If you like to feel special, sleep in style and get under the skin of a place, book into Zacosta, a diminutive hotel-villa-hybrid run by the ever solicitous Greek bachelor-boy John Pelidis. Named after the 15th-century Grand Master Piero Raimondo Zacosta, this six-room B&B is set near the UNESCO-classed medieval ramparts, amongst narrow, cobbled alleys in Rhodes' Old Town.
Enter into a spacious Moorish-style interior courtyard with sunloungers, cushioned benches and a large table where you can enjoy alfresco breakfasts, or one of John's barbecues in summer. A vine-shaded entrance opposite opens onto the cosy bar-cum-breakfast area, and the small but comfort-packed Giardino room is just across the hallway. Climb a narrow flight of stairs to the first floor and you’ll find the bijou Raimondo room, with its view over the courtyard below. Cross the landing and you’ll enter the more grandiose Gran Maestro suite - boasting a kingsize canopy bed, spacious salon area and candlelit Jacuzzi bath. Here, you can really spread out and settle in - though be warned, you might never want to leave. We didn't.
Highs
- Lingering over scrumptious buffet breakfasts in the tranquil courtyard
- John's flexible hospitality and helpful tips; he achieves that delicate balance of tending to your every need without ever being in the way
- Scrummy treats in the rooms, including Rhodian loukoumi (Turkish delight), beautifully boxed sponges and soaps, and lashings of Korres smellies
- Lapping up the superb location - you're an atmospheric stroll away from the Old Town’s restaurant district and nightlife along the harbour
- Tuning into obscure frequencies on the retro Tivoli Model One radios in your room
Lows
- Lack of space in the Raimondo room
- No twin rooms
- No service at night, but guests can help themselves to coffee and videos, and the bar has an honesty tick sheet
- Difficult to park nearby - call John in advance and he'll come with Zacosta's electric golf cart to assist with luggage and directions
Best time to go
If you’re keen to explore this area without the crowds, pack a brolly and come in winter when the weather’s generally warm, but occasionally rainy. Fans of animated nightlife and lively beaches will want to be here from June to September, but book well ahead to ensure a room during these frenetic months.
Our top tips
Rather than trying to see all the sights at once, aim for a couple each day and spend time relaxing in a cafe or soaking up some sun in Zacosta's courtyard. 3-4 days in Rhodes Town and 3-4 in Lindos would make a lovely week's break, combining city and beach.
- Boutique Hotel
- 6 rooms
- Breakfast (+ walk to restaurants)
- Allowed but not ideal
- Open all year
- Pool
- Spa Treatments
- Beach Nearby
- Pet Friendly
- Disabled Access
- Car not necessary
- Parking
- Restaurants Nearby
- WiFi
- Air Conditioning
- Guest Lounge
- Terrace
- Garden
- Gym
Rooms
Comfortably rustic with retro and modern touches, all six rooms have chunky, locally crafted iron beds, fitted with posturepedic luxury mattresses from top American bed company, Sealy. You also get satellite TV, high speed WiFi and sleek, iPod-compatible Model One radios made by award-winning acoustics company, Tivoli. Bathrooms are great too: roomy bathtubs, monogrammed bathrobes and Korres toiletries.
If you want to skip out of bed into the sunlit courtyard, Giardino and Aragon on the ground floor are the best bet. But if you want a tad more privacy, go for a room on the first floor. A small flight of stairs leads up to these, and the rooms face each other across a corridor decorated with an eclectic melange of mementos from John’s childhood in Zimbabwe.
With its large living area, Jacuzzi bath and canopied kingsize bed, the Gran Maestro suite is the top pick at Zacosta. It also has a double pull-out bed, so if you're travelling with older kids, this is ideal. Couples who'll spend most of their time exploring Rhodes but want a nice base will love Raimondo, with its old-fashioned beams and romantic views of Hamsa Bey mosque.
Features include:
- Bathrobes
- Hairdryer
- Safe box
- WiFi
Eating
Picture a table groaning with honey-spiced melomakarona and Greek pastries, jams made by the local women’s co-op, fruit fresh from John's garden, and rizogalo (cinnamon-dusted rice pudding) and other delights from the Turkish dairy... breakfast at Zacosta is definitely a meal to linger over. Best of all, it can be served at whatever time you like; just let John know the night before.
For other meals, most of the Old Town’s best restaurants are within easy reach, huddled around Menekleous Street and Sokratous Street. If you fancy more of a stroll, head for the restaurants along Mandraki harbour, just beyond the city walls. If you fancy a more upmarket setting, dine aboard Kontiki, a floating restaurant that has been dishing up Greek cuisine with a modern twist since 1964.
Night owls should visit the streets radiating out from Athinas square, where dozens of hole-in-the-wall clubs compete for attention in a racket of music ranging from classic to acid house to jazz.
Features include:
- Breakfast
- Honesty bar
- Restaurants nearby
Activities
- Visit the Old Town's grand Master Palace: 24 rooms jam-packed with antique furniture, sculptures, mosaics and other oriental artefacts
- Soak up stunning views as you take the vertiginous 4km walk around the city walls, built on top of the Byzantine fortifications between 1330 and 1522
- Get to grips with modern Greek art at the municipal art gallery, which showcases the country’s best 20th-Century offerings
- Soak in the Kallithea Springs, a thermal spa centre an hour from Rhodes that’s been in use since ancient times and is said to cure everything from eczema to backache
- Make like James Bond at the casino Rhodos, where 300 slot machines and 34 table games are housed in the legendary Grande Albergo delle Rose building, once host to the likes of Tito, Winston Churchill and Moshe Dayan
- Visit the stunning 10th-century Acropolis above the magical hill-top town of Lindos. This citadel was fortified successively by the Greeks, the Romans, the Byzantines, the Knights of St John and the Ottomans
- Play a few rounds at Afandou, an 18-hole golf course 30 minutes out of town
Activities on site or nearby include:
- Golf
- Historical sites
- Museums / galleries
- Nightlife
- Shopping / markets
Kids
Children are allowed - the Gran Maestro and Giardino suites have a double pull-out bed/sofabed which would be suitable for older children, but in truth parents may feel ill at ease in this small hotel where other guests will inevitably be minus kids.
For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection
Location
Zacosta is tucked away in the northwest section of the Old Town, on the island of Rhodes, which belongs to Greece's Dodecanese group.
By Air:
Fly into Rhodes Diagoras Airport (17km). There are direct flights from UK and other European countries (mostly charter). Click on the links below for details.
From the Airport
The hotel can book a taxi for you, or you can catch one of the regular buses that travel to and from the airport.
By Ferry:
From Athens, there is a daily ferry to Rhodes from Piraeus; the journey takes 12-16 hours. From other Dodecanese islands, there are regular sailings to Rhodes. There are also less regular sailings to Rhodes from Sitia on Crete, and from Bodrum and Marmaris in Turkey.
By Car:
We don't recommend hiring a car for days spent in Rhodes Old Town; but if you want to explore the island see our car rental recommendations.
Detailed directions will be sent to you when you book through i-escape.com.
More on getting to Greece and getting around
Airports:
- Rhodes Diagoras 17.0 km RHO
Other:
- Beach 1.0 km
- Shops 0.1 km
- Restaurant 0.1 km
Our guests' ratings...
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