Hotel Review: A Stay At Cook’s Club Ialysos in Rhodes, Greece

Cook’s Club Ialysos in Rhodes, Greece, is a self-dubbed “new generation hotel”. A series of accommodations throughout the Greek and Spanish Islands, Turkey and Egypt, for grown up travelers looking for a laid back space to enjoy the sun.

Opened in May 2022, Cook’s Club Ialysos definitely delivers on the promise of an adults-only hotel in Rhodes, where the priorities are good food, pool-side cocktails and chilled music through the afternoon and into the evening.

As our first summer holiday post-pandemic, Cook’s Club Ialysos ticked all our boxes when we were looking for accommodation in Rhodes. Great pool for soaking up the sun? Yes. Within easy reach of Rhodes Town? Yes. Stylish design? Yes. 

Basically, if you’re looking for a cool hotel which oozes with a laid-back atmosphere, you won’t go wrong with Cook’s Club Ialysos.

Take A Look At Cook’s Club Ialysos

Where is Cook’s Club Ialysos?

Located in Ialysos and next to the village of Kremasti, Cook’s Club Ialyssos is only 15 minutes from Rhodes Airport. The hotel is also less than 20 minutes via bus to Rhodes Town, 50 minutes by car to Lindos, and 30 minutes by car to Anthony Quinn Bay.

Location of Cook’s Club Ialysos

Situated on a quiet street off the main road to Rhodes Town, Cook’s Club Ialysos isn’t surrounded by other big hotels so you’ll feel like you’re away from the crowds. Lively resorts still within easy reach of Kremasti and Ialysos (both walking distance with Kremasti 10 minutes from the hotel and Ialysos around 20 minutes) Rhodes Town is also a 20 minute bus ride and costs €2.50 each way. Alternatively get a taxi for around €18.

Iraklidon Avenue, Kremasti, Rhodes, Ialisos 85100, Greece

Is Cook’s Club Ialysos next to the beach?

Although the hotel isn’t directly on the beach, you’re less than a 10 minute walk away if you do want to dip your toes in the sea. As it’s a pebble beach, it might not be the best place to spend the day on your towel but there are watersports on offer here and the views over to the Turkish mountains at sunset are just beautiful.

Read More: Your Guide To Anthony Quinn Bay in Rhodes, Greece

What facilities are there at Cook’s Club Ialysos?

You’ll find a pool, small gym, pool bar, restaurant, yoga classes, bike hire, and car hire. There’s also parking on site if you do decide to hire a car.

What rooms are available at Cook’s Club Ialysos?

There’s Classic Double, Bungalow Rooms, Suites with Private Pools and Suites with Private Jacuzzis. All rooms at Cook’s Club Ialysos either have a balcony or terrace with most having views out to the sea, over the pool, or onto the hotel’s various garden areas. 

What is the food like at Cantina?

For breakfast there’s a great selection of pastries, meat, cheese, yogurt, fruit, greek specialities, cooked breakfast, and even cake! If you’re dining here on a room only basis, you can also order food such as home-made porridge to start your day off the right way.

Pool-side snacks are done well here at Cook’s Club Ialysos. Break up the afternoon with a fresh greek salad, a flatbread with ricotta, spinach, prosciutto and fig, or a delicious salmon rice dish from Captain Cook’s Bar. All pool-side food can be enjoyed on your lounger, or take a seat at the bar under the dappled shade of the pine trees. Wash it down with a fresh fruit smoothie, a chilled glass (or bottle) of wine, or a local Greek beer.

Take A Look At Cantina and Captain Cook Bar

You can enjoy dinner at Cantina, the same place where breakfast is served. It’s the perfect place to start the evening and on the menu you’ll find steaks, fresh prawns, sea bass risotto, calamari and so much more. The food is of such good quality that we dined here on more than one occasion and is perfect if you don’t want to venture too far in the evenings.

How Much Does It Cost To Stay At Cook’s Club Ialysos?

We booked a package through Jet2holidays and for 9 nights, we paid around £430pp for May 2022. This included bed and breakfast, flights and transfers to and from the airport.

