Rhodes has always been a grand dame of the tourist circuit in Greece, but Elissa Rhodes, a new eco-chic resort, is bringing a fresh outlook to the island.
Resting on the northeast coast overlooking the Aegean Sea, Elissa is Rhodes’ answer to an oceanside retreat for adults. Think sunset yoga, wine tasting, twilight cinema and Greek-inspired breakfasts served with a Bridgerton-style soundtrack.
The Vibe
With 332 rooms, suites and water bungalows, Elissa is large, but its clever use of secluded spaces and mini pools creates more of a boutique hotel feeling with pockets of escapism. Located on the island’s Kallithea beachfront, Elissa has made the ocean the star attraction at every turn. Framing the coastal blue views, sweeping arches are on repeat, reminiscent of Rhodes’ medieval Street of the Knights.
Inspired by its beachy landscape, the hotel’s colour palette of muted earthy tones and warm woods are punctuated with giant banana leaf plants and palms that make for a cool and calming aesthetic. The glistening freshwater pools – all 15 of them – add to the serenity.
By night, there’s a live DJ playing chilled beats at Siana, the impressive al fresco lobby bar, or you can take your cocktails along to an outdoor cinema screening to catch a classic movie under the stars. We settled into marshmallow-like beanbag loungers to watch Breakfast at Tiffany’s, complete with martinis and the sound of crickets chirping during dramatic pauses.
The Rooms
The hotel’s contemporary eco-chic design continues into bedrooms, with calming sandy tones, cool stone floors and contrasting wood accents. There are four room types: Deluxe, Junior Suites, Open Plan Suites and Water Bungalows and each comes with a private outdoor space, whether it’s a garden veranda or sea view terrace.
If you want one of those 15 freshwater pools a few flip-flop steps away, book a Deluxe Room Pool View or Junior Suite Pool View, which come with a serene shared pool ideal for pre-breakfast lengths. Honeymooners or small group? For the ultimate in seclusion, the gated water bungalows feel more like a VIP private island; each 65 square metre room comes with its own pool and a spacious outdoor terrace (unobstructed views of the Aegean as standard).
The Food + Drink
Most restaurants here take inspiration from Greek cuisine, and add their own unique spin. At Kavos (fresh fish and seafood) and Fourni (meat and seafood grill), the menus are taken up a notch by Michelin star chef and Greek restauranter Alexandros Tsiotinis. Pre-warning: don’t fill up on the extremely moreish tzatziki and taramasalata appetisers and bread if you want to leave room for mains.
Breakfast takes place at Fanes, or gets a serious glow-up with the Breakfast Stories concept curated by chef Tsiotinis at Masari. Elevate your eggs with à la carte dishes inspired by Greek traditions – think traditional kagianas (scrambled eggs with tomato), or froutalia (Greek omelette) served with a Bridgerton-style soundtrack thanks to the live string musician of the day. By night, dine at Masari for sashimi, nigiri and special rolls that look like miniature works of art topped with edible fresh flowers.
Wine connoisseurs should schedule in a sip (or six) at Kelari wine cellar to experience wine tasting paired with local cheeses and fresh fruit. You can almost get lost in this beautiful corridor-style cellar space featuring more than 250 Greek and international wine labels.
The Little Extras
Each room is equipped with a handy hessian beach bag and fluffy pool towels, so you can hop around your preferred outdoor sun station with ease. There’s also an on-site boutique store, and Elissa has partnered with Greek sommelier Nikolas Giannopoulos to curate wine lists for each restaurant, in addition to the palette pleaser experiences at Kelari.
The To-Do List
Pool hopping? Positively encouraged at Elissa. But if relaxation isn’t high on your agenda, there are two outdoor tennis courts where you can serve with a view overlooking the Aegean Sea, or book in for coaching sessions by Sunball. The spacious hotel gym is curated with Scandi-style wooden equipment, like the NOHRD WaterRower, Sling suspension and WaterGrinder arm bike.
Elevate sightseeing road trips through Rhodes with your own Thelma and Louise moment: guests staying in one of the luxury water bunglalows enjoy complimentary access to convertible cars so you can cruise around the island in style. Headscarf optional. The medieval old town is only six kilometres away and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site; it’s easy to spend a few hours wandering its cobblestone streets, taking in Gothic and Renaissance architecture, stopping for Greek coffee as you go.
All images: Elissa Resort, Rhodes
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