Golden Days Hotel Reviews

Just arrived home from our 1st visit to the Golden Days and can say it wont be the last. Its just one big happy family there with staff who are happy to go the extra yard to ensure everyone has a great time. Greek night is a good laugh and the karaoke is made special by the antics of the one and only (thank god) Lambros, his Borat is something you wont want to miss.

We booked the GOLDEN DAYS HOTEL after reading some excellent reviews about it and we were not disappointed. Just as everyone else has said, it’s a very good, well run hotel with lovely, friendly staff. Carol, Lampros, Irene and all the others are always cheerful and smiling. The rooms are cleaned daily. We had lovely white clean, fresh towels every day and we lost count of the number of times the beds were changed during our two week stay. The shower had a curtain…a rare thing in Greece.

Although the room we had was booked as a self-catering room, it wouldn’t be easy to actually prepare a meal. There was a sink with a two burner electric hob right next to it but there was no worktop to prepare anything on. This didn’t matter to us as all we wanted was a kettle and a fridge, but this information may be useful to you. The hotel has a very good menu and the food we had was delicious. Food and drinks at the hotel are priced very fairly.

A clothes airer on the balcony would be a useful addition to the rooms. There are safe deposit boxes in the reception area at a charge of 10 Euros per week and we would highly recommend paying for the air conditioning at 6 Euros per night, as it’s very hot. For a two week holiday put 104 Euros to one side to pay for these essentials! The pool area is kept spotless at all times and there is a lovely lawned area with plenty of sunbeds and trees so you can be either in the sun or in the shade.

Treat yourselves to the Greek night. It’s excellent value for money and a really enjoyable night. The food is fantastic. The Golden Days hotel is in an excellent position, being at the end of the main street in Afandou village and it’s close to all local amenities. The beach is about a 20 minute walk away, turn right when you come out of the hotel. It’s a very nice beach but the sea becomes extremely deep after only a few feet into the water, so it’s not suitable for children. I’m 5 feet tall and my feet didn’t touch the bottom after going only a short distance into the sea.

We have just returned from 2 wonderful weeks at Golden Days Hotel. The staff made you feel very welcome from day 1 and were very friendly.

The rooms are basic, but very clean and Maria ensured we always had clean towels and our linen was changed regularly and always with a smile!

The Greek Night Night (15 euros) and Karaoke night (10 euros incl a free drink) are not to be missed, they are excellent value for money and the food is excellent. We highly recommend the Moussaka, best we've ever tasted.

Carol, Lambros, Yiannis, Pannis, Angela, Maria, Irene are a great team and will make sure you have a great holiday.

Afandou is a quiet village but with many bars and restaurants and links to the local bus service.

We ate in many restaurants during our 2 weeks but our favourites were Mimhes - George is great, Four Seasons - try the greek plate, you won't be disappointed, Danielle's - if you can't eat all of your pizza (and we never did!) they will put it in a takeaway box for you and Segios', the service was quite slow but the food is lovely and well worth the wait.

This was our first time to Golden Days and my 15 year old daughter didn't want to go on holiday, however, even she has said she would return. So, we will be back next year!

Thanks you everyone at Golden Days for a wonderful holiday.

Neil, Joan and April

We booked our flight and hotel seperate through On The Beach travel. Only to find transfers were not included. Our fault for not reading the small print.
This turned out to be to our advantage, as we were delayed seven hours going and one hour coming back. This mean't that we able to get straight out of the airport, no waiting to be herded around onto a bus, and straight into a lovely air conditioned mercedes taxi. We were dropped off directly outside the door and met by Lambros at Golden Days hotel, who quickly and with no fuss got us straight to our rooms and settled in.