Current prices to book direct for a Classic Double through Cook’s Club start at £51/$64USD per night. Prices may vary though so it’s worth a look but personally, for the standard of hotel, choice of food and the facilities available, it’s a great value accommodation for your holiday in Rhodes.

Hotel Review of Cook’s Club Ialysos

So what is it really like staying at the newest addition to Cook’s Club’s portfolio of hotels? Here’s my review of Cook’s Club Ialysos. It’s fair to say I’m already thinking about when I can stay again…

Pool Side Relaxation And Captain Cook’s Bar

As soon as we hit the sun lounger on the first day, we knew we’d made the right choice in booking our stay here. Gorgeous dark orange and cream striped beds, with big pillowy orange bean bags surround the pool. Pine trees create dappled shade in various spots and by the afternoon, there was often a DJ playing chilled out tunes to create a soundtrack for summer.

Check Out The Pool at Cook’s Club Ialysos

Our days were spent enjoying a leisurely breakfast, open from 7am to 10am, before settling poolside to soak up the sun. The staff running the pool side bar could not have been more friendly. This sentiment was true of all the staff, so energized and helpful, a true credit to the hotel. Always greeting us with “Kali mera!” first thing, giving us menus for the day, bringing delicious cold frappes (a good, cold, pick-me up if the night before was a late one!), and always able to recommend an ideal afternoon cocktail. 

Top tip: The hotel provides wrist bands for your stay so you can go cash-free around the pool. Just load up your balance at reception and everything gets deducted from there. You can even use the hotel’s app to manage this and order food and drink too which I thought was a great idea. You can also still charge things to your room and then pay at the end of your stay though if you prefer to do things this way.

What Our Classic Double Room Was Like

The room we had was a Classic Double, it wasn’t a big room by any means and ideally we would’ve loved a little more storage but we only really used it to sleep and get changed. We loved the balcony with views out to the sea and Turkish mountains across the water – the ideal spot for sipping on a pre-dinner lemon fanta.

I would not hesitate to book one of these rooms again as the beds were comfortable and the bathroom, with a rainfall shower, had plenty of space for our stay.

Rooms have a TV, full length mirror, safe, hairdryer, bedside table and lights, and a rail for clothes. Other larger rooms also have drawers and a sofa to relax on. We didn’t have an iron in our room but I’m sure this is something reception could provide if requested.

If I wanted a bigger room, I’d more than likely ask for one of the roof top rooms in the main building, or opt for one with a private pool for some true quiet down time. The rooms with the private pools are away from the main path of the hotel and the bungalows are towards the entrance and opposite the outdoor dining area. These are in separate blocks to the main building, which is next to the pool and behind the reception building.

Top tip: If you enjoy plane-spotting, Cook’s Club isn’t far from the airport and the Classic Double rooms in the main building looking over the sea get a great view of the planes coming into land. Although these balconies don’t get much sun, so keep that in mind.

The style of the rooms, and the hotel in general are initially what piqued my interest in staying here. Simple and modern decor, neutral bedding, woven rugs, concrete floors, boho style furnishings and minimal fuss are always right up my street.

Not only is the style of the hotel great, but the location is ideal for a relaxed holiday where you don’t really want the pressure of having to go anywhere. There’s everything here onsite for you with easy access to the beach if you do want to enjoy the sea. 

The Entertainment at Cook’s Club Ialysos

On an evening, there was always something going on. Whether it was live entertainment, a Greek BBQ night (can highly recommend this if it’s offered during your stay), or a DJ playing music through to late evening. We spent a few evenings wiling away the hours drinking cocktails and just soaking up the balmy mediterranean air.

There’s usually also some form of music around the pool, whether it’s a live DJ or just good tunes coming through the speakers.

Our 9 nights at Cook’s Club Ialysos were utter bliss. Mainly pool days with a few days trips scattered through our holiday. If I were to do this holiday again, I’d make it a 14 night stay. One thing is for certain, I’ll be back to repeat my experience here and I hope you enjoy your stay as much as I did.