Rimondi Grand Resort and Spa

Our experience at RG Village was one of stunning views, a friendly staff, solid (if limited) food options, and a few odd rules. Overall it was a positive experience, but there are a few things you might want a heads up on.

First of all, in our opinion, the staff was overall very nice and accommodating. We could tell it’s a relatively small team, which gives it some of its charm, as you will get familiar with the same faces pretty quickly. There’s Despina from the Stasi coffee (and also pool towel rental) booth, Chris the shuttle bus driver, Kostas the upstairs bartender, and Valda (hopefully spelling that right) from the Spa and Excursions desk. These people work really hard and any limitation on service is really no fault of their own.

Okay, now some of the negatives. We didn’t mind the food, as we’ve heard others complain, but you may grew bored with it after a few days. Solid dietary options for your standard meat / bread / fruit / and salad lovers, but if you’re Glutten-free or have a stricter diet, this might be also a challenge.

Also, the room key situation. We could not understand why they would only give one key per family per room. Truly could not understand why. The key itself powers the lights and AC to each room, so only having one key per group makes some logistics like two people splitting up at the resort a lot more complicated.

Random items are not included in the all-inclusive, including those Stasi ice coffees, drinks after 11:00, and for some reason, Stella beer. Odd little discrepancies like these, especially when they advertise as five-star are simply baffling for the price you’re already paying.

The kitties are all cute. We loved them, and would play with them every day. If you’re a cat lover, this is a nice added perk.

You’ve probably read many of the reviews by this point and might feel mixed about what your experience will be like here. While there are off rules that are unique to this hotel, a little expectation setting and preparation can help you still have a very pleasant stay at RG Village Crete.

Here are a few tips:

While the staff communicates the rules, they do not make them. Do your best to be patient. For 7 days, we saw the same people every day and they do work hard. The ones we spoke to are raising families, saving money for university or internships abroad. Be kind. The kitties roaming the property were also the best hosts!

The food simply does the job in feeding you. It’s not over the top, but we planned a few meals out. We highly recommend the restaurant that they offer a shuttle to, especially around sunset. It is beautiful oceanside dining and the food is great. The shuttle to Rethyhmo will also provide you with great options.

Kostos is the bartender that comes in around 7 and he is fantastic. He will make you a strong drink and is very hospitable.

However, we talked to a few people around the resort that hoped the drinks included in the all inclusive were stronger and were upset the all inclusive only went to 11 each night. We pretty much double fisted beer and wine the entire time, which was fine as we aren’t big liquor drinkers. If you hope for something stronger, I’d recommend buying booze at a local supermarket instead of at the market upstairs that is a bit overpriced.

The pools are beautiful and the adult only pool at the top with a view of the ocean is wonderful. We went most days to that pool. The pools do close at 6 and 7 respectively. If you have the means, I’d recommend booking a room with the pool attached so you can get morning dips or night swims.

There is only one key per room which was a tad frustrating and it cost money if you loose it. My husband and I figured out a routine though. I would go up first to get pool chairs in the shade and he would come a little bit later with coffees to our spot. It never felt like one of us was locked out.

There is self-service coffee in dining areas, but we highly recommend the coffee made at Stassi. It is well worth one Euro and we enjoyed a cup daily. You also get a free water bottle with each purchase.

Take out more euros than you anticipate needing. Beach towels are $20 euros each with a deposit returned at end if you return them. All excursions must also be paid in Euros. There is an ATM at the entrance of hotel, but it probably would have been easier if we just had more than enough to begin with.

Bring your own water bottle to fill up at the filter stations around the resort. For some reason, they do not let you fill up water bottle at the main dining areas. Again, we only got over this quickly because we were prepared.

This was out first time in Crete and there is simply so much to do!! We personally were okay without a car because we took advantage of the shuttle and transportation that came with the excursions. We met people that opted into renting a car last minute, as they wanted more flexibility and mentioned it was easy to rent a car in Rythemo. The front desk can also order a cab for you or give you local numbers.

