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- Avra Imperial Hotel
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Avra Imperial Hotel
Greece, Europe
Kolymbari
Surrounded by lush fragrant gardens, the luxury hotel enjoys a privileged position in Kolymbari, only 100 metres away from the beautiful sand and pebble beach, picturesque Venetian harbour is 23 km away. The international airport is at a distance of 39 km. The hotel has a pool landscape of fantastic water sports facilities, a top-class spa with fitness and wellness centre, a world-class conference centre, a business centre, three gourmet restaurants and pubs. Simply the ultimate in luxury accommodation in Crete. The magnificent hotel offers luxuriously appointed rooms and suites, many of them with a shared or private pool. Features include individual air-conditioning and heating, internet connection, appliances and a bathroom.
Facilities
- Darts
- Badminton
- Tennis
- Billiards*
- Beauty salon*
- Spa treatments*
- Massage*
- Steam bath
- Sauna
- TV lounge
- Please note some facilities may incur an additional fee
The Local Area
Tripadvisor Reviews
4.5 Excellent2,367 reviews
Excellent
64%
Very Good
23%
Average
8%
Poor
3%
Terrible
1%
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Value
Brilliant beautiful hotel with great views and facilities and exceptional food
We have had an absolutely wonderful stay at Avra Imperial Hotel and would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a luxury family holiday.
The hotel itself is beautiful, with spacious, spotlessly clean rooms that were cleaned to a very high standard every single day. The facilities are excellent, and the food throughout our stay was outstanding, with a huge selection available to suit everyone. We especially loved the private dining experiences – Blue Dong and the Italian restaurant were both absolutely amazing and are a must-try.
What truly made our stay special was the incredible staff. Every member of the team was friendly, attentive, professional, and always willing to go the extra mile. A special thank you to Elias for delivering our room service, Manolis for always helping us with the buggy service, UDay in the restaurant for his excellent service, Karolina in the spa for making our visit so relaxing, Antonis at the beach bar for his fantastic hospitality, and Rajeev Kumar from housekeeping for keeping our room immaculate throughout our stay.
One of the most memorable moments of our holiday was when the hotel surprised our daughter with a personalised birthday cake. It was such a thoughtful gesture and made her birthday extra special. We were genuinely touched by the kindness and effort that went into making her day memorable.
The only small suggestion we would make is that it would be lovely to have some music around the pool area during the day and a little more daytime and evening entertainment. However, this certainly did not take away from what was an exceptional holiday experience.
Thank you to everyone at Avra Imperial Hotel for making our stay so memorable. We can’t wait to return!
4* service within high-potential 5* hotel facilities
This was our first stay at Avra Imperial Hotel, travelling as a couple for a week, and overall we had a very relaxing and enjoyable holiday. The atmosphere throughout the resort was calm, friendly and welcoming, making it a great place to unwind. The hotel is well-maintained, with beautiful facilities and rooms that were cleaned to a high standard.
The main buffet offered a good variety of quality food, and we appreciated the allergen labelling. However, guests with coeliac disease, lactose intolerance or nut allergies would find their options quite limited, so a lot more attention to alternative food choices and avoiding cross-contamination during cooking and serving would be beneficial. The main restaurant staff were slow to pick up plates and clear tables, though a few of them were efficient, on-the-ball, and always friendly, particularly Aamir, Touqeer and Dilli. The chefs working out front at the main buffet were helpful and hardworking, and the Service Manager was clearly committed to maintaining standards. We also enjoyed our meal at Blue Dong Asian restaurant, however service was very slow despite it being a quiet evening.
Reception, concierge, spa and pool bar staff were all welcoming and helpful. The wellness facilities were excellent, with a well-equipped gym, indoor pool (with hydrotherapy jets), hot-tub, sauna and steam room providing a relaxing environment; these facilities were kept exceptionally clean at all times.
The outdoor pool was refreshing in the hot sun, with plenty of sun-loungers available, and the beach area was nice. Unfortunately, some guests occasionally left litter around the poolside sun-loungers, despite bins being provided.
