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Gouves Hotels and Apartments A - Z

Andonis Apartments - Gouves

Operator and Date: british midlands - july 2005

Opinion submitted in Aug 2005 by : Holly Thompson (11,65,67)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

the people that owned the hotel were very friendly. The meals were fantastic cooked by an englsh girl called maria who lives with her greek husband Andoni and her son Yanni.The walk to the beach is about 10 mins and the manos restaurant opposite to the beach serve excellent food and drink and are also very friendly to talk to and there is an original greek taverna with a hospatality of john his wife maria and there daughter andriana.The apartments were next to the bus stop which we enjoyed a 15 min ride to hersonnisis. 

we enjoyed the holiday and will definately go back !!

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Andreas Apartments - Kato Gouves

Operator and Date: (Panorama Discounts) Panorama JUNE 2005

Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : SUE BURTON 53,42,4 AND 3

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We had been too Crete many times before out two children were born and stayed in Malia, Hersonissos, Stalis etc.  Gouves was virtually non existent last time we were there.  

We chose Gouves as we were going to see some very old Greek friends and this is where they live - Well FANTASTIC.  We did'nt know what to expect and were VERY pleasantly suprised.  There are enough bars and restaurants to keep you happy for two weeks without it being "in your face"! 

The beach, two minutes from the andreas apartments is gorgeous, soft sand and gently shelving sea, perfect for our toddlers. Sunbeds and Umbrellas can be hired and the doughnut and sandwich man come round every day!!  If you want to hire a car, well worth seeing some more of this gorgeous island, go and see Louisa at Club rentacar (5 mins from apartment) she is scottish/greek so her english is perfect and the rates were brilliant when we were there.  20 mins walk, past the church and go and have lunch at CORALI with Julie (english girl) been on Crete forever!! Try Atlantis on the main street food is excellent and very friendly (they have a childrens playground, swings etc as do a lot of the restaurants).  Blue Sky also good food.  Cheap and cheerful enjoy a traditional GYROS on the left top of the street.  

We had a great holdiay, the apartments are basic but very clean and the surroundings are gorgeous.  Minas and Maria are lovely, very friendly.  ANDREAS APTS get 10 out of 10 from us the location is great with a few tavernas on your doorstep without even having to go town if you don't want,beach on the doorstep.  You must visit SKORPIOS restaurant which is next door to apartments a little bit more expensive but the food and Nicaratis the owner make up for it BRILLIANT.

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Andreas Apartments - Kato Gouves

Operator and Date: (Panorama Direct) Panorama - 2005

Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : 38, 38, 14, 6

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

What can I say about our stay in Gouves other than wonderful.

The resort local to the Andreas Apartments is relatively quiet. The beach is lovely and only 5 minutes walk away. Public transport similarly is only a few minutes walk away and offers reliable access to the rest of the resort and island if you don't want to hire a car. The local taverna's and restaurants are super and the local cuisine is a must. And go to Skorpios next door to the Andreas, great food, dancing around the tables and free flowing wine and raki, great fun!

But the outstanding element of the holiday was the wonderful hospitality shown to us by the appartments owners. They are family run by brother and sister Minas and Mania (hope I spelt that right!). They could not be more genuine and delightful if they tried. The apartments are lovely, clean and tidy with beautifully kept gardens and a good size pool. But it's particularly Minas that makes the stay so good. Friendly, hospitable, absolutely genuine, nothing is too much trouble and the kids loved him. His family often spend time at the apartments and they were so easy to get to know and enriched the stay.

I will undoubtedly return and hope to have the opportunity to show Minas around Cambridge when he returns to England, he really is that good a guy!

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Andreas Apartments - Kato Gouves

Operator and Date: (Panorama Discounts) Panorama - June 2004

Opinion submitted in July 2004 by : Kate smith - Hampshire (22, 19)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We booked our holiday to crete in september last year, and were both looking forward to a well deserved break abroad.

when we arrived at the apartments in the late afternoon we were greeted by Mina (I think thats how you spell it) who made us feel very welcome and showed us to our room which was very clean and spacious. all i can say about the accomadation is that it has beautiful gardens, a decent size pool/pool area and a lovely family running it.
We ate in a few tavernas in Gouves my favourate two was the Blie sky on the sea front ( a little more expensive than other places but worth it) and the skorpious next to andreas is fantastic as George (the head waiter) feeds you free wine and rakis all night long and dances around really makes you feel welcome.

We rented a car for 3 days from a firm down the road and it cost us only 60 euros, this gave us some freedom to explore the island, we took a trip to ierepeta, from there took a boot to a place called chrissy Island which is a deserted island on the south of the island it was absolutly beautiful.

We also did take a trip to spinalonga but instead of the expensive boat trips we drove the car past elonda down to placa beach (15 mins away from ag nik) and took a small boat trip (that lasts 5 mins) to the island and paid 2 euros to get in which was a whopping saving of nearly 80euros than if we booked through panorma excursions but it was cheaper if you went into the center of gouves and booked and excursion through then that was a saving of 40 euros.

