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For most people arriving on the ferry from Turkey, the best place to stay in Rhodes is Rhodes Town: either inside the walls of the Old Town or in the New Town just north of it. Both are walkable from the harbour where the Marmaris and Fethiye boats dock, so you can leave the car-free crossing behind and be at your hotel within minutes. Go further out (Ixia, Faliraki, Lindos) only if beach time matters more than sightseeing and you are staying several nights.
We haven’t stayed at these hotels ourselves; we picked them on location, published details and guest ratings.
Short answer
- Best area overall: the Old Town (inside the medieval walls). You walk off the ferry, through a gate, and you are in the middle of the sights, restaurants and evening atmosphere.
- Best for a day trip plus one night: stay in the Old Town or the southern edge of the New Town near Mandraki. No taxi needed, and you can catch an early boat back.
- Best for beach time without a car: the New Town (Elli beach). You get a proper town beach and still walk to the Old Town.
- Best for families: a resort in Faliraki or Ixia with pools and a kids’ club, if you are staying three nights or more. For a short trip with children, a New Town hotel with a pool is easier.
- Budget tip: small guesthouses inside the Old Town are often cheaper than seafront hotels, especially outside July and August. Breakfast is not always included, so check before booking.
Areas
| Area | Good for | Distance from the ferry harbour | Vibe |
|---|---|---|---|
| Old Town (inside the walls) | First-timers, couples, 1–3 nights | Walkable; many hotels a few minutes’ to about 15 minutes’ walk | Medieval lanes, busy by day, atmospheric at night |
| New Town / Elli | Beach plus town, families, short stays | Roughly 10–20 minutes’ walk | Modern town, shops, sandy town beach |
| Ixia | Resort hotels, sunsets, windsurfing | About 4–5 km west of the port (short taxi ride) | Long hotel strip on the west coast |
| Ialysos | Lower prices, apartments, longer stays | About 10 minutes by car | Residential town with a beach strip |
| Faliraki | Families, beach resorts, nightlife | About 13 km south of Rhodes Town | Big beach resort |
| Lindos | Couples, scenery, a slower pace | About 50 km south | White village under an acropolis |
Old Town (inside the walls)
The Old Town is the reason most people come to Rhodes on a short trip. Hotels here are mostly small and set in restored stone buildings, many with a courtyard or roof terrace. You are steps from the Street of the Knights, the Palace of the Grand Master and Sokratous Street, and the harbour where the Turkish ferries arrive sits just outside the walls. For a one- or two-night stay this is the most practical base: no transport, no planning.
The downsides: lanes are cobbled and often car-free, so a heavy suitcase can be a nuisance and taxis may not reach your door. Rooms tend to be smaller, few hotels have pools, and some streets stay lively late in summer. It suits couples, solo travellers and anyone who wants to sightsee on foot. Families with small children can manage, but should look for a hotel with family rooms and check stairs.
New Town / Elli
The New Town stretches north from the Old Town walls to the tip of the island. Elli beach, on the northern shore, is the main town beach, and the area is full of larger hotels, cafés and shops. The Mandraki harbour, with its deer statues, marks the boundary between the New Town and the Old Town. From most hotels here you can walk to the Old Town gates in 10 to 20 minutes.
It is less atmospheric than the Old Town and parts of it are plain city streets. In return you get bigger rooms, pools, lifts, easier taxi access and a beach on your doorstep. It is a good choice for families, for anyone with luggage or mobility concerns, and for visitors who want a swim every day without renting a car.
Ixia
Ixia lies on the west coast just beyond Rhodes Town, along the road towards the airport. It is essentially a long strip of resort hotels facing the sea, and the west coast is known for wind, which suits windsurfers and makes summer evenings cooler. The Sheraton listing below puts the medieval town about 4 km away.
There is little to do here outside the hotels, and you will need a taxi or bus to reach the Old Town in the evenings. Ixia makes sense for a resort holiday of several nights, less so for a quick trip from Turkey.
