IBEROSTAR CRETA MARINE

We had a fantastic two week holiday here during the October half term. Originally we were meant to stay in the sister hotel next door but upon arrival were informed we needed to move next door. That was slightly unsettling but we quickly realised Creta Marine was an upgrade to say the least! I read reviews about hygiene and food poisoning. All I can say from our experience was that it was overwhelmingly positive. Staff took all necessary care when it came to food safety, from what I could see. As for some guests, that’s another story - I saw one chap using the toilet and then entering the restaurant without washing his hands 🤦🏻‍♂️ not sure hotel staff can police that! One thing I would kindly suggest to the hotel is that they do away with the chocolate fountains. If there is one thing to spread food bugs it is that, as kids were mulling around that, and not taking much care. The service was spot on, especially Christos and Georgis in the pool bar. The all inclusive option here was amazing. Branded alcohols with “healthy” measures (😅). For our food options we found the Locanda restaurant great for late breakfast or lunch. However, we weren’t amazingly impressed with the Locanda in its evening service when you had to book on. Limited menu and quality surprisingly lower than the buffet it offered during the day. The main restaurant was good for evening meals although we were there in the last week when things were winding down for closure for the season so the selection started to get a little limited. Whilst I make some nitpicky comments on the food this doesn’t detract from a wonderful stay and it’s more constructive comments for the hotel to enhance things there further. Would certainly recommend for those simply eating a stay where you do absolutely nothing. Wouldn’t suggest those who like to explore to stay here as it is a little remote and not easy to get to places.

We stayed in sea view family bungalow with breaktaking views. Bungalow adequate for four. Maid service excellent. Peaceful location, stunning grounds. Matea from the entertainment team was amazing. All hotel staff friendly. Food good

As a package holiday first timer, our experience at Creta Marine was just brilliant. We were welcomed into a fantastic resort and location by friendly and helpful staff. We stayed in a family waterfront bungalow and it absoluely blew me away. Gorgeous views from the balcony and right above the best swimming cove. The apartment was comfortable and spacious for 2 adults and 2 teenage boys. The rooms were kept beautifully clean and housekeeping was very flexible in their visit times, allowing us to relax in the room when we wanted. I really appreciated the fresh towels and linen each day. The beds were comfortable and there were thoughtful touches all around the accomodation. The balcony was my favourite place, day and evening. The village style layout of the bungalow complex was absolutely charming. The landscaping and planting add extra enjoyment and the opportunity to enjoy native plants. We enjoyed snorkelling in each of the coves, lots of fish to see! Comfortable loungers at every location and refreshment options too. The resort is so large and has so many facilities, even as it filled up, it never felt crowded. Lots of space around the main pool (which is gorgeous) and around the many smaller pools and areas. We visited in October so it was still comfortably warm. The water was cool, but we're Cornish and a bit hardy so that didn't faze us. The land train to nearby Panormo was charming, lots of options for eating and shopping in that little village. Rethymnon is an easy bus ride away, stopping right outside the resort. Beautiful town with the most amazing shops and places to eat. Utterly charming. Reception staff very helpful in helping us navigate and get to where we wanted. The whole atmosphere was so hospitable, we had a 5 hour wait between checkout and airport transfer on the way home. We were welcomed to use all the communal facilities with thoughtfully provisioned showers etc so we could still swim and enjoy. There's a very handy little resort shop with some basics, snacks, drinks, souveniers, books, bus tickets etc. A short walk away is a local shop which is definitely worth a visit, so many local snacks and foods, as well as gorgeous gifts, souveniers, clothes and interesting things. I cannot think of a single negative about our stay. Thank you to the brilliant staff, we were fortunate to stay for 11 nights and got to know our favourites. The smell sometimes alluded to is the bore water used to irrigate the plants at night, which has a sulphurous smell. This is due to rock composition of Crete imparting sulphide gas into the water table. Using untreated bore water to irrigate is much more sustainable than using drinking quality water, especially where water supply is under severe pressure. We drank the tap water for the whole stay, using the mini fridge to chill. The mineral content is beneficial I believe but if you can't get along with the difference in taste, bottles of spring water are readily and cheaply available from the hotel shop. Any buffet selection which sees a lot of people cross paths and contact runs the risk of providing opportunity for 'bugs' to be passed about, especially when young children are in wide circulation. Careful thought and choice when accessing food provision, combined with the hand sanitiser on EVERY table meant that we all enjoyed the holiday very happy, healthy and extremely well fed. We chose half-board which was perfect for us. The food selection was amazing, a great mix of international favourites and local cuisune. It was all tasty, plentiful and fresh. We were sad to leave and encourage anyone to come to Creta Marine, our memories will last a lifetime of a very special holiday. Thank you. Until next time!

