Greece is hard not to love at first sight. Sunny, drowning in the ever-blooming geraniums and bougainvilleas, she hospitably welcomes everyone who arrives here with an open heart all year round. In recent years, our domestic tour operators have been quite actively organizing multiple tours to Greece. Among others, leisure is offered in the relatively inexpensive Ocean Blue 4 *. Rhodes, Ialyssos, Ixia and Kremasti are cities located near this hotel, which is very convenient for guests, since each of these settlements has its own very interesting features that bring an original variety to the rest. We draw your attention to the name of the Medblue Kremasti hotel, which is completely identical to Ocean Blue 4 *.
Rhodes is the capital of the island and an unusually rich city for entertainment of any kind. Ixia and Ialyssos are some of the best Greek resorts. Kremasti is a nice cozy town, perhaps the closest to the airport, which for the hotel guests has both pros and cons. The Greeks are a very good-natured people, always gladly providing maximum hospitality. But now the country has a political, and with it an economic crisis, which is reflected in all structures. He also touched on the wonderful Ocean Blue, therefore, compared with previous years, there are some changes. We invite you to get to know them in advance, then your vacation will be perfect.
Location
Ocean Blue translates as "blue ocean", a very melodic, but at the same time too common phrase. Cafes, restaurants, as well as hotels with this name can be found in the coastal regions of any country. So that there is no mistake about which hotel is discussed in this article, we will indicate in brackets exactly where it is located, that is, Ocean Blue 4 * (Greece, Rhodes, Kremasti). Thus, the described hotel is located on the Greek island of Rhodes in the wonderful little town of Kremasti. It lies at the northern tip of the island on the shores of the Aegean Sea, between the airport and the city of Rhodes. Before him, only 12 km on regular buses that "run" here regularly every quarter hour. In the direction of travel, the town and the beautiful resort of Ialyssos are located first, which smoothly passes into the town and resort of Ixia, and a couple of kilometers to the east the outskirts of the capital begin. On the opposite shore of the sea in clear weather, Turkey and the famous Marmaris are visible. To the west of Kremasti there is a pretty village of Paradisi (paradise in translation), and there is an airport in it, about 4 km from the entrance to the Ocean Blue 4 * Hotel (Rhodes). This is convenient for arrival and departure and somewhat annoying during the stay, as airplanes arrive here at least regularly there in season than buses go. But hotel guests can enjoy iron birds from a fairly close range. It is curious that the town of Kremasti in territorial division belongs to the municipality of Petaludes. Translated, this means that the hotel is near the city of butterflies. Important - do not confuse this with the romantic Butterfly Valley, to which you need to go east from Kremasti, then about 12 km to the south.
How to get there
You can arrive to Rhodes quite comfortably and quickly by air, since airplanes from many Russian cities fly to Diagoras airport. You can also get to the island from Athens or other Greek islands by sea on modern ferries. The journey will be longer, but also more informative. Basically, two travel agencies "Pegasus" and "Tez Tour" sell tickets to the hotel Ocean Blue 4 *. Rhodes welcomes its guests with a bright and hot sun, and representatives of travel agencies with friendly smiles. As a rule, arriving organized tourists are forwarded to a transfer, which takes them to their destination in a few minutes. If you booked a hotel room yourself, arriving at a port or Rhodes airport, you need to catch a regular bus and calmly get to the hotel. It will cost about 3 euros. Alternatively, take a taxi. In this case, you will have to pay about 10 euros, but you will not need to carry your bags.
Hotel Description
Hundreds of poets have sung more than once how beautiful Greece and Rhodes are. The Ocean Blue 4 * hotel , like the land on which it is located, impresses with its remarkable appearance. Its rather large territory is replete with Mediterranean greenery, spectacular flowering shrubs, exotic palm trees and rhododendrons, which, incidentally, got their name in honor of the island of Rhodes.
