Vasia Boulevard

Not quite the 5-star hotel it advertises itself to be, but a cosy, clean stay in a fantastic location.

Some of the rooms are very small, with outdated furniture and doors that don’t always close properly. We were fortunate enough to receive a complimentary upgrade upon arrival and were given a sea-view room, which made a big difference. The reception staff didn’t make a fuss about the upgrade—they simply invited us to our room, which we thought was a very nice and modest gesture.

The hotel itself is quite small but perfectly located right on the boardwalk, just a few steps from a cosy little beach with crystal-clear, beautifully blue water at the perfect temperature for swimming. It is also surrounded by shops, traditional Greek tavernas, and pubs. The boardwalk gets quite lively and noisy in the evenings, but with the windows closed, we slept very well.

Breakfast was very good. While the selection wasn’t huge, everything was freshly prepared, and the staff were incredibly friendly and attentive. They also offer an à la carte egg menu upon request, as well as fresh fruit and local pastries every morning.

The hotel provides fresh beach towels daily. One downside was that we had to pay €6 per person, per day for the sunbeds, even as hotel guests.

A special mention goes to the gentleman looking after the sunbeds. He was friendly, funny, and incredibly hardworking, doing a fantastic job keeping the small beach area clean and tidy despite how busy it gets.

Another special thank you goes to the housekeeping team, who kept our room spotless and provided fresh towels every day. Finally, we’d also like to thank the manager, who went above and beyond to make us feel comfortable and ensure we had an enjoyable stay.

My partner and I stayed here for six nights and had a really lovely stay. The hotel was clean, well looked after, and all of the staff were friendly and welcoming. We were offered a welcome drink on arrival before being shown to our room and given all the information we needed.

Our room was comfortable, the bed was great, and the air conditioning was much appreciated in the heat. Although our balcony overlooked the inside of the hotel, it was quiet and still got plenty of sun in the evening.

Breakfast had a great selection, including Greek yogurt with different toppings, pastries, cereals, hot food, and fresh honeycomb among others. We also enjoyed the outdoor bar and seating area close to the sea.

The location was ideal, with plenty of restaurants, souvenir shops, bars, clubs, and a harbour all within easy walking distance. Despite being so close to everything, the hotel itself was peaceful, and we always slept well.

What was a nice touch was, on our last day after we had checked out, the staff offered to store our luggage, let us hold onto the beach towels for the day, and gave us access to the spa showers before our late flight home.

We had a great stay and would happily come back. Thanks to the whole team for making our visit to Crete so enjoyable.