Your rating of this hotel:
7.0
from 10
Hotel ratings by criteria:
Rooms:
5.0
Service:
8.0
Cleanliness:
7.0
Food:
8.0
Amenities:
7.0
Travel period from 18 to 25 June 2011. Our company consisted of two young married couples and we were in Greece for the first time. In general terms, the hotel is aimed at the older generation or people who prefer peace and quiet on vacation. And now everything is in order.
Flight Kyiv - Heraklion takes 2 hours 40 minutes, passes quickly and unnoticed. The UIA company does not shine with service, but their punctuality deserves respect. Heraklion airport is very small, there is no duty free upon arrival. Leaving the airport, it seems that we have arrived in the Crimea. Firstly, there is a lot of Russian speech, and secondly, a pleasant southern breeze, very reminiscent of the Crimean climate. The road to the hotel is a serpentine and takes about an hour. We fell in love with the local nature at first sight, so we looked at the landscapes all the way.
Upon arrival at the hotel, we were met by a nice Russian-speaking girl and asked to fill out a standard questionnaire. We had a voucher for a Bungalow room, where we were immediately settled. We asked for our rooms to be side by side and were given two adjoining rooms (at no extra charge). The room is in order, everything you need is present: a set of toiletries (gel, shampoo, lotion, soap); hair dryer (very old and buzzing loudly); refrigerator (bottle of mineral water upon arrival); safe (free); two sets of dishes (plates, cutlery, glasses), a "smart home" system (lights, air conditioning, the "do not disturb" function can be turned on / off from the remote control on the bedside table). We were greeted with a basket of fruit and a bottle of wine, a trifle but nice. A very comfortable balcony smoothly turning into green grass and a large lawn on which our sun loungers were located. Only residents of the Bungalow category can relax here, which creates a feeling of privacy and comfort. The minus of the rooms is high humidity, because of this, a very damp bed and an unpleasant smell. This is what creates the greatest discomfort, because it gave the impression that we had come to the village to visit our grandmother. The furniture is old, but in a tolerable condition, all items give out the solid age of the hotel. The room does not correspond to the European four, it needs repair. The cleaning of the room was of high quality, in our absence. On the very first day, they left a 2 euro tip near the TV, but the cleaner did not take them (this surprised me and reminded me once again that we are in Europe, it is customary for them to give it in their hands).
The sandy beach is 30 seconds walk from the room. There are always free sun loungers, no one takes them from 6 in the morning. Breakwaters are installed to break the waves. They take fantastic pictures. During our stay for 3 days there was a storm, a red flag was hung out, people were tried to be driven out of the water, but the lifeguard boy did not succeed. The waves were about 1.5 - 2 meters high, as I understand it, this is a common phenomenon with them. Locals can come to the beach, but not to take sun loungers, by law the beach cannot be private. Locals came to our beach, but they behaved decently and did not interfere with anyone.
The hotel has three swimming pools, but only one is for general use. The remaining two (which create a visual illusion of unity with the Aegean Sea) are designed only for residents of the Family Room, VIP Poolfront Bungalow category. There are always free sun loungers and, by and large, no one will check from which room you came there. Near the central public pool, there is a tension with sun loungers, because when going to breakfast, people accidentally begin to lay out towels (which is very surprising to observe in the performance of Europeans, and they are the majority there). So by 11 o'clock there are no free places near the pool. But, frankly, the concentration of people and the size of the pool did not attract us at all, so we preferred to swim exclusively in the beautiful Aegean Sea (which I advise you).
Food in this hotel is presented in the categories All inc. and HB (breakfast). We preferred All inc. , paying extra 300 euros for the tour. The hotel gave us a card called Premium Plus (PP), which must be presented with every order for drinks or food. For some unknown reason, the hotel staff reacted negatively to this. We have never observed the presence of cash in a restaurant or bar, that is, neither PP card holders nor vacationers on the HB system gave tips to the staff. This moment is a mystery to me. The cuisine is varied and delicious. A lot of meat, very little seafood (which surprised us a lot, we are still on the seashore), a huge amount of vegetables, fruits and sweets.
I want to draw your attention to the fact that men are not allowed to come to dinner in shorts. They just won't let you into the restaurant. A very unpleasant moment, because everyone is sent to change clothes. So be aware and bring a pair of trousers with you.
Every evening there is a themed dinner near the central pool. On the stage in front of the pool, first there is a children's disco and competitions, and then a concert for adults. Every day a different price and cuisine (depending on the program of the evening). 20% discount for PP card holders. This action ends at 23.00, and the hotel is covered with deathly silence. So get ready to entertain yourself.
