Sol Marina Beach Crete

I will start with the negatives. This hotel is only a 3 star at best. Our problem started once we were shown our room. The room was way too tight for 3 grown people. There was no place for suitcases which elevated the problem. The room was a superior double but that simply means bathrobes, slippers, kettle and water. They need to lose the superior title. Anyhow. The AC was not working so we were moved to another room of the same size. That did'nt work either so we were moved to another which had a bathroom so small the drawer under the sink touched the toilet. Other negatives were the entertainment. It was basic. Saturday night was the worst. The French entertainment only spoke to the French guests and rarely said hello. The international team were much friendlier. Anna, Julka, Johnny and Angela stood out to us. The music round the pool was a little loud. The pool opening and closing times were crazy. We were sat on loungers but a man came and closed our parasols in a grumpy manner before closing time which was 18.00 in summer. There are people selling services round the pool and beach so if you don't want to be hounded all holiday firmly decline at the start. Its a huge hotel and you must take a few walks around to know all whats there. There is no bus service at the hotel to major attractions. Everything is either paid trips or hire car. The bus is a 17 minute walk away. Hire car is cheap but driving is not for the faint hearted. A taxi to Heraklion is 30 euro one way. The AC is poor all around the hotel. Ok the pluses are that the staff are 90% lovely. The food we found to be very good. The drinks were great. Cleaning of room was excellent. The location was perfect for a chill pool and beach holiday. The beach was very good. The sports there were excellent too. If the rooms had been bigger id give it a 3.5 to 4 star.

We had an incredible time during our week-long family stay here; the food was absolutely delicious and the selection was incredibly vast. We were never bored at the hotel thanks to the entertainment team, which does an excellent job and provides great fun for both adults and children. The only thing I’d mention is that the hotel was mostly filled with families with small children, so if you’re looking for a quieter hotel, you might want to consider another one. Otherwise, we were completely satisfied overall—great service, and everything was constantly being cleaned everywhere. One of the best hotels we’ve ever stayed at.