Sun Palace Hotel

“Don't be put off by the reviews...”

I'd like to start out by saying that reading the reviews of Sun palace meant that my partner and I attended with some reservations and fairly low expectations... if you are expecting a 5* experience for a 3* price then you will be dissapointed. To be helpful ill address some of the most frequently… more

I'd like to start out by saying that reading the reviews of Sun palace meant that my partner and I attended with some reservations and fairly low expectations... if you are expecting a 5* experience for a 3* price then you will be dissapointed. To be helpful ill address some of the most frequently raised issues and try and give a level headed, fair review. FOOD: there is a massive variety, a few different cuisines and subtle changes on an evening by evening basis (if you genuinley believe that there isnt sufficent variety then you are likey the issue). The food is very edible, never had a problem with upset stomachs or the temperature of the food. Never had an issue getting plates or Cutlery, on the one occasion they had ran out of bowls for what was likely a brief moment one breakfast, I simply asked a member of staff for one and they graciously fetched me one. STAFF: some are more friendly than others- 2 cleaners in particular were so lovely, greated us every morning without fail and loved if you made an effort with the language. Same barmen every night and were always in good spirits considering. General staff in the restaurant were all very pleasant and reception were fine too. ROOMS: this one is probably more open to criticism given there are clearly some rooms in need of an overhaul and some that are fine. We were in room 252 in the main building and honestly the only slight annoyance was the lack of hot water in the evening (early morning shower was usually fine). Room was basic but clean and presentable (and AC worked ok); given we only used the room as a base, we were more than happy. LOCATION: stones throw from Faliraki which is very much a party town, went there once and it was a typical tourist town. Hotel is just set back from the main road which has a great bus link going to either faliraki or Rhodes old town (roughly every 20 mins). POOLS: during days that we spent at the hotel, we always went over to the water park section of the 'resort'. Always sunbeds available, absolutely no issues there. Yes the pools could do with a bit of elbow grease in areas a little more love in others, but seemed clean enough (again no upset stomachs from ingested pool water). ACTIVITIES: if you've made it this far then it must be because you found this genuinely informative, so thanks! So, it's a TUI resort, but flip do they take the michael with the prices for excursions. Bin them off altogether and go over the road to 'Sophias travel'. After speaking to the wonderful owners (family run) you will absolutely be taken in by their charm and (maybe like us) even be happy to pay more than TUI charge just because of how wonderful they were. Incidentally, they were MASSIVELY cheaper! We worked out that on the excursions that we did, we saved around 40% in total vs TUI... I get that the reps need to make something on commission but stuff their over inflated prices!!! Sophias Travel will also make completely unbiased recommendations based on you as people and they were spot on with everything... recommendations from us and them are as follows: Symi Island trip- stunning place, worth every penny, very 'santorini' vibes. Lindos by boat- essentially a day trip to lindos (south from Faliraki) with a couple of swim stops on the return leg. Greek Night - absolutely our highlight, perfect if youd love to learn a little about the Greek culture, wonderful food, traditional Greek dancing and just wonderful people running the joint. RHODES old town- Sophias travel actually recommended that we got the bus here and DIDNT do the guided tour as it was expensive and rushed. So we got the bus their and did everything at our own pace. KALLITHEA SPRINGS: stunning scenery, lovely little beach and little restaurant which did surprisingly good food! Was also accessible by the same bus to Rhodes town (stop on the route). On the whole it was a great holiday and considering it was the first time In Greece for my other half, she and I would happily return, but just to a different part of the island (try something different).

less

“A bit outdated hotel with big and nice waterpark”

A bit outdated all-inclusive hotel with big water-park and a lot of activities to children families. Rooms may locate in different areas of which some need for renovation.

“Small things that mattered to me”

Some key points that I would have appreciated to know beforehand. - The pools are open only from 10-18. No nighttime swimming. - They would only give out one key per room. Even after a request no more keys could be provided. - During the rush hours the restaurants have difficulty to provide enough … more

Some key points that I would have appreciated to know beforehand. - The pools are open only from 10-18. No nighttime swimming. - They would only give out one key per room. Even after a request no more keys could be provided. - During the rush hours the restaurants have difficulty to provide enough plates. - The food is not warm enough in the restaurants - All inclusive beer and wine is only from tap and not that great. They do not not taste that good and the beer appears to be almost non-alcoholic. - Yes, there are things like billiards and so on, but those are not inlcuded in the all-inclusive. Coins are needed for the activities in the playarea. - Small things do not matter: Yes, there is a basketball field. The basketball has a backing board but no hoop (the ring) at all. Kids playground is there, but my kids did not want to play there because even they felt that it was dangerous. Yes there is some air source heat pump, but all it does it makes some noise. Yes there is free wifi, but it does not reach nearly all the areas in the hotel. There are TVs in the room, but they are not able to connect to any tv-channels. Finally: The staff seem to be doing their very best. I did get good advice on things not even related to their work. Maybe it was the end of the season, but do not expect to get a single smile from them. I did not need a smile, but when getting that from somewhere else locally, I realised how powerfull a smile can be.

less