Dimitra Beach Hotel and Suites

Journey: We had an early morning Tui flight from Gatwick, 6.05 am, which was just under 4-hours. The transfer to the hotel took around an hour with 6 – 7 hotel stops before arriving at Dimitra Beach Hotel. A lot of the journey takes you along the coastal road so the time disappeared quickly with lovely views to see. Arrival: We received a lovely welcome from the lady in Reception whom offered us a complimentary welcome drink, gave us a very detailed welcome pack, including everything you would need to know about the resort as well as a map which listed all the different facilities too. We paid 210 Euros for the local taxes (for a two-week stay) and before long, we were checked in. A lovely man, who was part of the Concierge Team, took our luggage the short distance to our room. He explained the facilities within, showed us where the safe was and proudly presented the coffee capsules and machine which formed part of our refreshments in the room. Room 208: We were not in the main hotel but a stones-throw from it. Our room was beautifully presented, tidy and neat. It was bright and airy and housed a rather large balcony with table and chairs and a drying rack. The view was quite simply stunning across The Aegean Sea and the well-kept garden areas. We found we needed for nothing, tissues, dressing gowns and slippers (which were replaced on a couple of occasions), safe, rain-fall shower, dual sinks, huge, comfy bed, plenty of plug points, mini bar and plenty of storage space for our toiletries and clothes. We thoroughly enjoyed the location of our room and it would take us no more than a couple of minutes to walk down to the beach. We never used the hill as we found several different routes through the resort with shallow, meandering steps. Our room was kept amazingly tidy by our lovely room-maid Suzanna who greeted us every morning when we saw her – she was a delight. Her amazing towel-art made us giggle and we hope our origami made her smile too. 😊 Thank you, Suzanna, for taking great care of us! On the odd occasion we did experience sewage smells and quite by chance, a member of the Maintenance Team was in the room next door to ours when we arrived back late one afternoon. We spoke to him and he came in straight away and flushed the system through and removed something from the drain area. This really helped and the smell was never as bad after. The water was very temperamental when showering – constantly going from really hot to really cold but we understand this is a busy time and everyone else is grabbing showers too. Pools and Beach: We could see the pool by the beach bar from our balcony and we’re sad to say beds were being grabbed very early and towels were being left. This goes against the hotel’s policy but we never, ever saw towels removed by staff (both on the beach or the pools) at any time. We only used the beach pool twice and found the water a lot colder than the sea which is where we spent most of our time. The sun beds were quite comfortable, towels were readily available by all pools and we found these to be of a good quality. Unfortunately, some of the umbrellas were broken (on the beach) as well as some of the sun beds. We did get beach service on most days and the iced-lattes were delicious. As others have mentioned, the beach is very, very stoney so we took others’ travel advice and purchased beach shoes for entering and exiting the sea. The water was beautifully clear and on the odd occasion, we saw fish swimming amongst us. Seeing a juvenile flamingo land on the beach one afternoon was amazing – it was beautiful to see the hotel staff take care of it! The free WIFI, overall, worked well on the beach. Buffet: We only used the Buffet Restaurant for breakfast and dinner (we never, ever do lunch) and found we preferred the seating area right down the other end from the entrance and outside. It had a much more appealing atmosphere – was not so bright and was much more of an intimate experience. Our waiter at breakfast time, Anastas, was such a true Greek gentleman, he was very warm and welcoming and we enjoyed his company very much. He would ensure that we tried our coffee first to check that it was at the right temperature and would check in with us every so often to ensure we were OK. His service was friendly but not intrusive and he would always leave us with the words “Bon Appetit.” Anastas, we offer you a huge ‘thank you’ for making us feel so welcome at breakfast – you are a true professional at your craft. We would sit in the same space for our evening meal and were served by a lovely, young man (Gazarah – hoping this is correct – you’ll know who you are with the attached photo) whom was welcoming, friendly and knew exactly what drinks we wanted (red and rose wine was drinkable) – we were always offered water too! It was busier in the evenings and he never stopped moving whether clearing plates away, laying tables or delivering drinks. Thank you for your wonderful service and the brief conversations we had with you! Buffet Food: The usual hot and cold offerings at breakfast time – orange juice and coffee were good. Struggled at times to find hot plates which did not help in keeping our food warm. There is show cooking – pancakes and eggs (poached, fried, scrambled and boiled) and a variety of different flavoured sausages. The grilled tomatoes were utterly delicious and full of flavour. A fantastic array of different breads, rolls etc too. We always enjoyed our breakfasts! In the evening, again the same struggle for hot plates and overall, the variety and quality of the food was good. There were always different grilled meats and fish (the sword fish steak was superb) at the show cooking area but on some occasions, these were over-cooked. Plenty of salad items, dips and dressings – the tzatziki was amazing! Drinks throughout the Resort: We do not drink alcohol during the day and normally get our first at around 5 pm to take back to the room. Most days, we would visit the beach bar and to be honest, drinks were very hit-and-miss depending on who served you. Way too much ice that it was a struggle to put the straw in! This was one of the major disappointments for us. However, the main Lobby Bar was completely different – good, quality drinks made with the correct ingredients and garnished professionally with the appropriate fruit. Lilli looked after us for most of our 2-week stay and she was amazing! I can’t tell you how many times we declined offers for more drinks – another big thank you to Lilli! You are generally encouraged to find seats as it is table service and we found we did not wait too long for our drinks to be ordered and served to us. There is another lovely lady who welcomed us into the restaurant morning and evening and she would go out of her way to find us and other guests chairs to sit at. However, on several occasions, furniture was moved around and one evening exiting the upper veranda was made very difficult as there was no clear route out. We witnessed one lady having to climb over a chair to leave – this needs to be addressed for guests’ safety! Entertainment: We both thoroughly enjoyed the evening entertainment – there was something going on every night. The DJ was phenomenal however; the belly dancers were the complete opposite! We enjoyed the opportunity to get up and dance and met some lovely people in the process – we had such a giggle! Thalasa & Alati Restaurant: You are able to visit twice over a 2-week stay and we very much enjoyed the fish that was on offer. The sea-bass was delicious as were the king prawns. Service was attentive but the waiter did not know what a finger bowl was and so there was much hilarity as we explained it to him! On our second visit, this was not a problem and we were presented with one without question. We would strongly recommend a visit – the views were amazing even though it was a tad windy! Cucina Restaurant: You are able to visit once per week during your stay but unfortunately, the on-line booking system would not allow us to book a second visit. Food was delicious – an Italian affair and it was piping hot! We really enjoyed our three-course meals and again, would recommend a visit. We purchased a bottle of white wine from the menu which had the young waitress running back to the main hotel building! Again, a lot of laughter – we finally received our wine as we were eating our starters – was not a problem for us but I can imagine others may get a bit frustrated in the wait. Reasonably priced at 29.50 Euros. Trips:

