Atlantica Thalassa Hotel

Overall we had a wonderful holiday at this hotel.

We found it to be clean, modern and you see beautiful sunsets every evening.

The pool is a nice size, although there is limited beds around it. There are plenty on the grassed area, but those don’t have umbrellas. You need to get up early to get a sunbed around the pool. You can’t reserve the sunbeds, you have to be physically sitting on them else between 8:30am and 9am the cleaners do a sweep and take all towels off. This happened to us on the first day and even though we saw and asked for them back we were told no and they were confiscated and taken to reception until 10 am. This was a little frustrating and although nice that it’s enforced, I think that everyone should be informed that’s the case on check in so you are aware.

The food wasn’t the best, we are a fussy family though. We did notice that other people didn’t seem to struggle as they had full plates.

The entertainment team worked hard, Kat, Stephan and Jaylen, they were great with the kids

The lady in the little shop was also the loveliest 😊

We had a lovely time, the only thing that marks it down was the food. Kos town isn’t far and we got a taxi there on a couple of occasions which reception booked for us in the morning to come at a certain time in the afternoon.

There’s a good variety of drinks, ice cream is available all day from the bar and the snack bar was good for lunch time.

For the price we paid, it was good value for money, I don’t think the food at any all inclusive can please everyone and we had a lovely time!

The friendly cats were a bonus!

Hotel is very clean and most of the staff are very friendly, the men on the bar are always happy and smiling as well as polite when serving. The lady and man who work in the shop are also lovely, shop is reasonably priced on most things.

Rooms are clean however ours was on the smaller side, always given fresh towels and our bedding seemed to be changed almost everyday. Rooms aren't very sound proof and could hear a lot of noise around us.

If you want a decent sunbed by the pool with an umbrella I would recommend going before 8:30am but don't leave your towels as they will be taken by the maids. We ate breakfast separately to avoid this happening, it is good that it is enforced.

Food was the biggest let down for us, it did seem to get better a few days before we were due to leave. The snack bar is the best place to get food, options include gyros (unsure of meat tho), hot dogs, burgers and chips.

Overall we did enjoy our stay but personally wouldn't return due to the food.

We’ve just come back from a week at the Atlantica Thalassa, and to be fair, the hotel itself is great. The grounds are spotless, the rooms are clean, the beds are comfy, and everything is kept looking really smart. You can tell the grounds team take pride in the place — even the grass got a fresh strim while we were there, which instantly made the whole area look tidier.

The staff work hard too. Most of them genuinely seem happy to be there, which makes a big difference to the atmosphere. A special mention has to go to Harvey, who works in the restaurant and the bar. He’s from the Philippines and has a permanent, genuine smile that never seems to fade. He’s friendly, interesting to chat to, and one of those people who brightens your day just by being around. An absolute credit to the hotel.

The hotel is fully all‑inclusive for everyone — no tiers, no premium bands, no “you can have this but not that”. If you’re staying here, you’re all‑inclusive, simple as that.

The food in the main restaurant is generally very good. There’s a big salad bar with plenty of fresh options, a good choice of meats and fish, pasta, and the usual kid‑friendly bits like fish fingers and nuggets. If you don’t have allergies, you’ll eat well here.

If you do have allergies — especially coeliac — it’s a different story. The hotel is great at labelling allergens, but not so great at actually providing alternatives. Nothing gluten‑free is readily available; you have to ask for it every single time. It took four days to get gluten‑free cereal, GF bread was hit‑and‑miss, and the à la carte meal was… let’s say “not their finest hour”. So yes, you can eat gluten‑free here, but only if you’re prepared to keep reminding them. It’s not a hotel I’d recommend for coeliacs.

The drinks on the all‑inclusive are sort of decent. All the usual local spirits, cocktails, beer, soft drinks, tea, coffee — and water is freely available all day from dispensers around the hotel. The cocktails are surprisingly strong; the Blue Lagoon in particular has a habit of sneaking up on you. The house white wine… well… it tastes vile at first. There’s no polite way to put it. But it has a percentage, and after a couple of days you sort of get used to it. You don’t enjoy it, but you make peace with it.

Worth noting: at the à la carte restaurant, the wine isn’t included. You have to pay for it, which feels a bit odd when everything else is part of the all‑inclusive package.

The pool area is lovely. The loungers right on the pool edge get splashed constantly, but the grass area a couple of rows back is perfect — full sun, cooling sea breeze, and a bit more space. The loungers on the grass are older and more worn, but still perfectly usable. There are even a few day beds on the grass, and they’re free to use, which makes a nice change from hotels that charge for them.

And yes — the sunbeds are claimed early. Towels start appearing before breakfast, proper crack‑of‑dawn stuff, and before you know it the prime spots around the pool are gone. If you’re not bothered about being right on the water’s edge, the grass area is a much better bet. It’s quieter, breezier to take the heat from the sun, and usually still has space even later in the morning.

The snackbar by the pool is very popular. Everything is cooked fresh in front of you, which is great, but there’s only one person cooking and serving, so queues can build at lunchtime. Birds nest in the roof tiles above the bar, and you can watch them feeding their chicks — genuinely lovely. The cats wander around too, very chilled and clearly living their best resort life.

Evenings on the bar terrace are great for sunsets. The entertainment team work hard all day and into the night. There’s a manager who sits there quietly but you can tell he’s barking orders about something he’s not happy with. He’s discreet, but it’s obvious. He’d make a better impression if he got up and mucked in rather than sitting there like Lord Muck.

Mobility‑wise, it’s a mixed bag. There are steep steps down to the restaurant and shop from the pool area, but you can avoid them by walking around the pool on the grass — a much gentler route. The ramps that do exist are steep and clearly designed for trolleys rather than wheelchairs. And during our stay, we didn’t see any evidence of lifts anywhere in the hotel. If you rely on lifts or need fully accessible routes, this place will be challenging.

The shop is reasonably priced and sells the usual holiday bits — toys, flip flops, drinks, crisps, chocolate, lilos, souvenirs. No vape fluid though, which seems to be rare on the island. They do have disposable vapes (€10 for the 1000‑puff ones), which is handy if you need them.

On departure day, you can book a free shower slot. Just pop to reception the day before and they’ll sort it. It’s a nice touch, especially if you’ve got a late flight and want to freshen up before heading home.

Now, the big point: the location.The hotel is lovely… but it’s in the middle of nowhere. There is nothing around it. No little cafés, no bars, no shops to wander to — just the hotel and the road. If you like to explore on foot or have a mooch around in the evenings, you’ll struggle.

There is a bus into Kos Town, which is actually very handy. It costs €2 per person each way, cash only, and takes about 10 minutes. The bus drops you at Dolphin Square, which is the main taxi rank and a good central point. The timetable is available from reception and they’ll print it for you. The buses run roughly every 45–60 minutes, but they run on “Greek time”, meaning they arrive when they feel like it. Our bus into Kos was empty; the bus back was busy but not packed.

While you’re in Kos Town, look out for a lovely lady who sets up a small charity stall right by the entrance arch to the Ancient Agora. She sells crocheted toy animals made by a local group, and the money goes towards rescuing, rehoming, and neutering stray cats around the island. She’s genuinely warm and friendly, and it’s nice to support something that’s doing real good locally.

The beach across the road is small, part sand and part stones, but perfectly fine for a quick visit.

So, did we enjoy our stay? Yes — the hotel is genuinely great. Would we return? No — purely because there’s nothing around it. If they could pick the whole place up and move it a few miles down the road, we’d be back tomorrow.