This was really the precedent for our stay at the Golden Days Hotel. Nothing too much trouble, no fuss and excellent service.
The rooms at the hotel are basic but very clean. They were cleaned on a daily basis with towels changed every other day, as was the bedding. There is a pool area and a garden area, both were kept scrupulously clean and tidy, also there are plenty of free sunbeds.
We were staying on a self catering basis, so we tried on the nights we stayed in Afandou a different resturant. You really are spoilt for choice. No complaints about any of them and everyone was so freindly. I would like to make one recommendation though, Mimes the spelling is slightly different in greek but you will recognise it..
George who is the owner could not do enough for us and the food which was traditional Greek was delicious. Try it and see for yourself.

Afandou itself is relativley low key no night clubs but some nice tavernas in the main square. Its a typical Greek village where locals and tourists mix and give it a warm welcoming atomosphere where you soon feel at home.
Thats where we met Minas and Terry who run one of the bars. Their hospitality and service was second to none and we had many a good night there. If you go you must ask to see Terry's fantastic classic car, he kindly gave us a lift to our hotel one night, an experience not to be missed.
The beach is about a 20 min walk away or there is a small train which will take you there for a couple of euros.
The buses are very reliable and run frequently, or there are taxis which again are very reliable and most of the destinations are pre priced so you cant be ripped off.

We had an excellent holiday, and would like to thank all the people at Golden days Hotel and Afandou for a fabulous time and we will return.

Ok,where do I start?? Oh, I know, BEST HOLIDAY EVER!!!

We had never ventured as far on holiday before,tending to stick to Spain(never again!) but this wonderful village with all it's charms has completely stolen our hearts. First of all,until it was recommended to us we had heard of neither the Golden days or Afandou,now it's somewhere we'll never forget. The accommodation is spotless,very basic but what else do you need?

The hotel has an excellent restaurant on the terrace which is open from 0830-2030,breakfast is served til 1130,which is great after a night in town(more about that later!).The bar and restaurant are mainly run by the gorgeous Yiannis who seems to be there 24/7,when we asked him when he slept he replied with a grin ";I sleep in the winter!";.The bar is open all day and very reasonably priced.

The hotel also has a pool table,dart board, swimming pool where lots of fun and games go on mainly due to Lambros who's whole purpose in life seems to be to make sure you're having a good time and a lovely garden where you can just while away the hours on a sunlounger. I have to point out that this is the first holiday we've ever had we're you're actually encouraged to have inflatables in the pool.There's regular entertainment including a Greek night with dancing and a barbecue which is a must, a karaoke night where once again Lambros shines and a quiz evening. Venturing outside the hotel you're on the main street down to the village square. Both sides of the roads are packed with shops,bars and some of the best restaurants we've ever had the pleasure to eat it. My favourite was the Four seasons just down from the hotel. Absolutely superb, I'd never eaten Greek before and now am completely converted. try the Greek plate with a bit of everything, you won't be disappointed.

My partners favourite eaterie was Mimhes,further down on the other side. This small family run taverna which also does a take away service- try their gyros,I guarantee you'll never eat another greasy english kebab- has excellent value,delicious meals and drinks. A 3 course meal for 4 including drinks cost us 30 euros,amazing! Others well worth a mention are Tastys,Annas,Bon viveur and the Life garden where if you get a pizza get it between you,trust me!!We never had a disappointing meal in the whole fortnight. So after you're well fed it's time for drinks. Although there are bars all the way down including a lovely German bar we tended to head into the main square where we found Iakynthos, its the 2nd bar after the co-op bank with the 3 tellys and thanks to the cheap drinks and the wonderful atmosphere created by Minas and terry(who takes bartending to another comedy level) every night we went there we had a great time,you must visit there at least once,you won't be disappointed.My partner also wants a mention for Mikes,a cocktail bar just off the square opposite Bon Viveur,it's the only bar in town that serves John Smiths on draught,the hostess Maria is delightful and someone else I now class as a friend. Well,if you don't like the sound of this wonderful place by now theres no hope!!

