Continental Palace

The food was the biggest letdown. It was poor, so we’d planned to eat out each night. At dinner you pay for drinks, and the waiters ask for the money partway through the meal, which should be sorted out. The hotel itself was clean and presentable, with a nice pool and pleasant shared areas. The pool doesn’t open until 10, which feels far too late in that heat. Staff were friendly and helpful, and the room was cleaned daily with fresh towels. There’s a decent beach right outside and a small supermarket nearby. Kos town is a pleasant walk of about 20 minutes, though the bus stop outside didn’t help much because we found the buses unreliable. It’s an okay hotel, but don’t arrive expecting four-star luxury or the Ritz. You get what you pay for.

I was a bit worried after reading reviews, but we had a great time. Irena at reception was especially welcoming, an absolute angel. Go to her if you want to book something. We arranged a trip to Zia for four adults and two children, with the coach picking us up at 5.15 and returning at 9.45. We’d booked a meal and sunset in advance, which I recommend because it gets busy, but the trip was well worth it. The garden around the pool is lovely, though the pool area gets crowded, so it’s worth saving a sunbed when you go for breakfast, served from 7 to 10. The pool bar snacks are reasonably priced but can get busy too. Evening entertainment is every other night and has a good mix. The dining room gets very hot and there’s no outdoor dining area. Meals are buffet style, with hot and cold choices, and you’ll find something to eat. When a dish runs out it can take a few minutes to refill, but not long, and the food is always hot. The rooms are dated, but very clean and have what you need. You can ask for a kettle, though we brought a travel one. The cleaners do an excellent job and the room was cleaned daily. The staff were okay overall. The beds weren’t comfortable, but we managed for our stay. The air conditioning was a real plus in the heat.

For a reasonable price, it’s a good option. The food was tasty, with plenty of variety, and the location is great, about 100 meters from the sea and a 20-minute walk to the city center. The rooms are clean and spacious enough, though a little dated. The mattresses were too firm for me.

Irene at reception was fantastic. She was a pleasure to talk to and gave really helpful suggestions for things to do around Kos. She was easily the employee of the week during my stay. The hotel should recognize her work and use her as an example of the service it ought to provide throughout the hotel. The rest of the experience fell well short. This isn’t a four-star hotel, more like two or three stars at best. The beds were rock hard. We could only just manage by putting blankets from the wardrobe under the sheets. Room and bathroom furniture and fittings looked old and tatty. The shower had decent pressure and hot water, but the bath was so narrow that you were stuck against a horrible plastic curtain. Food was far below what I’d expect at a four-star place. Restaurant staff seemed more interested in chatting than helping guests, and were unfriendly when asking for payment for dinner drinks, including water. Fizzy water was especially expensive. Maybe the hotel will say water costs a lot to ship in, but local tavernas often give you bottled water free at the end of a meal, and supermarkets sell 1.5 liters for 70 cents to €1. There’s even a breakfast water dispenser they could leave on at dinner. It felt like the hotel was cutting corners and charging extra wherever it could. I wouldn’t eat the eggs at breakfast; they tasted awful. The cooked fish and meat at dinner were bland and chewy, with hardly any flavor. It was hot and humid in the dining room, lobby, and downstairs shared bathrooms, where the air conditioning was off. They also wouldn’t open the dining room for outdoor dining. P.S. You didn’t meet my expectations at all. You clearly didn’t understand and/or fully read my review, so your response/feedback doesn’t make any sense.