Iberostar Selection Creta Marine

"Where do we begin...from arrival to departure we have never felt such warmth and kindness from all the hotel staff. This beautiful totally revamped hotel is truly outstanding and deserves 6 stars! As others have said, when we arrived it was all smiles with a quick check in. We were welcomed with a glass of champagne and a red rose. We were made to feel very special and from that moment we knew we had made the right choice! Things just got better when Natalia with her beautiful smile, handed us over to Helena who was very proud to actually take us to our room. Helena was grinning and chatting all the way and when she opened the door, we could see why! We had been upgraded to a superior suite, with a bottle of champagne with a anniversary/birthday cake. We were thrilled! There were swan towels on the bed and scattered rose petals everywhere, such a lovely touch.Even a red rose in the bathroom We were truly impressed and hugged Helena with gratitude, this was the beginning of our wonderful 10 days of pure happiness and relaxation. Sorry to our maid, I cannot recall your name, but what an excellent job you did each day restocking and keeping our room spotless! Each day we looked forward to what culinary delights awaited us in the Dias buffet. There was so much choice everyday for each meal. Definitely go all inclusive it is so worth paying the extra. Food, drinks, service, everything was perfect. We are a very well travelled couple and enjoy staying at 5 star hotels. As long as you walk round and choose your food before actually plating it up, you will have hot food. A few reviewers complained of the food being cold, but the choice is so vast if you keep walking round with your hot food, by the time you go back to the table it may seem luke warm which is your fault.... One day I actually burnt my tongue, the dish was so hot. So many starters, salads, mains and deserts the choice was huge. There was a pizza/pasta station,chocolate and cheese fountains, a vegan section and kids corner too. So much choice, even sweets for the kids and a cookie selection. There was a seafood station one evening with trays of oysters, lobsters, langoustines, and caviar etc...superb! You will always be satisfied and full, there was so much choice to satisfy everyone's palate. Some reviewers moan it was like a canteen, use the outer room which was much quieter and has a better ambiance and views. The staff and service were first class. The Chardonnay was lovely and converted my husband from red wine to white, whilst we there, it was so palatable and made us giggle! There were hand sanitizers on entry and on each table, not once did we fear of becoming ill. Sadly not everyone used this, the choice is yours.....it was spotlessly clean. We booked into the "Thalassa al carte"twice as part of our all inclusive deal as it was so good the first time. Again the food,the staff and service was outstanding! There were another two al la cartes but we did not use those so cannot comment. Most evenings we were quite merry and we were 100% chilled out. The spirits were high end, not cheap local brands.... Again, great service with a smile. It was a pleasure to tip for such a great service, although we didn't see too many people being so complimentary which was sad. They do deserve their tips. The street food van on the beach did amazing food too and the caramel doughnuts were to die for! Only manned by two staff, who again provided a great service with limited resources, being a van. Well done to you! Again so relaxing sat by the sea eating and drinking watching the waves roll in and people enjoying theirselves. The evening entertainment again was your choice. Nightly shows at the theatre in-between Creta Marine and the sister hotel. We saw a couple of shows mainly performed by the animation team who worked so hard day and night. We chose to stay in the main lobby bar most nights which had live music. Nothing was pressured at this hotel and all the staff were so happy and polite, you felt like part of a family. Well done to you ALL!! All these things make a perfect holiday for us. The pools were cold but once you braved getting in it was tolerable. Most days we chose the quiet pool as we were there to relax. Plenty to do with activities all day if that's your choice at the main pool. It was a pleasure to walk from the beach and pool each day, the grounds are beautiful and constantly being kept manicured and maintained. Hopefully this kept a bit of weight off after being so well fed! We never struggled for a sunbed and there are also lots of grassed areas if you want complete peace and quiet. Just to inform incase you havent done your homework, the beaches are rocky bays and we were disappointed the sea was not warm. Bring beach shoes as the sand is gritty, not the usual yellow/white colour, but we knew this from looking at the reviews and you tube videos. This would certainly not stop us from returning. .. We got the bus outside the hotel and went into Remythnon which was very busy but a pretty town with a marina and lots of shops to get gifts. We felt so guilty not exploring more of Crete, but to be honest the hotel was so perfect and we were there to relax so we didn't mind. Maybe next time! We had the most truly relaxing, superb holiday and we wished we'd booked 14nights which we have never felt that before. We look forward to returning soon! Once again THANKYOU everyone for our truly memorable experience, we will be back xxx"

"The Creta Marine is placed between Rethymno and the village of Panormo. It is a little isolated. The closest shop is a 10 minute walk, more shops are 50 minutes away on foot close to Panormo. You can catch the little train to Panormo for 5 euros. We had rooms overlooking the main pool, which were modern, clean and equipped with a large smart TV. The hotel and grounds were immaculate and with possibly the best grounds I have ever seen. There is a very large pool, a medium sized pool and a smaller quiet pool. All have pool guards in attendance when open. There is also a pool in the spa. Additionally there are a number of small sheltered coves for sea swimming, along with a harbour for watersports and boat rental. Food is of a very high quality and there are food trucks and 3 speciality restaurants Italian, Greek and Fish. The main buffet has a large selection of foods with show cooking. However whilst the quality was good then variety was often lacking and without flavour, particularly the deserts. Theme nights were ok but again the dishes were often bland. Chips were an issue, they could be very soggy and unpleasant to eat. I think this was down to them being precooked and stored before serving. There was always a massive selection of fruit and salads available at breakfast, lunch and dinner. There were greek dishes on offer but again they could be bland, lacking variety from day to day. Overall however the food was good and service excellent and attentive. Unfortunately I was ill during my stay. The staff were absolutely brilliant. In particular Ellie on customer service, our cleaner Angelika and Nikki in the pool bar. All of the reception staff were excellent. The entertainment team were excellent and engaging all of activities were well thought out. I am not a fan of hotel entertainment for adults though, there was some low key professional entertainment in the lounge. Additionally the Halloween celebrations were held on the area to the side of the hotel next to the main building accommodation. The noise levels were too high. This event should have been held in the Delphi theatre. summary this is an excellent hotel, with facilities and staff to match. Food could be better but I appreciate they are catering for a wide variety of tastes"

"We had an absolutely wonderful stay at Iberostar Creta Marine. From start to finish, everything was fantastic — the atmosphere, the food, the staff, and the service. A very special mention to Ellie from Guest Relations, who was truly amazing. She went above and beyond to make sure we had the best experience possible. Her kindness, warmth, and genuine care made us feel completely at home. Also, a huge thank you to Niki at the pool bar — always friendly, cheerful, and full of energy. Always up for a chat and really made each of the guests that spoke to her feel important. Both Ellie and Niki made us feel like part of the family, not just guests. It’s rare to find that level of hospitality, and it really made our stay unforgettable. The food was outstanding — fresh, varied, and delicious every day. The hotel is spotless, the grounds are beautiful, and the views of the sea are breathtaking. Every part of the resort felt so well cared for. Overall, we couldn’t have asked for a better holiday. The entire team at Iberostar Creta Marine made it a truly special experience — we’ll definitely be coming back!"