The Good For a week-long all-inclusive holiday, the price was relatively affordable. The main restaurant food was acceptable but nothing exceptional, slightly better than the standard all-inclusive buffet (i.e., not just chicken nuggets and chips every day). That said, some dishes did feel like leftovers from the previous night’s themed restaurants. The Bad It’s difficult to understand how this hotel maintains a 5-star rating, or why it’s still classified as such by regulators. This becomes especially frustrating when you’re required to pay a tourist tax on arrival, before having the chance to realise the hotel falls far short of that standard. First impressions are misleading, the grand foyer and buggy ride to your room create a sense of luxury, but that feeling disappears the moment you leave reception. Notably, the same buggy service wasn’t offered when we were checking out with multiple heavy bags. The all-inclusive drinks are extremely poor. Cocktails are made with low-quality spirits and overly sugary mixers, the beer tastes artificial, and the wine is genuinely undrinkable. The swimming pools are another major disappointment. Despite Lindos temperatures in the low 30s, they were freezing cold and poorly maintained. Issues included loose steps, missing or sharp tiles, and visible grime along the surfaces and walls. The themed restaurants were underwhelming. Service was poor, drink options were low quality (and came at an extra (inflated) cost), and menus were so limited that if you didn’t like the options, your only choice was to leave and return to the main buffet. Charging extra for pool towels over the course of a week also felt unnecessary and out of place for a supposed 5-star resort. The Terrible The internal swim-up rooms are particularly disappointing. They receive almost no natural light due to the surrounding building structure, leaving both the room and pool area cold and uninviting. Paying extra for this type of room feels unjustified. Even after upgrading to an external swim-up room, we found it remained in shade for most of the day, making the upgrade poor value overall. I would strongly advise against booking a swim-up room here. The number of stray cats is also a serious issue. They are everywhere, including inside the restaurant, where they feed on leftover food from unattended plates. One even managed to get into our room, which was both unpleasant and unhygienic. Air conditioning was another major problem. It was not working during our stay and, judging by previous reviews, appears to have been an ongoing issue for years. This is completely unacceptable, especially in such a hot climate. Overall I cannot recommend Lindos Royal Resort. While it may once have been a high-quality hotel, it is now clearly suffering from years of poor maintenance and lack of investment. The facilities, rooms, and overall environment feel run-down and neglected. Unfortunately, this is not the 5-star experience it claims to offer.