"Lyttos Mare, Crete, Greece 🇬🇷
5★ Ultra All-Inclusive | 13+ | 4th–13th June
We usually stay in adults-only 5★ hotels with multiple à la carte restaurants, so booking Lyttos Mare was a slight gamble. It’s now a 13+ hotel, and only has one true à la carte restaurant, so we were interested to see how it compared with our usual choices.
Room – Superior Exclusive Pool or Sea View with Jacuzzi
We booked the Superior Exclusive Pool or Sea View with Jacuzzi. We never choose swim-up rooms as we don’t find them particularly private, and this was also the only room category that stated it was located in the adults-only area, which is always our preference.
The room itself was fairly basic but comfortable. The bed was excellent with lovely bedding, although the hairdryer was poor and the minibar/fridge selection was disappointing. The walk-in shower was modern with average water pressure.
The advertised sea view was quite limited. The balcony was spacious with two levels, which was a nice feature, but privacy was lacking as the jacuzzi area was open underneath, allowing people to walk past all the rooms. It didn’t feel particularly private or secure.
Room Score: 7/10
Food
The hotel offers:
* Main buffet restaurant (breakfast, lunch and dinner)
* Greek restaurant (lunch and dinner)
* Asian restaurant (buffet, pre-booking required)
* Steakhouse à la carte (pre-booking required)
* Beach bar serving snacks and salads
We ate out twice during our stay, so only had dinner in the hotel on five evenings.
The main buffet was always fresh, with excellent food turnover. There was plenty of choice including meats, salads, vegetables, breads and desserts. While the quality was good, a lot of the dishes lacked seasoning and were quite bland.
The Greek restaurant was disappointing. It felt like a much smaller version of the buffet with limited choice and mainly focused on grilled meats.
The Asian restaurant was excellent and easily our favourite. We enjoyed it so much we visited twice.
The steakhouse was average. My steak wasn’t cooked medium-rare as requested, although there was a good selection of steaks along with an impressive wine and Champagne list. One visit is included during a seven-night stay, although some premium wines and Champagnes carry an additional charge.
Food Score: 7/10
Service
Check-in was quick and efficient, and our room was ready despite arriving early. Throughout the stay, the staff couldn’t have been more accommodating.
A special mention goes to the gentleman working at the beach bar (I feel terrible that I can’t remember his name!). He remembered our drinks order every day and always greeted us with a smile.
The only downside was the evening pool bar during entertainment. It operates as table service only, which is normally a nice touch, but there simply weren’t enough staff for the number of guests. This often meant sitting with empty glasses while waiting to be served.
Service Score: 9/10
Drinks & Alcohol
Branded alcohol is a non-negotiable for us when booking all-inclusive holidays, so we were pleased to find this was genuinely premium all-inclusive. The range of premium brands could have been a little larger, but the quality was good.
The cocktail menu was excellent and the bartenders were more than happy to make drinks that weren’t listed.
One of the reception bar staff also introduced us to a new tequila serve that quickly became our holiday favourite—aged tequila served with an orange segment dusted in cinnamon. Absolutely incredible… and we definitely drank far too many!
Drinks Score: 9.5/10
Cleanliness & Grounds
Everything was immaculate throughout our stay. The grounds are beautifully maintained and the housekeeping standards were excellent.
Score: 10/10
Pools & Beach
Thankfully there were no sunbed wars or cheap plastic loungers here.
Most guests reserved beds after breakfast between 8–9am, but there were always beds available somewhere throughout the day.
The sunbeds were premium quality and extremely comfortable, each with its own parasol. Pool towels were available all day and drinks service was offered directly to your sunbed.
There are several pools. We nicknamed one “the Stripe Pool” as it was where aqua gym and most daytime activities took place. We personally preferred the quieter pool, which had a much more relaxed atmosphere with chilled house music and excellent bar service.
The beach was pristine, with high-quality loungers and umbrellas. The sea was crystal clear, and having a sandy beach was a huge bonus.
Score: 10/10
Entertainment
There was entertainment every evening, including live music, DJs, Greek singers, magic shows and dance performances. Everything finished by around 11pm, which suited the relaxed atmosphere.
Guests can also use the facilities at the neighbouring Lyttos Beach hotel, although that hotel isn’t adults-only.
Entertainment Score: 8/10
Overall Atmosphere
This was the hotel’s first year operating as a 13+ resort, and I think it’s a fantastic decision.
We barely noticed any younger guests during our stay—only a couple of well-behaved teenagers—and the atmosphere remained peaceful throughout.
The spa staff did approach guests daily to promote treatments, but there was never any pressure and they were always polite.
There was no late-night noise or disturbance, making it a genuinely relaxing place to unwind.
Atmosphere Score: 8/10
Location
We booked a private transfer, which took around 25–30 minutes from the airport.
There are local shops, bars and restaurants within walking distance in both directions from the hotel.
We also took taxis into Hersonissos several times for dinner and a night out at one of the beach clubs. The journey took around 15 minutes and cost €16 each way.
Location Score: 10/10
Overall Verdict ⭐⭐⭐⭐½
Lyttos Mare exceeded our expectations in several areas. While the rooms are fairly simple and the food could have had more flavour, the outstanding cleanliness, excellent service, premium drinks, beautiful beach and peaceful atmosphere made for a fantastic holiday.
For couples who usually choose adults-only resorts, the new 13+ concept works really well. We hardly noticed any younger guests, and the hotel maintained a calm, relaxed atmosphere throughout our stay.
Overall, we would rate Lyttos Mare 4.5 stars out of 5.
Overall Score: 8.5/10
Would we return? Yes. While it probably wouldn’t replace our favourite adults-only luxury resorts, we’d happily return for another relaxing week in Crete."
