Lydia Maris Resort & Spa

Lydia Maris Resort & Spa, located on Rhodes Island, Greece, at Επαρχιακή Οδός Αφάντου-Κολύμπια, Rodos 851 03, is a resort hotel offering lodging and spa services. This review compiles feedback from recent guests, providing a comprehensive look at what to expect from this establishment.

Accommodation Insights 🛌

Guest experiences with rooms at Lydia Maris Resort & Spa present a mixed picture. Many found the rooms to be a good size with adequate bathrooms, equipped with everything needed for a comfortable stay. Balconies were often noted as spacious, though some views, particularly of the pool/pool bar, could be obstructed by large trees. Showers consistently provided hot water and good pressure.

However, several points of concern were raised regarding room quality and maintenance. Some bathrooms were described as needing updating, with instances of cracked sinks. More critically, one guest reported a room with an "unbearable sewage odor," outdated decor, and no balcony, resembling a 2-star standard rather than the advertised higher rating. Even "Superior" rooms were sometimes found to be basic, with air conditioning units awkwardly placed directly above beds, loose toilet seats, and dirty tiles. Another room, while acceptable, was noted to be infested with ants in the bathroom. A recurring complaint across multiple reviews was the hardness of the beds, which some guests found caused back pain.

For those considering upgrades, it's worth noting that while swim-up rooms were praised for their beauty and cleanliness, guests found they often did not receive sun exposure, contrary to advertised images. On a positive note, the hotel staff demonstrated flexibility, with one family successfully moved to a suite by the pool when their initial family room presented difficulties with a pram. These suites were highlighted for their lovely balcony terraces and convenient pool access.

Dining & Drinks 🍽️🍹

The culinary offerings at Lydia Maris Resort & Spa generally received positive feedback, with guests often finding the food to be "lovely" with sufficient variety, even for fussy eaters. Beyond the main restaurant, the availability of a pizza restaurant and a souvlaki grill open all day was highly appreciated, offering additional dining choices throughout the day. The gyros and pizza, in particular, were frequently recommended as delicious options.

However, there were minor points of contention. Some guests found it odd that cold meats were only available at breakfast and dinner, not at lunch, which could have been useful for salads or sandwiches. Occasionally, buffet food temperature was an issue, though a microwave was available for reheating. While most found the buffet satisfactory, one review suggested it was "nothing to brag about." The drinks were generally considered "okay," with the San Francisco cocktail singled out as a highlight by one guest. The pool bar received praise for its good music, pleasant vibe, friendly staff, and easy-drinking local beer.

Staff & Service 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

The staff at Lydia Maris Resort & Spa largely contributed to a positive guest experience. Many reviewers highlighted the team as "extremely polite, helpful, and accommodating," going "over and above" to assist guests. Specific praise was given to Maria at reception for her welcoming and wonderful demeanor from arrival throughout the stay. Pool bar staff were also commended for being "great and very friendly." Guests appreciated the staff's flexibility in addressing room issues, such as relocating families to more suitable accommodations.

Despite the generally positive sentiment, one notable negative experience was reported concerning the late check-in process. A guest found the night staff member to be "extremely unaccommodating," impacting their initial impression and satisfaction with the hotel.

Leisure & Recreation 🏊‍♀️🎉

The resort's pool area is a central feature, frequently described as "amazing" and "very clean," along with the pool bar. While the pool offered a refreshing escape, some guests noted that the water was "very cold," especially when first entering. A common concern was the issue of sun lounger reservation, with towels being placed before 8 AM and loungers remaining unused for most of the day, suggesting a need for better monitoring.

For entertainment and activities, the resort offers a good range of options, including aerobics, water polo, darts, and pool tables. Families with younger children appreciated the little kids' park and the nightly kids' disco, which added to the holiday enjoyment. While the hotel is listed with spa facilities, no specific guest reviews detailed experiences with the spa services themselves.

Overall Verdict ✅

Lydia Maris Resort & Spa elicits diverse opinions from its guests, ranging from glowing recommendations to significant disappointments. Many guests describe their holidays as "lovely" and express a strong desire to return, praising the hotel's beauty, cleanliness, and the friendly, accommodating staff. The variety and quality of food, especially the additional pizza and gyros options, along with the vibrant pool area and family-friendly activities, are frequently cited as strong positives.

However, the hotel's self-proclaimed 5-star standard is a point of contention for some. Several guests felt that the room quality, particularly regarding maintenance, outdated features, and bed comfort (hard beds being a common complaint), aligned more closely with a 3-star establishment. Issues like sewage odors, ants, and poor air conditioning placement in some rooms significantly detracted from the experience for a few. The coldness of the pool and the sun lounger reserving issue were minor but consistent points of feedback.