My notoriously hard to please 16 yr old who actually said the place 'looked like dullsville and he wouldn't have gone if it hadn't been paid for' is now recommending it to all and sundry and 2 families of friend of his have now booked up for next year! Not only are we going back for a week in may we've also booked our wedding there for next October,scrapping our original plans in Cyprus. The hotel is doing our reception on the terrace and it's going to be fantastic. So if you do go to this little Greek paradise,when you see Carol,Yiannis,lambros and Irene at the hotel and Minas,Terry and Maria in town,tell them ";Deb and Steve from Whitley Bay say hi....and thanks for our best holiday ever";

what can i say? I've just returned from one of the best holidays i've ever had! Booked this hotel as a last minute deal after looking at the other reviews on this site. I was so impressed by all the staff from the lovely smiling Carol who was there to greet us to Lambros, Nicos, and Yiannis behind the bar and then the lovely Maria and Irene who worked tirelessly to keep your rooms in tip top shape. These guys work so hard to make your stay a very pleasant one. As for the entertainment, there were a couple of nights organised with the staff and such good value for money. Our favourite was probably the karaoke night especially with Lambros and Nicos doing their share of the entertaining. The food in the hotel was so lovely and always served wth a smile from Yiannis. We always ate our breakfast and lunch at the hotel but went to one of the different tavernas in the evenings and usually always ended up back near the hotel at Diva bar where Sally and George and Tasos were always up for a laugh then it was back to the bar to be entertained by nicos and lambros who never appeared to go home!

Afandou itself was fab. A proper traditional village where everyone was so friendly and couldn't do enough for you. I especially liked the fact that people were not overly pushy to get you into their bars or restaurants but were very welcoming. Loved the life bar and Yiannis collection of music!

would i go back to Afandou? - definitely! would i go back to Golden days? - YES!! book me up now! missing Afandou and golden days already!(see you all next year guys!) I cannot fault this hotel one bit and i made friends with other guests who i still keep in touch with now. Thank you golden days for making this single parent not feel lonely or isolated!

Just back from one of the best holidays we've ever had, due in the main to the Golden Days Hotel and all the fantastic staff, who were so friendly and welcoming. It's a real family atmosphere and they go out of their way to make your holiday perfect.

The rooms are basic, but immaculately clean, thanks to the lovely Maria and Irene, who do a top job. On Reception Carol and Katarina go out of their way to help.

We ate breakfast and lunch in the hotel restaurant most days. The food is lovely, and the service was first class and always delivered with a smile by Yiannis!

Lambros and Nikos were the entertainment of the hotel! They're fantastic guys and excel themselves at the Karaoke and Greek nights, which are not to be missed as you are guaranteed a great time. Lambros could certainly teach Tom Cruise a thing or two behind the bar!!!

Afandou itself is beautiful and not too busy, although there are plenty of restaurants and bars. We would definitely recommend Sergio's (Greek/Italian food) and Danielles (Italian). It's a pretty village, so well worth exploring. The chapel at the top of the (big!) hill, opposite the hotel is beautiful, and you get an amazing view of Afandou and the sea from up there.

This was a wonderful holiday which we cannot fault. Our only regret is that we didn't go for longer. Most of the people we met have been staying at Golden Days for years, so that speaks for itself. We're already planning to go back next year with our friends and can't wait! Look forward to seeing you all next year!

Thanks for a brilliant holiday!

Kelly and Claire xx

this was our third holiday in afanduo the 2nd at golden days and 2weeks this year its clean the staff are excellent the food to service you cant fault anything at golden days carol makes sure everything is perfect .the village is full of restraunts four seasons was our favorite and you must visit top cafe goerges is a family man and its not long been open very modern fantastic drinks if you are lucky he will introduce you to hes family wife and children even grandad who sits looking on so proud

we will go back there as afanduo is the center to get buses to lots of islands 1 euro you are in falaraki 3euros lindos 2-50 rhodes or 1 euro to the beach on the little train if you just want a lazy day stayi nthe golden days great pool bars and gardens lambros and nikos work hard as do the cleaning staff marks out ot 10 -12 yes see you next year golden days
oh if you feel under the weather the chemist nearest golden days is the best terry will sort you out if he can

