insulation. There is no wall hanger on the balcony for drying clothes. The internet connection was sometimes not stable. The wines from dispensers in the restaurant were somewhat bitter for our taste. (They do sell bottled wine of better quality) All of these were minor issues for us and did not significantly affect our stay. We'll be back :)

Had a nice stay here. The hotel was spotlessly clean (especially around the pool) and in good condition. The receptionists, bar staff and cleaners were excellent. The restaurant staff cleared the plates well enough but didn't smile and made no effort at communicating with the guests. The food was edible if a little bland but I suppose they wanted to make sure most guests would it it. I bit more variety would have been nice - we only had taramasalata once in the week we were there but tatziki every day. The desserts were quite good with a different variety every day. The house white wasn't very good but the rose and red were drinkable. The cocktails were properly made rather than the syrup that some hotels use. The hotel wasn't full so there were plenty of sunbeds around.

We stayed at the hotel for 10 days with our two children and had a generally good time, though there were some ups and downs. The staff were fantastic – always friendly and willing to help. I asked for an extra pillow at 1 a.m. and it was brought straight away, which really impressed us. The pool area was great for the kids, and the lifeguard was strict, but it’s clearly for safety and peace of mind. The pool bar food was all fried, with some sandwiches available – fine for a quick bite, but not something we wanted every day. We ate at the main restaurant a few times, and the food was okay – nothing special, but there was something for everyone, and we managed to find meals we enjoyed most nights. The desserts were a highlight – really tasty and nicely presented. To mix things up, we also went out for dinner a few nights. The onsite shop was amazing – it had everything you could need, from snacks, ice creams, sun cream, beach shoes to pool inflatables. We even re-gifted our inflatables when we left, which was a nice touch and common practice there. Our bungalow was basic, but fine for sleeping and getting ready. It could’ve been improved with tea/coffee-making facilities and bottled water, but the rooms were cleaned daily (except Sundays) and the maids were polite and efficient. The area around the hotel is quite derelict, but the beach is good, and it's only a short walk into town. We really enjoyed the excursions outside the hotel, which were well-organised and worth doing. The entertainment was hit and miss, but there was usually something on. As for drinks, the cocktails were a bit too syrupy, but we didn’t expect amazing quality with all-inclusive – it was fine for what it was. All in all, it’s a good base for families, especially if you're looking for a relaxed, budget-friendly stay with helpful staff and a few conveniences on-site. Not luxury, but we made some lovely memories.

Second visit this summer! This hotel is superb. I visited in June as a single traveler and loved it so much, I brought Hubby with me in August. Lovely room (thank you Christina), fantastic food (thank you Stephanos and your wonderful team) and great bar service (Martin - you are a God). Irene in the pool bar, Mary - you are a wonder with the sports and so very kind and lovely. I am definitely coming back as soon as I can. The whole experience was excellent, and a fabulous example of true Greek hospitality. Thank you!!!!