Among this evergreen splendor, the main building consists of three floors, several villas with individual pools, open terraces, one large pool and one smaller, but with two water slides, a corner with children's swings, several lawns where sports lovers can play volleyball or badminton , outdoor cafe and free parking. The reception is located in the lobby of the central building. The staff here speak English (not all) and Greek. At the reception you can exchange currency, rent a car or bicycle, call a taxi, book an excursion, and hand over (for a fee) luggage to the left-luggage office. In the lobby there is a lobby bar, there is a room with several billiard and tennis tables. Sauna, spa and fitness center are also available in the infrastructure of Ocean Blue 4 * (Rhodes). Reviews about the operation of these facilities, unfortunately, are not very enthusiastic, since most of the time they do not function. The reviews also mention Wi-Fi, which in this hotel is not free even in the lobby near the reception. There is a connection with the world 5 euros per day or 20 euros per week.
Accommodation
The main room category in Ocean Blue 4 * is Standard. Rhodes, Ialyssos, Ixia are resorts where you can find a haven of any degree of comfort and any price category. The hotel in question in this issue is approximately in average position, since among the 200 rooms available here you can choose with or without a balcony, with sea or territory views, as well as a separate villa with its own small courtyard and private pool.
The design of all rooms is quite simple, without intrusive interior details. Equipment - the necessary minimum set of furniture, a small TV of the old model, a small and not a new refrigerator, air conditioning, and in some rooms safes are installed as an additional convenience. I would also like to say about the hygiene rooms in Ocean Blue 4 * (Rhodes). Reviews of most people who rested here in 2016 note insufficiently functioning plumbing and the lack of a curtain in the shower, which is why water often collects on the floor. In addition to shower and / or bath, there is a washbasin, toilet, hairdryer. Maids issue personal hygiene products only on the day of arrival. We draw your attention to the cleaning of the rooms. In this hotel, it is made on the basis of signs posted by guests.
Nutrition
As a rule, travel agencies offer all-inclusive tours to the Ocean Blue 4 * Hotel (Rhodes). Reviews about food are somewhat divergent. Some guests are completely satisfied with the menu, others believe that there is not enough fruit and sweets, and the food on offer is somewhat monotonous. Breakfast includes egg dishes, sausages and cheeses, sausages, muffins, cereals, milk, coffee, tea. The lunch menu includes salads of fresh vegetables, as well as sliced vegetables, fish, chicken, beef, pasta, potatoes, cooked vegetables, fruits. The menu of the dinner is approximately the same as that of lunch, but all products are fresh, so that something is prepared from the remnants of food in this hotel. From drinks, you can take beer, Greek wine, cocktails, juice, water, tea for free.
In addition to the main restaurant, the hotel has a cafe and a bar where drinks can be taken all day until 11 pm. Pour them into standard small plastic cups. Snacks are not provided in the hotel, food and drinks cannot be taken out of the restaurant.
Leisure
The team of funny animators does not let the guests of Ocean Blue 4 * get bored. Rhodes is certainly a very interesting island, but if you do not want to go anywhere for impressions, you can have fun on site. In the afternoon, vacationers are occupied with water polo games, water aerobics, fun contests in and around the large pool. In the evening, karaoke takes place at the bar, discos, quizzes and simple shows are held. On their own, tourists can fill their leisure time with relaxation by the pools. Unfortunately, the Ocean Blue 4 * Hotel (Rhodes) cannot provide a sufficient number of sunbeds to everyone. The reviews of guests, especially those who had a rest here during the peak season, note that the sun loungers had to be occupied at sunrise, and in some cases even in the evening.
For more active recreation, two water slides are installed in the second (smaller in area) pool, but they work only a few hours a day.
Hotel for children
They care about their little guests in Ocean Blue 4 *. Rhodes is well suited for families with children of any age, since there is the most effective natural factor - sea air filled with trace elements important for the body. Having chosen the hotel in question, parents can entertain their children in the children's pool and on the playground with swings and slides, and kind children's animators amuse the kids in mini-discotheques, children's quizzes and shows. According to tour operators, cots are provided in the room for babies. Payment for children aged 2 years or less is not made. Also, accommodation is not paid for children aged 12 years or less when placing them on cots in a room with parents. But the special children's menu at the hotel is not provided.
