Akti Beach Club

Having previously stayed at another Akti resort, we decided to return to Kardamena and try the Akti Beach Club. Despite a couple of minor issues with our room, the overall experience was very positive.

Rooms & Facilities The rooms are simple and functional, exactly what you’d expect from a beach-focused resort. With air conditioning and a mini fridge, it quickly became a comfortable base for our week-long stay. The main pool area is fairly quiet, and we never struggled to find sunbeds after 8am. The only downside is that the parasols are fixed and very popular.

The resort has two main pools plus an adults-only pool. Although our room had access to a shared pool, we chose to spend our time at the main pool. The second pool tends to host entertainment activities and can be louder, but both are conveniently close to bars and snack stations. The water is cool at first but refreshing once you’re in.

Beach A short walk brings you to the beach — a narrow strip but equipped with free sunbeds and parasols. The shoreline is rocky, so swim shoes are highly recommended. The shallows are full of fish, making it a great spot for snorkelling; a full-face mask really enhances the experience.

Food & Drinks The food selection is varied, with plenty to choose from. Highlights for us were the freshly made sushi and pizzas. If you ask nicely, the pizza chef will even make a custom creation — our blue cheese and salami pizza was fantastic.

Bars offer a wide range of premium drinks, and beer, wine, and soft drinks are mostly self‑serve. The Helios lager is perfect on hot days, while the house wines take a little getting used to.

Service & Cleanliness The hotel grounds and reception area are clean and well maintained. Reception staff are friendly and helpful, and the bar staff really make the evenings enjoyable. Special thanks to Tasos and Ioanna at the pool bar for being fun, welcoming, and memorable.

Location & Transport A free shuttle runs regularly to and from Kardamena, making it easy to explore the harbour, shops, and boat trips. There’s also a public bus right outside the hotel with direct routes to Kos Town for just a few euros each way.

Overall Akti Beach Club is a great choice for families looking for a relaxing break away from the hustle and bustle. With good facilities, friendly staff (huge thank you to Ioanna and Tasos at the pool bar who were brilliant), and easy access to nearby towns, we would definitely recommend this hotel.

This was our second visit to this hotel, the last one was two years ago. The hotel has done some upgrading since our last visit and it shows. Gardens are tended to, buildings painted and it feels more cared for. Staff were friendly, and room service spot on - couldnt fault cleanliness. Food is a little disappointing, pizza and Chinese kept us going. We are fussy eaters but Brits are not really catered for, more continental food.

One big dofference this year is there are now two animation teams Surely one team is enough? No, this hotel now has its own Italian entertainment team alongside for its Italian guests - Bravo. Bravo have entertainment at the animation pool specifically for its Italian guests and not being fluent we are unable to join in. On Wednesday, there was an Italian poolside game mid morning followed by Aquafit in Italian. It was not at all inclusive for all guests and felt divisive. REMARC, the usual animation team led by Charmaine were wonderful, spoke all languages and did an amazing job. There is no need for Bravo to be there and it felt they had priority over other guests. Each day during activities Italian dance music blared out the poolside stereo for hours. Eventually myself and many ither guests were fed up with the racket and asked for it to be changed for only to be told the music was for Italian guests. A quick moan at reception brought about a change.

If you are with Jet2 be prepared for lack of rep at this hotel. TUI have 4 visiting from differing locations, Bravo have their own area in reception, but Jet2 have a banner and a folder with expectation to scan a QR code for return travel information and trips. Not good enough Jet2. Our last visit here needed rep intervention, thank goodness we didnt need anyone this time. So decent hotel, clean, safe and friendly but get practising your duo lingo Italian - you will need it!

We had a fantastic holiday here and would happily return without hesitation. The hotel is clean, well maintained and has a really friendly atmosphere. No hotel is ever perfect, but this one gets so many things right that it’s easy to see why so many people come back year after year.

The staff throughout the hotel deserve a special mention. Whether it was housekeeping, reception, the restaurant team, bar staff or the entertainment crew, everyone worked incredibly hard and always seemed genuinely invested in making sure guests had a great holiday. Nothing ever felt too much trouble.

The entertainment team were absolutely peak (as my teenage kids would say!). A special mention has to go to Spidey, who completely won over my three-year-old daughter. He’d regularly go out of his way to stop and chat with her, make her laugh and make her feel special. Four weeks after we’ve been home, she’s still talking about him and asking when she can go back. Every member of the entertainment team was friendly, energetic and somehow managed to remember everyone’s names, which made the whole experience feel really personal.

The evening entertainment takes place in an amphitheatre-style setting. Personally, I’d have preferred tables where you could sit comfortably with a drink while watching the shows, but that’s simply personal preference. The performances themselves were always entertaining and well worth watching.

We spent most of our days around the activity pool, where there was always music playing and plenty going on. Aqua aerobics, water polo and other activities kept the atmosphere lively without feeling over the top. There’s also a quieter pool on the opposite side of reception if you’re looking for a more relaxing day, along with a peaceful adults-only area complete with its own pool, bar and restaurant.

The beach is just a short walk through the hotel grounds, making it really easy to wander down whenever you fancy a change from the pool. It’s quite rocky, both on the beach and when entering the sea, so I’d definitely recommend packing a pair of beach shoes.

The family rooms were perfect for our needs. Unlike many hotels that simply squeeze several beds into one large room and call it a family room, these are genuine two-bedroom family rooms, giving everyone their own space and privacy. That’s something we specifically look for when booking, especially when travelling with teenagers, and it worked brilliantly for our group of eight. The bathrooms were modern, clean and well maintained.

One thing to be aware of is that the hot water appears to rely on a solar heating system. If you leave your shower until later in the evening after everyone has returned from the pools, the water can be a little lukewarm. It wasn’t a major issue for us, but it’s worth knowing.

The room also had a TV, which we wouldn’t normally use on holiday, but as the World Cup was on it came in handy. My husband wanted to keep up with the matches, and reception happily added an extra channel for us without any fuss. It was a small gesture, but one that summed up how helpful the staff were throughout our stay. The beds were comfortable and generously sized. They’re not king-size, but there was certainly plenty of room for two adults.

The complimentary shuttle bus into nearby Kardamena was another great addition. It runs regularly throughout the day and makes it really easy to head into town for a wander, a meal or a few drinks in the evening. There are also plenty of excursions available from the harbour. My husband and eldest son booked a fishing trip, which they both highly recommended, and there are several boat trips available too. We chose to book our boat trip from Kos Town as we were after a more relaxed style of boat than the pirate-themed one available in Kardamena, but they all seem to follow a similar itinerary and I’d definitely recommend spending a day on one.

Now, the food… I genuinely don’t understand the reviews describing it as “limited” or “repetitive”. Between the four or five different pizzas, two or three pasta dishes, sushi, Chinese options, fish, beef, pork, chicken and lamb, plus boiled potatoes, chips, rice, several vegetable choices, soups, fresh fruit, breads, desserts and beer, wine and soft drinks all on tap, I’m honestly not sure what more people are expecting. Unless you’re eating like royalty every night at home, there was more than enough choice for us and we always found plenty we enjoyed. The restaurant also offers “midnight munchies” for anyone feeling peckish later in the evening, which is a nice touch after a few drinks or if you simply fancy a late-night snack.

Overall, we had a brilliant holiday. The fantastic staff, great entertainment, spacious family accommodation, excellent facilities and generous food selection made this an easy five-star experience for us. We’d happily recommend it to anyone considering a stay, and if we return to Kos, we’d have no hesitation in staying here again.