Sun Rise Hotel Reviews

Visited Lesbos for the first time and we were not dissapointed. Weather was fantastic,38 to 42 with a little breeze that kept you cool. Every bar and restaurant seems to have a view of the beautiful sea and harbour. I cannot fault the Sun Rise Hotel it is very comfortable with free air con and a modest cost for safety boxes. It has a shuttle bus to town, the local buses are cheap and reasonably on time, but if there are four of you, use a taxi (its cheaper). You can walk into town but it is at least 30 mins walk and is an uninspiring walk with very little on the way to break the journey. Molyvos does have steep streets so if exercise bothers you then this is not for you. Equally the Sun Rise Hotel is built into a hill so there are a lot of steps, but to be honest afte rthe first few days you get used to it and you suddenly find your calf muscles again! We stayed 14 nights and never ate at the same place twice and still left a great deal to be explored. The restaurants are typically Greek in the main but there is an Italian for a change and a superb sea food restaurant called the Captains Table in the harbour. The Sun Rise is lovely, the pool uncrowded (no saving sunbeds with towels!) the staff are very nice and helpful (thank you reception, Dimitrias (pool bar) Manolis (cocktail bar) and reception (sorry cannot remember the names). The resorts of Petra and Anaxos are nearby and easy to get to by local bus or hire a bike' car from the hotel. The only downside is that Molyvos does not have a sandy beach (and only a very rocky one nearby)but Petra is within very easy reach and is okay with a shaley / sand mix. My wife loves beaches but the pool was so uncrowded and civilised we did not miss it at all.In summary if you like unspoilt Grece with cobbled streets, views to die for and a reputation that says it is the most romntic Greek Island, this is for you. For the first time ever, we are going back to the same place next year.

Where to begin?.. from the moment we landed in Lesvos, the feeling and atmosphere of the island was good. Arriving at the ";Sun Rise Hotel"; we were greeted by reception and promptly shown to our room. Great room, excellent views out across the sea, add to that we had the sight of dolphins most mornings/evenings in the bay feeding ( you have to be up early to see this ).

The staff at the hotel, from the domestic staff upwards, were fantastic and made our stay enjoyable. The hotel is 20 yrs old and is being renovated this winter, and as magnificent as it is now, it does need some work. Please do not be put off by this, as it is by far the best in Molyvos. Its location is about 20 mins walk from the small harbour town of Molyvos itself, (4 euro by taxi ), pretty little place with plenty of Taverna's, the 'Captains Table' was as we found somewhat over rated, as ever, where the locals dine, then that's the place to go. Molly's Bar, is very small but what a charming little place to have a drink over looking the harbour.

Close by Molyvos, and a short inexpensive trip by local bus, are the beaches of Petra and Anaxos, they are ok, but be warned.....bl##dy freezing. Car hire a must and in Molyvos i strongly recommend ";Best Car Hire";, great service. We found the best beaches were away from Molyvos, Skalla Kallonis, was fantastic, in the Gulf of Kalloni, its warm, calm and ideal for young children, as the waters are not deep at all. You are served by the Taverna's directly to your parasol, ,most beaches charge 6/7 euro for the parasols, here there is no charge. Buy a map and have a good tour of the island, if you do not mind heights, there are some brilliant views to witness and photograph. This was by far the best of the Greek islands we have visited, quiet, certainly not commercialized, ideal for the more mature and those seeking peace, not suited for those seeking night club atmosphere etc, it just does not happen here. All in all its just a great island to relax and enjoy the culture.

We never make point of revisiting a hotel or island for that matter, but having experienced the Sun Rise Hotel and Lesvos, we may be forced to change our minds. The airport in and out was well organised, however keep your trunks handy on the outbound, as there is ample time for a swim in the time before the flight, the sea is meters from the main terminal building! Our only gripe of the holiday was the aircraft used by First Choice, Airbus 320, cramped and uncomfortable seating, however a small price to pay for an excellent holiday.