Mitsis Petit Palais Beach Hotel

Inspired by its historic setting near the center of Rhodes, the seven-story Mitsis Petit Palais hotel is traditionally decorated. The bright and pleasant lobby has marble tile floors and white sofas on which guests lounge throughout the day in between beach and tourist excursions, chatting and watching the flat-screen TV. Arched windows -- decorated with white curtains -- provide a lot of natural light, making the room feel bright despite low-hanging ceilings. There’s a small rental car service desk in the lobby as well, and the bar opens off the main lobby area, giving the whole space a convivial feel at all hours. The hotel is especially popular with couples, families with older couples, and tourists on European tour operator packages.

The pool area -- geared more toward couples than families -- is small and well-kept, with a tile deck, separate sunbathing deck, bright blue lounge chairs, and yellow umbrellas. There's also small circular kids' pool. A surrounding wall has stylish recessed arched designs. The pool area rarely gets busy, but offers a relaxed alternative to the nearby beach.

The Mitsis Petit Palais hotel is on the northern tip of the island of Rhodes, in the heart of Rhodes town. Historic sites, the beach, restaurants and shopping are all in easy walking distance. It’s 20 minutes on foot to the Archaeological Museum or an eight-minute walk to the aquarium. The Grand Master of Knights Palace is 16 minutes on foot. The hotel is on a narrow, busy street, with a lot of tourist traffic and souvenir vendors across the street. Tour and ticket reservations are available in the lobby. The airport is a 23-minute drive. Boat trips are available to Lindos, an hour and five minutes away by car.

The traditional and spacious rooms at Mitsis Petit Palais have tile floors, light wood furniture, and basic furnishings. Gray curtains cover wooden patio doors that lead onto balconies; views from most rooms are of the historic cityscape, with some balconies offering slivers of sea views. Rooms include mini-fridges, old tube TVs, and safes (for a fee). Bathrooms are standard, with marble accents and modern fixtures. Some guests have complained, however, of smelling cleaning chemicals in rooms, and others find the beds old and uncomfortable.

The hotel offers casual dining in a traditionally furnished buffet restaurant with white tablecloths, light wood furniture, large windows, and low-hanging ceilings; there are both all-inclusive and half-board rate options. The restaurant serves international cuisine, including Greek, American, and wood-oven pizza; guests who stay for an extended period time may find the food lacking variety. The lobby bar is classically furnished with tufted black leather chairs and checkered tile floors. On some nights, the hotel offers evening entertainment, including a Greek night. On the nearby beach, the hotel offers water sports rentals -- pedal boats, parasailing, windsurfing and more -- for additional fees. As previously mentioned, there are both adult and kids' pools on-site, as well as a sunbathing area. There's free Wi-Fi in the lobby, though some guests complain of its reliability, and a 24-hour front desk. There's also a laundry service.