All in All our 2 week holiday did not last long enough and have already booked to go back to gouves and stay in the andreas apartments (look out for a dog called hoobo he is lovely and will follow you everywhere if you feed him as we found out) 

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

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Andreas Apartments - Kato Gouves

Operator and Date: (Panorama Discounts) Panorama May 2004

Opinion submitted in June 2004 by : Mandy - Buckinghamshire (34, 42)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We have stayed in Gouves last year at the Villa Maria Apartments however we received a letter from Panorama saying that they had withdrawn their contract and that we would now be staying at the Andreas.  We liked the Villa Maria and were a little concerned that we might not feel the same way about the Andreas however as soon as we arrived at the apartments our fears were quashed - I have never met such a hospitable people as Minas and his family! They went out of their way to make you welcome.  Our apartment was very spacious, spotlessly clean and had a balcony overlooking the sea.  

Andreas location is very quiet and just what we needed so I would recommend it to people looking for a quiet time.  Spent most days by the pool and lazing around but other days we caught the bus (bus stop at the top of the main road)to Hersonissis which is a very busy resort but it was lovely to get back to the quiet of Gouves after visting there!  Went on a lovely boat trip from Hersonnissis to Sissi which I would highly recommend - it cost 15 euros which included a small snack and drink and the boat stops in Malia Bay for swimming there and back and allows you a few hours to look round Sissi.  

I would highly recommend the Oasis restaurant (out of the restaurant and turn left - can't miss it)- very friendly staff and excellent food/atmosphere - they also do breakfasts from 2 euros to 5 euros.  Another restaurant to visit is Blue Sky although we tended to stick to Oasis because it was so good. 

I love Gouves and Crete and would definitely go back to the Andreas Apartments.  If awards were given out for hospitality then Minas and his family should be first in line!! 

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Andreas Apartments - Kato Gouves

Operator and Date: (Panorama Discounts) Panorama May 2004

Opinion submitted in May 2004 by : Sharon Glasgow (34, 34, 10)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

When we arrived at Gouves our hearts sank! we got off the bus in the dark and were being ushered accross what seemed to be a dirt field by some crazy cretan man (Minos. We then turned the corner into the courtyard to find a wonderfully lit pool surrounded by lovely tended gardens.After helping us to our appartment Minos insisted we join him for a welcolm drink in the bar.

our appartment was basic but clean and our balcony had a view of the sea as well as the pool. the andreas is a real family concern with everyone from granny to the children helping out. there are only sixteen appartments so its not for everyone,but we found it really nice that we all new each other.its probably not for you if you want a wild time and some families with younger children found it a bit quiet but our daughter lived in the pool and loved it. there are lots of nice greek resturaunts within a few yards and more lively enertainment 15 min away in gouves proper. though a special mention must go out to the Mediteranian which does great breakfasts and snacks served by anne from mussleburgh and her greek husband George who does the best greek food we tasted.

all in all the andreas is made really special by the friendlyness of minos and his family, we will definately go back.

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Andreas Apartments - Kato Gouves

Operator and Date: (Panorama Discounts) Panorama - 2004

Opinion submitted in Aug 2004 by : Bruce 38, Paul 37, Heather 37, Dale 11, Ryan 10 and Megan 4

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

The Andreas Appt. are by far the best we've stayed in , the rooms were cleaned every day except Sunday. Minos and His sister Maria made everybody feel welcome and joined in the fun by the pool, the kids took to Minos and enjoyed him being around. Maria's two young children joined in the play with our kids, although they spoke no English it showed this is no barrier to children. When his family and friends visited the appartments, you felt able to join them and chat. With this being a small family run complex everybody who was staying there interacted well together. At night lots of fun was to be had at the bar as everybody felt they had known each other for ages. By the end of the quickest 2 weeks I've spent abroad nobody wanted to leave.

The resort was a real family place where you felt safe walking around with the kids, friendly pubs and eating places were plentiful.

Eating out was a real pleasure the food was very reasonably priced and of superb quality, we averaged 60 euros per evening meal, drinks included, although all restaurants were well worth visiting one stuck out amonst them and that was Lyttos Tavern which is located just round the corner from Anreas Appt. the waitress Katrina made our meals there special she was able to mix and match meals to suit the kids and fussed over them everytime we visited, we found this place the most reasonably price out of them all, nothing was too much trouble for her and when we passed by on other days/nights she always waved and called out to the kids remembering their names.

I speak for the rest of the party in saying a big thanks to Minos and Maria for making our holiday in Crete one we will remember and speak about for years to come, and hopefull re-visit.

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Anelin Studios - Gouves

Operator and Date: (Kosmar Discounts) Kosmar  May 2004

Opinion submitted in June 2004 by : Mags, Dotty, Sue, Val  (49,53,55,57)

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We had 2 appts. for the 4 of us,they were clean and ample enough. Nicos the owner and his wife were really nice and alway asked if we were ok and were we enjoying our holiday. 

