Apollo Beach

Apollo Beach is a four-star seaside hotel for divers who want the water close, a proper meal within reach, and enough on site to fill the hours between dives without turning the holiday into a logistics exercise. Two buildings sit among gardens and trees, with the beach directly in front and Faliraki close enough for an evening wander when you fancy a change of scenery.

You will be understood easily here. The hotel team speaks English, German, French and Greek, while the management works in English. That matters when you are arranging an early breakfast, discussing a room request or trying to explain that the wet towel is not, in fact, a table decoration.

The property was renovated in 2023 and has the practical shape of a large resort: restaurants, a pool, a spa, a fitness centre, evening entertainment and a minimarket all sit within the same address. Couples and families can both fit the setting, but the direct beach access and half-board arrangement make it particularly straightforward for a week built around the sea.

You are in Faliraki, on the east coast of Rhodes, with no road between the hotel and the beach. The hotel fronts a 200-metre stretch of golden sand with loungers, parasols and a beach bar, so getting from your room to the shoreline does not require footwear, planning or a heroic relationship with local traffic.

Faliraki village centre is about 0.25 miles away. That puts bars and cafés close enough for a short stroll, while the hotel itself keeps you beside the sea. Other beaches are within easy reach by car: Katafygio Beach is about 0.5 miles away, Kathara Beach about 0.75 miles, and Anthony Quinn Beach about 2.5 miles.

Rhodes International Airport is around 9 miles away, with a journey of about 16 minutes by car. Rhodes town is about 9 miles from the hotel, and public buses provide access to the town. Afandou Golf Course is about 3 miles away if somebody in your party insists on spending a perfectly good holiday above the water.

The room choice is fairly easy to read once you stop looking at the names and start thinking about your day. A single room suits a solo diver who wants a compact base, while the Twin Room with Side Sea View is the more useful choice for a couple or a small group: two single beds and a sofa bed give you more flexibility than a room designed strictly for two.

Balconies, views, air conditioning and private bathrooms make the rooms practical rather than fussy. Garden views are available, while the side-sea-view option gives you a better chance of seeing the Aegean without leaving your room. After a long day in the water, air conditioning is the feature you will notice first; the refrigerator and electric kettle then take care of cold drinks and the first cup of something hot.

The rooms also have a wardrobe, extra-long beds, a flat-screen TV, free WiFi and a desk. Daily housekeeping keeps the routine simple, and a lift serves the upper floors. If you are travelling with children, cots and extra beds can be requested, with the final arrangement depending on the room selected.

Half-board gives you a clear daily rhythm: breakfast and dinner are covered, while lunch can happen at the hotel or on the beach. Breakfast is a buffet served from 7am, early enough to work with a dive morning rather than forcing you to choose between food and the first boat. Packed lunches are also available for days spent exploring the island.

Poseidon handles breakfast, lunch and dinner on its terrace, with Mediterranean cooking and fresh local market produce. Neptune is the beach restaurant, serving seafood for lunch and dinner directly beside the sand. Both keep things casual, which is welcome when your hair is still arguing with the salt and your appetite has developed its own navigation system.

Aphrodite is the pool bar, with cocktails beside the water. There is also a bar and a snack bar at the hotel, with continuous snacking available, plus room service during limited hours from 11am to 10pm. Vegetarian and gluten-free options are available, and the hotel can prepare special-diet menus. For a quieter meal, the beach setting at Neptune is the natural choice; for the broadest choice, Poseidon is the workhorse.

The main pool is outdoors and has a swim-up bar, so it gives you an alternative to the beach when you want shade, a shorter walk back to the room, or simply a different patch of water. Sun loungers, beach chairs and pool or beach towels keep the afternoon uncomplicated, while the gardens and terraces provide somewhere to sit when lying flat has lost its appeal.

Aphrodite Spa covers 150 square metres and offers massages, facial treatments, a hammam and a sauna. That is the part of the hotel designed for the day when your shoulders have had enough of carrying cylinders and would prefer a less technical form of pressure. Yoga, aquagym and a fitness centre are also available if you still have energy to spend.

Away from the pool and spa, you can rent bicycles, play table tennis or darts, and join evening entertainment, live music, themed evenings and shows. Kayaking, paddleboarding, snorkelling, jet skiing and boat excursions give you ways to stay on the water without calling it a dive. The hotel can also arrange excursions to Lindos and the Valley of the Butterflies, while Rhodes town and its historic sights make a sensible non-diving day out.

The hotel is easy to reach by car or taxi from Rhodes International Airport, around 9 miles away. An airport shuttle is available and can be arranged with the hotel. Car hire is also available, and free private parking is provided on site without a reservation, which is useful if you plan to reach beaches or inland sights under your own steam.

Plan your arrival for check-in from 3pm and your departure by 11am. You will need photo identification and a payment card at check-in, and the hotel asks you to share your expected arrival time. Luggage storage, lockers, a 24-hour reception and express check-in and check-out help if your flight and room timing refuse to cooperate.

Free WiFi covers the hotel, and laundry and ironing services are available. A minimarket, souvenir shop and clothing shop are on site, while a concierge, doctor on request and safety deposit box cover the less glamorous but occasionally useful parts of travel. The property has lift access and accessible rooms. Pets are not allowed.

The hotel uses solar panels and renewable energy as part of its environmental approach. Waste sorting is also in place, giving the resort a practical way to reduce what it sends away rather than treating sustainability as a slogan on a wall.

For you, the useful point is simple: the property combines its seaside operation with measures aimed at reducing energy use and sorting waste. There is no need to turn the holiday into an environmental seminar; you can get on with the important business of looking after your kit and finding the next swim.