The main drawbacks were the thin bedroom walls, which made the opening and closing of doors of neighbouring rooms quite audible, and the minibar only being stocked after we reminded reception despite being on an all-inclusive package. Entertainment (both daytime games/animation and evening) was limited, however we still found ways to keep ourselves occupied with swimming, pool games, walks, exercise and card games.
Overall, we had a lovely holiday and could potentially return. Avra Imperial offers beautiful facilities, a relaxing atmosphere and genuinely friendly staff. With improvements to service consistency, dietary provision, entertainment and room soundproofing, it has the potential to become a truly outstanding five-star resort that would offer better value for money. As it stands, it feels closer to an exceptionally superior four-star experience with five-star ambitions.
Review by 575sg93 London, United Kingdom
Excellent family holiday
We had an excellent stay at Avra Imperial and would definitely return.
Our room was cleaned every day, and the whole hotel was spotless. The grounds are huge, with lots of pools and plenty of space, so it never felt overcrowded or noisy. This was especially important for our little boy, who has autism, as he prefers a calm environment.
The hotel has a relaxed, family-friendly atmosphere. There isn’t a huge amount of entertainment, but that wasn’t an issue for us. We were happy to unwind in the evenings and enjoy listening to the piano player.
Every member of staff was fantastic and couldn’t have been more helpful. A special mention goes to the lady who I believe is the manager at the spa—her customer service was exceptional and really stood out.
The food was good. I’d read quite a few negative reviews beforehand, but we were pleasantly surprised. It could have been a little hotter at times, but there was always a good selection of dishes, plenty available, and the desserts were especially delicious.
We booked a shared pool room, and most of the time it felt like we had the pool to ourselves. It got the sun until around 3–4 pm before becoming shaded, which suited us perfectly. The pool also wasn’t freezing, as it had plenty of sunshine during the day.
Overall, we had a wonderful, relaxing holiday and would happily come back again. If you’re looking for a peaceful, clean, family-friendly hotel with excellent service, I’d definitely recommend Avra Imperial.
An Absolute Gem in Crete!
Our stay at the Avra Imperial Hotel was nothing short of exceptional. From the moment we arrived until the moment we sadly had to leave, every single member of staff made us feel so welcome. Everyone was incredibly kind, friendly and genuinely seemed to care that we had the best possible holiday.
We stayed here for our honeymoon and the hotel made it feel so special. We were surprised with a bottle of champagne and a beautiful fruit and dessert platter in our room, which was such a thoughtful touch and a wonderful way to begin our stay.
Our room in the adults only section was absolutely incredible. Having our own private pool was such a luxury and made for the most relaxing holiday we could have imagined. The poolside bar was only steps from our room, and Xatheri Restaurant was fantastic for breakfast, lunch and dinner, making everything so convenient.
The food throughout the hotel was outstanding. Every restaurant offered something different, but our absolute favourites were Al Fresco and Blue Dong. We will genuinely be dreaming about the chicken bao buns from Blue Dong for a long time to come! The quality of the food, the presentation and the service were exceptional. We also ordered room service during our stay and it was excellent.
The atmosphere throughout the hotel is so peaceful and relaxing. Whether we were enjoying cocktails at the beautiful seaside bar, spending time by our private pool, or simply walking around the stunning grounds, everything felt calm, luxurious and immaculately maintained.
This was truly the trip of a lifetime for us, and Avra Imperial Hotel played such a huge part in making our honeymoon unforgettable. We cannot thank the entire team enough for their warmth, professionalism and outstanding hospitality.
We left with wonderful memories that we will treasure forever, and we sincerely hope to return one day. Thank you to everyone at Avra Imperial Hotel for making our honeymoon so incredibly special.
Review by Sinead M Ballaghaderreen, Ireland
Another wonderful stay
This is our 3rd visit for myself and my daughter. Yet again great service, friendly staff a special mention for Ira who works the bar at the residence section of the hotel always friendly and works incredibly hard. Also to Lisa who always cheerful and helpful. Thank you to all at Avra hope to see you all next year
