La Mer Resort and Spa

"My wife and I stayed half-board at the Kimpton La Mer for 14 nights and thoroughly enjoyed our stay. The hotel was the perfect size for us, and I think there were somewhere in the region of 70 suites. Some of the suites had their own private pools. The suite we had chosen had a shared swim-up pool, so it has an outside area with two sunbeds and a settee. Although the water was quite cold, it felt very soothing when you needed to cool off. We stayed from Sunday 27th September to Sunday 11th October, and it was just our misfortune that the weather wasn’t great, as we didn’t really see the sun until day nine of the holiday. But that is just pot luck when choosing dates. The suite was an ideal size, with a large double bed as well as a seating area, inside as well as outside. The maid came every day, so fresh towels and linen each time she came. We couldn’t fault the variety and quality of food at breakfast and dinner, and for both of these it is a buffet service. All of the staff were friendly and helpful, and a credit to the hotel, especially the two main ladies in the restaurant. To our shame, neither I or my wife asked them their names. The hotel is situated about one hour from Chania Airport. You’d probably need a car to find other restaurants of an evening if you stayed Bed & Breakfast, as I didn’t notice many restaurants close to the hotel. I don’t tend to hire a car nowadays, so as we stayed half-board, then it wasn’t a problem for us. The hotel has an A La Carte Restaurant, but we only used it once, and it was fine. There seemed to be plenty of sunbeds available around the main pool area, as well as facing the beach. Don’t expect a sandy beach, as it was predominantly large stones and pebbles. I never ventured into the sea, but many people did. However, I would recommend bringing a pair of beach water shoes to assist getting in and out of the sea as stepping on the pebbles looked quite painful. The hotel has a well-equipped gym, an outdoor weightlifting area, an indoor pool, and a sauna, that were all free to use. Neither my wife or I used any of these, however, my wife did take advantage of the free yoga classes. I found our stay very peaceful and relaxing, and I would most certainly stay here again."

"The hotel is located between a national road and a pebble beach by the sea. A car is highly recommended. The turnoff from the national road is neither signposted nor easy to see. A bus stop is nearby. The small hotel is stylish. From some balconies you can hear the road a bit, from others the sea. The sea is difficult to access over large pebbles; unfortunately, a pier, for example, is missing. There is an indoor pool and a larger, unheated outdoor pool. Sun loungers at the beach and pool, whose cushions were partially soaked with water after storms or were dirty. However, there are beach towels. Water shoes are recommended. The room was stylish but small and there is no closet, hardly any storage space. The shower and toilet are strangely laid out; you have to go through the shower to get to the toilet, which is wet after showering. Great design but impractical. The breakfast is excellent, with local specialties, sparkling wine, an egg station, and high-quality products. Unfortunately, there is only fresh orange juice served by the staff, but no other juices for self-service. You can also choose the buffet in the evening for 40 euros. Around the hotel are worthwhile excursion destinations; Rethymno is beautiful, as are Chania, a mountain lake, and mountain villages - a rental car is worth it just for that. A road train runs during the day to the town of Georgioupoli, which has plenty of tourist infrastructure. The hotel is adults only, quiet, has no entertainment, and also features a sauna, steam bath, and fitness center. The staff is very nice."

"Kimpton La Mer Hotel Review We had such a lovely stay at Kimpton La Mer in Crete for our honeymoon, and it really was a special place to spend such an important trip. From the moment we arrived, we felt so well looked after. The staff were genuinely kind, attentive and caring throughout our stay. Everyone we met, from reception to the bar and restaurant teams, was friendly and always happy to help. A special mention to the ladies serving in the restaurant, who were always so attentive, helpful and welcoming throughout our stay. Their friendly service really made us feel looked after. We would also like to thank the receptionist who went out of their way to arrange a hire car for us. They made the whole process incredibly easy and took away any stress, which we really appreciated. Our room was excellent — comfortable, beautifully presented and exceptionally clean. Waking up to the sea view was one of our favourite parts of the stay, and the pool and other hotel facilities were also fantastic. The whole hotel had a lovely atmosphere and felt like a wonderful setting for our honeymoon. We were particularly pleased with the food choices and the variety of vegetarian options. This isn't always something you find when travelling to holiday destinations, so it was really nice to have plenty of choice and not feel limited when it came to meals. There are a few things that could be improved. We found that the room could have done with more drawers and storage space for clothes. Some of the gym equipment was broken and the gym would benefit from being updated. We also found some of the external areas became very slippery when it rained, which is something that could be looked at from a safety point of view. Despite these small points, we genuinely had a fantastic time and were sad to leave. The beautiful setting, stunning sea views, lovely facilities and, most importantly, the wonderful staff made our honeymoon feel really special. A big thank you to everyone at Kimpton La Mer for helping make our honeymoon such a memorable experience. ❤️"