Well we went to the Golden Days last July and returned in the same weeks this year.(July 15 - 29) What can I say apart from things have only got better!
What has changed? Not a lot since last year, there are new sun beds in the pool area and the garden but those are minor things - what makes the Golden Days is the people working there.
Lambros, Yiannis, Nikos - these 3 lads work on the bar and around the hotel and are fantastic - they go out of their way to be friendly and are genuine people. Lambros : thanks for getting me the Margarita glasses so I could drink it properly, much appreciated!!!

Carol - works on reception and is a mine of information about all kinds of things you might need to know on your holiday there.

Pannis - thanks again boss, the cooking was wonderful.

Not forgetting Katerina, Maria , Irene, Vassilly, Mariana.

The thing about the Golden Days is that there is a real community feel about the place. The pool is great in the day time, the food is excellent if you decide to eat there and the bar is fun at night, people just tend to drink at the bar and huddle round it for a chat, there is a lovely patio area at the front to eat in or take your drinks to.
A few practical points - if you are thinking of going there : the rooms are serviced every day - the hotel has a nice reception area with a pool table and PCs for gaming. The bar area is next to that and right at the front so you can see out and keep cool. Rooms are basic but clean and comfortable and all have air con available.
The hotel is a the end of Afandou village and it is only a short walk to all of the retaurants and bars in the area.

Once again - we loved our return to the Golden Days - we would love to go again next year.

Just came back from another fantastic holiday at the Golden Days !

We have been visiting Afandou for the last 10 years with our children , so i am not going to waffle on.

The only thing I would add, is apart from the Hotel and the Village being fantastic.We hired a car this time and although we thought we had seen it all( via taxi ).We have seen the most beautiful places and fell in love with the island even more.

Thanks Again to Pannis, Carol , Lambros, Yiannis,Nicos,Vasiali and everyone else !

Hope to see you all again soon,

JO, GEOFF and BOYS

Hotel

This was the third time we have been to Rhodes and love it. We stayed at this hotel, self- catering for the second time because of the hospitality of the hotel staff and of course the beautiful Island. When we first arrived in the early hours of the morning Carol the receptionist and Lambro were waiting for us with a lovely welcome. There were sixteen of us altogether including my two brothers and their families.

Lambro is mad as ever, nothing is a bother and is full of fun. Yannis who never seams to sleep is always on the go during the day making sure your fed and watered. Pannis the hotel manager is normally in the kitchen cooking and occasionally you see him in his office where he is very approachable if there is something you need. Unfortunately Yogo (George) who worked behind the pool bar last year is no longer there but did hear we had arrived, so came to see us regularly over the course of our weeks holiday with his new bride Maria.
The hotel is spotlessly clean, our room was cleaned every day with clean towels, and the beds were changed one day and missed a day thanks to Maria and Irene. Our holiday was home from home and everyone at the hotel is so lovely and will be visiting again in August this year.
The hotel has a Greek night and a karaoke night, which are well worth staying for, the food is fabulous cooked by Pannis .

Resort

This resort is set in a small Greek village where you are close to the locals who may I add are very nice and will go out of there way to help. The beach is about 25mins walk but there is a train that will take you along for a few euros. There is a good selection of bars and taverns especially Diva which is down from the hotel. The staff here gives you a warm welcome and is situated in a garden type surrounding.
Going out at night, make sure you use mosquito spray, as well as after sun with insect repellent in as you will be bitten to bits. My sister in-law was bitten 36 times on the first night around her legs and ankles because she never sprayed. The square is about 10 min walk from the hotel and there are a number of bars with comfortable seats, where you can sit at your leisure. The Kolimbia beach is about 12 minutes in a taxi where you will see Tackie working on the water sports but make sure you are on the right beach as there is two. You need the one with the huge hotel on the beachfront. There is a Taverna over looking the beach if you want a spot of lunch.

