Mitsis Rodos Maris

Traveler’s Choice Award Winner Mitsis Rodos Maris Resort and Spa is located on the southeast coast of one of Greece’s best islands, Rhodes. The resort is 60km (37 miles) down the coast road from Rhodes Town. Rhodes Town is at the extreme northeast tip of the island. Mitsis Rodos Maris is also 38.6km (24 miles) from the airport.

This sprawling, all-inclusive 5-star resort and spa boasts 432 rooms and bungalows, 6 restaurants, 4 bars, 3 fast food options, top-notch entertainment choices, sports, kids activities 3 seawater swimming pools and a first-class spa and wellness center, all situated on golden sands of one of the islands broadest, best Blue Flag award-winning beaches.

The grounds are expansive, impeccably maintained, and the number of small bungalow buildings built in the traditional Greek island style (tiled roofs, whitewashed walls, open air staircases) gives one the sense of being in a Greek village rather than a resort. Brick-paved walkways wind throughout the grounds between the bungalows. There is a charming, multi-level aspect to the resort as it follows the gentle decline of its topography to the water’s edge. The seawater pools are a huge plus; they provide all the mineral content of the sea itself if guests would rather not deal with beach sand, which can get a little invasive at times.

Rooms are spacious and beautifully appointed and feature a long list of amenities.  Guests rate this resort with consistently high marks in location, room quality, bang for the buck, cleanliness, service, and, perhaps most importantly for the traveler looking to unwind, sleep quality. For history buffs, Mitsis Rodos is only about 12km (7 ½  miles) from the archeological site of Lindos, the most prominent of Rhodes’ 6 ancient cities.

Rooms

Rooms are simple and tastefully designed and furnished, with off-white to beige predominant in most cases. Balconies are spacious and provide pleasing vistas of the sea and coastline, or the grounds and landscape inland from the resort, according to their placement in the complex. Rooms are recently refurbished with new fabrics, newly polished marble floors, and new bathroom accessories.

Amenities include AC with individual controls, beach and pool towels, pillows and beds with hygiene protection covers, mini bar replenished daily, coffee and tea maker, furnished balconies and terraces, personal amenities kit including laundry bag, sewing kit, stationery, envelopes, and shoe polish. In the bathroom guest will find bathrobes, towels, slippers, hairdryer, lighted mirror, scale, and upgraded amenities.

Twin Rooms

Twin rooms come in two categories: Land View and Sea View.  They include a twin/double bed, and a sofa bed. Twin rooms have an open floor plan and a dressed marble bathroom. Land View rooms offer a pleasant vista of the hills behind the resort.

Bungalow Rooms

There are three categories of Bungalow Rooms: Garden View, Sea View, Sea View Front Row.

Garden View includes a terrace leading directly out to the grounds. Sea View faces the sea with its refreshing afternoon breeze, and Sea View Front Row is the best of all, with a clear view of the sea and the beach just steps away.

Family Garden View

These spacious rooms have two separate sleeping areas divided by a wall and door. The balcony doors open onto a pleasing view of the manicured resort grounds.

Family Garden View Plus

The “plus” here refers to the ability of these rooms to accommodate up to 5 guests. It has a master bedroom for the parents, and a separate sleeping area for the kids divided by a wood and glass framed wall and door. Guests step out onto the patio and lawn of the resort’s grounds giving them immediate access to nature.

Maisonette Garden View

Maisonette Garden View plus provides the pleasing option of sleeping in the upper level in a double bed under a slanting timbered roof, or on the ground level living room with two sofa beds and doors opening onto the patio and grounds.

Suite

The suite overlooks the resort’s  manicured grounds and is perfect for parents with two kids. There is a separate sleeping area for the parents and a spacious covered terrace.

Villa Sea View with Private Pool and Whirlpool

94m²  (1,011 sq. ft) 3 bedrooms. Sleeps up to 6 adults

As far as size goes, this is as good as it gets in this fine resort and spa. The Villa Sea View with Private Pool and Spa, as the name implies, has it all; plenty of room, its own pool, and a whirlpool. It boasts 3 bedrooms, 4 TVs, 3 bathrooms with shower, 2 mini bars, and a living room with a 65” TV for movie nights. There is an extra-large outdoor terrace with seating for up to 8 people, a fireplace, sun beds and the aforementioned whirlpool and private pool. In addition, the Villa has its own gazebo on the beach.

