Iberostar Selection Creta Marine

"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!"

"Great hotel and gardens. Good location and food was really delicious. For a week, there were plenty of options and enjoyed mixing the buffet for a couple of evening meals at the onsite restaurants. Did have an issue with room set up (Garden view bungalow) for 2 adults and child which was completely impractical as the sofa chair which converted into a single bed didn’t allow the balcony door to open. We moved a piece of furniture to allow for a better room layout and all hell broke loose with the reception team and manager saying we weren’t allowed to move any furniture and it would have to be moved back to the original position meaning we couldn’t practically access the balcony! This was not pragmatic at all and at the time was not a great way to start the holiday and something I’ve never experienced before from a hotel. They relented in the end but in our opinion it was completely unreasonable in the first place. Big shout out in particular to Natalia on the reception for being very kind and helpful. Victoria on the front desk for the Dias Buffet evening service was also very helpful. Do take a walk around the gardens and explore the Creta Panorama gardens too. They’re really beautifully kept and provided a nice option for walking off all the food! The swimming pools were cold at this time of year and the hammam wasn’t working and you couldn’t access the sauna unless you paid for a treatment at the spa which were priced very high. The indoor pool was nice but policed by the spa team who didn’t allow any noise! The water park was fun and great sunshine in the afternoon. All in all, we’d love to go back (and we’d move the furniture again!) Mike’s car hire is highly recommended. Much cheaper than Hertz offered through the hotel and delivered a car promptly to the hotel and picked it up on our return."