Aqua Blu Boutique Hotel + Spa — Hotel in Municipality of Kos

We just finished our 3 night stay at Aqua Blu. My review has 2 parts, the good and the bad. I’ll start with the good:

We arrived at the hotel very early around 9am- we were taken out to the pool area and given a fresh iced tea which was delicious. The check in process was quick and easy and they gave us our room right away (most hotels would charge extra for a super early check in). I had noted when making our reservation that we were celebrating an engagement and when we entered the room we had a trail of flowers , fruit and wine waiting for us. This was very thoughtful and nice. The staff are very friendly and the waitress Alexandra is amazing. She remembered what I had the day before and offered it again , constantly refilled my fresh OJ and was just all around a great server. The pool beds are super comfortable and the towels were brought out relatively quickly. We only went to the beach for 5 minutes because it was way too windy but it looked like a good setup there as well. They left us notes daily which were super cute and also gave us an olive oil souvenir. When we left early did the airport they had a bag of snacks and water ready for us.

Now the bad:

Rooms: We had ants in our room when we arrived but I managed to kill them all quickly. The room is very basic and not all that impressive for a 5 star. There’s no view, the shower leaks because of the tiny glass blocking half of it and the bed (which I thought was comfortable at first) wasn’t great. I actually woke up sore!?! We came back to our room at 1pm the second day and nothing had been made up yet. The 3rd day we woke up and there were ants EVERYWHERE. I called to the front desk 3x and nobody answered so finally I went down to tell the girl at reception (annoying). She asked if we wanted housekeeping...? No I’d like an exterminator to come and get rid of them, but I guess that’s not an option. Housekeeping came after 15 minutes , sprayed the floor and went to leave so I said that’s it? And she said yes... so I was left with dead ants all over my floor. Great. P.s definitely don’t get the rooms with private pool- it’s not private at all. The main pool is nice enough that it’s not worth the extra money whatsoever.

Breakfast: The food is very basic, not that tasty and definitely not of quality of a 5 star hotel. The OJ was great but aside from that I was not impressed at all and if it wasn’t included I would never pay 15 euros for it.

Pool: nothing bad to say aside from the fact that they don’t have water coolers anywhere. I asked the waitress for water and it was 4 euros. The next day I walked across the st to the market and bought 2 bottles myself for 1.50 euro. Every high end hotel I’ve ever stayed at offers free water and considering how cheap it is, it’s really a big disappointment that they didn’t offer it. We also kept getting random whifs of sewage throughout the day...not very pleasant. Also Joanna should smile more, she walks around all day looking bored and miserable.

Location: there’s nothing nearby and the pool is on the side of a busy highway. You’d think they would try and do something to the surrounding landscaping however the only thing to look at is an ugly grass field, cows and an army base. The town is a 30+- walk. They don’t even offer complimentary bicycles to get into town (another expected service of a 5 star hotel.

They offered a hotel transfer for 55 euros or so from the airport - but you can easily find a taxi yourself when exiting for 37 euro (we saw someone who booked the transfer and they sent them in a taxi anyway).

Overall I wouldn’t consider this to be a 5 star luxury hotel. While the service was good and everyone was super friendly it’s lacking in design, taste, location and amenities. Based off the location alone I...

Bottom line: definitely would not come back to or recommend this location, even though the hotel is nice.

To elaborate:

The hotel itself sits on a busy, noisy road, not on the beach, which is a major major disadvantage since the pool area is not peaceful. The beach itself is also unappealing - painful pebbles, murky water with sea weed, wavy and very windy. The sea looks nice from a distance but the passing buses and trucks obscure it. To my great dismay there was also a smell of sewage around the pool, that came and went inexplicably(?!). the whole beachfront experience is dissatisfying to say the least. The hotel is very far from Kos town and doesn’t offer free transportation to town (not even free bikes, which would be nice). Though the town is hardly an attraction and dining outside of the hotel proved below par. Aside from location, there are also cons to the hotel itself: The “pool experience suit” is a disappointing experience since the private plunge pool offers no privacy, no shade and no view, and costs significantly more than a regular room. Also, if you want to get to your sun bed you have to walk on a sort of balance beam between the pools, which is very awkward (or you can try to waddle though the pool with your dry towels overhead maybe?). The open-space bathroom design is also a blunder in my opinion. The bed was uncomfortable (firm in an unsupportive way) and I had real trouble sleeping.

Cleaning could be improved- there were visible stains on towels, bed headboard and particularly on the sun beds, which were clearly dirty. There was also a dirty dish in the hallway for many hours, even after turn-down service was there. Also - there is no pool staff to help with cleaning and moving the sun beds, opening parasols etc… Wi-Fi by the pool was weak and could be improved. Lastly - 18€ for a dessert on the dinner menu!? Really?!

The pros: The hotel itself is stunningly beautiful, especially at sunset when the lighting is so romantic. The shared pool is lovely. The breakfast doesn’t offer a very large variety but every single item is perfect, top-notch quality. Delicious. The service is very good and helpful. We appreciated the help with early check-in and late check-out - they were very accommodating even in high season. The absolute highlight of our trip was a live performance the hotel offered in the pool-cafe at dinner time, by two stunningly talented female musicians. What a delight!

I will admit that Kos island as a whole did not compare well with other islands I’ve been to. So some of the issues aren’t specific to this hotel. The trip we took to Nisyros was also disappointing. Also, I did book the pool suit out of sheer necessity since it was the only room left in Kos Island in the middle of August. So my fault for...

EDIT: We didn't touch anything from the minibar, not even the water, and the cameras will confirm that. Despite emailing the hotel, I haven't received a response. It seems they're happy to offer a complimentary olive oil gift, but then they unfairly charge for items we didn't consume. Honesty is paramount to me, and I simply cannot stand for such injustice. Frankly, they can keep the money; their approach speaks volumes about their ethics.

EDIT 2: We had a couples massage, and my husband said the massage therapist focused on his muscles and relaxed them. If the experience is different even though it's the same massage, it's probably a problem with the massage therapist.

The hotel reviews set my expectations high, but unfortunately, they weren't entirely met. My partner and I were quite burned out from our wedding planning, and it felt like some of the staff took my low mood personally. Elias, however, was an absolute gem—so kind, always smiling, and truly professional.

Overall, the hotel itself was pleasant, but the SPA was a complete disappointment. Rubbing oil into my skin without any focus on muscle work isn't what I'd call a massage. The therapist seemed incredibly novice. If you're not employing skilled professionals, you shouldn't be charging €90 for a service.

We attended the barbeque night on Monday, which was lovely and enjoyable until I saw the bill: €7.5 for water! This wasn't a fine-dining experience; it was a casual event that already cost €50. While I understand drinks aren't always included, water should be a basic courtesy.

After breakfast one day, I asked a cleaning lady for our complimentary water to make coffee, which she kindly provided. However, after she cleaned our room, she left another bottle of water, and we were then charged €4.5 for it. If you're going to charge for it, why leave it when nobody asked for it? This kind of practice just doesn't happen in Turkey. Had I seen this charge on the bill at reception, I would have absolutely refused to pay it.

The island itself was okay, but I honestly wouldn't recommend it. Water, in particular, is shockingly expensive, even at the supermarket. I consistently paid €1 for a 500ml bottle, and the cheapest 1.5-liter bottle I found was €1.2. Greek water is both expensive and tasteless, and I felt dehydrated throughout my visit. Returning to Bodrum made me so happy. To my Turkish friends, seriously, reconsider visiting this island—everything...