We've just returned from a week's holiday at the Atlantica! Overall we had a great break away and feel completely relaxed :)
Good things about the hotel include:
It is spacious, although there are a lot of rooms, you don't feel overcrowded by any means. We cannot fault the staff, they are friendly, helpful and go out of their way to make your holiday one to remember!
The food was sublime and has to be the best food we have come across in a hotel, there is so much variety and something for everyone! The service is great and although there is a small language barrier, staff at the hotel really try to accommodate your needs. There is a lot for kids to do of all ages throughout the day, they cant get bored! Even if your children arent the most outgoing in the world, there are plenty of cats and kittens around to keep them happy! My daughters (12 and 8) LOVED the cats! The hotel and grounds are kept very clean and there are always cleaners around emptying bins and keeping the place tidy. There are lots of free drink stations, including water within a short walk from anywhere. Water and teas, coffees etc are also topped up each day in your rooms which was a lifesaver at times!
There is a regular bus service to kos town right outside the hotel and is very cheap. There are other transport links within easy reach, including reasonable bike and car hire places just a short walk up the road to Marmari. We hired a car for a day (€40) and drove through the mountains and to a nearby salt lake where you can see flamingos. We also went to Paradise beach for some fun watersports which is absolutely breathtaking! The beach is beautiful, the sea warm and safe and it's just a 2 minute walk from the hotel (with a stunning sunset!)
A few things to note for anyone travelling here in future:
Tax will be charged on arrival, I think this was 7 euros. If you wish to use the hotel's towels, you will be asked for a deposit of 8 euros per towel. We found out that if you lose a towel you will also be charged extra on top of the deposit - oops!
Although there are signs next to the pool to say that you mustn't reserve a lounger, people do anyway (as we struggled on some days to find loungers after 10am in school holidays).
When you leave, you will be charged extra to stay in your room past the standard checkout time of 12pm. They will offer you a 30 minute shower stop before you leave the hotel which really came in handy!
Last but not least.. if you want a break from English people then this is NOT the place to go!
The only down points in our opinion were that there are not enough toilets in easy enough reach to the pools, and the toilets closest to the restaurant could do with a refurb.
The entertainment team always work at full stretch and stay fun and upbeat but we felt it was more aimed towards younger children so mine weren't that interested in the evenings, although this meant we had lots of early nights and early starts which suited us well. The only issue with the night time entertainment is that it is VERY loud. On one particular night there was a short succession (no more than 30 seconds) of very loud fireworks which spooked me in bed at 10.30pm, given that there appears to be little by way of security.
The greek are wonderful; not pushy for sales and are very friendly. My daughter had an offer of marriage to a waiter's son at a nearby taverna which made her blush (in a good way!) and they always seem genuinely surprised when you give them tips, always being extremely thankful.
The only reason we may not visit here again is simply because of the number of English people in the vicinity as our preference is to feel like we are away from it "all"; although this is only personal preference and many other people at the hotel seemed happy, if this doesn't bother you.
Despite the small niggles it was a really lovely holiday, Kos is beautiful and we made plenty of fantastic memories with our kids who loved the pools and spent hours on their floaties! The weather was great for the time of year and only a couple of mozzies around. We would definitely return to Kos!!
