Greece: Rhodes Guide | Beautiful hotel with private pool | Restaurants and things to do

April 18, 2024

Written by photonyaa

Kalimera from Rhodes where I celebrated my 30th birthday! Packed with historic sites and plenty of stunning beaches, Rhodes is the perfect island if you want a mix of exploring and doing nothing – so here is my itinerary to 4th biggest, Greek island:

Getting around

Like with most Greek Islands, the easiest and fastest way to get around is to rent a car. Of course, you can choose to rent a quad or motorbike but Rhodes is quite large so a car is the most convenient option in my opinion. I highly recommend Rodos Cars who doesn’t require any deposit and offers the best rates and full cover without extra charge. I recommend booking online in advance but you’ll find their office on Rhodes airport for last-minute bookings.

Indulge in luxury: Private pool suite

We chose to stay at Vanik Suites mainly because of its stunning, boutique design and suites with private pool option. It’s a relatively new hotel which opened its doors in 2021 and it shows; it’s still in a perfect, pretty much untouched condition.

I won’t ever say ”no” to a private pool, although it’s usually a huge privilege to have one, so this was definitely one of the main highlights of our stay at Vanik (even though the pool was bloody freezing, I still enjoyed my morning swim sessions :))

We also loved the location and the little, adorable town of Faliraki, albeit Vanik Suites are hidden on a quiet street, there is plenty of things to do around. Faliraki is a great place for those looking for a holiday that offers the best of both worlds. During the day, you can relax and soak up the sun on the beach, take a stroll along the promenade, or explore the local shops and cafes. In the evening, you can experience the vibrant nightlife of Faliraki, with its numerous bars and clubs, or simply enjoy a romantic dinner in one of the many restaurants.

Although we really loved the vibes and the beautiful interiors at Vanik, as always, I have to be transparent and honest with you in case you decide to book this place for your trip to Rhodes. There were certain things that definitely needed improvement; The staff was non-existent. Literally, the reception was abandoned throughout our stay (6 days). We stayed there in April, which means it’s still off-season, and this could explain why the staff wasn’t there; however, I personally found it a bit odd. We received a short message on the day of arrival with laconic check-in instructions and a phone number we could use in case of an emergency.

The rooms were not cleaned properly, lack of toiletries, and our balcony doors were left wide open by the cleaning staff while we were out all day, exploring the island—not great, considering we left our valuables in our room (the safe wasn’t working either).

However, despite all the ”little things” we both loved it so much and would definitely recommend staying at Vanik.

Restaurants and the BEST bakery in Rhodes

My ”pre-travel to-do” list always includes deep research, meaning; hours of scrolling through TikTok, Insta, Pinterest and other blogs. To my surprise, I haven’t really found much when researching Rhodes. Most of these places were discovered by my virtual walks on google maps, but we got this! Here’s a list of my favorite food-gems in Rhodes:

Sarikas Bakery Patisserie

This is the message to Sarikas bakery, if you’re not Sarikas – keep scrolling:
Guys, I beg you, please DO NOT open a branch in the UK, otherwise I’d spend all my salary on your baklavas.

No, but honestly – Sarikas is a HIDDEN gem, and when I say hidden, I really mean it. It’s a bakery loved and attended mostly by locals, and they know what’s good. Their pastries (especially baklava) tastes like heaven. They also sell fresh bread, ice creams and those viral London-like cube croissants and many more. This was for sure our favourite place in Rhodes.

Kounna Beach & Resto Bar

The definition of ”dinner with a spectacular view”. Beautiful, boho restaurant located a stone’s throw away from 2 stunning beaches; Anthony Quinn Bay and Ladiko Beach – both definitely worth a visit.
Delicious food and amazing vibes. Definitely one of my favourite places for brunch.

Tambakio

Located on the St. Paul’s Bay, Tambakio will always hold a special place in my heart as this is where I celebrated my birthday. Everything; the staff, the food, the most incredible views were simply amazing.
If not for Tambakio itself, I highly recommend visiting St. Paul’s Bay; it’s truly beautiful.

*If you plan to visit during peak season, I’d recommend contacting the restaurant to book a table or confirm their opening hours as some restaurants in Greece don’t update their op.hours on google

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