Mitsis Norida Beach Hotel - All Inclusive

“Family holiday!”

We have just spent 7 days at Norida with our 1 year old & both of our parents. It was our first holiday with our baby so we had a few uncertainties about a few things! We chose Norida after previously visiting Family Village, Blue Domes & Laguna in Crete, we’ve always liked the hotels & Norida was … more

We have just spent 7 days at Norida with our 1 year old & both of our parents. It was our first holiday with our baby so we had a few uncertainties about a few things! We chose Norida after previously visiting Family Village, Blue Domes & Laguna in Crete, we’ve always liked the hotels & Norida was the one that caught our eye to try as a family. Before even arriving Mika was fantastic help with arrangements such as airport transfers to include a baby seat & a set menu for specific food. Upon arrival we (and one of our parents) were given sea view rooms fairly high up the hill, further away from the main hotel, pool's & up several steps - after discussing if this was overly convenient with a buggy several times a time, we spoke to reception who gave us the chance to upgrade to maisonette style rooms which faced the pool/garden areas. We will 100% be booking one of these again as they worked so well for us! Our room was thoroughly cleaned daily, I’m a germaphobe myself and will confess to always wiping over the hotel room on arrival, it was spotless! I found the whole hotel to be very clean. The mini bar is complimentary and re filled daily which is a bonus! The pools are fairly cold & a mixture of salt water & chlorine pools, this didn’t worry us! A few reviews mentioned slower service at the bars, this isn’t something that stood out to us, we always found service time to be fine! I do wish they had more options of iced coffee - but that’s just a personal preference!🤣 The food - for an all inclusive I really don’t know if you could get much better, again the actual buffet/serving area was kept spotless at all times, in fact when passing the kitchen I’d see it being cleaned regularly even if off peak times. I really noticed that the highchairs were clean too. As a mum I know that requires giving them a good clean over inbetween each use, which is good to know as it certainly isn’t always the case in restraunts back home! There was something for everybody, fresh and well cooked! We ate lunch several times either on the beach (pizza or gyros) or the restraunts lunch buffet. We also booked an evening meal at the Asian restraunt and Smokey grill, fantastic food here too! The play park is perfect for younger children, along with the baby pool, lovely and shallow! It would be amazing to see a little more added to it but nothing crazy needed! The staff? Incredible! My little one loved coming into the diner everyday to be greeted with their warmth and welcoming ways! So friendly, kind & happy to help with anything! I wish I picked up names, but honestly everybody we spoke to was lovely. No issues with finding sunbeds, yes we did get up at around 7:30-8:30 but there was 7 of us & we found beds everyday with no issues, if you can’t then let the staff know and I’m sure they’d be more than happy to help! A special mention that our baby required bed bars, instantly this was arranged for us when upgrading to our new room it was there! I asked about menus before arriving due to him not eating many solids, I was given a menu to suit this & also told they would amend a special menu if we were ever stuck for things for him to eat! A great holiday to remember & we’ll definately be returning!⭐️

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“Great Hotel”

Mitsis Norida is a vibrant and highly popular resort featuring excellent cuisine, breathtaking views, and a variety of activities. The atmosphere is lively and enjoyable, and overall, our stay was very pleasant. The only minor drawbacks were that some middle-management personnel at the speciality r… more

Mitsis Norida is a vibrant and highly popular resort featuring excellent cuisine, breathtaking views, and a variety of activities. The atmosphere is lively and enjoyable, and overall, our stay was very pleasant. The only minor drawbacks were that some middle-management personnel at the speciality restaurant appeared somewhat curt, and the service there felt slightly tense, as if the staff were concerned about making errors. The fish speciality night was notably disappointing, with food that appeared pre-prepared and congealed sauces. Nevertheless, the resort provides a comprehensive holiday experience, and we would still recommend it.

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“A truly 5* complex for a 5* holiday”

The Norida complex is located on the outskirts of Kardamena with easy access to the town by the local bus. There are plenty of pools to choose from all having ample sun beds. The layout and scenery is amazing, all kept extremely clean by the hard working staff. Everyone we came across was overly he… more

The Norida complex is located on the outskirts of Kardamena with easy access to the town by the local bus. There are plenty of pools to choose from all having ample sun beds. The layout and scenery is amazing, all kept extremely clean by the hard working staff. Everyone we came across was overly helpful and couldn’t do enough to ensure we had a fabulous experience. The food in all the restaurants was great, from the buffet to the à la carte you are spoilt for choice. The whole dining experience is exactly that an experience, from start to finish we were so well looked after. The food was something else, beautiful flavours and well presented. Our glasses were never empty, we had constant top ups throughout our à la Carte dining, attention to detail from all staff was fantastic. Really lovely happy team. The beach has plenty of sun beds for everyone, it is a beautiful pebble beach with fishes swimming around your feet even in the shallow water. There are various water sports available on the beach (at an additional cost) so if you’re happy just sunbathing or you’re a bit more adventurous there is something for everyone. Thank you for making our time with you so memorable. Will definitely be back, already looking to book again.

