TUI Sensimar Lindos Bay Resort & Spa

The hotel’s open C-shaped building design makes picturesque sea views visible from most of the resort, which tends to draw couples on holiday. A circular driveway surrounding a green lawn gives way to a luxe marble entranceway with potted plants. Interior decor is chic, modern, and beach-appropriate, with earth tones dominating the airy lobby and common areas. Hip accents, like oversized lamps and a movie studio light, lend style. A wooden staircase with blue railings leads to the rooms, where hallways are standard -- aside from a lovely spiral staircase. Direct access to a private shingle beach -- where there are umbrellas, blue lounge chairs, a shower, and a changing room -- is available via wood walkways. Outdoor pools are located right off the beach. A kiddy pool has stylish white cushioned lounge chairs and umbrellas. A DJ is often set up at the main pool to provide music, which some complain can be loud.

The Vlycha beach -- seen from most of the hotel’s common areas -- is just footsteps away. Beautiful views are also available from the Acropolis of Lindos, which is an eight-minute drive away. The medieval town of Rhodes, a World Heritage city, is about 45 minutes away by car; the city is packed with restaurants, bars, shopping, and medieval ruins such as the Ancient Olympic Stadium and Grand Master of Knights Palace. A drive to the airport takes an hour, and it's about a 35-minute drive to the Afandou Golf Club. Guests can rent cars at the resort for easier access to regional sights.

Guests can choose from Superior Double Rooms with mountain or sea views, and Suites with sea views -- all have balconies. Decor is a relaxed and coast-appropriate, with green- and blue-striped bedding and curtains, slouchy beige couches, and paintings of ocean scenery. Air-conditioning, a bottle of water, and bathrobes are included in all rooms, but guests must pay extra for Wi-Fi and safes. Rooms have either tube-style or flat-screen TVs. Suites include a free spa treatment, Ostrako restaurant discount, and separate sitting areas with flat-screen TVs. Bathrooms have shower/tub combos, high-end toiletries, modern fixtures, and bright lighting. Hibiscus flowers are a nice touch.

Much like the rest of the hotel, the restaurants and bars share picturesque views of the Aegean sea. Half-board rates include buffet-style breakfast and dinner at the main restaurant, Almyra, a spacious setting with royal blue chairs. The Ostrako restaurant’s romantic patio has white curtains and a nearby pebble pond, while the Zephyros restaurant serves lunch in an informal setting. The pool bar also overlooks the sea from a stylish patio and from cushioned benches on the sand. There are also a lobby bar with modern orange and blue decor, and a casual gelateria facing the pool area. The main pool is utilized for laps and aerobics classes hosted by the hotel staff. The indoor pool -- with lounge chairs on a wooden deck -- is flooded with natural light from floor-to-ceiling windows. The spa (complete with sauna, hammam, treatment rooms, and salon) has a hot tub with large windows facing a stylish terrace, which has a pebble pond and two chic canopy chairs.