Rhodes gets a five-star overhaul

New hotels and additional flights are set to give the Greek island of Rhodes a bumper 2009. Continuing to shed its party image and build a more luxury focused tourism; the island will have four new five star hotels opening next year.

The new hotels opening in 2009 included the eagerly awaited the Atrium Prestige Thalasso Spa Resort & Villas in Kalathos on the east coast, The Elysium Resort & Spa in Kallithea, La Marquise luxury resort complex close to Kallithea Springs and Port Royal villas & spa in Afandou.

Atrium Prestige Thalasso Spa Resort & Villas – due to open Spring 2009

The five-star Atrium Prestige is the second hotel to be opened as part of the Atrium Hotels group. It is located on Kalathos Beach in the picturesque town of Lindos providing guests with a stunning outlook over the Aegean Sea.

The hotel will comprise of 254 guests rooms varying between deluxe rooms, junior suites with private pools, family bungalows, Presidential beach villas and superior suites. There are six restaurants offering a wide choice of cuisine from Greek, gourmet, Mediterranean and a barbecue grill.

The Thalasso Spa Centre will offer a range of services including a gym, hammam and sauna, hot stone treatments, chocolate treatments as well as massages, manicures, pedicures and a hair salon.

The hotel’s leisure facilities include two outdoor and one indoor swimming pools, water slides, watersports, basketball, floodlit tennis courts and mini golf.

For more information, see Atriumprestige.gr.

The Elysium Resort & Spa – due to open April 2009

According to Greek Mythology, Elysium was an ancient paradise exclusively designated to heroes who had been granted immortality by the gods. The Elysium on the Beach Hotel cannot guarantee its guests such longevity. However the hotel does aim to recreate Homer’s view of Elysium as ‘a land of perfect happiness’.

Situated 9km from Rhodes Town on the northeast coast of the island, the five-star Elysium features a contemporary architectural design and a beachfront spanning 400 metres.

Accommodation is spread across three buildings, with all but nine of the 332 guestrooms offering views of the ocean. Rooms range from standard doubles to two Presidential suites, each of which comprise two bedrooms, a living room, dining table and kitchenette.

The hotel’s leisure facilities include three outdoor swimming pools, a state-of-the -art spa with 12 treatment rooms, fitness centre and tennis court – watersports and an 18-hole golf course are also nearby.

For more information, see Elysium.gr.

La Marquise Luxury Resort Complex – Due to open May 2009

The five-star La Marquise is located with walking distance of the restored Italian Monument – Kallithea Springs and is just 10km from Rhodes Town.

The hotel will comprise of 386 rooms ranging from guest rooms, family suites, junior suites, bungalows, villas and VIP maisonettes. There are three restaurants offering a variety of cuisine.

The hotel’s leisure facilities include an interlinking lagoon-style outdoor swimming pool, a rooftop swimming pool, a dedicated children’s pool and a heated indoor swimming pool, as well as tennis, squash, a variety of watersports and there is also a fitness suite with a personal trainer available.

The La Marquise spa is dedicated to looking after the wellbeing, relaxation and rejuvenation of its guests and has a range of treatments and therapies available. For guests looking for a little more privacy, a private spa suite is also available.

For more information visit Lamarquise.gr.

Port Royal Villas & Spa – Due to open 2009

The luxury five-star Port Royal Villas & Spa is located on the Blue Flag-awarded sand beach of Kolymbia in Afandou on the island’s east coast.

The 185 rooms include four suites with private pools and a presidential suite with private pool. The hotel also has three restaurants, three bars, two outdoor swimming pools and one indoor heated swimming pool.

For more information visit Portroyal.gr.

With the collapse of XL Airways earlier in 2008 Kiss Flights, which has been set up by Meridian Aviation UK, has taken over the routes to Rhodes from Manchester and London Gatwick. The weekly Wednesday flights operate from May 6 to October 21. They leave at 0500, allowing maximum possible time on the island. For further details about the flight timetable visit kissflights.com.

Jet2.com is also adding to its existing Newcastle route to Rhodes with weekly flights from both Manchester and Leeds Bradford. Flights from Manchester will commence on Wednesday May 20 2009 and Leeds Bradford flights will start on Wednesday May 27. Fares will be from just £68.99 per person each way, including taxes. For further details about the flight timetables and reservations visit jet2.com.

These flights add to the existing scheduled flights from easyJet giving travellers more options to access the island.

For more information about Rhodes visit Rodosisland.gr.