Plenty of Tavernas to visit, Filoxenia, D & M's, to name but a few.  We could have the use of 2 pools nearby, however these were quite small, we did find at the back of Zorbas restaurant on the sea front a wonderfull pool.  We asked if we could use this and we were told it was fine. We spent most days there, just the 4 of us most of the time.....heaven.  The snacks and wine at Zorbas were really good.  It was fairly quiet on an evening but we found plenty to do in the 2 weeks we were there.  The Black Bull run by Daryl and his wife was good.  We also went futher out of the village and found a pub with a live band, this is advertised all over Gouves.  

The 4 of us had a really good time in Gouves.

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Aphrodite Beach Club - Gouves

Operator and Date: Teletext holidays-May 2007

Opinion submitted in June 2007 by : Kev,Kaz, Mick and Sheila(53,44,51,50

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

After reading previous reviews we were pleasantly surprised. The hotel is what we would have expected for a 4* in Greece.
We found the reception area very nice and the receptionist very friendly when booking in.

The rooms are very nice and are cleaned daily and cleaners,as all staff,are friendly and always acknowledge you with a smile.

As for the food being the same every day, for breakfast there was large choice of cereals every morning as well as figs and prunes, a large choice of fresh bread, toast machine, fresh juice, ham, cheese, olives,fruit and yoghurt,boiled egg(3 and 5 Min).  Apart from this you then had some days beans, bacon, sausage, tomato, pancakes, fried eggs.

Lunch: There was always salad, fresh fruit,large selection of fresh bread,fresh fruit, ice cream, cakes and creme caramel. Apart from this you would have at least one meat and fish choice with different veg and assorted dishes.

Dinner: Always soup, fresh bread, salad,the previously mentioned bolognaise sauce, spaghetti,fresh fruit,ice cream,cakes. Apart from this you then had different types of potatoes, rice, pasta, fish dishes and meat dishes, chips and vegetables.

It is no hotter or colder than any other food served in greek or turkish hotels that we,ve tried.

There is always a beer, wine and soft drinks which you help yourself to.  The wine can be bottled so you can top your glass up at the table.

As for the entertainment, the animation team work extremely hard to involve everyone in the daily activities which there is a full programme of.  However, you are not pressured into doing anything if you dont want to. All the team are very friendly and do try to make the games as enjoyable as possible.

We were AI and found the service better than previous places and it was til Midnight. There was absolutely no preference for other nationalities over the British. The spirits are local rather than brand names but that is always the case with AI.

Gouves itself is small but there are a number of bars, shops and restaurants close to the hotel.

Although the hotel is right on the beach, the beach is not too good but because of the poolside activities you get the best of both worlds.

The hotel is no where near as bad as it has been made out and you must remember that it is in Greece where accommodation is generally more basic than other european destinations.

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Aphrodite Beach Club - Gouves

Operator and Date: Planet Holidays - October 2006

Opinion submitted in October 2006 by : (19, 21)

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Below Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

When we arrived, the hotel itself didn't seem too bad! It wasn't until we sat down for breakfast the next morning that we were disappointed.  

The food was cold by the time we sat down to eat it and there was not a great deal to choose from.  We then discovered that the breakfasts were exactly the same every morning so we ended up going out somewhere and paying for it, which is not something you expect to do when you have paid for an all inclusive holiday! The meals were not much better at night as the food was cold if you did not get it as soon as the restaurant opened, and again there was not much to choose from!  Being British we were only able to recieve AI drinks till 11.00pm for some reason, but other nationalities were able to recieve them until 12.00am, which i did not find fair! 

The entertainment was not very entertaining so most nights were spent sat bored in the bar.  The room was not too bad, it had a fair amount of space but the balcony was very small. The lobby was very nice but very busy as people would rather sit there than watch the entertainment.  With it being the end of season, there were not many bars open around the resort but the ones we did visit were very nice and the people were very friendly and welcoming! 

Overall the holiday was a bit of a dissapointment as we were expecting 4* and it was more of a 3*.

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Aphrodite Beach Club - Gouves

Operator and Date: Sun Masters - September 2006

Opinion submitted in October 2006 by : Emma, Colin, Carol, Tabby, Layla  (26, 64, 52, 8, 5, )

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Poor

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

On arrival to the Aphrodite we were told they had over booked..(great start) so were moved to the Marina for 2 days.
When we eventualy got back to the Aphrodite we were happy with the rooms as they were spacious and seemed clean.

Dinner time----- eewwgghhhh not very pleasant! food was cold when should be hot.... It was repetative.... only pasta and bolognase sauce every day for the children... food also re-used from previous days tea time... chips for breakfast?!?!?!?!  hmmmmmmmm...... we got very fed up and hungry.