Sea
A lot of people are planning a beach vacation, choosing a tour in Ocean Blue 4 *. Greece, about. Rhodes in particular, are considered one of the best places in the Mediterranean, where you can swim in the sea water, which is unusually rich in substances useful for the body, breathe in delicious air, sunbathe on the cleanest beaches, while remaining in the thick of a fun tourist life. The beaches on the island are mostly municipal, which means they are free, accessible to everyone. The nearest of these is a few steps from the hotel without exaggeration. Its advantages are low occupancy and cleanliness, and the disadvantages are that the beach cover is medium and large pebbles. Also, stones come across in water, so it is advisable to have rubber slippers on your feet. Another not very pleasant feature of the beach closest to the hotel is the lack of sun loungers. So that these minor flaws do not overshadow the rest, people either buy air mattresses or move to neighboring beaches, fortunately, there are many of them on the coast. There are not only pebbles, but also sand, which is most suitable for children.
But the beaches of the resort have such a feature that cannot be fixed. It is almost continuously blowing winds. For vacationers with children, this is not entirely comfortable, but for young people, especially those who like surfing and kiting, Ocean Blue 4 * will become quite attractive. Ialyssos, Rhodes, Ixia, and, in principle, the entire northeast coast, are ideal places for sports based on water movement under the influence of wind.
Regarding the weather, rest at the hotel is very good in August, September and even in October. The air in this period warms up to +30 ... + 33 degrees, the sea to +25, and there is practically no rainfall. Rhodes is also very warm in June-July, but the sea can be cool on the coast open to a hundred winds.
Leisure outside
Ocean Blue 4 * is located close to the road connecting the town of Kremasti with the capital of the island, and the bus stop is almost at the door of the hotel. Therefore, guests are very easy and for only 2 euros and 80 cents can at least every day go to Rhodes for night and evening entertainment, shopping, sightseeing of ancient attractions. Buses from anywhere in the city strictly follow scheduled buses to any point on the island, so you can conduct excursions on your own without spending a lot of money. The most convenient way to travel all the places of interest in Rhodes is to rent any vehicle. A car here costs from 50 euros per day, a bike is somewhat cheaper. But if you do not want to spend a vacation driving, you can buy sightseeing tours, which are sold at the hotel, as well as in the travel agency, in many available on the island. Another great option for spending leisure time is unforgettable and interesting - visit one of the world's best water parks, which is located in the Faliraki resort, next to Kremasti. By the way, free buses go here.
Reviews
The opinions of our tourists about Ocean Blue 4 * (Greece, Rhodes) are somewhat different. Feedback, of course, recall discord. Here often plays a role a subjective opinion, as well as what a person expected to see at the resort when he bought a tour there. However, there is much that, without saying a word, most tourists wrote. In 2016, the advantages of the hotel marked by them:
- close proximity to the airport, quickly reach;
- bus stop in the city near the hotel;
- a beautiful green area;
- spacious rooms;
- the presence of animation in the hotel;
- wonderful sea and clean beach.
Shortcomings noted in the same 2016:
- proximity to the airport (aircraft noise is heard);
- too slow provision of a room by the reception staff;
- poorly working plumbing in the rooms;
- Unfair cleaning of rooms;
- queues in a restaurant;
- monotonous menu;
- lack of desserts and snacks throughout the day;
- paid Wi-Fi;
- rarely working sauna and spa, declared in the hotel infrastructure;
- infrequent water purification in pools;
- lack of sunbeds;
- not very friendly and welcoming staff, which Greece, in principle, is not peculiar.
To summarize: the four-star Ocean Blue in the town of Kremasti in Rhodes is a very good hotel with great potential, capable of providing a wonderful vacation. The only thing he needs is to take into account and correct the comments indicated in the reviews of his guests.