This is not the resort that does entertainment every night. We were okay with this as we don’t have kids. We did enjoy their local Cretan night on the last night of our trip.

We booked excursions and loved the ones we booked, mainly Balos Lagoon and Elafonisi Beach. You can’t book in advance, but it was very easy on-site upon arrival. We also booked the spa on our last day which was great and very relaxing. Beyond a massage, you get access to a sauna, tranquil environment and some indoor pools.

If you’re still not having a good time, make friends with others at the resort and just laugh about the odd quirks of the RG Crete. We enjoyed connecting with other guests and all kinda learned the ropes together.

Hotel

Rimondi Grand Village presents itself as a 5-star hotel, but it is absolutely not worth this rating, for several reasons. The services, facilities, hygiene, and overall quality are not up to standard. Compared to the stories from fellow travelers staying at neighboring Iberostar hotels, for example, RGV is a complete joke. I don't want to position myself as a professional reviewer, but I have been traveling for over 20 years and can say with hand on heart that I’ve seen my fair share of hotels. This is without a doubt the worst experience so far. For reference, we stayed in room 111, which is relevant for a few specific points.

THE GOOD <<

• Air conditioning in the room
• Comfortable beds
• Very quiet location in an olive tree valley—perhaps a bit remote, but you figure: "it's an all-inclusive hotel, I don't need anything extra, it'll be fine!"
• Nice walking paths
• Lovely spa with a wide range of massages
• Friendly and helpful bar and kitchen staff (I want to emphasize that the reception/manager does not fall under this)
• Free shuttle to and from the beach, as well as in the evening to restaurant 'Paraplous' (which they collaborate with)
• Restaurant Paraplous: a highly recommended restaurant with great staff who pay attention to detail, serving mouthwatering dishes (you get a 10% discount on the bill if you book through the hotel—do double-check your bill at the end, though!)

THE BAD <

We had high hopes for this hotel when we arrived. At first glance, it looked beautiful – it is designed like a small village on a hill with stunning views of the sea. Although the beach is a few kilometres away, the hotel provides a shuttle bus.Unfortunately, the shuttle service was one of the biggest problems. It ran every 30 minutes, but there were only eight seats available. Several times we were unable to get to the beach or return because the bus was full, so we had to wait for the next one.The hotel itself is clean and looks nice, but our overall experience was disappointing. We arrived late on Monday night, so we missed both lunch and dinner on our arrival day. However, on the day of departure, our wristbands were removed at 11:00 a.m. after check-out, and we were told that we were not allowed to have lunch, even though our transfer was not until 5:00 p.m. Since the hotel is located in a small village with no nearby restaurants, this left us without any meal for several hours.When we explained that we had already missed lunch and dinner on the day we arrived, the manager became very defensive and told us it was our fault because we arrived late. She said the food had been available and refused to help. We found the management to be rude, aggressive, and completely unwilling to show any flexibility or understanding.I have stayed in many all-inclusive hotels over the years, and this is the first time I have had my wristband removed immediately after check-out. In every other hotel, guests were allowed to continue using the facilities and enjoy lunch before leaving, especially when they had a late transfer. It makes guests feel welcome and encourages them to return. Unfortunately, that was not the case here.I would also like to point out that the housekeeping was very poor. During our week-long stay, our room was not properly cleaned. We constantly had to ask for fresh towels and toilet paper instead of these being replaced automatically. There was very little attention to the rooms, and we had to request everything ourselves.The only positive aspect of our stay was the staff working in the restaurant and the housekeeping team. They were always kind, friendly, and hardworking. Sadly, their excellent attitude was overshadowed by the poor management.Overall, this hotel left us with very negative memories. While the location and views are beautiful, the lack of customer care, poor housekeeping, limited shuttle service, and unprofessional management mean that we would not recommend this hotel and would never return.