Staff----- Bar staff were not pleasant except Maria. If you have the yellow band (depending who you book through) then you can only drink till 11pm so they make u wait till 11:02 then tell u that u must pay ?!?! but considering the 7 minute wait to get served....hmmmmmmmmm

Cleaners----- Older cleaners are rude and smell of body odour, but the younger ones were fantastic and clean the rooms far better than the older ones so they got a well deserved tip at the end of our holiday.

Pool----- Pool was clean.... no problems.... sunbeds were fine also but not alot of room so if it was peak season then i think it could get a bit crowded.

Animation Team----- They were nice....Maria was 4 the kids &ran the mini club and she was very nice and friendly, also the blonde one (sorry forgot her name) was very very nice too...genuine.
Gervani(cant spell name) was also lovely as was my favourate Balu.  Left you in peace if you wanted but tried to get you involved too so a good mix.
Enjoy New Zealand Balu Bear!!

I must warn any women who go that their is a man who claims to be a part of running the hotel tries to charm the bikini bottoms off you by being a total letch and extremely rude and makes offers of an unacceptable nature..... BE WARNED!

Overall we enjoyed the holiday despite the hotel move at the start as we thought oh well what the hell!!! we made it fun and met alot of friendly English and Swiss people who shared our thoughts on the hotel also.

I would never recomend this place to anyone and will never ever return.
If you have booked and are going to it then make sure you have strong stomachs and have a sense of humour!!

Good Luck!!

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Aphrodite Beach Club - Gouves

Operator and Date: Sunmaster July 2006

Opinion submitted in September 2006 by : Stirlings (38,36,18, 22), Hastings (43, 41, 11) Buckles (41, 42, 12)

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Not a 4* hotel bordering on 3* rooms dingy & no sound proofing, if you make a call from one room to another you can hear the phone ring in the corridor!

Food terrible, no childrens menu, spaghetti bolognese for lunch & dinner 7 days a week, chips for breakfast.  We saw cockroaches in the dining room one evening.  Poor  entertainment & pool activities.  Persecuted if your British as you only get your AI drinks until 11pm and all other Europeans get AI until midnight.  No snacks during the day for AI guests.  Water had to be paid for.  Cordial type drinks only for children.    We hired quad bikes to sightsee around Gouves and went up into the Mountains to a  traditional greek village  and stopped for drinks at a taverna where we were made very welcome.  Watercity was a good day out for the kids. 

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Artemis Apartments - Gouves

Operator and Date: (Airtours Direct) Airtours May 2006

Opinion submitted in May 2006 by : Debra and Anthony - Neath (44, 43)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

This is our second visit to Crete, the first being 14 years ago to Elounda.  We have visited several other Greek Islands in the meantime, but few can live up to the friendliness of Crete.

We went on the opening day of the season and the resort was very quiet, not everything had opened up.  We were surprised had how spread out the resort is.  We were a little bit unlucky with the weather and had a few cold days at the start of our week's stay.

The Artemis apartments were spacious, clean and well maintained. They are run by a greek family who are extremely friendly, especially Soteris, who runs the bar most evenings. The bar has a really friendly atmosphere and we found everyone spoke to everyone else.  We don't think we have ever stayed at such a friendly place!  

We only stayed for a week, so didn't have time to sample all the numerous tavernas there, but a few favourites were Paradise Taverna - which is on the beach front, Mithos Taverna - which is in the Centre and our favourite of all, Phillipos Taverna - which is just up a side road opposite the church (which is on the sea-front).  All these tavernas were friendly and had very good food, but Phillipos taverna had the edge.  The food was excellent and Phillipos could not do enough for you.  He was really upset when we left without having a coffee or a drink with him on our first visit, tried to get us to come in and have a drink with him while we happened to pass when we were out for a walk and was really pleased to be able to give us the now overdue drink, when we called there another evening, that he gave us a metaxa before we had even ordered the food!

Despite the weather, we had a fabulous time and are thinking of going back to the Artemis apartments, again later this year.  We would definately recommend staying here!!!  Fantastic!!

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Artemis Apartments - Gouves

Operator and Date: Date Not Specified

Opinion submitted in Mar 2004 by : Thanos Terentes

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

A perfect place for family vacations, where the whole family can have fun. We've spent 10  days and we intend to go back next year. Me and my wife relaxed and the kids were kept busy all day having fun.
Rooms are great, food is great, the pool is awesome.
I recommend this to anyone who wants to have a good time in Greece.

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Astir Beach - Gouves

Operator and Date: Hellenic Voyages - Sept 2006

Opinion submitted in October 2006 by : Jenny Bray - Wakefield ( 58, 60, 65, 68, 69, 76)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

The Astir Beach was a very clean, pleasant and relaxing hotel. The guests were a good mixture of nationalities. The staff were great. The bar staff, Giorgio and Nicos were always very friendly no matter wether you were half board or all inclusive. There was always a good selection at mealtimes. Everyone was catered for. Of course there wasn't the roast beef lunch or the English fry-up. If we wanted those meals we would stay in England. The dining room staff, Maitre, Elena and other waiters/waitresses were always busy clearing tables and resetting ready for more diners. You were never kept waiting long. 

