Amoh is only in its first full season. You’d never guess. New hotels are a gamble, and more so with a toddler in tow. Amoh, a Luxury Collection Resort, sits on a secluded peninsula near Lindos and is still very new, so I arrived half expecting a few rough edges. Check-in was a bit slow. Then we were shown to our room.
We had been upgraded to a spacious suite with its own private pool overlooking the resort’s main pool, and any reservations disappeared very quickly.
The rooms
Amoh has 197 rooms and suites, with private pool and sea view options among them. The interiors follow the same aesthetic as the rest of the hotel: contemporary and minimal, with stone, warm neutrals and natural materials that reference the landscape around it. Our suite was not only beautiful but also comfortable to live in. There was plenty of storage, a wonderfully comfortable bed and even a pillow menu, although we were perfectly happy with the pillows already there.
A bottle of Champagne and sweets were waiting for us on arrival, but one of my favourite moments came the following morning. Still tired from travelling, we missed breakfast and ordered room service instead. Eating an enormous breakfast on our terrace beside our private pool was a very good introduction to holiday mode.
Amoh skips the familiar white-and-blue Greek-island look and takes its cues from Rhodes’ stonework and the surrounding landscape instead: stone, sand tones, mineral colours and sculptural forms. The result is striking, and it feels contemporary while staying very much connected to its roots.
The main pool is particularly beautiful. It is huge and calm, and surrounded by loungers and generously sized daybeds, none of which cost extra. Despite visiting in September, we never had to compete for somewhere to sit. Music plays softly around the pool, but this isn’t a resort trying to manufacture a party atmosphere. Everything feels very relaxed.
We divided our time fairly evenly between the pool and the beach, and Kavos Beach ultimately became one of the highlights of the entire stay. We were also very lucky with the weather. Mid september was warm but never unbearable, so we could spend whole days outside.
Rather than one flat stretch of loungers, Kavos is arranged almost like an amphitheatre, with stone terraces stepping down the rocky cove towards the sea. Rows of sunbeds occupy the different levels, with stairs running down to the water and a beach bar sitting above them. It’s a clever use of the natural landscape, and easily one of the most memorable beaches I’ve visited.
The one caveat is for parents of very young children: those different levels mean you’ll need to keep a close eye on a roaming toddler. We certainly did. Amoh’s second beach, Kymata, has a flatter layout if that’s preferable.
The food might be the best reason to stay
Normally, hotel restaurants are what you settle for. At Amoh, we looked forward to our lunch and dinner every time. There are several restaurants, and importantly, they don’t feel like variations of the same menu.
On our first evening we ate at Kymata, the Greek seafood restaurant that shares its name with the beach. We worked our way through Greek starters followed by beautifully fresh fish. One of the recurring surprises throughout the trip was their Greek salad. Each restaurant has its own interpretation and each each time it was different.
At Cava di Pietra, the hotel’s Italian restaurant, tables look towards the ancient quarry. We had a very good octopus dish, followed by carbonara for me, because even on a Greek island, sometimes carbonara wins.
Of all the restaurants, Glaze was my favourite. It’s the hotel’s steak restaurant, and the quality of the meat is what sets it apart. Aged cuts are cooked over a Josper grill, and if you’re choosing, go for the wagyu. There’s sushi on the menu too. It isn’t cheap, and it’s usually excluded from dinner packages, but it’s worth every euro.
There’s also an outdoor teppanyaki-style table, where cooking becomes part of the meal: diners sit around the hot cooking surface while the chef prepares the food directly in front of them. We didn’t try it as there were only the three of us, but for a family trip or group dinner it would be one of the first things I’d reserve.
Breakfast takes place at Lithos, with a large buffet alongside à la carte options. There are plenty of Greek staples, such as yoghurt, cheeses and mezze, alongside fruit, smoothies, pastries and all the usual breakfast favourites. There was even porridge for the mornings when you unexpectedly start missing home.
Surprisingly brilliant with a toddler
Amoh looks very grown up, so one of the biggest surprises was how well it worked as a family hotel. We travelled with our one and half year old daughter and were given a Stokke Sleepi cot with a proper, high quality mattress, which happens to be the same cot she sleeps in at home. High chairs appeared at every restaurant without us needing to ask, and the children’s menus went considerably further than the usual burger-and-chips. There were varied, healthier options available, and the staff were consistently wonderful with her.
One tiny detail probably sums the service up best. Our daughter has milk every morning and evening, so we’d arrive carrying her bottle and ask someone to fill it. After the first day, the team recognised us. They would see the bottle and already know what we needed. Anyone who has travelled with a toddler whose life is governed by familiar routines will understand how disproportionately important a gesture like that can feel.
The resort was also quiet enough during our stay that she could wander around close to our table at meals without us feeling as though we were disturbing a room full of people. If I could add one thing, it would be a dedicated shallow splash pool for smaller children. There is a shallower section within the main pool, but something designed specifically for little ones would make an already very family-friendly hotel even better.
ELISPA, The spa
ELISPA, the spa, is just as considered. Treatments are built around the four elements and draw on Greek ingredients and traditions, and there’s a sauna and steam room. There’s also a second outdoor pool by the spa, smaller and more shaded than the main one, which is a good escape when the afternoon sun gets too much.
Before my treatment, I was asked to write something I wanted to let go of on a piece of black paper, which was then burned as part of a small pre-treatment ritual. Usually, rituals like this don’t influence how I judge a massage. I’m annoyingly picky about massages, and technique matters to me far more than candles, oils or an impressive treatment room. Fortunately, this had both. My 40 minute upper-body massage was exceptional, largely because the therapist got the combination of pressure and technique exactly right. The beautiful surroundings were simply a bonus.
Should you leave the resort?
Amoh sits in Pefki, close to Lindos, so you don’t need to stay within the hotel grounds for the entire trip. There are a handful of restaurants nearby, and we went out for dinner twice. Don’t expect the same dining experience you’ll find inside Amoh, as the options nearby are considerably more casual, but it’s nice to have somewhere to walk to when you want a change.
We didn’t visit Lindos on this trip as we hadn’t hired a car, although having been before, I’d absolutely recommend making time for it. Its whitewashed streets and hilltop Acropolis make it one of the prettiest places on Rhodes. Honestly, though, we didn’t miss the outside world much. Between two beaches, the pool, the spa and excellent restaurants, filling a few days without going anywhere isn’t difficult.
Would we go back?
Yes, without much hesitation. There are things I’d change: check-in could be quicker, and toddlers need a proper splash pool. Beyond that, I struggled to find much to fault. What stays with me is less the design than the small things: the wagyu at Glaze, mornings lingering over coffee at Lithos, and afternoons at Kavos beach. Before we’d even left, we were planning to come back next year with more of the family. Not a bad way to end the summer.
You can book your stay at Amoh, a Luxury Collection Resort, Rhodes, Pefki, Rhodes. Disclosure: three nights of this five-night stay were complimentary, courtesy of Amoh. We paid for the other two ourselves.
