Cosmopolitan Kos Hotel

Staff were really helpful from the start, and we got a warm welcome at reception. The room was a decent size, contemporary, and had a comfortable bed. The pool was nice and they provided towels. The hotel is in a quiet spot near a few bars, close to the beaches and about a mile or so from Kos Town. Good value for money. Breakfast had a good, familiar selection. Dinner was more hit and miss, with some odd combinations, and it was always lukewarm, though there was a microwave. The room kettle was handy, but using a coffee sachet cost 1 euro, which seemed weird, and you had to bring your own milk. The fridge was useful too.

The food was poor quality and only average at best. There was plenty of it, but it didn’t live up to expectations, and we hardly ate anything during the final two days. We were told we could have a sea-view room, but only got one after paying extra. The reception staff weren’t friendly, and I don’t understand the hotel’s high rating. There were no tissues in the bathroom. We appreciated being able to order a taxi, but the ride was unpleasant: the driver stopped suddenly, said it was an “airport taxi,” and brought in four strangers who spoke a language we couldn’t understand. Then he demanded more money than we’d agreed.

The noise from the farm right beside the hotel was an unwanted alarm clock, with roosters crowing at 4 a.m. The food was disappointing too. Breakfast was identical every day, with the cheapest products: luncheon meat, processed cheese slices that melted, and fried eggs with raw whites. By day three I was only going in for coffee. The presentation looked like food prepared for a dog. The dining area was dirty, had no air conditioning or fans, and none of the food was labeled. Dinner was just as poor. There was no fish during my stay, the same badly cut and served fruit every day, often fermented watermelon, and no ice cream. I deeply regret booking Half Board. Our room was a shock from the moment we opened the door after checking in. I’d booked through TUI’s website, but the photo shown for the room was completely misleading. The room was tiny, with the bed blocking the entrance door from opening fully. The sewage smell was unbearable. Steps in two places made it hard to move around, the ceiling was very low, and the bathroom was about 190 cm high, so with my height I couldn’t shower properly. There was no wardrobe, just old overhead cupboards and storage that smelled musty and moldy. The listed hairdryer wasn’t there. The bathroom had no main light, only a dim little lamp above the mirror. The bathroom was shockingly dirty, including unwashed urine stains on the trash bin. The bedspread was stained and the shower curtain old and smelly. When I complained at reception, the staff member said they’d never seen a room at the hotel like the one in my booking photo. I also spoke by phone with the manager, Maria. She said there were no rooms available and we’d have to wait until morning. That night in the room was a nightmare. After a sleepless night, Maria showed us two rooms the next day and asked us to choose, clearly saying we were being upgraded. In my view, neither was any better than the first. They were just a little larger and had no steps inside. There was still a sewage smell, the air conditioner leaked, the shower curtain smelled, and both inner and outer window blinds were broken. This is absolutely not a four-star hotel. I don’t recommend it and strongly advise caution.

We really enjoyed our stay. The hotel was clean and very nice, with great service and a good location. Everyone in Kos was amazingly kind, and the personnel here were especially respectful, cheerful, and helpful.