The rose and Prosecco on arrival is a very nice touch. The staff and entertainment team are always pleasant and cheerful. Plenty to do for our teenage boys. The pool is freezing and would really benefit from being heated at this time of year. Good selection of food at breakfast lunch and dinner although the main restaurant feels a little chaotic at breakfast. Rooms are clean and comfortable and we enjoyed a lovely week in the sunshine here.

This was our second time at an Iberostar and this experience at a 5 star was very different to the 4 star we experienced in Mexico. Food: Our group had varied degrees of food intolerances and each of us took turns getting sick from the poor labeling of the items or poor knowledge of the staff. An example: One chef would tell us that the feta cheese had cow milk in it, the next person would say there’s no cow milk, then when I mentioned what the first person said, they agreed and said we can’t eat it, then a different chef told me we can eat it. Confusion. The labels are not made on sight so you can’t trust what they say. It will say Gluten free on top but in the ingredients it will say that it contains gluten. Or it will say vegan but it will say it contains milk. Contradictions. I was in pain and sick twice even after confirming the food was gluten free. For people with no special dietary needs, the buffet is beautiful and there are many choices. Front desk: When we checked in the lady gave us a rundown of the resort and the facilities. When we tried to ask further questions because we were checking in for a group, she kept trying to walk away instead of helping us with the information we needed. Thankfully the next day we talked to a very helpful man that was able to get us all the information we needed and he was very kind and professional. Rooms: The scenery is magnificent and they do a fantastic job with their landscaping. They did an amazing job with the renovations. The materials used in the design of the rooms was very well done. However this is the first time that I’ve stayed in a hotel that the surfaces in the room did not get wiped. Any glasses in the room also didn’t get cleaned. I had to clean all surfaces, small stains, and dust after the cleaning lady came. In a five star resort I found this unacceptable. The beds were incredibly hard and uncomfortable. Most of us had back pain and requested mattress toppers. Spa: There is an amazing Hammam with a cold pool inside. This was a great experience. For our treatments each of us was disappointed. We were told our service would be done with a lavender oil but none of us smelled lavender during the treatment, or afterward when smelling the oil on our skin. The mud masks we had done were done incorrectly the first time (they applied the mud and immediately had us rinse it off). Thankfully they offered a second mud mask where it was massaged on, wrapped in foil, and then we waited a few minutes before washing it off. It was relaxing the second time. Entertainment: The animation team did a great job with their fitness classes and the evening theater shows. There was one disappointing show that I recommend they remove and that’s the “Fire”show. It was more of an over sexualized dance show that felt more like a seduction show with a few flames. Half of the crowd had left halfway through when they realized there was not much fire and it was not appropriate for children. The hotel recommends two train tours, one for ceramics and one for olive oil. We highly recommend doing both because it was a great experience. Bring a scarf or jacket because it can be very windy and cold on the train. Also come with extra space in your luggage because you will want to buy all the handmade Crete souvenirs. 😊 Something unique about our experience was that we got to see all of the staff get recognized for their hard work during the season. It was very moving and pleasant to witness how close they had become. There were many staff members that made a sweet impression on our hearts by their genuineness and positivity. Certain waitresses, bar staff, the Christos in the Thalassa restaurant and at the pool bar, the lady at the reception of the spa, the man at the front desk, and all of the animation team. Thank you for making moments of this experience very unforgettable. 🤗 My whole time there I contemplated my rating for this resort. It went between 1 star to 4 stars, but ultimately with the food pains and spa services, I can’t rate this resort as anything more than 3 stars. I hope you become more sensitive to the seriousness of food intolerances because it’s unfortunate to spend time resting and medicating in a room due to incorrect labeling or staffs lack of knowledge on ingredients.