Europa Beach Hotel

“Excellent but drinks were an issue....”

DRINKS!!! You won’t get drunk on the lager that’s for sure, I’ve had stronger shandy. Looks like lager smells like lager tastes like lager but there’s very little alcohol in it, I drank from 10am until 8pm ish and did not feel a thing so had to switch to cocktails (not my thing really), there wer... more

DRINKS!!! You won’t get drunk on the lager that’s for sure, I’ve had stronger shandy. Looks like lager smells like lager tastes like lager but there’s very little alcohol in it, I drank from 10am until 8pm ish and did not feel a thing so had to switch to cocktails (not my thing really), there were people mixing the lager with white wine which I didn’t spot until the last day. The resort is amazing for the money, it’s clean and peaceful the sound of the sea and the sea breeze are lovely. We arrived at 1am and Mike (not 100% sure of his name it was late and we were very tired) checked us in and even had some food waiting for us, a really nice touch and was needed after all the travelling, he was really friendly and helped us with our bags, one of the nicest check ins at a hotel we have had he really made us feel welcome. When we got to the room we had dressing gowns and slippers, a bottle of wine and a nice bowl of fresh fruit, we have stayed in places way more expensive than this and they didn’t have anything as nice as this. We was allocated room 154 which had a direct sea view and genuinely had a direct sea view, I loved relaxing on the bed with the balcony doors open just watching and listening to the sea. The staff are all very pleasant and helpful the cleaning crew are amazing and the food is outstanding for the money, there was always a wide selection of meats, Beef, Pork, Chicken, Lamb and sometimes Muscles or Squid. This is a bargain you won’t be able to beat (apart from the drinks). We have travelled around the world and for once we were both full at every mealtime which never ever happens, one of us usually struggles to find something worth eating and I have to say the deserts were lovely. There is a restaurant separate to the main building called Meltemi which your allowed one visit on your stay, the food again was excellent and the service from the two staff was outstanding, very relaxed and welcoming nothing was too much bother. This is a resort tucked away from the hustle and bustle, it’s peaceful! The nearest bus stop is half an hours walk uphill, if you’re coming to explore go elsewhere if you’re coming for a complete switch off this is the one. The bus is £2.40 to Heraklion or £35 to the airport in a taxi, aprox 25 mins. The mini market in the hotel is priced well and not much different to the bigger supermarkets in the area. The hotel is right on the seafront with a nice beach 10 seconds away. To get the bus you will need bus stop 16. If it wasn’t for the drinks in general this place would be a 10 out of 10, if you go on holiday to enjoy a beer or three and unwind, you will end up buying your own like I did, the nicest lager I could find was €1.40 and was 500ml and 5% abv. The gin I noticed was 30% that they served at the hotel bar so not full strength like we get in the Uk. Nearby is a supermarket bazaar that’s deceptively big and has all sorts, drinks clothes and snacks, for a proper shop you need to go to Analipsi where you will also find it’s a lot more lively with plenty of people milling around which is about a 20 minute walk. The resort is super clean, the gardens are really well kept and very pretty, absolutely no mess or rubbish anywhere, you have to play your part and take your self service glasses cups and ash trays back to a designated area but this just comes natural when somewhere is so clean and tidy. So we come to the part where we decide would we stay again. Yes definitely, however we would prefer to have proper drinks to properly enjoy our stay, its not much to fault but it's there and is what we most disliked unfortunately.

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