In conclusion, Lydia Maris Resort & Spa appears to offer a generally enjoyable holiday experience for many, particularly families, with its strong service, varied dining, and lively atmosphere. Prospective guests should be aware of the mixed reviews concerning room standards and bed comfort, and manage their expectations accordingly, especially if expecting a consistent luxury 5-star experience.

Location Details

Lydia Maris Resort & Spa
Επαρχιακή Οδός Αφάντου-Κολύμπια, Rodos 851 03, Greece

Lovely holiday. Our room was a good size with a nice sized bathroom too. Room had everything we needed. Balcony was a great size and we would have had a lovely view of the pool/pool bar if it wasn't for the huge tree right outside the balcony! Bathroom could have been doing with updating as the sink had a large crack in it. Shower always had hot water and very good water pressure.Food was lovely. Always something to eat and I'm fussy. Found it odd that they had cold meats in the morning and evening but not at lunch. Would have been nice to have for a salad or sandwich. Sometimes food wasn't as hot as I like it but there was a microwave. Most of the restaurant staff were friendly and helpful. Would be nice to have the choice to tip individual staff in the restaurant though instead of one tip box as some deserved it more than others.Pizza area was good for snacking and the area upstairs was lovely too. Not a grill/steakhouse as listed in description but very nice all the same.Pool was always very clean as was the pool bar. Staff were great and very friendly. Pool was very cold!!! Nice to cool off but freezing when you first went in. Only issue I would say with the pool area was the fact that people were down before 8am putting towels down and not showing up for most of the day. Sometimes not at all. Feel like there should be someone monitoring this. Really enjoyed our holiday and would definitely go back.

We arrived late for check-in, with three people booked in two rooms. The night staff member was extremely unaccommodating and seemed to hate his job and life in general.We were given two rooms, and one of them had an unbearable sewage odor and appeared very outdated. Moreover, it didn't even have a balcony. It was more like a maximum 2-star standard room. The other room, supposedly a Superior room, was equally disappointing. When we asked what made it superior, we were told it had a balcony. However, the room itself was only of a 2-star standard. The air conditioning unit was placed directly above the bed, blowing cold air downward. The toilet seat was loose, and the tiles were dirty. We complained about these issues and were informed that no other rooms were available, but we could check again the next day. Needless to say, we were not satisfied with our first night.The following day, we were given a new room,which was acceptable but still far from a 5-star standard. It was more like a 3-star hotel room, and it was infested with ants in bathroom. We couldn't understand how the hotel advertised itself as a 5-star establishment. The overall experience was more in line with a 3-star hotel.The beds? They are hard as a rock and made our backs hurt.We watched the entertainment provided by the hotel during our entire stay, and it was quite underwhelming. The food was mediocre +; we were generally satisfied with it. We recommend trying the gyros, as it was delicious. The pizza was also good, but the buffet was nothing to brag about. The drinks were "okay," with the only standout being the San Francisco cocktail.Based on our experience, we will not be returning to this hotel in the future as this is NOT 5 stars hotel.

Were currently staying in swim up room. The hotel is beautiful and very clean. The staff are extremely polite, helpful and make you feel at ease. Maria on reception made us feel very welcome from the second we arrived and continues to be so wonderful.Our only disappointment is that the extra we paid for a swim up room (have teenager & 2 yr old, so hoping this woyld be ideal) has not benefitted us as they do not get the sun at all unlike the picture advertised.

I was really worried after reading some of the reviews on here, but we LOVED our stay at Lydia Maris. So don't be put off by the negative reviews.We stayed as a family of four and found the hotel, staff and restaurant to be wonderful. Aside from the main restaurant, there is a pizza restaurants AND a souvlaki grill restaurant open all day. There was lots of fresh food and variety (not sure what everyone is complaining about).Loved the pool bar serving cocktails, good music, nice vibe and super friendly staff. Local beer went down too easily, and there was plenty of activities in the day (aerobics, water polo, darts, pool tables, little kids park) and a kids disco at night, which our little ones loved.When we arrived we were put in a family room down a flight of stairs which we found tricky with a pram. The staff were so accommodating and moved us to a suite right by the pool. (Would definitely recommend upgrading to a suite if you can afford it, the rooms have lovely balcony terraces right by the pool).Overall a great experience and super happy with the holiday!

My family and I spent a week at the resort in early June, we can't speak highly enough of the resort. The staff are all extremely friendly and go over and above to accommodate you. We really enjoyed all the food at the restaurant and having the gyros and pizza restaurants available during the day gave you extra choice. The pool and pool bar are amazing, we barley left the hotel as we had everything we needed there. The only negative was that the beds were too hard. We would definitely recommend the hotel. Thanks for having us!