Ialysos
Ialysos is a real town a little further along the west coast, with a mix of apartments, mid-range hotels and some bigger beachfront resorts. Prices are often lower than in Rhodes Town, and the town has its own shops and tavernas. One of the hotels below lists the port as about 10 minutes away by car.
Like Ixia, it is too far to walk into Rhodes Town. It fits travellers on a longer stay, those with a hire car, or families who want an apartment with a kitchen.
Faliraki
Faliraki, on the east coast about 13 km south of Rhodes Town, is the island’s best-known beach resort. The beach is long and sandy, the sea on this side is usually calmer than on the west coast, and there are large family resorts with water slides and kids’ clubs, plus a busy bar street.
You will need a taxi or bus from the harbour, and evenings in Rhodes Town become a planned outing rather than a stroll. It is the right choice for a family beach holiday of several nights, not for a one-night visit.
Lindos
Lindos is a whitewashed village below a clifftop acropolis, about 50 km south of Rhodes Town on the east coast. It is one of the most photographed places in the Dodecanese and has some of the island’s most stylish small hotels and adults-only properties, especially around Vlycha Bay just outside the village.
It is far from the ferry: allow for a long taxi ride or a bus from Rhodes Town, and in high summer the village is crowded with day-trippers by late morning. Stay here if you want a quieter, scenic few days, ideally as a couple, and visit Rhodes Town on your arrival or departure day.
Hotels
Old Town
- Ferry port
- about 800 m from the port
- Best for
- couples
A small suites hotel in a period building right next to the Street of the Knights, so the Palace of the Grand Master and the Archaeological Museum are on your doorstep. Suites have a spa bath, and some have a balcony with views over the town or port; breakfast is continental. Rated around 9/10 on Booking.com (October 2026), at the upper end of Old Town prices (€€€).
See rates & availability- Best for
- budget / families
A small hotel inside the Old Town walls on Dinokratous Street, with air-conditioned rooms including family rooms. Breakfast is à la carte with local specialties, and vegetarian and vegan options are listed. A practical, lower-cost base for one or two nights close to the sights; rated around 8.7/10 on Booking.com (October 2026).
See rates & availabilityNew Town / Elli
- Ferry port
- about 7 minutes' walk from Mandraki harbour
- Best for
- couples / beach
A modern hotel in Rhodes Town about a 4-minute walk from Elli beach, with a seasonal outdoor pool, a sun terrace, spa facilities and a buffet breakfast. Rooms have balconies with city views. Rated around 9/10 on Booking.com (October 2026); one room type is in an annex 40 m away without a lift (€€).
See rates & availability- Best for
- families / short stays
A central 4-star hotel on Ierou Lochou Street with an outdoor pool, pool bar and hot tub, buffet breakfast and family rooms. The nearest beach is a few hundred metres away and some rooms look towards the Old Town. There is no on-site parking, but public parking is close by. Rated around 8.7/10 on Booking.com (October 2026), mid-range (€€).
See rates & availabilityIxia and Ialysos
- Ferry port
- about 4.4 km from Rhodes port
- Best for
- families / resort
A 5-star beachfront resort on Ixia Bay with four pools, a children's club, several restaurants and sea-view rooms. Free parking is available on site. Better for a resort stay of several nights than a quick trip, as you will need a taxi or bus into Rhodes Town (€€€).
See rates & availability- Ferry port
- about 10 minutes by car from the port
- Best for
- budget / families
A 3-star apart-hotel in Ialysos with an outdoor pool, a children's pool and a pool bar; continental breakfast is included. Units are one- and two-bedroom apartments for up to four people, and Ialysos beach is roughly 1 km away. Good value for a longer stay, but you will need transport to reach Rhodes Town (€).
See rates & availabilityFaliraki
- Best for
- families
A 4-star all-inclusive family resort on Faliraki beach with a lagoon-style pool, a children's pool, water slides and a free kids' club. Family rooms include two-bedroom options. Built for families staying a week rather than a night or two; you will need a taxi or bus from the harbour (€€–€€€).
