Barbie Hotel Apartments

We stayed in the newer section, in a very luxurious two-floor room with two large balconies. The pool has a shallow section as well as a very deep part, and there's a grassy area with sunlounges for when things overflow. Breakfast was the letdown. The buffet was underwhelming, usually cold, with limited choice and poor quality.

It's a good hotel in a good spot for the resort. The pool is too small for the number of guests, and there aren't enough sunbeds. Also, they've added more annexes, and from two of those blocks you can see straight into the other one's rooms and outdoor seating areas.

We were here for 13 nights in June and had a great time. Mostly, we used the hotel as a base for exploring the island, with the odd pool day. There are no sandy beaches on this side of the island, so this isn't the place if sand is a must. The staff were welcoming and helpful, booking taxis for us, and the cleaning team were efficient, friendly, and polite. They changed sheets twice a week and towels daily. We sometimes left jewellery and other valuables out by mistake, but nothing went missing. A safe deposit box costs extra. Staff really seemed to want to make the stay comfortable. Check-out is at 11am, with a 6pm late checkout available for €35 per room. The location is just a stone throw from the main town centre, with lots of great food places, bars, dessert bars, and competitively priced motorcycle, quad, buggy, and car rentals. Parking for rentals at the hotel is free. You can walk back from the other side of town in 20 minutes, or use electric scooters or bikes, taxis, buses, and hire vehicles to get around the island. There's a QR code at reception to book a coach to Rhodes old town, with several trips a day at €4 one way. Activities are in Rhodes, a 20 minute drive away, and usually start at 9am, so you'll need a taxi to get there in time. The public bus back from Rhodes old town costs €2, while a taxi there costs €26. Our apartment was a good size, but with 3 adults, 3 large suitcases, and 2 hand luggage bags, space got tight. It had a TV, microwave, fridge/freezer, food cupboard, cutlery, plates, and some basic pots and pans. There's no WIFI in the rooms, so the smart TV is only really useful for a few Greek channels. AC costs extra. The frosted glass interior doors have broken locks, so privacy is limited. In particular, the bathroom connects to the living room/second bedroom, and people outside can see whoever's using the shower or toilet through the frosted glass. Depending on the floor, there's a nice balcony or porch for sitting out. The key fob goes in a wall slot to turn on the power, so you can't charge electronics while out, and there are only a few outlets. The pool is a good size and not crowded. The attached baby/splash pool might fit 2 adults and 2 or 3 babies or toddlers at most. The main pool goes from 1M deep at the shallow end to 2.8M at the deep end, with no lifeguard. There are very few loungers and tables beside the pool, though plenty of sunloungers nearby if you're okay being poolside. Inflatables and pool toys are allowed. Drinks and cocktails are nice and priced about the same as in town. You're not allowed to bring your own snacks or drinks to the pool, only things bought at the hotel bar. The food is bland but edible, and I wouldn't recommend it, since there are amazing places a few minutes' walk into town for the same price. The cocktails are good, though.

The apartment was nice, with a big balcony and great beds. Housekeeping did a really good job, and there were enough sunbeds by the pool. We liked the restaurant food, and the family and staff were lovely. We'll definitely come back.