Food and Drink

The Main Restaurant is an all-day eatery featuring both Mediterranean and international cuisine. The dining all is exquisitely appointed all in white: white tables, white chairs, white columns, white ceilings, white walls, and a lovely double row of small chandeliers running the length of this long, narrow room.

The Main Restaurant features show cooking for three meals, including omelets, eggs, pancakes, cereals, juice and more for breakfast, salads, cheeses, grilled and roasted meat, seafood and fruit for lunch, and daily theme nights for dinner, including Greek, Aegean, Italian, Asian and Mexican and more. As with all restaurants in the resort, chic island dress code applies.

Greek á la carte has a wide range of Greek cuisine options in a delightful garden setting. Dishes include Greek salad, fried cod, octopus and fava, Rhodian salad, souvlaki, gemista, roasted lamb, sea bream, and grilled chicken thigh.

Brunch at the Greek Restaurant can be found on the resort’s terrace near the beach, and serves as a second chance for those who missed breakfast at the Main Restaurant. Brunch menu items include English Breakfast, lots of egg choices, and omelets.

American á la Carte is a few steps from the beach and offers a whole range of American fare, such as burgers, club sandwiches, salads, mac and cheese, and chicken nuggets.

Tex-mex á la carte features Texican, Mexican, and Latin American fare. Tex-max á la carte features tostadas, seafood, hamburgers, and margaritas all at a pleasant poolside location.

Pan Asian á la carte is an expansive eating venue offering many different Asian food options. Tempura prawns, Thai shrimp salad,  chicken wings teriyaki from Tokyo, Hong Kong spare ribs, and lots of sushi choices.

Pita Gyro Corner uses in-house ground pork locally sourced on pita bread with all the trimmings for a budget-friendly, quick, filling meal on the go.

Pizza Oven on the beach is an open-air affair right on the sand where guests can indulge in genuine Italian wood-fired oven pizza in all of its permutations.  

Café Bar-Creperie is by the pool and available with snacks one can indulge in all hours of the day. It has both sweet and savory crepes, a variety of ice cream and other sweets.

Bars

The Lobby Bar has both indoor and outdoor seating. Guests can sip their favorite beverage on a patio furnished with upholstered chairs and couches and enjoy the golden hour before sunset.

It’s just off the hotel’s lobby and serves as an ideal reference point for rendezvous.

The Kafeneio is beautifully sited under a spreading tree on a brick patio where guests can relax and imbibe in their favorite style of coffee or tea and pass the time chatting with friends like the natives.

The Pool Bar is the place to get refreshment after a session in the water, or time spent working on a tan at poolside. The sounds of people playing in the water make for pleasant background music while wafting a beer, a soft drink, or a cocktail.

The Beach Bar allows guests to order drinks from their sun beds and munch on snacks during the lazy afternoon hours. The Amphitheatre Bar is near the resort’s amphitheater and is  a great place to take in the evening’s entertainment and wet one’s whistle at the same time. Afternoon Tea and Coffee Time is close to the poolside Gelateria where different caffeinated and decaf beverages can be had along with light bakery products. The Gelateria is an indoor-outdoor venue affording guests a relaxing vista of the sea, just of the hotel’s lobby.

Spa and Wellness

Zeen Spa serves as the perfect complement to the spa’s 3 seawater swimming pools. It has its own indoor pool and offers various effective treatments at the hands of its highly trained staff. Individual consultations are available to help guests tailor their wellness needs. 

Zeen Spa offers reflexology treatments, anti-stress massages, face treatments, foot massages, full body massages, starlight massages, a sauna, and manicure/pedicure services.

Activities

Mitsis Rodos offers a wide variety of free activities for guests including aerobics, gymnastics, aqua gym, beach soccer and volleyball, and water polo. There are boccia, darts, table tennis, and cards. The beach offers free sun beds and umbrellas, and bedside service from the beach bar.

Additionally, there is a whole host of activities available for a fee. These include scuba lessons, water and jet ski, banana boats, windsurfing, canoe, catamaran and pedalo. Dry ground activities include tennis (with rental equipment), billiards and other games in the games room, and bike rental.

Entertainment options include dance shows, live music concerts, Greek themed nights,  DJ sets alongside live bands, and various international events. There are disco nights and cocktail events as well.

Fun for Kids

Fun for kids  include lots of supervised programs with 2 clubs according to age: Mini Club for kids 4-12, Teen Club for 12-16 year-olds. All events supervised by trained, multilingual staff. Mini Club activities include games, crafts, plays, and creative activities. There are children’s pools, a playground, an indoor playroom, a water slide, and an evening mini disco. Junior Club activities are supervised by trained staff and include sports and activities such as water polo, darts and aerobics supervised by the animation team.

