Pilot Beach Resort

"We stayed in mid October and had really good weather after a previous very wet spell. Our room was a Superior Pool View on the ground floor which was perfectly adequate but certainly not 5 star. We are an older couple and felt completely in the minority as most guests were families with children. This wasn’t quite what we expected so clouds our review. Having said this, the hotel caters extremely well for children of all ages. We enjoyed our stay but wouldn’t return because it doesn’t cater so well for our age group. Good things: We arrived midday and were offered a free lunch in the restaurant which we very much appreciated after our long journey. Our room was ready and with a welcome platter of fruit, a bottle of wine and complementary water and a selection of drinks. Free bottled water was supplied in the room throughout our stay. The room was very quiet, with good insulation between the rooms. Beds very comfortable. Good storage in the bedroom. Effective air conditioning warmed the room in the relatively cool evenings. Our ground floor room had a patio door to a terrace and lawned area which allowed us to enjoy our sun beds close to the room. Towels were changed everyday and the room was well cleaned. Everywhere was spotlessly clean throughout the hotel, although the sun bed mattresses were looking very grubby generally. Staff were very friendly and hard working throughout. There was never a problem getting a sun bed by the pools which were generally very quiet. However, on a sunny day there was hardly a sun bed to had on the beach. All sun beds on the beach are free to hotel guests. Not so good things: Our first impression of the resort was not as good as the website led us to expect. Don’t expect a ‘luxury’ experience. We would class this a 4 star hotel. Bathroom was tiny. Door banged back onto the toilet seat. There was no mechanical ventilation so the whole bathroom and bedroom steamed up after a shower. This meant the mirrors steamed up and were unusable for ages. The hairdryer is fixed in the bathroom and gets coated in condensation too. Inadequate shelf space and towel rails in the tiny space. Areas of the hotel accommodation are divided by a main road and a tunnel allows access between. The range of food in the restaurant was remarkable BUT all of the ‘hot’ offerings were lukewarm or cold. We overcame this problem by using a microwave provided at one end of the servery (but only in the main buffet restaurant). We were pleased that dinner in the main buffet restaurant started at 6pm which suited our preference and was always much quieter. By 7.15pm the seating areas were full and a queue developed at the entrance. There were sometimes long queues for the hot food."

"Disappointing family vacation – hygiene deficiencies, unkempt kids' club, and lack of privacy We spent our family vacation with our small child at the Pilot Beach Resort on Crete in May 2026. Unfortunately, our stay did not meet our expectations for a five-star family hotel in several essential points. 1. Significant hygiene deficiencies in the originally assigned room The bungalow room initially assigned to us was in the lower area and was unacceptable to us due to cockroaches, ants, and other insects. We documented the conditions with photos and videos. After our complaint, the hotel reacted relatively quickly and provided us with a beach bungalow with a sea view. We received this room change positively. 2. Unkempt and partially questionable kids' club The condition of the kids' club or mini club was particularly disappointing. The premises clearly appeared to be in need of renovation. Damaged and peeling wall surfaces, discoloration, dirt, and significant signs of wear were visible in several places. We found a metal bracket protruding openly from the floor directly next to the play area to be particularly concerning. In our view, this represented an avoidable risk of injury for playing children. We have photographically documented the condition of the kids' club. Especially in a family-oriented five-star resort, we expect well-maintained, safe, and child-friendly play areas. 3. Disregard for our privacy During our stay, a hotel employee knocked briefly on our room door only once and opened it immediately without waiting for an answer or permission. At that time, my wife and our small child were resting in the room. We reported the incident immediately to the reception, but did not receive a satisfactory explanation or apology. 4. Unsatisfactory complaint handling After our return, we contacted the tour operator ITS/DERTOUR. After lengthy correspondence, we received a refund of only 60 euros. Given the documented defects, we felt this amount was very low. Conclusion It should be highlighted as a positive that the hotel responded quickly to our first complaint and provided us with a better room. Nevertheless, we were disappointed by the hygiene deficiencies, the condition of the kids' club, and the handling of our privacy. For a hotel of this category and price range, we expect significantly higher standards, especially regarding cleanliness, maintenance, and child safety. Based on our personal experiences, we can only recommend the Pilot Beach Resort to a limited extent for families with small children."

"Very nice large hotel complex, with friendly staff, a great entertainment program, and good food. Absolutely top for families with children!"