Esperides Resort Crete

"We stayed at this hotel for six nights in October 2027. The hotel’s grounds are beautiful, and the overall setting is very pleasant. The hotel staff are also a real asset: friendly, welcoming and consistently helpful. Unfortunately, however, the rest of the experience fell considerably short of what we would expect from a five-star hotel. The quality of the food was particularly disappointing. We had hoped to experience authentic Cretan cuisine, but this was largely absent from the menus. Both lunch and dinner were disappointing in terms of both quality and choice, and did not reflect the standards one would reasonably expect from a hotel of this category. We were also surprised that tap water was not provided at meals and that guests were required to purchase bottled water. The rooms are not privacy as expected of a five-star hotel. In particular, guests regularly walk past the terraces on their way to their rooms, which considerably reduces the sense of privacy. The terraces themselves are rather sparsely furnished, with only one sun lounger, a small table and two plastic chairs. Overall, both the room and terrace lack the comfort, elegance and attention to detail that we would associate with a five-star establishment. In conclusion, we greatly appreciated the beautiful surroundings and the kindness of the staff. Unfortunately, the overall standard of the accommodation, dining experience and facilities did not live up to our expectations of a five-star hotel. It is therefore with some regret that we left disappointed and would not recommend this property."

"A relaxing stay overall. The staff were exceptionally friendly throughout, with a special mention to Nikos at the bar, who was an absolute delight and a real credit to the resort. The hotel is very clean, the grounds are beautiful, and the bar snacks were excellent albeit pricey - 19 euros for a burger. Our Premium Double Room with Sea View and Terrace was comfortable, but the terrace offered very little privacy as it was directly adjacent to neighbouring terraces and overlooked from above, making it less relaxing than we'd hoped. Breakfast wasn't really to our taste, so despite being half board we chose to eat out most mornings. Also worth noting that there are a lot of steps around the resort, and the walk back up from the beach is quite demanding, even if you're reasonably fit. That said, the resort is in a great location with plenty of good restaurants, bars and spots for people-watching nearby. The weather wasn't particularly kind to us, but we still had a very enjoyable and relaxing break."

"Excellent melon, great service. Far from the beach, but we drove to the beaches we chose to go to. Two not big blessings. Suitable mainly for adults"