Island

Unfortunately we did not have the time to check out weather the spa was finished in Kalithea. This place is very nice and relaxing there are ladders into the sea where you can swim or relax on your lounger. St Anthony Quinn bay is worth a visit if you like snorkelling, if you get the chance to hire a car visit Prasonissi at the very bottom of the island where the Ionian and the Aegean Sea meet with the beach in between. I could go on and on about this island as there is so much to do including the trips available.

great hotel,great staff,great beer,great pool,but the best thing is playing labros at poker....thanks mate

Second time in Afandou but first time at Golden Days and we will definitely be coming back here. Staff are the friendliest and most helpful I have ever met and all are recognised by their names printed on the backs of their T shirts. Rooms cleaned and towels changed every day, bed linen at least twice a week. Meals and drinks reasonably priced. However we never saw the pool being cleaned while we was there and the debris at the bottom was apalling.

Everyone we met seemed to have been before (some visitng Afandou since 1980) and were extremely friendly - there is a wonderful community spirit at the Golden Days which extends out to the bars and restaurants in the village. We ate somewhere different nearly every night but liked Sergios, Four Seasons and George's (on main road near Georgia Apts). Lots of good bars but recommend Simply The Best and Skyline.
Hire a reasonably priced car from Rodos Cars opposite hotel to see parts of the island that are inaccessible by public transport.

Our favourite beach is Agathi near Haraki, about 10 mins drive, but a car is a must to get there.
All the bars and restaurants in the village serve excellent food ranging from tranditional Greek to English, Italian, Chinese and Fast Food, but explore the back streets for traditional tavernas and cheap local fare.
Climb the hill behind the square and opposite the Golden Days for superb views and photo oppotunities.
Visit in September/October for hot, sunny days but bearable nights.

All things considered I have no idea how we will ever go on a better holiday than this.

The staff at the Golden Days are as the other reports have said - very friendly and helpful from the moment we arrived - we can understand why people return year after year. They will become friends of yours for life!!!

Hotel is very clean and serves good food-nothing is too much trouble for any of the staff. Karaoke night is not to be missed - Lambros has hidden talents!! Drinks and food still at a reasonable price. Air conditioning is well worth paying for - especially in August!!! The location is the best for either beach or town. Train will take you to the beach just past the hour for 1 euro - an experience not to be missed, don't forget to wave to George as you pass!! The village is a very friendly place to stay and the restaurants are all excellent. The Chinese opposite has authentic Singapore style food and is excellent.

A very relaxing holiday. Safe (No worries) though some of the locals go a little too fast on their mopeds through the village so if you have little ones keep a tight hold of their hand when walking into town. We will be back!!!

GOLDEN DAYS
This was the best holiday we have ever had. The hotel is extremely clean and all of the staff are fantastic. Carol works on the reception, she's English and nothing is too much trouble for her. Carol has information about bus times, can ring taxi's and do money exchanges. The hotel foyer has large comfy seats with a large screen television and there is a pool table and computer games. There is also a collection of books on reception that visitors have left that one can borrow and read. Security deposit boxes are in the reception and are 16 euros for 2 weeks. Reception is manned 24 - 7.

All of the staff speak good English and have fantastic attitudes, they are there to help and make sure you have a brilliant holiday. George works in the pool bar during the day and he is fantastic. He is energetic, fun and very helpful. The pool is large and clean and there are sun loungers surrounding it. Music is played during the day and George organised a football match and a water polo match for guests who were interested. There is also a garden area near the pool that has loungers and is very peaceful.

The hotel restaurant serves food all day and it is really cheap and very good. It serves snacks and meals including pasta, pizza, meat and Greek dishes. The drinks are also cheap in the hotel and I recommend the milkshakes as they are the best I have ever tasted.

