24 Best Hotels in Rhodes and the Dodecanese, Greece

With a perch right on the beach at the edge of the Old Town, these modernist guest rooms seem to be afloat in the Aegean, whose azure waters fill the floor-to-ceiling windows and glass-fronted balconies. Watery murals enhance the feeling, and even the luxurious bathrooms have sliding panels to keep the sea in sight as you enjoy a soak in the deep tubs. A welcoming and airy seaside restaurant and bar, H2O, is tucked between the sea and a large reflecting pool on the ground floor. Guests have access to a strip of private beach.

This venerable building was the family home of George Gennimata, a crusading Greek politician during the 1980s, and is now a three-story, 19th-century mansion on the waterfront has guest rooms furnished with a tasteful mix of antiques and newer pieces—the best, of course, are those that face the water. The hotel's lobby has a high, colorful ceiling, and the rooftop provides an enviable port view. In good weather breakfast is served on a waterside terrace that doubles as a bar in the evening.

Who says chic can't be supremely comfortable—as these truly exciting all-suite lodgings prove. Take sea views, private and shared pools, fireplaces, hardwood floors, handsome built-ins, and all sorts of other extras, wrap them up in a boutique-style resort and you have Aqua Blu. Even the location is a bit of a thrill, set away from the main town, with a nice patch of private shore on Lambi Beach and easy access to Kos Town by road or bike path. Excellent informal and formal eateries, along with poolside and beach service, make it easy to stay put, as does the in-house spa. This bit of paradise is a cut above the other noisy resorts in this corner of the island, though one reason for this is that it's for adults only.

A charming, dependable standby. Plain, whitewashed rooms with dark-wood furniture are spotless, attractive, and of far better quality than most in this price range (the best open to little balconies with sea views). The genuinely warm, attentive service from owner Alex Zikas and his family far exceeds the norm. The pretty residential neighborhood is quiet at night yet an easy walk from the town beach and to many of the better restaurants away from the busy center. Breakfast is held in the open marble lobby or adjoining garden and includes an array of homemade marmalades and cakes conjured by the owner.

At this bright, cheerful perch on the hillside in Chorio, just about all the large, white-tile-floored rooms have a sea-facing balcony. Blue-painted furnishings are basic but comfortable, and the breezy decor is accented throughout with pastel fabrics. Breakfast, with yogurt and marmalade, is served in the attractive lobby lounge or on a cozy balcony.

Many guests return annually to this simple hotel to enjoy the peaceful proximity to pebble and sand beaches and the hospitality of the Kokalakis family. Guest rooms are squeaky clean and whitewashed, with ceramic tile floors and balconies, and six have kitchenettes. The hotel is within walking distance of Kamari's strip of restaurants and cafés as well as old Kefalos village on the hillside.

Skala's best in-town option places you in the center of the action, steps from the municipal beach yet removed from the harbor noise and offers simple but comfortable guest rooms that surround a bougainvillea-filled garden. Rooms, done in blond wood and soothing blues, all open to balconies with a view of the pool and sea, the mountains, or hillside Chora.

Sea views seem to fill every inch of this small, sun-drenched, adults-only resort, where many of the stylishly contemporary guest rooms and suites have their own pools tucked onto terraces. A beach and the village of Lindos are nearby, but a spa, two gorgeous infinity pools surrounded by shady lounge areas, and other resort amenities make staying put a luxurious necessity.

Entering this renovated 15th-century Ottoman mansion in the maze of the Old Town's colorful Turkish section is like stepping into another world. Individually styled guest rooms come with furnishings often dating back hundereds of years, and are painted in deep-hued warm colors, with Oriental rugs and rare Eastern antiques (including large beds draped with translucent canopies) and surround lush gardens. Floors are rich tile and pitch-pine; embroidered cushions beckon from low sofas; and the scent of orange blossoms fills the air. One room was even a former harem, dating back to when this was under the ownership of a prominent Ottoman official. The clientele tends to be older here, and constant: a steady stream of Italian tourists return time and again, so book far in advance.

