Sandy Beach Hotel

We are spending our holidays at Sunday Beach Hotel in Marmari. It is a very nice resort in a calm environment. Great attention is paid to cleanliness. The rooms are clean and are cleaned every day. The choice of meals is really big and their taste very well.

The hotel staff is very polite. You feel that they are not polite because they have been trained to be polite, but because they simply are polite. It is not possible to mention all the members of the staff, just one name for all - Mrs. Popi Flasco from the reservation department, who is very professional and flexible as all other people we met.

The beach is great - white sand, broad enough, plenty of place for everybody. It is almost October, but the air temperature attacks the whole week 30 °C. It is incredible that you can swim in this part of the year in European sea, temperature of which reaches in the afternoon almost 27 degrees Celsius. It is really true - we measured it.

It is romantic to watch the sunset at the beach, we watch it every day. And it is very pleasant to sit at the beach or walk along the beach after the sunset. The beach is very long, you can walk kilometres long.

Some days it is more windy, but it is not a problem for us, because due to the wind you do not feel the temperature.

Very nice holiday. In the case the circumstances will allow us, we will definitely come back next year.

Miro

This hotel is a gem! The whole resort was spotless and clean, with staff cleaning day and night. Bath towels and room maintenance was completed every day. The hotel is relaxed with a warm atmosphere, making for a perfect combination of being able to unwind in it's perfect surroundings or take part in the many various activities. It is across the road from the best part of a long beach, which was lovely and clean, with turquoise waters, and with free sun beds. Unlike many resorts there was no race for sunbeds and we never had a problem finding one. The hotel also provide free beach towels. The food was varied and delicious, with a choice of 2 areas to eat both at lunch and evening meal. We had a couple of fussy eaters with us, but not a problem. The all inclusive was also great, some premium brands were not included, but as a whiskey drinker myself, the whiskey was fine and I didn't need to open the one I'd purchased in duty free. My husband enjoyed the beer and the others enjoyed the wine. Tea and coffee was on tap. This is not a rowdy hotel (bonus), and we are convinced the drinks were low alcohol, as unless you purchased cocktails no-one was drunk or tipsy. Whatever they did, keep doing it, as it was a lovely mellow atmosphere. We were one of the only British families, and the hotel was predominantly German nationals, who we were told, return twice yearly with some having been for the past 13yrs. Although much of the entertainment was German, it was fun, with lots of British classics to dance to too. There are a few restaurants/shops and bars within walking distance which was a nice change, although, the hotel surroundings were so lovely we were loathed to go anywhere else. We did book some trips which were great, especially the 3 Island cruise. Most importantly the staff were so friendly and couldn't do enough. We left tips here and there, which was hugely appreciated, but they did what they did regardless of this, which is true testimony to their dedication of wanting to do a good job.

We recently stayed at Sandy Beach Hotel in Kos (Marmari area), and overall, we had a good time – but there were definitely a few things that took the shine off what could have been a stand out holiday.

The Good Stuff:

1. The food was genuinely great – tasty, varied, and always something nice to choose from. The cocktails were also really good, just a shame they weren’t included in the all inclusive.

2. Pools were lovely, and the deck chairs were comfy enough to lounge around on all day.

3. We loved the resort cats – so cute and clearly looked after by guests. We fed and fussed over them too – it really added a nice vibe to the place.

4. The gym was decent enough for a holiday workout, but it could definitely do with some air con – it got really hot in there.

5. Our room was fine – a bit dated decor-wise, but it stayed nice and cool thanks to the aircon (which was included in the price).

6. The beach is beautiful, especially at sunset. It’s sandy (hence the hotel name), clean, and the sunbeds are free for guests.

7. After we checked out, we were still allowed to use the all inclusive until we left for the airport. A nice touch that meant we didn’t have to start spending on food and drink while we waited.

Bonuses Nearby the Hotel:

i) There are a bunch of great beachside restaurants just outside the resort – we especially loved the Tiki Bar, the food there was really nice.

ii) One of our favourite evenings was walking to Marmari Go-Kart, about 40 minutes away. A really lovely walk in the evening, and the track was a lot of fun – we’d definitely recommend it for all ages.

The Not-So-Good:

1. One thing we hadn’t fully anticipated was just how much the hotel is geared towards German guests. We’d seen in reviews that it was mostly German holidaymakers and figured that would be totally fine – but as a British couple, we did end up feeling quite out of place at times. We’re very low-key – kept to ourselves, played cards, didn’t drink much or cause any noise – but we still felt like we got the odd side glance from some guests, and a few of the staff weren’t as warm or friendly with us. On more than one occasion, we were served at the bar only after all the German guests had been seen to first, despite having arrived earlier.

That said, this didn’t apply to everyone – the staff at the cocktail bar in the evenings were consistently friendly (hopefully not just because we were paying extra), and there were still some lovely people in the mix. But the few interactions that felt a bit cold or dismissive did put a bit of a damper on things. No one was outright rude – just noticeably less welcoming in a way that’s hard to ignore.

After speaking to a local, we found out that Marmari tends to cater more to German and Scandinavian tourists, while Tigaki is more popular with British holidaymakers. Apparently, the general vibe in Marmari isn’t always the most welcoming towards Brits. I really wish I’d known that before booking – I had no idea Kos had that kind of divide.

2. The biggest negative for us was a travelling photography team that the hotel allows onto the grounds. One evening, they stopped us on the way to dinner and asked to take some photos, assuring us it was just for fun and that there was no pressure to buy. The next morning, after breakfast (around 10.30), they were waiting outside and said they’d been waiting just for us and that we should’ve come before 10am – something they hadn’t explained clearly at all. We’d assumed we could view the photos at reception whenever suited us.

To our surprise, they had already printed five photos (which were honestly very average) and tried to charge us €50 for them. I said no, but they kept pushing and made it so awkward that I ended up buying one for €10 just to get them to go away. It felt like a set-up and definitely not what you’d expect from a hotel of this level. It really left a bad taste.

Overall Thoughts:

There’s a lot to like about Sandy Beach Hotel – the setting is beautiful, the food is excellent, and the beach nearby is fantastic. But for us, the general atmosphere created by some of the guests and a few of the staff, along with the uncomfortable photo situation, really took away from the experience.

If you’re German or Scandi, you’ll probably feel right at home. But if you’re coming from the UK, I’d suggest doing a bit more research on which part of Kos suits you best – something I really wish I’d known beforehand.