The hotel has entertainment too, each Friday is Greek night and for 15 euros (or 25 with unltd wine) you receive a 2 course meal and traditional Greek entertainment. It's a brilliant night and the hotel staff join in with the dancing. Participation is encouraged, and it's a fun night (much cheaper than other Greek nights in Afandou). Each Monday night is karaoke night and it's hilarious. For only 7 euro's you have a 1 course meal with a drink of your choice. There's a bingo and the winner receives all of the money generated from it (150 euro's when we were there). The karaoke is great too, the staff dress up and sing songs and there are prizes for the best singers.

The rooms are big, they are cleaned every day and the air conditioning is great, and reasonable at 70 euros a week. A lovely touch is that the cleaners do not wake you up, they clean the rooms as guests leave them which we loved as previously in Greece we have been woken at 9 every day. The bathroom is a good size and the shower has a shower basin and curtain. Our towels were changed daily and were lovely and big; which is unusual for Greece. You are also given toilet paper and soap and the shower can be hung on the wall (instead of you having to hold it).

AFANDOU
The Golden Days Hotel is the best situated in Afandou, all of the other hotel's are either a 20 minute walk away from the village or are a 15 minute walk in the pitch black. This hotel is right at the outskirts of the village, however there are bar's and restaurants next door and the walk into the village square (which only takes 5 minutes) is down a road where all the bars and restaurants are anyway.

There is no noise at the hotel and all of the bars have to reduce the noise at 12 o clock anyway. Next door to the hotel is a bar called Diva, which has a charming garden with a pond and waterfall. There is an indoor night club there as well, but we didn't go in there. The manager is lovely and very helpful. Infact everyone in Afandu is helopful, it is by far the most friendly place I have ever been to. Everyone is polite and friendly and even if you are not buying anything in a shop or bar the staff will tell you the best places to go. Afandou is also the cheapest place in Rhodes, drinks are 3 euros for a cocktail or a spirit with coke etc. Meals range from 4 euro's. We had 3 course meals with a bottle of wine for 30 euros between us.

In the evening there are about 12 bars, 7 of which are in a row in the village square, they have big comfy seats outside them plus with you drinks you get a bowl of popcorn and nuts. The best of these 7 bars we found was Minas - big yellow seats outside - the 2 guys who work there are incredibly friendly. All of the bars have TV's with sport on and Minas also has a 2nd TV with Mr Bean playing. There are no bars which play movies in Afandou, or in the nearby Falaraki (5 minutes in a taxi, 10 in a bus).

RESTAURANTS
There are lots in Afandou, if you were to eat out every day for lunch and tea you could eat in a different one each time.

We only had 1 bad experience and that was in Sergio's, we ate there twice and the second time, after waiting for an hour a pizza arrived we found that we did'nt like it. So when I politely explained that we did not like it and could we change it to something else. The English manageress aggressively argued with us, so beware - if you chose to eat there, do not send anything back. She refused to exchange the food, was rude, had an extremely bad attitude and caused a scene. We spoke with other holidaymakers about the restaurant and several people said the same thing. They are polite until there is a problem.

AFANDOU BEACH
The Sunset rep told us that the beach had nothing on it so to take water and food, etc. He also told us that the little train which runs from Afandou sqare around Afandou does not let passengers on or off, it only stops in Afandou square. All of this was complete rubbish, so if you are told this ignore it. The beach is huge, it is about a 15 minute leisurely stroll from the hotel on 1 flat road. There's a restaurant on it and on the beach there are snack bars. The beach las loads of sub loungers and there are water sports available too.

The beach is sand up until 10 metres from the waters edge when it turns to pebbles. There are showers on the beach and cute cubicles for getting changed. For 2 beds with a parasol it was 6 euro's. It's a really clean beach with no seaweed and it was pretty quiet when we went there. The little train runs from the Square to the beach and back again, it comes hourly and is only 1 euro. It stops regularly and there's a stop outside Diva too.