Cook’s Club Ialysos is the newest of 10 in the adult-only Cook’s Club family of resorts and the fourth in Greece. It is still just a youngster at barely six months old when I visit and looks pristine and spotless.
The architecture is modelled on the paired-back minimalist model of the Boho style. The cube-like buildings are simultaneously striking and seemingly bare, dressed in colours of grey stone and trimmed with dark wood. The aesthetic is a fine blending with the lush surroundings of verdant hues from the hills beyond and the gardens, the pine and olive trees.
Service is attentive, and Thanasis, the charming general manager, is beyond helpful, as is Katerina the reservations manager.
Most evenings, there is a themed evening taking place by the pool around the bar, and that brings together all the residents creating a club atmosphere. I particularly liked the gin and burger evening and the mezze evening.
Who for
Cook’s Club Ialysos is an adult-only intimate resort and slightly remote. It would suit young (or young at heart) couples or honeymooners searching for a quiet week away yet reasonably close to a town.
Accommodation
Standard double
Bathroom
Pool Room interior
Pool Room
There are 90 rooms comprising 17 bungalows, some of which come with a jacuzzi, two rooms with pools and 62 standard double rooms. All have the same minimalist yet stylish decor with stone hues, tiled floors and wood trims with floor-to-ceiling glass doors that open to a balcony. There is a TV and a hairdryer, and plenty of plugs and mirrors though hanging space is limited. Tea and coffee facilities are only available in the bungalows, jacuzzi or pool rooms however you can order coffee via room service.
Ensuites are a showroom area wet room style in stone brown. Toiletries include full-size shower gel and shampoo and bottled water in the minibar, dressing gowns, slippers and towels for the sunbeds.
Views vary between the gardens, the sea in the distance and the pool.
Food & Drink
Alfresco breakfast at Cantina restaurant
Their restaurant, Cantina, stretches onto a terrace and serves uncomplicated street food from Asia and family-style Greek dishes. Vegans and vegetarians are catered for.
Breakfast is also served at Cantina and comprises cheeses, fried or scrambled eggs, pastries, cereals and fruits. Various coffee styles are dispensed from machines.
Dinner is served in the same restaurant, and whether it’s breakfast or dinner, eating alfresco while a cooling breeze tussles with your hair is delightful.
Swimmming salmon
Captain Cook Bar is the poolside restaurant where I enjoyed hot dogs and chicken burgers and a Ceasar salad.
I particularly enjoyed the Swimming Salmon – pieces of salmon “swimming” in buckwheat, mango and lime.
Of course, no poolside jaunt would be complete without a cheeky cocktail or two and with a selection of gins available, I was indeed happy.
Facilities
Pool with a club vibe.
The main hub of the hotel is its sensational pool area – the highlight of the Cooks Club experience. It’s a substantial pool with plenty of beds and beanbags, some with umbrellas on wood decking, and surrounded by nature.
It is a beautiful space and certainly talks to the Club vibe with a relaxed ambience and all-day background music. It’s so easy to spend whole days around that pool soaking in the sun and the vibe and leaving you far too relaxed to ever want to leave.
Just beyond the pool, there is a small but well-equipped partly alfresco gym next to a yoga pavilion where every Friday, there is a yoga class that anyone can join.
A huge plus is that the wif-fi is strong even around the pool area, where I am writing this review.
How much
Standard doubles start from £61 a night for two guests, including breakfast.
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What’s nearby?
Cook’s club is a tad remote yet conveniently only a 15-minute drive from Rhodes Diagoras airport. It is also quite close to Kremasti and Ialysos towns.
The Old Town of Rhodes is a little further, but a taxi can take you there for around 22 euros, or you can catch a bus. They run till around 11 pm, so there is no need to rush back, although they are sporadic.
When you fancy a change of scene, there are plenty of restaurants and tavernas less than a mile away.
Verdict: The highlight of Cook’s Club resort is the club vibe around the lush swimming pool that is, in effect, the central hub of an elegantly minimalist resort. Most guests are content to spend whole days on sunbeds and beanbags, venturing out occasionally. An altogether lovely experience.