Doreta Beach Hotel

The hotel appeals to families and couples who want all-inclusive packages and a poolside scene. The large pool area is furnished with palm trees, rock wall accents, a bridge, and two large slides. Wicker umbrellas and wooden lounge chairs with white cushions dot the tile pool deck -- which can get slippery. The adjacent kiddy pool has a small bunny slide and a waterfall. The property includes a tennis/basketball court and green lawns where guests can recline in lounge chairs or join yoga and other fitness classes. The short walk to the beach takes guests past green lawns and down a wood-planked walkway to the shingle shores, where there are blue lounge chairs, white umbrellas, and a rustic shower. Common areas can get crowded, including the lobby, which has little unique design elements -- just beige tile and columns. Grey stone stairways and carved wooden chests add color to the otherwise minimalist hallways.

The hotel is set on a two-lane road lined with car and scooter rental services, small beach shops, and a nightclub. The property's west side location is convenient for those who want to visit medieval Rhodes (with sights such as the Ancient Olympic Stadium, Palace of Grand Master Knights, and Archaeological Museum), which is 32 minutes by car, or reached via the shuttle bus that stops outside the hotel. The airport is a 15- to 20-minute drive from the hotel. The beautiful Valley of the Butterflies is within about 35 minutes.

The types of rooms offered at the hotel include: Standard Singles, Doubles, Triples, Quadruples, or Maisonettes. Rooms come with contemporary wooden furniture, tile floors, neutral-colored furnishings, seasonal air-conditioning, flat-screen TVs, mini-fridges, and balconies or terraces that have garden or pool/sea views. Some furnishings are in disrepair. Bathrooms are bright and have modern fixtures and stall showers. Some rooms near the pool area can get noisy. Some pricier rooms come with whirlpool tubs.

There are several dining options. The main restaurant, Symposium, is a casual, vast room with simple wood tables and an international buffet. The Megaron bar has stylish black and wood chairs, a flat-screen TV, a grand piano, and a small stage. The Taverna Varka -- serving light Greek dishes and meze, such as gyros and mousaka -- has a terrace with white furniture, blue-checkered tablecloths, and a sailboat docked at the entrance. The poolside snack bar is surrounded by bar stools and serves light meals. Food, though, gets mixed reviews. The hotel offers a kids’ club near a playground and a mini train ride. The Evridiki spa is small and stylish, decorated with brown and white tiles and furniture, and offering treatment rooms for massages and facials, a sauna, and a hair/nail salon. There are eight coin-operated PCs, an on-site jewelry shop, a clothing store, and mini market for beach essentials. Bike rentals are available, along with a tennis court, small soccer pitch, and beach volleyball.