The pool and area around pool was cleaned every morning. Plenty of beds for sunbathing. Beach across the road from front of hotel with plenty of beds and umbrellas. There are lots of beach front restaurants, shops, tavernas and car/bike hire companies. As an older set of travellers with limited walking I would not recommend Gouves unless you have transport. If you want to enjoy Crete, hire a car and get out and about as my party did. We had a very enjoyable 2 weeks. This is our 3rd holiday with Hellenic Voyages and we have never had any problems. The staff in the Wakefield office are most helpful and the rep on Crete, Lisa very helpful also. 

We will certainly be travelling with Hellenic Voyages again.

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Astir Beach - Gouves

Operator and Date: (Direct Holidays) Direct Holidays  - sept 2006

Opinion submitted in October 2006 by : tony s-birmingham (45)

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Below Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

just came back from astir beach, gouves.
would not recommend this hotel because the menu is very repetetive,also has aircraft noise, day& night.
oh! and mainly caters for germans.

will not be going back to this hotel again.

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Astir Beach - Gouves

Operator and Date: Hellenic Voyages, july 2006

Opinion submitted in September 2006 by : The Smiths! (45, 40, 12, 9)

Resort Rating: No rating

Accommodation Rating: No rating

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Unfortunately I cannot write a review for this hotel or even this resort!!!!
We booked to stay here for 2 weeks with HELLENIC VOYAGES but when we arrived in Crete, were told the hotel was full and we had to stay elsewhere for a few days, we agreed believing we would then be moved back to our choice.  However, that was not the case, one elsewhere, we were ignored, despite contstantly visiting the rep and sending complaints to the office in Crete and Wakefield UK.

The hotel we were put in, was an upgrade apparantly but we didnt want that, we wanted to be in a quiet family orientated area right on the beach but what we got was a massive complex hotel 10 mins away from the beach in a resort which maily caters for Germans and the nearest beach catered to the 18 -30 market (and German at that!!!)

Anyone looking to visit this hotel should be very aware that if they book it with Hellenic Voyages, they may not end up there, the more we have looked into it on our return, we realise that this appears to be something they do on a regular basis, although the prices were cheap we would not consider using them again and would advise anyone with particular requirement to be wary unless they were happy to be "allocated on arrival"

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Astir Beach - Gouves

Operator and Date: Helenic, Jun 2006

Opinion submitted in June 2006 by : Chris,Laura,Paul,Sue (25,23,25,24)

Resort Rating: Poor

Accommodation Rating: Poor

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

If your thinking about staying at the Astir Beach its not recommended. The hotel is an absoloute joke. If your not German the hotel staff dont wanna know, there rude, un-hygenic and incompetent at there job. The food is disgusting and is generaly catered for GERMANS. The beer is like water and you can only get one drink at a time,which is crp if ur in a party of four. 

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Astir Beach - Gouves

Operator and Date: Hellenic Voyages - June 2006

Opinion submitted in June 2006 by : Sue, Paul, Laura & Chris (24, 25, 23, 25)

Resort Rating: Below Average

Accommodation Rating: Poor

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

An extremely disappointing holiday - we would not return to Crete again, nor travel with Hellenic Voyages.
Hotel staff are very, very rude and seem to be more so with english guests! Our rep never turned up once during the week we stayed so we found it hard to complain about anything.

Food was extremely poor with leftovers being reused for the following meal. We would not recommend All Inclusive!!! The bar was advertised as open until 12 midnight, but closed at 11pm on the dot & you cannot get more than 1 drink at a time (unless you are anything but english). The only good thing was the pool - although most sun loungers are taken up by 8am, the 'towel police' (hotel manager!)will remove any unoccupied beds after breakfast so most people got a sun lounger!

Overall, we would rate this resort, travel agent and holiday as the worst we've ever experienced!

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Astir Beach - Gouves

Operator and Date: (Libra Discounts) Libra 2006

Opinion submitted in May 2006 by : SBithell 42 47 11

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Below Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

This is supposed to be a four star Hotel but it is not.Food very poor does not cater for the british.Staff not friendly.
Heard several familys complain about the food and the service.Local bars friendly and food good.Can be expensive at times.Entertainment for children very poor due to lack of funds from the Hotel.
Very disapointed.

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Astir Beach - Gouves

Operator and Date: Hellenic Voyages - August 2005

Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : Dave Pitt - Helensburgh (30, 29, 9, 5)

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion:

HOTEL - The Hotel was nicely Decorated & clean. The room was basic but cleaned every day. Air con is free and there was a very good unit(can't be very old). The Hotel was full of loads of different Nationalities, but communication was fun and quite enjoyable mixing, instead of being completeley British. The Pool area was a nice size but you need to be thre at 0800 to put your towel down

FOOD - Food was basis, typically european, catering for mainly Italians. Although my Family & I ate well all holiday, I think if you are fussy you will struggle.

