Alexandra Beach Hotel

The garden and hotel pool are nice, and the pool bar played good music and stayed open until around midnight. The nearby beach is small and really only good for snorkeling. Kos center is about 20 minutes away, and you can get bikes for a quick trip. Our superior studio was okay and clean, though a few towels smelled funny. There's little to no soundproofing. Breakfast was horrible, so avoid it. For the price, the overall value isn't great.

We stayed in a first-floor, one-bedroom apartment in one of the newer blocks. Check-in was easy, the rooms were clean, spacious and comfortable, and they were made up every day. Our cleaner Anna and her always-smiling, friendly colleagues deserve a special thanks. Both the kitchen room, with two single beds, and the bedroom, with a double bed, had air conditioning. The kitchen utensils and cups were spotless. We chose self-catering, though we ate out most of the time. Reception staff were helpful throughout and arranged car hire. The pool was a fairly large traditional rectangle, but it often felt crowded. Most guests were Dutch, and there was never an early scramble for sunbeds. Trees on the lawn gave welcome extra shade. The pool bar was excellent, with friendly, obliging staff. Service could be slow when there was a queue, but we were on holiday, so it wasn't a big deal. Dmitry deserves a special mention for being so friendly and engaging. The bar served the usual hot, cold and alcoholic drinks. Apart from Wednesday happy hour, alcohol was quite expensive: cocktails were €8-10 and a large beer was €5. The bar food was excellent quality, with good portions and value for money. If you're self-catering, there's a well-stocked supermarket called BamBam across the road. The hotel is about a mile from Kos town, around a 25-minute walk with kids. Watch out for lots of cyclists, since much of the footpath is shared with pedestrians. We hired cars for most of the holiday to reach the sandy beaches, mostly on the other side of town and along the north coast. Once you know your way around, there's a large free car park near town that saves your legs and helps you avoid the cyclists, LOL. Kos town and harbor were buzzing, with history, shops and restaurants for all ages. You can take a day trip to nearby Bodrum in Turkey, but we didn't. Our favorite beaches were Lambi on the north side of Kos town, Tingaki on the north coast with miles of sand, and Kardamena on the south coast. We went to Kardamena on our last day, and it was stunning. This was our first visit to Kos, and we don't usually return to places, but the island has enough going for it to be worth repeat visits.

The walk into Kos Town is easy, and there’s a bike lane all the way if you’d rather rent a bike. The hotel itself is lovely, with clean, tidy, up-to-date rooms and friendly staff. Breakfast was the letdown for me. The selection stayed exactly the same each day, and after a couple of mornings it got boring. There’s toastable bread and rolls, eggs that are meant to be hard or soft boiled but aren’t really, sliced ham and cheese, Greek yogurt, canned peaches, watermelon, and three cereals. I’ve had more breakfast choice at other hotels over the years.

The pool area had a relaxed feel, with music, plenty of sunbeds, and a snack bar serving good food at reasonable prices. We spent five nights here as a group of seven 18-year-olds, and it gave us a nice mix of downtime and fun. The beach is right nearby, while Kos town, its restaurants, bar street, sights, and other activities are about a 20-minute walk away. We went to the Sunday ammo’s beach party and had a good time, though there was more to explore than we could fit in. The hotel and rooms were spotless, which matters a lot to me. A few times the sheets had an odd smell, but it wasn’t a big problem. The staff were polite and friendly. The woman at reception with glasses and blonde/brown hair was especially lovely, though I didn’t catch her name. The photos don’t do Alexandra beach justice. It isn’t a five-star hotel, but it’s a very good 3/4-star place, and the older negative reviews shouldn’t put you off. We left happy, even though we were sad to go, and I’d recommend it.