Esmeralda Hotel

2 readers found this review helpful

My family has just returned from a very enjoyable holiday at the Esmeralda. We have a daughter of 18 and a son of 15, with some pretty diverse ideas of what a holiday should entail! We elected to take the half-board option, which proved to be a good decision for us. Our kids are sometimes difficult to please, but they did enjoy most of the food on offer.
Here's a review I hope will help.
The downside:- the hotel is on the main road Airport - Kremasti - Rhodes and there is some traffic noise. The hotel is very close to the flightpath and there is some aircraft noise. This was intrusive on the first day, from the second day on it became less noticeable, and did not adversely affect our holiday.
The upside:- We had two studios, with kitchenettes, which were spotlessly clean, and larger than we anticipated. There was a daily maid service. Air conditioning is available but will cost you 50 euro per week per studio. The bar was reasonably priced and opened out via a glass wall on to the pool area. The pool was small, but never crowded, and there were always sunbeds and umbrellas available. There's a supermarket about 150 metres away.
The bus service to Rhodes was great, and cheap, and stopped within 50 metres of the hotel. Taxis had their tariff printed, so you could check the price of your journey before setting off.
Summary:- The Esmeralda Hotel punches way above it's weight in terms of value. The Family who run the place are friendly, and the service we found to be excellent.
It's a place we will return to in the future.

2 readers found this review helpful

We have just returned from a week stay at the Esmeralda Hotel in Kremasti, Rhodes. This was our fifth time staying there and I thought it could not get any better. Dmitri and his family have revamped the entire complex, spending a significant amount of money with an absolutely fabulous result. Dmetri and his family were as attentive, friendly and professional as ever. The food was second to none (thanks to Esmeralda) and the service and facilities are all that you need on holiday. This place should be markerted at the highest level and they deserve it. I will be back before the year is out. Thanks again Dmetri and family.

We never expected too much when we booked our our stay in the Esmerelda but this accomadation (and i use the word loosely) was undescribably miserable, worst hospitality and cleanliness that my family and I have ever experienced and we consider ourselves fairly well travelled. Dimitri and his Family were far from hospitable and dont deserve the guests that cross their threshold....which I may add is on a very busy main road which both the description and idyllic pictures fail to advertise. We do grasp the 'get what you pay for' Quote but we found two weeks for the price of one would of proved an overcharge.

1 reader found this review helpful

Once again we just had the best holiday ever in the company of Dimitri and his family at the Esmeralda, as soon as I had stepped out of the taxi Dimitri had recognised me and immediately stopped what he was doing and came over to the roadside to greet myself and Jacqueline. The first drinks of the holiday were offered free of charge by Dimitri and so began our perfect week.
To our surprise Dimitri has in the last year made significant improvements to the hotel (new decor, new bathrooms, new tiling, poolside presentation etc etc) and has in turn been upgraded to 3 star (and rightly so too). We were treated to the wonderful cooking of his mother every day and were not interested in the slightest of eating anywhere else throughout our stay (it really is that good) - and we were given some things to try that were not on the menu which were cooked especially for us and other guests. One night I mentioned to Dimitri that we were not going to have a starter and fancied trying some dessert for a change - he promptly yet discretely disappeared down the road to the local bakery/choclatier shop (Mikes) and returned with some Greek cakes/chocolate/honey/nutty desserts - only later did I discover (from another guest) that he had gone out especially so we could sample some truly local Greek desserts - this guy just aims to please and is so genuine and warm.
We took the time to try and mingle this year and met some very nice couples who had been staying at this hotel for in excess of ten years and more (its not surprising and not difficult to see why they return every year). I also noticed that Dimitri has a fantastic sense of humour and you can have some great chats with him when he is not too busy and he will gladly share his knowledge of the Island and advise you on just about any subject you can imagine.
It was especially hard to leave this year and I was really cut up when we had to say goodbye on the last night - I can honestly say that I feel like a member of the family when I stay there and I would like to think I will be able to holiday at the Esmeralda every summer for the next 20 years, the reviews on this site speak for themselves.
If you want to holiday in paradise with white sandy beaches outside your apartment door and only be able to hear the sound of the waves lapping on the rocks then pay £3000 plus and go to Mexico or Bali - if you want true Greek hospitality and a laid back relaxing atmosphere at a budget bargain price then the Esmeralda is for you, to our friends we made this year we hope to see you again in years to come and thank you for making our 2007 holiday one to remember.
P.s Dimitri makes a massive 'long island ice tea' and his other cocktails are just as tasty, be sure to try them!!!!!!!!
Matthew & Jaqueline.

My wife myself and friends have been going to Rhodes for a long number of years. We have stayed at the Esmeralda many time the last being in May 2007 for two weeks.
The whole place has been recently renovated (not that it needed it) and is absolutely fabulous.
The rooms are beautiful (with a bath) and as usual exceptionally clean.
The hospitality, food, and drink is next to none.
How anyone can find fault with this place is beyond belief. Thank you Dimitres and Co for the lovely holiday.
See you in September.