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“Not 5 stars”

First impressions were genuinely good. The reception team were warm, welcoming and efficient, and because we had four large suitcases, we were taken to our room by buggy, which was appreciated. We had paid for an upgraded room to a maisonette-style room with an upstairs area for extra privacy, and … more

First impressions were genuinely good. The reception team were warm, welcoming and efficient, and because we had four large suitcases, we were taken to our room by buggy, which was appreciated. We had paid for an upgraded room to a maisonette-style room with an upstairs area for extra privacy, and I also paid for a sea view. Room & Comfort The room itself was large and clean, but very bare — no decoration, which made it feel a little empty. • The downstairs living area had two single beds pushed together for my son. • The mini‑fridge was restocked daily, which was great. • The upstairs bedroom was okay, but the lighting was terrible. It was far too dark to do makeup in the evenings. A lit mirror or proper ceiling light is definitely needed. • The room overall felt dated, and there were not enough plug sockets. For example, I couldn’t charge my phone and have the bedside lamp on at the same time. • We also had ants on the bedside table on arrival. Not the end of the world, but not ideal. • Bedding was basic — just a sheet and a very itchy woolly blue blanket in the cupboard. • The shower was fine once you mastered the temperature control (I finally cracked it by day three). The “Sea View” This was disappointing. We were on the ground floor and could only see a tiny strip of sea from the patio — definitely not what I imagined when paying extra. I expected a balcony with a proper view. Noise This was the biggest issue. Our upstairs neighbours scraped chairs across the tiled floor from early morning until late at night. Constant banging. I had earplugs (my husband snores!) but it still made the room unpleasant to spend time in. Could I have complained? Yes. Did I? No — we’d unpacked, there were three of us, and I didn’t want to risk being moved somewhere worse. I wanted to stay positive, but it was a real disappointment. Hotel Grounds & Cleanliness The grounds are lovely and very clean first thing in the morning. However, as the day gets busier, the staff simply can’t keep up with the amount of rubbish guests leave behind. • Bins overflowing • Plastic cups everywhere • Cigarette butts all over the beach The smoking situation is honestly awful. People smoke anywhere — cigarettes and cigars — right next to families with children. We had to move tables several times in the evenings because of cigar smoke. The hotel urgently needs smoking and non‑smoking sections. Beach & Sunbeds The beach is very stony — beach shoes are essential. There are lots of sunbeds, but they’re crammed so close together that you’re guaranteed to end up next to: • smokers • loud groups • screaming children It wasn’t relaxing at all. I wore earplugs/headphones most days. We didn’t get to use the pool …Despite signs saying towels would be removed before 9am if beds were left empty, this never happened. Most beds were “reserved” by 8am. Food & Drink • Beach bar drinks were always warm, which meant I didn’t enjoy them. • Draft beer was cold, thankfully. • Pizza and gyros bar: very good. • Beach restaurant for breakfast and lunch: also good. • The three à la carte restaurants were nice enough — not 5‑star quality, but enjoyable. • Drink service could be slow, but the staff were clearly very busy. • Main restaurant was fine; we only used it for breakfast and lunch. • We ate out in town four nights — lots of lovely restaurants nearby. No fresh milk anywhere, so tea/coffee wasn’t enjoyable. UHT milk just doesn’t cut it. Entertainment The entertainment was poor and mainly aimed at Italian guests by the Bravo team. • “Bimbo dancers” went on far too long • Music quiz we couldn’t understand • Greek dancing was the best part Overall, not enjoyable. Activities & Extras • Inflatable water park: €20 per person per day — expensive. • Parasailing: €120 for two — not too bad and my husband and son enjoyed it. • Jet skis: €60 for 15 minutes — very overpriced. Taxis were easy to book, but the pricing was odd. We paid €15 to town in a shared taxi arranged by the hotel, yet only €12 on the way back in a normal taxi. ⭐ Overall This hotel has potential, but it is not 5‑star. To reach that standard, they need to improve: • smoking control • cleanliness throughout the day • room lighting and sockets • noise insulation • drink temperature and service • entertainment quality • spacing of sunbeds on the beach We still made the best of our holiday, but several things fell short of what we expected — especially after paying for upgrades. Marie Empson

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