Aquagrand Exclusive Deluxe Resort

The best part about this hotel is the setting (Navarone bay, Lindos close by) and hotel grounds - lots of greenery, many swimming pools, nice beachfront area with a bar and plenty of loungers. Snorkeling in turquoise waters highly recommended; quite a few marine species to observe. There is a shop on the hotel premises that is open till late (22:00) if you need some clothing, souvenirs, basic items, food, drinks. Hotel and reception staff are helpful; we wanted a different room and they honoured our request. Room service is frequent (twice daily). Ample F&B choices for breakfast (didn't try the dinner buffet). High-class service by Stavros at the Blue Fin restaurant made for a memorable fine dining experience.

Other observations

• Apparently this year they canceled special dining on the beach, and replaced it with a secluded area in the garden which doesn't have the same charm, and certainly not worth 200 euros
• Gym is tiny with practically no decent equipment; can fit 2 people max. It is located in and managed by spa (external company); you have to reserve a gym spot in advance. The hotel has many open and seemingly unused spaces near the beach that could be converted to a bigger, modern fitness facility
• We stayed in the suite near the pool shared by 5 other rooms. It's nice if you want to start your morning with a swim. But the pool was noisy late at night from auto-cleaning; strange because it wasn't a problem with other hotel pools
• Sun loungers near the suit's pool had stains from bird droppings that weren't cleaned during entire stay (11 nights)
• The room's decor was a bit plain; only a small painting near the bed; the interior didn't feel 5*
• The bathroom had mouldy stains and smell sometimes

This was our 2nd visit to Aquagrand and it did not disappoint. Stunning location. It was calm and peaceful during the day then a quick 5 min taxi if you want into Lindos town at night. Staff are really friendly in particular Anawar who looked after us at the pool. Rooms are immaculate and we had amazing views in one of the Princess sea view rooms. Great spa facilities and I would definitely recommend the massages

We returned to this hotel two years after our first stay, looking forward to coming back. Unfortunately, this time we were a little disappointed, as several things had changed for the worse.

The beach area is now much more crowded, with the sun loungers placed very close together. As before, there is not enough shade, but the lack of space makes it even more difficult to find some. It is almost impossible to move or turn the loungers because they are so tightly packed. The umbrellas should really have been positioned further forward in relation to the sun loungers to provide better shade.

Another major negative point was the issue of reserving sun loungers. Guests are supposedly not allowed to reserve them, yet some people would arrive early, leave their belongings on several loungers and then go for breakfast, effectively blocking the loungers for quite some time. This was much less of an issue during our previous stay, as there used to be someone present early enough to prevent this kind of behaviour.

We also found the atmosphere quite noisy at times, with some large groups of guests gathering together and speaking very loudly or usage of mobile FaceTime. For a hotel where many people come to relax, this could be quite unpleasant.

That being said, there are still many things we really appreciated about the hotel. The staff were, as before, very friendly, welcoming and helpful throughout our stay. Their kindness and professionalism definitely remain one of the hotel’s strong points. The hotel itself is beautiful, and we still enjoyed many aspects of our stay.

It is a shame because we really enjoyed our first visit and were happy to return. Unfortunately, this time the overall experience was not quite as relaxing as we had hoped. We still appreciate the hotel and its wonderful staff, but we hope that some of these points can be improved for future guests.