Turned up on late flight, we booked with Tui and they put us in a taxi to the hotel, a direct journey was 10 minutes or so. Hotel was so clean and well presented on arrival giving a great first impression, quickly given room key and details etc. Soup was available if we needed anything to eat as it was so late after dinner. But we already ate before flying so didn’t have any. Room was so clean and spacious, basic furniture, all that you need. Enough clothes hangers to put bits into the wardrobe. Great size bathroom and all clean and presented great. Soaps and toilet tissue always provided and clean towels if you need them, all good with that. Use the door signs when you want your room cleaning or not, we only stayed 7 days so we just got it cleaned a few times and always great when done. Food! Breakfast was incredible and covers so much that there is plenty for all people with all sorts of tastes and generally stays the same each day as its breakfast menu and doesn’t need to change. Lunch Buffet, incredible amount of food with various meat dishes, fish, pasta, salad, desserts, so much to choose from. Then at dinner again it’s an incredible selection and the lunch and dinner have changing menus everyday. A few dishes stay the same everyday but majority is all changing and so is dessert. Basic options such as french fries, burgers, nuggets, pizza ideal for kids to eat through the week. The snack bar by the pool has a small sandwich and hot food selection, some days we ate there for midday lunch. The french fries were brilliant! Burgers some days, hot dogs, salad, sandwiches. The choice for food is amazing and there’s so many options that they cater for people of all types of taste. Tell them if you have any allergies and they’ll directly help you, as I saw a few people discussing certain requirements. The digital signs above the food list allergens also. Food was always hot, we used the buffet as it opened some nights and sometimes later on, still full dishes and hot. Which leads me on to the staff, they’re so attentive and working to a high standard. The restaurant is well ran, the manager of that area is always around talking to guests and ensuring the food and guests are all great and having a good time. The bar staff are brilliant through the hotel, they’re quick at serving drinks and just tell them any variation of cocktails and they’ll do their best to accommodate that. The cocktail menu provided is great! the wine is totally good and the beer is great too. All inclusive always have their own brand of drinks, these ones are great! But there is a priced menu of brand name spirits in the snack bar, also you can pay for greek coffees there also for a few euro. But they have Douwe Egbert coffee machines around the hotel as part of the all inclusive. I read reviews there wasn’t coffee but there is and those machines are good to use. Pool area is well kept and cleaned by so many staff, kept tidy all day long. There’s 2 pool tables to play on, €1.50 a go, Air Hockey also for €1. A shop is right there at reception and they sell everything you need or want, lots of gifts also and all priced great! Outside was a small kids play area, don’t have kids so didn’t use that. Also an outdoor gym near that too with a variety of machines if you’re into that. The beach is a pebbled beach so take water shoes because it’s just easier! But it’s literally 1 min walk from hotel entrance. Sun beds at the beach do cost but we didn’t bother staying down there just swam in the sea which was so warm! One day it was a bit wild but then it calmed down all the other days. Entertainment was a lot of music but it’s literally 2 hours an evening and not that loud as others have said on reviews. We sat on balcony playing games and it wasn’t annoying or anything. Planes fly directly next to hotel to go over to land, in the hotel room with door shut you can’t hear them, slept perfectly! Beds are so comfy also which gives a great nights sleep too. Outside, yeah you hear the planes fly past but it’s not an issue and not too loud either, it’s not always constant either. Short walk from the hotel leads into shops and restaurants, all great so worth going for a walk around the area. At reception is a Bus QR code which you scan and book easily to pick up from hotel door and drop at old town Rhodes, also schedule the return pick up at old town also. €4 each way, so for 2 of us it was €16. Pay with cash or card when you get on the bus! Plan it a few days ahead to make sure you get the time slots you want. From what I heard from others who couldn’t get the bus slot, they got a taxi called. Not sure how much that would be but the trip isn’t too far to old town, so probably about the same as the bus. But maybe ask at reception beforehand. Tax was €70 for the 7 nights as 4 star hotel is €10 per room per night as it’s 4 star hotel. We had cash ready as reviews said cash only, but they have a card machine also. Sun Loungers around pool area, we just went September/October so maybe it’s quiet but everyday was easy to get sun loungers. Extra were stacked up if the others got took up anyway. We had top floor over looking pool, really quiet. Generally quiet around hotel anyway, a good layout and very clean and pleasant to stay at. Toilets are also on floor -1 under reception, and also if you’re by the pool then there’s toilets behind the snack bar, there’s no sign so didn’t find that until a few days into the holiday. So that’s handy when you’re by the pool and need to go toilet without going inside the hotel. Overall hotel is clean and fresh! Amazing staff keeping it spotless! Always staff cleaning the areas and toilets. Staff are all incredible! Food is so much to choose from chefs and restaurant staff are working so hard to give you the best experience, drinks are great and great bar staff! Location is great! If I had to find any downside it’s that if you want a sandy beach then the beach in Ialyssos is pebbles. For us we was totally fine, just wore pebble shoes and liked not being covered in sand. But if you want sand or have kids who want a sandy beach then you’d have to travel to find one. But that being the only downside, but for us wasn’t so excellent hotel and location! Thanks for a great holiday! Check photos with my review has I tried to include a range of shots of hotel, room and food… food photos were only a selection there was so many more dishes and options.