There is mini golf on site, but the quality of the tracks is shocking. Clubs are at the reception, always available, there are no people who want to play at all (most likely due to the quality of the surface and the general performance of the tracks). Not far from the reception there is a children's club, there are Russian-speaking animators. During the whole day there is no entertainment for adults, even no music is playing - a great opportunity to listen to the sound of the sea.
The bulk of holidaymakers in the hotel are Europeans of mature age, very few families with children and young people. Compatriots a few faces. Atmosphere of calm and tranquility.
Upon arrival, the guide was very tempting to talk about excursions and trips around the island. But, since we arrived only for 7 days, we didn’t want to strain ourselves with tedious excursions under the scorching Cypriot sun. We limited ourselves to daily trips to the nearby city of Rethymno. The fare from the hotel to the city is 1.50 euros per person by bus, by taxi - 12 dollars. I advise you to visit the local fortress, which offers a breathtaking view of the city, the pier, the embankment. It is very interesting to walk around the old city and at the same time buy souvenirs for friends and yourself, as a keepsake. European prices are quite high. Magnets are not cheaper than 2 euros, a small bottle of olive oil or a jar of olives 6 euros. I recommend having dinner in one of the small restaurants in the old town (it seems that you are at home in the kitchen of the Greeks, everything is at home). In the evenings, cafes open along the embankment, you can choose fish, shrimp, lobster, crabs on the ice window, and kind chefs will cook them right away, and excellent Greek wine will add aroma to a wonderful evening in Cyprus. All shops close at exactly 22.00. Greeks value their time and love to relax. By the way, they work half a day, and on Sunday they have a day off and all the shops are closed (despite the tourists).
After a walk around the city, you return to the hotel as in a safe haven. After a busy day, it is so wonderful to sit on a sun lounger with a glass of wine, listen to the sound of the waves.
It's time to sum up my review: the hotel is aimed at the older generation or young people who want a relaxing holiday. If your children are not embarrassed by topless sunbathing middle-aged Europeans and middle-aged Europeans in thongs, you can safely take them with you. The condition of the room stock and the hotel as a whole can be assessed as "4-", repair is required. The lack of animation and minimal background music is a significant oversight of the hotel administration. The cuisine and service are fully consistent with the star rating of the hotel. I advise you to rent a car and drive around the island. Unfortunately, this time it did not work out for us, but on the next trip we will definitely travel around the entire island. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me, I will be happy to answer them.
Flight Kyiv - Heraklion takes 2 hours 40 minutes, passes quickly and unnoticed. The UIA company does not shine with service, but their punctuality deserves respect. Heraklion airport is very small, there is no duty free upon arrival. Leaving the airport, it seems that we have arrived in the Crimea. Firstly, there is a lot of Russian speech, and secondly, a pleasant southern breeze, very reminiscent of the Crimean climate. The road to the hotel is a serpentine and takes about an hour. We fell in love with the local nature at first sight, so we looked at the landscapes all the way.
Upon arrival at the hotel, we were met by a nice Russian-speaking girl and asked to fill out a standard questionnaire. We had a voucher for a Bungalow room, where we were immediately settled. We asked for our rooms to be side by side and were given two adjoining rooms (at no extra charge). The room is in order, everything you need is present: a set of toiletries (gel, shampoo, lotion, soap); hair dryer (very old and buzzing loudly); refrigerator (bottle of mineral water upon arrival); safe (free); two sets of dishes (plates, cutlery, glasses), a "smart home" system (lights, air conditioning, the "do not disturb" function can be turned on / off from the remote control on the bedside table). We were greeted with a basket of fruit and a bottle of wine, a trifle but nice. A very comfortable balcony smoothly turning into green grass and a large lawn on which our sun loungers were located. Only residents of the Bungalow category can relax here, which creates a feeling of privacy and comfort. The minus of the rooms is high humidity, because of this, a very damp bed and an unpleasant smell. This is what creates the greatest discomfort, because it gave the impression that we had come to the village to visit our grandmother. The furniture is old, but in a tolerable condition, all items give out the solid age of the hotel. The room does not correspond to the European four, it needs repair. The cleaning of the room was of high quality, in our absence. On the very first day, they left a 2 euro tip near the TV, but the cleaner did not take them (this surprised me and reminded me once again that we are in Europe, it is customary for them to give it in their hands).
The sandy beach is 30 seconds walk from the room. There are always free sun loungers, no one takes them from 6 in the morning. Breakwaters are installed to break the waves. They take fantastic pictures. During our stay for 3 days there was a storm, a red flag was hung out, people were tried to be driven out of the water, but the lifeguard boy did not succeed. The waves were about 1.5 - 2 meters high, as I understand it, this is a common phenomenon with them. Locals can come to the beach, but not to take sun loungers, by law the beach cannot be private. Locals came to our beach, but they behaved decently and did not interfere with anyone.