BAR - The all inclusive was a little disappointing. There is only one bar that you can use and Pedro is not the happiest barman in the world until you get to know him(talk Liverpool FC & Greek Islands and you're in). The pool bar is only open at night and you pay for the drink from there.

ENTERTAINMENT - The reps are like any other all inclusive resort, fun packed hard working and try their best. The kids club is taken by a girl called Picatou(Beatrice), she is really friendly and the kids loved her.

BEACH - The beach is one of the highlights of the Resort. Right on the front of the Hotel, it is sandy and clear all the way out as far as you can swim. There are life guards all day and the sea is different every day. Two sunbeds and an umbrella 6 euros.

SUMMARY - We had a great holiday,the weather was fantastic, the kids loved it. The hotel with a bit of tweeking could be great, but at the moment we wouldn't return. This is a mixed resort and not a british pub type place, so if you are looking for chips, egg and beans with British entertainment and dislike foreign people go to Blackpool........

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Astir Beach - Gouves

Operator and Date: Hellenic Voyages

Opinion submitted in Aug 2005 by : Paul, Genny & Jake (28,35,11)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Gouves is a fantastic family resort and the holiday we had at Astir Beach was one of our best. The food was good (not great especially as the choice was limited) but the hotel was clean and the staff very friendly and helpful.
We went all-inclusive but the alchoholic drinks were below par. We found a cafe bar along the beach front called Ammos which turned out to be a major part of the holiday. The cocktails are the best you will try and the staff always found time to chat and laugh.
At the hotel the childrens entertainment was first class. Our son was entertained for the entire two weeks and made countless new friends.

One minor problem was there are too few sunloungers for guests especially in the peak weeks. In this event the beach is literally just across the road for sunbathing.

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Astir Beach - Gouves

Operator and Date: hollgenic voyages - 2005

Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : kim quee 37,7

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Below Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

kids club very poor no organisation one person for all ages. Food poor, all inclusive deal very dissapointing, not worth the extra expensense. Swimming pool not suitable for children. All in all not recommended

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Astir Beach - Gouves

Operator and Date: Hellenic Voyages - August 2004

Opinion submitted in Oct 2004 by : Jackie John Keelin Shauna - London (42,42,14,12)

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Nice Hotel, staff very friendly, food ok. Beach is located on the doorstep.Astir Beach Hotel guests are mainly from Italy, Belgium, and Germany. Gouves village has the usual tourist shops. Would recommend eating in the Blue Sky restaurant in Gouves village.
Night life in Gouves is quiet which suited us    

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Apartments Blue Aegean - Gouves

Operator and Date: First Choice - July 2007

Opinion submitted in July 2007 by : Borlace family - Reading (46, 45, 7)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We've just returned from our first visit to Crete. The Blue Aegean apartments were fantastic. Spacious and clean (daily maid service with the exception of Sundays) probably one of the best we have ever stayed in. The staff at the B.A. are extremely friendly, Manolis and his team will go out of their way to please you!
The pools are clean without over use of  chemicals, so no red, sore eyes!
Would strongly suggest you have the air conditioning, although a bit pricey, 60 euros per week, it's a must for a restful nights sleep.
Overall we couldn't find fault with any of our holiday.

Louise, our first choice rep, was available if we needed her, but didn't intrude on our holiday at all, unlike some we've had where you're constantly bugged to book excursions. A big thumbs up Louise.

The beaches are small coves with course sand, but plenty of sunbeds to hire, great for snorkelling, but I must say we didn't feel the need to go to the beach much, as our daughter was very happy in the complex pool.
There is a small shop on site, although choice is limited, I would recommend the chocolate doughnuts though. There's a couple of larger shops literally 2 minutes down the road. An ATM which accepts credit and cash point cards is located here too.
Kato Gouves is a beautiful, very quiet resort, would highly recomend if you are looking for a relaxing holiday with a bit of light entertainment a few evenings.

We enjoyed this complex/resort so much we've booked to return in October, along with additional family members. Hope you enjoy your stay too.

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Apartments Blue Aegean - Gouves

Operator and Date: (Cosmos Direct) Cosmos - July/August 2006

Opinion submitted in August 2006 by : Clarkes - Surrey (44, 44, 12, 8)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

This the first time my wife and I had been to Greece in 13 years and the first time we had taken the girls to Greece.  What a fabulous time we all had.

The Blue Aegean - It was built in 2002, consists of 52 apartments and has been kept in such good condition that it could have been built yesterday.  During our two weeks we got to know the owners Sue and Manoli who together with the rest of the staff could not have been more accomodating.  A good indication of this establishment's quality is that about 30% of their business is repeat business, some families had returned every year since the apartments opened.  Both my children did kids club for the two weeks and loved it. 