• Worth using the local bus service into Kos Town (2 Euros each) – we skipped breakfast and had lunch at a lovely taverna, went into the remains of the castle (5 Euros each) and wandered around the streets – popping into the archaeological sites all around the town. If you walk up the front with the harbour on the right, you will come across a beautiful little street with white painted steps – a very traditional Greek scene.
• We met the Tui Rep on our first full day and she generally visits the hotel at around 12.45 pm. We booked two trips with her but unfortunately one was cancelled due to low-uptake. I will review our other trip separately.

Shop: Located right at the top of the resort – usual offerings for a resort shop. Friendly service. Weather: Beautiful cloudless sky with temperatures hovering anywhere from 28 – 32 degrees for 12 days of our stay. We did experience a couple of cloudy days; some rain at the start of our second week but this did not last long at all and it was generally windy. This was going to be a 3-star review but a chance encounter and a one-to-one chat with George, a senior member of staff, changed everything. I explained our frustrations over some of the drinks we had been served and the last few days of our holiday, they improved dramatically! I can only assume that he spoke with his staff and this was the result. With a few tweaks, this hotel could easily be 5-stars. One tweak would be to supply paper coasters for drinks – nobody likes to have the condensation from the glasses drip on their clothes – we went through so many tissues to avoid this. Would we recommend a stay at Dimitra Beach Hotel to our family and friends – well the simple answer is yes. Thank you for a lovely, relaxing and welcoming stay and the fantastic views. Tina Louise 😉 and Phil.

We stayed at the Dimitra Beach Hotel & Suites for 2 weeks all inclusive. Everything about the Hotel is wonderful. The location is fantastic, with a view across the water to Turkey. 25 min bus trip from Kos Town (2 adults 4 euros). The rooms are beautifully laid out with very large comfortable beds and a relaxing sofa in our room. A large TV, fridge ( stocked daily) great walk in shower and plenty of clothes hanging and storage space. There are 3 pools - we used the one next to the Greek Restaurant. Very cold but refeshing. The Sun loungers are comfortable - Probably a foot in depth with an adjustable back rest. There are bar's close by and often poolside service. The restaurants are all amazing. The food in all of the restaurant's are great. Different themes each night. Italian restaurant is also great. The drinks are plentiful. Plenty of soft drinks and water. Entertainment is provided each evening and is also very good. The Bar and Restaurant Teams are so very friendly and excellent. They work so hard with a smile. We truly appreciated the time and effort all the Team put in to making our stay a holiday to remember. Wonderful times. Many thanks go to Silvi and John the captain's Team. The Night Bar Staff - Lili, Adina, Mark, Don, Alex, Yapet, and Mohamed plus others were fantastic. Apologies to names we missed. Great 2 weeks. The only downer for me was the standard of alcohol with the beer (Alfa) and the cocktails. The beach is very stoney. No sand.