Atrium Palace Thalasso Spa Resort & Villas

The Atrium Palace Thalasso Spa Resort & Villas is a palatial Greek beach hotel, with a sprawling lagoon pool area, lush gardens throughout, and a beach in short walking distance. Hallways have marble floors and are lined with Greek paintings, sculptures, and arches. The bright lobby's arched windows overlook the gardens and geometric skylights dot the ceiling. Glass elevators also look out on the green landscape and ponds. The decor seems inspired by the ruins in the town of Rhodes, including a medieval suit of armor in the lobby. Some furnishings, however, feel a bit less grandiose and more dated, including the lobby's beige and blue sofas.

The expansive outdoor pool area is the center of life at the hotel, and the rattan umbrellas and beige loungers lining the pool deck host a rotating cast of European couples, friends, and some families, all looking to relax and soak up the sun, rather than party. The spa is also a big draw, with its several indoor pools. A paved pathway, flanked by lawns and flowers, leads to the shingle beach -- another major draw for relaxing guests -- where there are wooden walkways, white lounge chairs, rattan umbrellas, a changing room and a towel vendor stand.

The Atrium Palace Thalasso Spa Resort is located a five-minute walk (along a private footpath) from the beach in Kalathos village, a beach town on the outskirts of Lindos. Lindos, on the southeastern side of the island of Rhodes, is a nine-minute drive away and is home to sights such as the acropolis of Lindos. There is a bus stop directly outside the hotel where you can catch a bus to Rhodes -- home to the Ancient Olympic Stadium and the Palace of the Grand Master of Knights. Rhodes is a little under an hour away from the hotel. The airport is 56 minutes by car. Kiotari beach, known for its windsurfing, is a 22-minute drive away.

When compared to the more grandiose lobby, rooms and villas at the Atrium Palace Thalasso Spa Resort & Villas are more traditionally decorated, with dark-wood furniture, floral bedspreads, wood floors, and flowers painted on the ceilings. The overall look is charming if not as luxurious as some may expect given the resort's advertised five-star rating. Bottled water and fruit are nice welcoming touches. Balconies or terraces offer sea, garden, or pool views; the higher the room category, the better the view. Villas have heated pools, furnished terraces, and bathrooms with bidets and whirlpool tubs. All rooms -- Doubles and Suites -- offer tea kettles, Wi-Fi (for a fee), bathrobes, slippers , minibars, and modern bathrooms. Villas have DVD players, digital safes, and whirlpool tubs. Presidential Villas have gardens, veranda hot tubs, two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and dining areas. Most booking packages include free breakfast, and tour operators can provide all-inclusive packages.

The Atrium Palace Thalasso Spa Resort & Villas' crowning glory is its pool complex, which includes six lagoon pools, bridges, a grotto area, waterfalls, islands and lawns that line some pool edges. Indoors is a heated pool with a lovely skylight ceiling and a hot tub. There's also a private stretch of beach accessed via a private pathway. Three different restaurants offer casual and romantic dining at the resort: The elegant Asterias restaurant overlooks the beach, the Poseidon restaurant offers casual poolside dining, and the Symposium has a more family-focused atmosphere with its buffet and terraces. The Cavaliere Piano Bar offers live entertainment most nights, and there are two swim-up pool bars, as well as a beach bar with snacks.

The extensive spa has nine treatment rooms, two saunas, two hammams, three hydrobaths, a salon, and a solarium. A skylight and large windows provides natural light at the saltwater pool and the small heated pool. The gym has wooden floors, modern equipment and a water cooler. It's worth noting that Wi-Fi is only free in common areas.