Staying at Esmeralda Hotel, you are not just staying in a self catering hotel but in a genuinely, kind and considerate Greek families home and you are certainly welcomed whole heartedly!
Everybody has their own individual taste granted, but when you have glorious sunshine, home-made cuisine and the best milk shakes this side of the sun - who wants TV and the rubbish that you do leave at home.
I have stayed with the family for a long time and they will bend over backwards to help you if they can.
The rooms are basic, but sufficient- it is decorated every year by the family, it is much cleaner than most places (as an ex rep I have seen a few) in fact it is exceptionally clean and if you feel it isn’t, all you have to do is ask!
The airplanes are very daunting the first night but you DO actually get use to it the second and appreciate the breeze in the heat!
Kremasti itself is a bustling little village and is a stones throw away from the rest of the island, which really should be explored!

My husband Davie and myself have been going to Esmeralda Studio Apartments for 13 years for our summer holiday.
The hospitality is second to none and the rooms are spotlessly clean. This family run hotel is by far the best on offer in Kremasti. The family go out of their way to ensure you enjoy your stay. The food is delicious - we have tried many restaurants in Kremasti and there is nothing to beat the delicious food cooked by Esmeralda. The service is excellent and the family are the most warm hearted people I have met on holidays.
Kremasti is a lovely village and within easy traveling distance to many places of interest and surrounding islands.
If you want a holiday to remember go to Esmeralda's - the fact that we have been going all these years says it all!
Excellent.

Before going on this holiday we read some of the reviews published. After reading them we were a little apprehensive about going to the Esmeralda Hotel. We did not need to worry.
Yes the hotel is by the main road of Kremasti, but this is no problem what so ever. The owners, Dimitri, Nikolas, Esmeralda and her husband Stelios are warm, friendly and cannot do enough for you.
The hotel is spotlessly clean, the apartments are basic but very spacious (our apartment had two patio areas). The home made food is fabulous (if you’re on a diet, you'll have a problem as the portions are second to none and seriously recommend the home made Stefado) although if you have the breakfast you wont need to eat for hours later.
Esmeralda is near the airport but we did not find this a problem the noise is slight and you soon don't even notice. The pool is cleaned early morning and evening by Stelios. If you are going to Emeralda you will enjoy. We will definitely be back.
The bus service is fab and only about 15 into Rhodes Town the bus actually drops you right outside the Esmeralda apartments on the way back just like a taxi service. All I have left to say is ignore the negative reviews go and enjoy.

Having read the other reviews on this establishment I can only assume that some steps have been made to improve the place in the past year or so. We booked our holiday here as, granted, a last minute, but thought we had reached the last chance saloon!
We were shown to our "room" by someone who spoke hardly any English and I think our faces must have said it all. We know that Greece is said to be basic but clean, but there is basic and basic, and this was BASIC! the room was dull drab, the furniture rickety to say the lest and if you had the curtains open, then you could wave to the guy in the room next door who was facing you across your balcony as the rooms face each other!! How private is that?
The pilots going into the airport, also can be seen holding boards up saying "hello Mum" as they go overhead they are that low, as this "Hotel" appears to be the exact point where they throttle back as they land so the noise is deafening, very, very regularly. and I like to see planes come in and take off!
The bathroom was small, dingy and the shower curtain which was dirty and old, didn’t even come down to the floor in a very shallow tray which would have flooded the minute you tried to have a shower, and the frontage of the hotel is all pool and very small, so you could actually swim to reception if you tried, complete with your luggage! The staff were surly and unfriendly, and we frankly felt dumped by our tour operator who didn’t seem to care when we contacted them. Oh Yes we wouldn’t use them again either!
We aren't snobs, and we travel a lot, and yes we can do basic as well as 4 star, and have a great time, so we don’t think we were being overly "picky"
After depositing our luggage we then went to "explore" Kremasti, thinking we could at least enjoy that, and tried to find the road to the beach, the hotel is a very long and hot walk away from that too! And then it is all shingle. We then found the entrance to a hotel which advertised pool bar and restaurant and having asked if we could do that as none residents went in for a drink and some lunch, and found ourselves in a small but very comfortable hotel grounds with beautiful gardens, where we had lunch with lovely friendly staff and a wonderful pool area.
After eating and feeling a little better we went round to reception and asked if they could book us in there, and were told they could take us the day after and would we like to see a room. Ok the rooms weren’t the Marriott but were large airy, with lovely rooms with a beautiful sea and pool view, We snatched their hands off, despite the fact that we had to shell out for another set of accommodation, which made rather a hole in the holiday budget, that was preferable to spending the whole 10 days at The Esmeralda, and we were looked after Sadly, some people may not be in a position to be able to do that.
The hotel was a fair walk away from the centre of the village but, but had other small bars and tavernas around it, and that was a small trade off compared to spending another 9 days in that dump!
We left as early as we possibly could the following morning and were practically chased down the street by the owner, who still looked unfriendly. so would I if I had to live there!
Fortunately, Rhodes itself and the people as a whole made up for what could have been a disastrous first trip to Greece, We were made to feel so welcome everywhere else and had a wonderful time, the extra cost we incurred mean we had to hire a 250 Yamaha Virago for three days instead of a car to explore, and as bikers (Not big hairy yobby ones) here with an 1100 cc that was rather different, but we saw everything and had a ball and would go back to Rhodes tomorrow( but NOT Faliraki), AND DEFINATELY NOT to The Esmeralda! Frankly we would rather go to Cleethorpes on a moped!

I used to live and work here and it is a brilliant hotel.
The staff are fab and very helpful.
I have been coming here since 2000 and they are really welcoming.
Even though I have stayed in big posh hotels with both work and leisure I would recommend this place and village to any one who wants a proper Greek holiday.
You do get some noise from the aircraft but its not that bad.