Solimar Aquamarine

We have just returned from our holiday at Solimar Aquamarine Hotel. Below you can find our personal review and experience from our stay.

First Impressions Our first impressions after arriving at the hotel were very positive. The reception staff speak good English, and all the necessary information was explained to us clearly. The hotel looks like it does in the photos and has a modern and clean appearance, pleasant lighting, and working air conditioning in the main areas of the hotel. In our opinion, the hotel can be enjoyed by people of all age groups. The only thing we would recommend is promoting the hotel more clearly as a family-friendly destination. Even at the end of the season, there were still many families with children, which may not suit some guests who are looking for a quieter holiday.

Location and Surroundings The journey from the airport to the hotel takes approximately 40–50 minutes, depending on the type of transportation. If you travel with a tour operator, the journey may also depend on how many other hotels are visited before yours. We took a bus trip to Chania. The timetable is displayed at the reception, and buses run approximately every 20 minutes. The journey to Chania took us around 40 minutes. The hotel is located close to the beach, which is no more than a 5-minute walk away. We did not visit restaurants or shops in the surrounding area because we did not need to during our stay. There is a minimarket directly in the hotel where you can find almost everything you might need during your holiday. It offers drinks, sweets, alcohol, cigarettes, e-cigarettes, nicotine pouches, souvenirs, beach and pool equipment, and much more. The area around the hotel is quiet. None of the rooms face directly onto the main road, and the hotel is located far enough from the traffic. If you have a room with a sea view, you can look forward to beautiful sunrises and sunsets.

Hotel and Common Areas The hotel areas, restaurant, and bar were always clean throughout our stay. The interior is modern and bright, with pleasant shades of blue and wood-effect tiles. The reception and lobby area was air-conditioned. If you have to wait for your room after arriving, it is a pleasant place to escape the heat and cool down. The hotel is wheelchair accessible.

Pool and Outdoor Areas The swimming pool is located close to the restaurant. There is also a pool bar nearby, which is open from 10:30 to 18:00. We found the size of the pool more than sufficient. It was never so crowded that we wanted to avoid using it. There were also always enough sun loungers available around the pool. There is also a snack and drinks counter near the pool bar. You can find fruit, different types of sandwiches, and ice cream there.

Restaurant and Food The restaurant area was clean. The staff regularly prepared and cleared the tables, so there were always plenty of free seats available. In our opinion, the tables on the terrace by the pool were more pleasant and quieter, as there were usually fewer families with small children there. The food was good. There were not only the usual fried and processed foods, but also many different options of meat, fish, salads, and pasta with various sauces. The à la carte dinner was also excellent. You can choose from a variety of traditional Greek dishes, and the portions were very satisfying. Throughout our entire holiday, I never had a problem finding something I wanted to eat. However, if you have food allergies or follow a special diet, finding suitable options may be a little more difficult. This is something you can also experience in regular restaurants.

Room The room was really spacious and above standard. If you are staying as a couple, there is more than enough space. When you enter the room, there is a small entrance area with a shoe cabinet. From there, you enter the bathroom, which is large, clean, and well equipped. The next room has two separate beds, a wardrobe, a refrigerator, and a desk. There is also a safe inside the wardrobe. The final room is the bedroom, with a standard 2 × 2 metre bed, bedside tables, a TV, and air conditioning. The air conditioning is located only in the bedroom. There is no air conditioning in the second room with the separate beds, so it may be warmer there during hot days. The individual rooms are separated by sliding doors. Our room had a sea view, which made our stay even more enjoyable. The view offered beautiful sunrises and sunsets.

Beach The beach is approximately a 5-minute walk from the hotel. The hotel provides free sun loungers and umbrellas for its guests, which we consider a great advantage. The beach is protected because of sea turtle nesting, which means it remains very natural and clean. Please pay attention to the marked nests and follow the instructions displayed on the beach. They explain how to behave on the beach and what to do if you see sea turtles hatching. You may also encounter a red flag on the beach. This means that swimming in the sea is prohibited. You can still cool down at the shore, but please respect the lifeguard's instructions and do not try to ignore the swimming restrictions. If swimming in the sea is not allowed, you can always use the hotel pool instead.

Rooftop Bar The rooftop bar opens at 18:00. The selection of drinks depends on your type of accommodation, whether you have All Inclusive or Ultra All Inclusive. Drinks marked with one star are included in the All Inclusive package. We found the selection sufficient, and everyone should be able to find at least two drinks they enjoy. During our stay, we also experienced two evenings with live music, which made our holiday even more enjoyable. I would especially like to mention and thank the bartender Mario, who made our stay even better. His incredible energy and positive attitude always helped create a great atmosphere and made our evenings more enjoyable.

Activities and Sports The hotel has a fitness centre, which is useful if you want to work out during your holiday after all the food you will probably be eating every day. The gym includes equipment such as a bench press, chest press, lat pulldown, seated row, leg extension, lying leg curl, Smith machine, and a set of dumbbells. For regular hotel guests, the gym is more than sufficient for a full-body workout.

The hotel also offers tennis courts. You can make a one-hour reservation at the reception. As part of the reservation, the hotel also provides tennis rackets and balls.

There are also animation programmes for children. We did not personally use these programmes, so we cannot evaluate them.

Overall Rating Our overall rating for the hotel is 5 out of 5 stars. In our opinion, both the hotel and its staff definitely deserve this rating. Throughout our entire stay, we were satisfied with the cleanliness, services, food, room, and overall atmosphere of the hotel.

Thank you for a wonderful holiday!

Review

A wonderful stay with delicious food, warm and welcoming people, and excellent staff. Everything was perfect! Highly recommended! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️