Kato Gouves - Is small but has a number of wonderful Tavernas.  It has two sandy beaches which are very safe and not over crowded.  The whole town/village is clean and safe.  Also there is a Bank of Cyprus cash point which accepts both visa and cash point cards.  Car hire is well catered for and you can negotiate.  We managed to obtain about a 30% discount on the published price when we went through the Cosmos rep in resort.

During our whole stay I did hear a swear word uttered or have any concerns as to my children's safety.

I wholely recommend The Blue Aegean Apartments and we will be returning in 2007.

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Apartments Blue Aegean - Gouves

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook - July 2006

Opinion submitted in August 2006 by : Trevor Wilson - Bridge of Weir (52, 50, 15, 13)

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Just returned from a lovely holiday at the Blue Aegean. The Owners - Manolis & Sue - are always on site and are very friendly & helpful, as are all the other staff - espcially Stelios. The Apartments were very clean, spacious & well fiited out.
The resort & the hotel are fairly laid back - if you are looking for an activity holiday this isn't the resort for you. There are some shops nearby but the main shopping area is a pleasant 15 minuite walk away along by the sea past the lovely little church.

There isn't a large beach but lovely little coves. Plenty of good restaurants -didn't have a bad meal during our 2 week holiday. Best restaurant was Mylo's - just a few minutes walk from the hotel.

Apart from the daily quiz - which was great fun & became very competitive - the hotel had some evening entertainment - the Greek night was worth going to.

During our holiday my wife was celebrating her 50th! The Hotel made up a lovely table, decorated it with flowers, organised a cake & opened a bottle of champagne for us & our guests - we had a great night! Luckily it was Manolis 50th the next night & we were invited to his party for more food & drink - 2 days of celebrating!

Overall a quiet resort with lots of good restaurants, very friendly people & a hotel that was very good value for money.

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Apartments Blue Aegean - Gouves

Operator and Date: (Cosmos Discounts) Cosmos - October 2004

Opinion submitted in Oct 2004 by : Keith, Vanessa, Kimberley & Thomas (46,44,16 & 14)  Cornwall

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Had a brilliant time.  The Apartments are the best we have ever stayed in.  We all really enjoyed this holiday and would recommend it to anyone considering going to Gouves.  The staff are the most friendly people imaginable

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Apartments Blue Aegean - Gouves

Operator and Date: (Cosmos Discounts) Cosmos - Sept/Oct 2004

Opinion submitted in Oct 2004 by : Steve Mackinder - Worthing (35, 33, 12, 7 5)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

As this was our first ever family holiday, we were a little unsure of what to expect. No need to worry, the Blue Aegean is a wonderful hotel, more than capably run by Sue (from Wales), who owns the place with her husband and Andreas, the hotel manager. 

We stayed in one of the larger apartments, and to say it was spacious would be an understatement. Not only was there loads of room, but the apartment was spotlessly clean (with cleaners visiting 6 days a week). All the staff speak good English, and there's even a couple of British members of staff - Helen in the kitchen and Shirley the waitress/barmaid. Both the pools were kept clean, and were never overcrowded. 

The restaurant on site serves a wide range of food and we must recommend the 'Meal Deal' where you pay up front for seven days worth of food, it represents excellent value for money. 

The beach is a very short walk away and in the main is clean and tidy - you can hire sunbeds on the beach for 2 Euros per day if you want to get away from the hotel complex. The final mention must go to Andreas, who must work at least 15 hours a day seven days a week. He is the life and soul of the place, arranging such things as the 'Cretan Evening' and 'Mystic Men Magic Show' as well as a Pizza Night every Wednesday. There's also a Karaoke every Sunday evening. I must also mention Carly, the Cosmos Rep who ran the Kids Club which kept both our younger children, Adam & Kieran occupied for a couple of hours every day. Michelle the Cosmos rep also deserves a mention for all her hard work. 

If you fancy a day away from the hotel, we can heartily recommend the 'Jeep Safari', although a little expensive, it's worth every penny as you climb to the top of a mountain using a mixture of normal roads and bumpy off-road mountian tracks. The 'Water City' water park is also worth a visit. We found that 'Scorpios' taverna (turn right out the hotel, right at the seafront and then next right) was excellent value, with a wide range of Greek and English foods to choose from off the menu. We would also recommend that you hire a car for at least a couple of days, to explore the island, there's a lot of wonderful scenery to see! 

For a first holiday, we've got no complaints at all, we're going to go somewhere else next year, but possibly back to the Blue Aegean in 2006.

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Apartments Blue Aegean - Gouves

Operator and Date: Booked Direct    July 2004

Opinion submitted in Sept 2004 by : Kathryn, Peter, Thomas and Lucy   46,35,5,2

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Anyone booking this holiday will not be disapointed.

We booked direct with the hotel as a last minute deal for July.  Everything was made so simple it was great.

The rooms were spotless and very comfortable and safe for the two youngsters.  We had a lovely big bed which is unlike many places we have stayed in before.

