Iberostar Waves Creta Panorama and Mare

We had visited an Iberostar hotel in Tunesia before. Because of that positive experience, we decided to book this Iberostar hotel in Crete for our honeymoon. Our expectations were high but got surpassed time and time again!

First of, we had booked a shared pool bungalow. When we got onsite, however, they offered us a free upgrade to a bungalow with a private pool to celebrate our honeymoon. Ofcourse, we happily accepted. We were stunned when we entered our bungalow and saw they had placed rose petals on the bed and a heartshaped cake in the mini bar. It was so thoughtful and sweet! It really made the long day of travel worth it! The bungalow was well maintained, freshly painted and modern. I think they had just been refurbished as well, as the furniture was spotless and the shower was squeaky clean and well kept. The AC works on some kind of infrared system, which turns it off when you're not there or when the doors are open. Don't worry, though, the rooms cool off fast when you're back and the sensors still see you when you're sleeping. No sweaty nights!

The hotel has 7 pools spread out over the lot, so there's always one to your liking. Do be advised that the staff doesn't enforce all of the rules. For example, the 16+ pool is full of small children. And they have a sign up at the main pool that says they will remove any towels that are placed there between 7 and 9 in the morning. They don't enforce this, meaning it's pretty difficult to get a sunbed at the main pool. On the upside: there are plenty more pools to chose from!

The food is delicious and the menu varies per day. Also, not every all inclusive hotel gets this right: the food here is hot! Not lukewarm, not cold, but hot! It makes all the difference in the world. We booked all inclusive, and it included a reservation at an a la carte restaurant. You get one for every 7 days you're staying here, I believe.

The hotel has a few coves to access the beach. Some have sand beaches, some have pebble beaches, and all have plenty of sunbeds and umbrellas to keep you comfortable. Do take your water shoes with you for maximum comfort on the pebbles.

The staff is incredibly friendly and hard working. From the bellboy to the entertainment staff: each and every one of them is clearly proud to be working here. The lady at the jewelry store gave us a tip: the water in the main pool is made up of salt water and chemicals which are really harsh on your jewelry. It will turn silver to black, and we've noticed that it will even discolor your bathing suits. So necklaces and earrings are best left in the hotel room. Black bathing suits are safe.

Don't sleep on the entertainment staff, either. I'm not one to enjoy the same old, lame hotel shows or join in on aquagym, but these folks put a smile on my face every single time. The quality of the shows surprised us, even. We were impressed. The Comedy Show honestly had me crying with laughter and we even tipped (I must explain that we are Dutch, so tipping goes against our cheap nature. That's how good it was!). I didn't join in on the aquagym but I did watch and enjoy the humoristic, energetic staff as they enthusiastically did their thing. It's a real hoot.

There is a tourist train that will take you to the small town of Panormos. It leaves every hour, starting at 10, and it costs 5 euros for a roundway trip. They offer more routes than this one, but this is the only one we took. Panormos has a few souvenir stores, nice places to eat and drink and lots of cats. It was worth our 5 euros. We booked a buggy tour at Discovery Tours as well, who picked us up right in front of the hotel, at the bus stop. We also booked the boat trip to the caves with Lottie's, which is located in a cove between our hotel and the neighboring sister hotel. Both activities were a lot of fun and definitely something we will remember!

If you're on the fence about booking this hotel: do yourself a favor and book it! We have a strict policy about coming back to the same hotel twice, but I'm afraid we might have to reconsider this rule... it was the best holiday we've had in years. Thank you, Iberostar. You've done it again!

The spa in the hotel is amazing, the staff are so friendly and welcoming. The rooms are very well preserved and private, clean and a very comfortable and overall a calming environment. The atmosphere of the whole place and staff is incredible they are all so calm and easy to talk to and provide a wonderful sense of care. Sylvia and Alexandra our masseuse were polite and caring we both had an excellent back and shoulder massage. The experience has put us in awe, leaving very relaxed and a sense of being in a new body. They are so amazing! Highly recommend!!