See rates & availabilityLindos
- Ferry port
- about 50 km from Rhodes port
- Best for
- couples / adults only
An adults-only (18+) hillside hotel above Vlycha beach, about 2 km from Lindos village, with sea-view rooms, suites and villas, pools including an indoor heated pool, a spa and a private beach area. Breakfast is a buffet with à la carte options. Rated around 9.6/10 on Booking.com (October 2026), firmly in the luxury bracket (€€€).
See rates & availabilityPractical tips
Arriving by ferry from Turkey
Ferries from Marmaris and Fethiye dock in Rhodes Town’s harbour, right outside the medieval walls, after passport control. See our Marmaris to Rhodes ferry guide for schedules and tickets, and the route overview for other crossings.
- Old Town: walk. The gates are a few minutes away, and most Old Town hotels are within roughly 15 minutes on foot. Inside the walls many lanes are pedestrian-only, so ask your hotel how close a taxi can get if you have heavy bags.
- New Town / Elli: walk along the waterfront past Mandraki (about 10–20 minutes) or take a short taxi ride.
- Ixia, Ialysos, Faliraki, Lindos: take a taxi, or walk to the KTEL bus station in the New Town, which is a short walk from the harbour, and take a bus. Timetables change by season, so check them on the day.
When to book
July and August are the busiest months and the best-located small hotels in the Old Town fill early, so book as soon as your ferry is fixed. In May, June, September and October there is more choice, and the sea is still warm enough for swimming in late spring and autumn. Many resort hotels outside Rhodes Town close in winter, while some Old Town and New Town hotels stay open.
Do you need a car?
Not for Rhodes Town: the Old Town is best explored on foot, and parking inside the walls is very limited. A hire car is useful only if you are based in Ixia, Ialysos, Faliraki or Lindos and want to explore beaches and villages. If you are on a day trip or one night, skip it.
FAQ
Is the Old Town or the New Town better for one night?
For one night after the ferry, the Old Town. You walk from the harbour, eat inside the walls and see the main sights in the evening and next morning. Choose the New Town if you want a pool, a lift and a beach, or if you are travelling with lots of luggage.
How far is the ferry port from the Old Town?
The harbour where the Turkish ferries arrive is right outside the walls. Most Old Town hotels are a few minutes to about 15 minutes’ walk away, depending on where inside the walls they are.
Can I stay in Lindos on a short trip from Turkey?
You can, but Lindos is about 50 km from the port, so it eats into a short stay. On a one- or two-night trip, stay in Rhodes Town and visit Lindos as a day trip by bus, car or organised tour.
Where should families stay in Rhodes?
For a short stay, a New Town hotel with a pool near Elli beach keeps everything walkable. For a week, a resort in Faliraki or Ixia with a kids’ club and shallow pools is more relaxing. Check family room sizes, as Old Town rooms are often small.
Is breakfast usually included?
It varies. Larger hotels usually offer a buffet breakfast, while some small Old Town guesthouses serve breakfast on request or charge extra. Check the rate details on the booking page.
Sources
- Booking.com: Avalon Boutique Suites Hotel
- Booking.com partner listing: Avalon Boutique Hotel (Routard)
- Booking.com: Evdokia Old Town Hotel
- Booking.com: Acandia Hotel
- Booking.com partner listing: Acandia Hotel (TAP)
- Booking.com: Best Western Plus Hotel Plaza
- Booking.com partner listing: Best Western Plus Hotel Plaza (Vliegwinkel)
- Booking.com: Sheraton Rhodes Resort
- Holiwise: Sheraton Rhodes Resort
- Booking.com: Ialysos City Hotel
- Hoteles.com: Ialysos City Hotel
- Booking.com: Esperides Beach Resort
- Hotels.com: Esperides Beach Resort
- Booking.com: Lindos Blu Luxury Hotel – Adults Only
- The Mediterranean Traveller: Rhodes port map
- Ferryhopper: Marmaris–Rhodes ferry