Rhodes and the Dodecanese Hotels

Except for Athens, Rhodes has more hotels per capita than anywhere else in Greece. Most of them are resort or tourist hotels, with sea views and easy access to beaches. Many old houses in Rhodes's Old Town have been converted to hotels, some modest and others quite luxurious. Mass tourist accommodations are also plentiful on Kos but, as in Rhodes, most lodging isn't especially Greek in style. Hotels on Symi are small and usually charming, since the island never encouraged the development of mammoth caravansaries. Similarly, Patmos has attractive, high-quality lodgings that tend to be both more elegant and traditional than its resort-magnet neighbors. High season can prove extremely crowded and you may have difficulty finding a room on any of these islands if you don't book well in advance. Many hotels throughout the Dodecanese are closed from November through April. Lodgings in water-poor Symi and Patmos may remind you to limit water use. Resorts rates usually include morning refreshments that resemble expanded Continental breakfast, with yogurt, fresh fruit, baked goods, and sometimes eggs.