"This was our first visit to this wonderful hotel. It is located in the small but stunning, St Nicolas Bay, which hosts a number of small, tethered boats that bob up and down on the turquoise water. The Bay is lit at night, and Vasia Ormos Hotel rests on the bay looking out towards Agios Nikolaos. The view from the hotel and especially the restaurant during breakfast, and evening meal, is beautiful as it looks over the Bay to Agios Nikolaos. The walk into Aghios Nikolaos is about 25mins - pavement, safe and well lit. There are supermarkets nearby for supplies. Supermarket Kriti Fragkiadakis Giorgos has everything (turn right). We hired a car and visited a different beach daily, combined with mountain villages.
Well, now to the hotel and team. Nico and all of his team are a bunch of incredible people. Really beautiful hearted and where customer service is at the forefront. From Nico himself, who is always front of house and present, alongside Maria (with beautiful curly hair) to the waitresses - Marianna, Maria, Sophia and the Filipino ladies. You are treated like one of the family and they will help with anything. The receptionist was also lovely and gave us a map with ideas of where to visit.
But, possibly one of the most talented member of the team in Manos, who leads the kitchen team. His culinary skills are something else. He is passionate and I have never met someone who cares so much about whether you are enjoying your meal. He is an asset to Vasia Ormos and I do hope that they recognise his capability because he can do wonders for the brand. I am a diabetic and so is Manos, and he sat and chatted to me one evening, and even said if there was anything I would like, just to ask.
We really enjoyed the wide range on offer at the breakfast buffet, catering for all tastes and diets. Cereals, pastries, meats, cheeses, breads, cakes, bacon, eggs, beans, toast...the list goes on. The biggest surprise was the evening meal - it is tradition Cretan cuisine with a choice of breads, two salads, three appetisers and a choice out of four main courses and a dessert. When I say we couldn't move afterwards, I mean it! The choices were always different and delicious.
Regarding the inside and outside of the hotel, it is spotless and if you take time to stop and look, it is beautifully laid out. The cleaning is exceptional and the room very comfortable with great beds, air con and hot water. Kristina also deserves a big pat on the back as she is an exceptional cleaner. They had some nice touches too - a bottle of wine, a welcome letter, slippers, changes of towels including beach towels daily etc, an expresso machine, fridge with water to start you off, shower gels etc. There are plenty of sunbeds scattered around the pool areas and you don't need to race to put your towels down, because many people hire cars and after breakfast go out touring the island.
I really could go on and on. If you want a peaceful holiday then Vasia Ormos is the perfect hotel. Thank you Nico and everyone. We loved the whole holiday and I hope that we will be back. Keep on keeping on. Metin & Jo"