The hotel has three swimming pools, but only one is for general use. The remaining two (which create a visual illusion of unity with the Aegean Sea) are designed only for residents of the Family Room, VIP Poolfront Bungalow category. There are always free sun loungers and, by and large, no one will check from which room you came there. Near the central public pool, there is a tension with sun loungers, because when going to breakfast, people accidentally begin to lay out towels (which is very surprising to observe in the performance of Europeans, and they are the majority there). So by 11 o'clock there are no free places near the pool. But, frankly, the concentration of people and the size of the pool did not attract us at all, so we preferred to swim exclusively in the beautiful Aegean Sea (which I advise you).
Food in this hotel is presented in the categories All inc. and HB (breakfast). We preferred All inc. , paying extra 300 euros for the tour. The hotel gave us a card called Premium Plus (PP), which must be presented with every order for drinks or food. For some unknown reason, the hotel staff reacted negatively to this. We have never observed the presence of cash in a restaurant or bar, that is, neither PP card holders nor vacationers on the HB system gave tips to the staff. This moment is a mystery to me. The cuisine is varied and delicious. A lot of meat, very little seafood (which surprised us a lot, we are still on the seashore), a huge amount of vegetables, fruits and sweets.
I want to draw your attention to the fact that men are not allowed to come to dinner in shorts. They just won't let you into the restaurant. A very unpleasant moment, because everyone is sent to change clothes. So be aware and bring a pair of trousers with you.
Every evening there is a themed dinner near the central pool. On the stage in front of the pool, first there is a children's disco and competitions, and then a concert for adults. Every day a different price and cuisine (depending on the program of the evening). 20% discount for PP card holders. This action ends at 23.00, and the hotel is covered with deathly silence. So get ready to entertain yourself.
There is mini golf on site, but the quality of the tracks is shocking. Clubs are at the reception, always available, there are no people who want to play at all (most likely due to the quality of the surface and the general performance of the tracks). Not far from the reception there is a children's club, there are Russian-speaking animators. During the whole day there is no entertainment for adults, even no music is playing - a great opportunity to listen to the sound of the sea.
The bulk of holidaymakers in the hotel are Europeans of mature age, very few families with children and young people. Compatriots a few faces. Atmosphere of calm and tranquility.
Upon arrival, the guide was very tempting to talk about excursions and trips around the island. But, since we arrived only for 7 days, we didn’t want to strain ourselves with tedious excursions under the scorching Cypriot sun. We limited ourselves to daily trips to the nearby city of Rethymno. The fare from the hotel to the city is 1.50 euros per person by bus, by taxi - 12 dollars. I advise you to visit the local fortress, which offers a breathtaking view of the city, the pier, the embankment. It is very interesting to walk around the old city and at the same time buy souvenirs for friends and yourself, as a keepsake. European prices are quite high. Magnets are not cheaper than 2 euros, a small bottle of olive oil or a jar of olives 6 euros. I recommend having dinner in one of the small restaurants in the old town (it seems that you are at home in the kitchen of the Greeks, everything is at home). In the evenings, cafes open along the embankment, you can choose fish, shrimp, lobster, crabs on the ice window, and kind chefs will cook them right away, and excellent Greek wine will add aroma to a wonderful evening in Cyprus. All shops close at exactly 22.00. Greeks value their time and love to relax. By the way, they work half a day, and on Sunday they have a day off and all the shops are closed (despite the tourists).
After a walk around the city, you return to the hotel as in a safe haven. After a busy day, it is so wonderful to sit on a sun lounger with a glass of wine, listen to the sound of the waves.
It's time to sum up my review: the hotel is aimed at the older generation or young people who want a relaxing holiday. If your children are not embarrassed by topless sunbathing middle-aged Europeans and middle-aged Europeans in thongs, you can safely take them with you. The condition of the room stock and the hotel as a whole can be assessed as "4-", repair is required. The lack of animation and minimal background music is a significant oversight of the hotel administration. The cuisine and service are fully consistent with the star rating of the hotel. I advise you to rent a car and drive around the island. Unfortunately, this time it did not work out for us, but on the next trip we will definitely travel around the entire island. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me, I will be happy to answer them.
Translated automatically from Russian. View original
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OTHER REVIEWS ABOUT THE HOTEL
- Liked the hotel!
- The restaurant staff do not respect the guests
- Don't throw away money!!!
- Nice hotel but more for couples
- And yet Greek hotels are the best!
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