5 Best Hotels in Rhodes and the Dodecanese, Greece

A family passion project has turned into arguably the most beautiful small hotel on the island. Its building wraps around the ancient walls of the city; sitting within a former Knights' residence built in the year 1340 by the Red Gate (where the hotel gets its name). Inside the adults-only hotel, stone-walled rooms are decked in sumptuous antiques, rich fabrics, and plush furnishings. Husband and wife team Nikos and Angela have thought of everything: free minibar, a tablet loaded with sights and advice; an open lounge bar; a peaceful walled courtyard terrace. They may even show you their other project: the restoration of a Greek Orthodox chapel opposite the hotel, originally built by the Knights to win over locals. The breakfasts here are the best in Rhodes, which includes course after course of pastries, fruit, yogurt, and homemade jams. In the evening the family's son, Paris, a talented pianist, has also taken to serenading guests with fine jazz standards. It’s worth noting that high season for the typically older clientele here tends to be later (September and October); book far ahead as there are only six suites.

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.

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. Two rooms have direct access to an inner garden. Conveniently, the port, bus station, shopping, and sights are all within an easy walk.

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.

An expatriate Symiot returned from Sydney (hence the Australian-inspired name) in the 1970s to convert the family property into a cutely colorful village-style complex of rooms and self-catering family suites. The architecture is faithful to local style, but facilities are up-to-the-minute—including a new roofed pool that opens out into its beautiful courtyard garden.