In the Area

Exploring Rhodes

This roughly oval-shaped island is the 4th largest in Greece. Its capital, Rhodes Town (pop. 50,000), at the northeastern tip of the island, is only 10 miles (16 km) from the coast of Turkey. Rhodes has many things to offer- sun-drenched beaches, crystal-clear water,  an extensive, multi-cultural history, world-renowned night life, museums, architecture from several different epochs- all of which explains why it is the most popular of the Dodecanese, and one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. There are so many facets to this jewel of the Eastern Mediterranean that it is like a small, self-contained country. Which, in fact, is what it was for most of its 4,000-year history.

Rhodes Town

As mentioned, Rhodes Town is a relatively short bus ride from Mitsos Rodos Maris. The Colossus of Rhodes, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, once stood in Rhodes harbor. It was supposed to have stood 160 feet tall (50m), including its pedestal, about half the height of the Statue of Liberty.

Rhodes Old Town is  one of the largest, best-preserved medieval cities in Europe. Its dimensions are about .6 mile (1000 m) east-to-west, and .4 mile (660 m) north-to-south. That makes it easy to explore on foot. To step through the Gate of Freedom into Old Town is to enter a place that is a fascinating mix of cultures, civilizations, and architectural traditions. It is an immensely charming place of old fountains, narrow, stone-paved streets bordered by buildings with Gothic arches, charming little cafes on its many compact public squares, Byzantine-era churches, medieval mosques, and massive stone walls and gates.

The New Town, built on the island's northern tip, is thoroughly modern- or at least relatively modern. It is the administrative and commercial center of the Dodecanese.  A lot of New Town was built during the Italian era. There are venerable old neo-classical buildings next to modern construction, all of which reflect Rhodes' cosmopolitan character.

There is all kinds of night life in New Town, and hundreds of bars, nightclubs, tavernas, and restaurants. New Town is clean and well-kempt, more so than the average Greek city. The New Market, by the harbor, is an heptagonal (7-sided) building with a courtyard in the center where fish was sold. The market now has nice cafes with plush, comfortable seating. Landward, the area between the New Market and Old town features a park-like, tree-shaded area featuring street vendors and street artists willing to do a portrait or caricature of the visitors.

Above the city to the southwest is the Ancient Acropolis, containing a few standing columns from the Temple of Apollo. Sitting 150 feet (45 m) above the city, the Acropolis had been an integral part of Ancient Rhodes. Surrounding the acropolis on this promontory is beautiful Rodini Park, with magnificent trees, walkways, grottos, and shallow caves.

Elsewhere on Rhodes

Close to Mitsis Rodos Maris, just a few kilometers north and reachable by an enterprising walker, is Lindos, with its impressive ruins and acropolis. Lindos was one of the 6 regional capitals of ancient Rhodes. Lindos is now the second favorite destination of the island. Its acropolis is similar, geologically, to the Athens Acropolis: a steep up thrust of rock surrounded by dwellings, in this case the cubistic, Cycladic architecture of the Greek islands.

Near the village of Theologos, on the northwestt coast of the island, is a wild animal preserve popularly known as the Valley of the Butterflies, where millions swarm in the elevated forest from late spring to early autumn. The Valley of the Butterflies is 17 miles (27 km) from Rhodes Town.

Also on the west coast, Ancient Kameiros, 19 miles (30 km) west of Rhodes Town, and one of the three major city-states in ancient times, was re-discovered in 1929. The city appears to have suffered sudden and catastrophic destruction, and thus is known as the Pompeii of Greece. From Kameiros Skala, 6 miles (10 km) down the west coast from Kameiros, there are boats available to the small offshore island of Halki, which features Hellenistic ruins, and the Monastery of the Virgin Mary, built atop a 3rd century BC temple to Athena. Many of the artifacts from Halki were carted off to The British Museum and the Louvre in Paris.

The remainder of the west coast, which is the Aegean coast of Rhodes, features plenty of quiet beaches and pure, azure waters ideal for swimming or scuba diving.

As you can see, Mitsis Rodos Maris, and Rhodes in general, offer a multitude of things to see in do for any holiday, which makes the difficult part of any trip there choosing what not to see, and to save the unseen sights of Rhodes for the next trip there.

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