Blue Aegean Hotel and Suites

"Just returned from a lovely week with friends at Blue Aegean Hotel & Suites. The hotel is in a great location for the beaches 2 mins out of the gate. Kato Gouves does seem to be spread out, so if you like a walk out in the eve there is loads to discover. Lovely little supermarket opposite gate and several beach bars/restaurants close by but a good 10min walk UP to the 'strip' where the main body of shops and tavernas are. The hotel is a clean, well looked after hotel. Our room was tucked away on ground level, no neighbours next door and shaded so stayed relatively cool with excellent air-conditioning. Beds were comfortable, some might find them soft but I had no trouble sleeping. Hairdryer in bathroom which weirdly plugged in outside the room so had to have door open to use it! Lovely body/hair shampoo available in the shower, which was usually warm but temp varied on time of day. Better than average storage (for Crete) wardrobe with drawers plus shoe/bag cupboard and side cabinets. Spacious room but smaller than our friends room in main hotel part. Cleaned regularly, beds made everyday, towels changed at least three times in our stay. Kettle in room but no tea/coffee, this can be found in reception area so I stocked up & bought milk which kept fresh in the fridge. Free bottled water in fridge. Pool area was great, with enough beds with some extra beds to the side for busier times. All sunbeds seemed to work with cushions on standard beds, choice of areas for shade plus seating tables to have coffee/beers at, kept clean. Now, the AI element, read the small print!! Cocktails are not available on AI but there is a 'happy hour' where certain cocktails were €6.50 instead of €8 that was a first for me, I can't comment on quality as we didn't buy them but staff free pouring gin & rum made for our own happy hour!! Poppy on the bar is a real character, always smiling and chatty. All drinks are served from the bar, no free pour taps anywhere. The first few days the pop was flat, clearly out of gas, this did improve but its still not the best . The juice in the dining room was not good, avoid. Icecream is only served for a short time in afternoon and its only scoops, no lollies that we saw but they have a good selection over the road. The snack offering is whatever is left from lunch, we saw no 'cake and biscuits' as advertised. All said, the standard of food was varied and fresh, something new to try most nights, cooked with love by the team, all staff were smiley and happy to help, as were the night staff, all happy to chat to you, we even got a cold plate food selection on arrival, even though we arrived 2hours later than expected at 2am. Be advised that some coach transfers don't drop you directly outside as its too narrow for large vehicles and it is a little uneven underfoot. Well lit and safe area though so no worries. Overall a lovely holiday, in a great place with lovely Cretan hospitality, please do visit a couple of tavernas too and spend some money in these family run places, you won't be disappointed. I hope this is seen as a fair review, not in anyway as a negative experience as it really wasn't. I would revisit, ♡Crete"

"We stayed at this hotel at the end of June and, unfortunately, our experience was very disappointing. In its current condition, I don’t think it deserves its advertised 4-star rating. There were a few positives. The food was simple but tasty, and the location is convenient, being close to both the beach and the airport. However, the hotel has significant issues with maintenance, cleanliness, and management. Our room (No. 16) was very outdated and clearly in need of renovation. The hotel also felt generally neglected: common areas were not cleaned regularly, the windows were dirty, and even the plates in the restaurant were often not properly cleaned. The biggest concern was safety. We found heavy, uninstalled window panes left standing next to the playground, where children were playing, and needles inside the kids’ club. These are completely unacceptable hazards, especially for a family hotel. One of the main reasons we booked this hotel at the last minute was the advertised kids’ club and playground. On arrival, we were told the kids’ club would remain closed until 1 July, despite it being peak season. After I complained, the explanation changed to “it just needs to be cleaned.” Only after requesting compensation did they open it, although it still hadn’t been cleaned. At least it gave us somewhere shaded to entertain our active toddler, as the playground itself has no shade at all. The hotel also isn’t particularly family-friendly in practice. There were very few suitable food options for young children, with most dishes being heavily salted, spicy, or sweetened. The “all-inclusive” package is also misleading. Many items are only available during limited time slots—for example, ice cream is served only between 3:00 and 5:00 p.m., and even sparkling water can only be obtained from the bar rather than being freely available. Finally, the beach advertising is misleading. The photos on booking platforms can easily give the impression that the hotel has a private beach, but it does not. Several other guests we spoke to had the same expectation. We travel frequently and have stayed in everything from small B&Bs to luxury five-star resorts, so we are generally not demanding guests. Unfortunately, I cannot recommend this hotel in its current state. Until the management addresses the cleanliness, maintenance, safety issues, misleading advertising, and family services, there are much better options available on the coast of Crete."

"We visited the hotel for the second time and our stay was excellent from beginning to the end. The location was perfect for us, everything we needed was very close. The room we had was in quiet part of the hotel with pool and sunbeds just few metres from the door. Our room was clean and tidy, very well maintained, air con worked well. The atmosphere was really something we enjoyed. All services provided by the staff were excellent and friendly. The price for our stay was definitely adequate."