These simple, whitewashed lodgings with bright accents are sparkling clean and surround a flowery courtyard far from the noisy tourist tracks in the northern parts of the Old Town. A new inner garden has been built recently, with a pair of rooms that have their own direct access. The hospitable owner/manager, Manos, and his family are on hand to serve a delicious breakfast (€7.20 extra) on a bright terrace and offer tips on enjoying the town and island. Conveniently, the port, bus station, shopping, and sights are all within an easy walk.

Overlooking Lindos Bay and set at the foot of the Acropolis, this quiet, cultured hotel has been built in the style of the old captains's houses found in the village. Each room is furnished for 17th-century Lindian elegance, including raised beds, hand-carved cedar woodwork, Turkish tiles, and wall tapestries. The property’s intricate stone mosaic floors, elaborately tented seating areas and colorful tiled fountains are bathed by romantic lamplight come evening. Rooms open to decorated terraces and stepped lanes lead to a pristine local beach. Staff meet guests in the town square to transfer luggage through the village’s narrow streets, and can arrange trips such as boat rides to spot dolphins, or cruises to the island of Halki. Lastly, there is an excellent shop here which sells decorative items that its magpie owner, Michalis, has uncovered on his travels.

A small fishing village, about a mile from Yialos is the setting for a get-away-from-it-all retreat in pleasant colorful apartments surrounded by gardens. Rooms with lounges, kitchenettes, and balconies surround a newly refurbished communal terrace where drinks and meals are served as chillout music plays on repeat. Nearby is the only restaurant in the village, a pleasant taverna that serves at tables right on the beach. Minibuses head to Yialos every couple of hours for guests.

One of Greece's truly special retreats sits high above Grikos Bay, south of Skala, and provides a luxurious yet informal getaway, with large and sumptuous guest quarters, delightful outdoor lounges, a welcoming pool, and soothing sea views. Guest rooms are beautifully appointed with local antiques and art as well as built-in divans and other touches of a distinct island style. Most have sitting areas and large and supremely equipped baths, as well as sea-facing terraces. A lavish breakfast is served on a large veranda that doubles as lobby, dining room, and gathering spot, and where a member of the gracious Stergiou clan is usually on hand to dispense advice about enjoying the island.

It seems only fitting that Patmos should have a hotel that reflects the architectural beauty of the island while providing luxurious accommodations—and the enormous, suitelike guest rooms and a verdant garden (with a swimming pool) help it fit the bill nicely. Furnishings differ from room to room and include brass beds and reproduction Greek antiques; the lobby and breakfast rooms are also exquisitely decorated with traditional pieces. Owner Elina Scoutari, who lived in Washington, DC, for many years, is on hand to see to your needs, and a chef prepares intimate meals in the hotel's small bistro. A short walk takes you to Melloi Beach.

Nestled in a green corner of the New Town, Rhodes's most luxurious hotel is graced with welcoming common spaces, a tranquil landscaped pool area, and a wood-and-stone spa, and stunning suites. Although the standard accommodations are much like those in any business hotel, suites are large and handsomely furnished, with such luxurious touches as hot tubs and, from those on the upper floors, views of the walls and Old Town.

All the atmosphere of Rhodes's medieval Old Town is captured here at this charmingly restored 14th-century house. Guest rooms are all enlivened by centuries-old arches and mosaic floors. Suites and honeymoon rooms are especially atmospheric. Excellent service, including laundry, is provided by Sotiris and Marianne Nikolis with care. Breakfast is served on the roof terrace, which affords a view of a long stretch of the city walls, and a pleasant bar and café at the end of the garden is open all day.

A restored Ottoman house on the quiet back lanes of the Old Town is one of Rhodes's most distinctive getaway, with parts of it dating back six centuries. Fountains splash in a shady courtyard surrounded by a library, enormous rooms, and suites exquisitely decorated with a mix of antiques, latticework screens, kilims, and stylishly contemporary furnishings (the beds are supremely comfortable). History abounds in the walls of this boutique stay, with one of the larger suites accompanied by its own hammam, while another has been cleverly converted from an old chapel.