Gourniati Area, Gourniatis, Kos Town, Greece | (888) 223-0708
Lovely luxury property with a private beach lined by loungers
Attractive rooms have flat-screen TVs, minibars, and kettles
All rooms have furnished outdoor spaces -- many with sea views
Large marble bathrooms have showers and separate tubs
Sleek outdoor pool, plus some rooms have shared or private pools
A la carte restaurant has great lunches and a dinner menu
Water sports, two tennis courts, and kids' playground available
Public bus just outside doors takes guests from the resort into town
Spa and fitness center offering exercise and treatment options
Free on-site parking
Interiors, especially the lobby and rooms, could be more stylish
Buffet restaurant seems to focus more on quantity than quality
Wi-Fi isn't the most reliable, but it's free
Helona Resort is extremely close to being a five-pearl property, though two main issues hold it back a touch: rooms could be far more stylish, and the food in the main buffet-style restaurant isn't up to luxury quality. However, the many good points include striking modern architecture, rooms with shared and private pools, elegant spa, and a variety of water sports. A public bus stops just outside the hotel, and can take guests into the resort town of Kardamena Village, where there are loads more restaurants and nightlife. The 238 rooms all have kettles, minibars, furnished outdoor spaces, and sleek bathrooms with showers and separate tubs. Those looking for a more family-geared resort should consider Mitsis Summer Palace, which has waterslides and an animation team.
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Scene
Modern architecture makes for a sophisticated exterior, though interiors aren't up to luxury standards
The stark, clean lines of modern Aegean architecture can take your breath away, and the cubic forms of Helona Resort don't disappoint. The property's design pulls on ancient Greek and Italian influences too, from the Italianate colors to the domes meant to invoke the palace of Knossos. Grounds across the property are well-maintained. Inside, however, dark wood, sponge-effect peach walls, and splashes of dark turquoise are beginning to look a bit outdated. Still, the overall effect is sleek and elegant, and widespread sea views are gorgeous. A lot of guests come via Mark Warner tours (Mark Warner also owns the waterfront center at the property), many of whom are German. Though a mini-club and family rooms are available, the property is best suited to couples looking for a quiet spot.
Location
Secluded setting, but with public bus access into Kardamena Village
Helona Resort is located on a hill overlooking the beach. It's just outside of Kardamena Village, a resort town, which can be a pro for those seeking a retreat, or a con for others looking to take more convenient advantage of restaurants and nightlife. Either way, a public bus takes guests into town from a stop two minutes from the hotel's front doors. Kos Town is about 35 minutes away by taxi. One of Helona's main advantages is that its private beach is just a three-minute walk away from the doors; otherwise, there's not much to do in the immediate surroundings. Kos International Airport is 12 minutes away by taxi.
Rooms
Rooms aren't the most stylish, but some have shared or private pools.
The property's rooms are spacious, especially compared to other resorts in the area, with walls in a light terra cotta (almost peach) and white and blue accents against dark grays and browns. It's a bit of a jumble in terms of color, but lines are modern and the rooms are clean. Some deluxe and superior rooms come with shared pools (a nice upgrade that's worth the money), while king suites and two-story villas both come with large private pools. Family Rooms have two sofa beds. All rooms come with furnished outdoor spaces, and a majority overlook the sea. Spacious marble bathrooms have shower stalls and separate tubs, plus quality toiletries and hairdryers.
Flat-screen TVs are in each room, but most channels are Greek or German (CNN and Sky News are available in English). The rooms are air-conditioned and come with tea- and coffee-making facilities and minibars, though only one bottle of water is included for free each stay. Rooms are cleaned daily, and housekeeping swaps out the pool and beach towels each time.
Features
The beach is the gem of the property, but food and drinks could be better.
The hotel has a long, well-kept, sandy private beach with free loungers and umbrellas spaced out. Among its 21 total infinity pools, some of which are interlinked, shared, or private, there's a huge main infinity pool close to the beach. However, pools aren't heated, which means that going late in the season (the hotel is open until November) might cause some goosebumps. Water sports are a big draw at the property as well; a center owned by Mark Warner tours has plenty of sailing and surfing equipment, as well as coaches. There are also two tennis courts and a kids' club on-site.
Bars on-site are all relatively quiet, as they skew pretty expensive, and drinks aren't included in boarding options. It's a shame, because the lobby bar, with its floor-to-ceiling windows looking out to the pools, is a lovely spot for a cocktail. There's another bar by the pool and one closer to the beach that offers sandwiches and salads, which are basic but good. Both breakfast and dinner buffets at Helona Restaurant are varied, with plenty of options for vegetarians and vegans, as well as occasional theme nights. Generally, the food is fine, though not up to luxury standards -- it feels more about efficiency versus quality, and sometimes one has to line up for a dinner table. Additionally, there are issues at Helona with food not being kept warm enough. There's also an a la carte restaurant, Thalassa, by the pool, which does excellent light lunches and a la carte dinners in the evenings.
For pampering, a sauna, hammam, adult-only indoor heated pool (small but nice), and a hair salon are all available. Spa treatments, like facials and massages, are well-reviewed, though pricey. The fitness center in the spa area is clean and well-maintained, though equipment could use an upgrade. There's a mini-market on site, too, where guests can replace their bottled water and purchase forgotten sunscreen.
Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the property, though it's not the most reliable. Free parking is available on-site.