The food in the hotel is lovely and there is a great choice especially for the two picky kids.  The entertainment was very good and quite varied, the Magic show is a must for all the family along with the Greek night.

The atmosphere at the accomodation is really good and the children are really looked after and kept happy which means parents can relax and enjoy their holiday.

The manager of the hotel and Sue the owner really know how to look after their guests and nothing is too much trouble.  I cannot thank them enough for taking care of us when my my husband was ill.  They personally arranged for the manager, Andreas, to be with him at the hospital and helped us with all the details.

If you can manage to get your children to leave the kids clubs and friends and get into the resort centre you will find a great choice of tavernas.

We have had some lovely holidays on the Greek Islands but this is my favourite by far and we will definately be returning.

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Apartments Blue Aegean - Gouves

Operator and Date: (Cosmos Discounts) Cosmos - june 2004

Opinion submitted in July 2004 by : Debbie(36) Bryan(40) Alex(11) Luke(7) -  Cumbria

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Our 2 week stay at the Blue Aegean was excellent. We booked a 2 bed apartment for the 4 of us(2ads+2kds)It was the biggest and best apartment we have ever had. It was spotless. Cleaned everyday apart from Sunday. We had 2 bathrooms, both had showers with curtains(no floods on the floor)hairdryers were also and added bonus. Our apartment looked onto the pool area which was also kept clean and tidy.

One complaint- a lot of the children (ours included) came down with an ear infection. It cleared up in 2 or 3 days with antibiotics from the chemist.

The staff at the "Blue" were brilliant. Sue, the owner, worked in the shop, joined in with the karaoke, and some days could be found sunbathing around the pool with her sons. Andreas, the manager, was as mad as a hatter, but could be a little pushy at times trying to get us to sign up for the greek night, magic night etc. But on the whole good at his job. The staff and food in the resturant deserve a mention - TOP CLASS!!! Try the chicken curry.

The basement was a godsend for our kids,- pool tables, air hockey, football table, table tennis, chess. Although the amount of money they put into the pool table, we could have bought our own. There is also an internet corner- 5 euros per hr.

The "Blue" is about a 15 min walk into the main part of Gouves, quite a pleasant stroll along the sea front. There are quite a few shops, resturants and bars  here. 2 or 3 english. Try the chinese (The New China, I think) along the seafront, 5 mins past the Aphrodite Hotel. Excellent, but a little expensive.

The beaches were nothing special. Rocky coastline, coarse sand and some days the sea was very choppy, sometimes crashing up and onto the road. Not very clean either. But we were happy to stay by the pool.

We did hire a car for a day and went to Knossos Palace. A bit dissapointing - a lot of the ruins had been rebuilt using new bricks, wood etc. Not very authentic. Aghios Nikolaos is a lovely town to visit and the scenery on the way is breathtaking. We also saw some massive birds on the side of the hills, which looked a lot like vultures.
A must if you have kids (and adults that act like kids) is Watercity.

We have always said we would not go back to the same place twice, but I think with the Blue Aegean we will make an exception. We could quite easily have stayed for another week or three.

Thanks to everyone who made us feel so welcome and make it one of the best holidays ever.

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Apartments Blue Aegean - Gouves

Operator and Date: (Cosmos Discounts) Cosmos - June 2004

Opinion submitted in June 2004 by : Rachel - Bristol (32,31,2)

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Have just returned from the Blue Aegean where we spent two weeks.

I'll start with the positives:

The accommodation itself is really good - you will notice straight away that it is well-kept and clean.  Everything is very nicely thought out.  The apartments have nice furniture and decor.  The air-conditioning is recommended.  You do have to pay for it but it is very effective and very quiet.

The complex and pool area is really nice.  The children all played really well together in the pool, happily sharing inflatables and toys.  The adults unofficially took it in turns to play with the kids.  This all made for a really relaxing break!

The staff are really friendly.  The restaurant is pretty good - the pizzas are probably the best I've ever had!!

The downsides:

Cosmos were a bit disappointing.  We had a two year old who was booked into creche for 6 sessions.  The creche room was an airless, windowless tiny room.  It seemed a bit messy and lacked facilities.  The staff lacked enthusiasm.  Whilst our daughter was not unhappy, she wasn't really enjoying it that much.

The manger, is a bit much really.  We didn't really appreciate being shouted at around the pool as he urged everyone to come to whatever entertainment was being held that night, or to shout our support for the England football team.

The entertainment was VERY loud indeed.  Not every night, but severaly nights it was loud until midnight.  If you have very young children who cannot be expected to stay up until that time, you may find it a bit intrusive. 

Gouves itself is a bit something or nothing.  To the left of the apartments, along the front, there is very little.  If you go right, round the back of the Pantheon Palace hotel, there is a nice little group of tavernas and bars.  I would recommend George's, Oasis and Mylos.  But overally, the resort really lacked the Greek charm that we so love.

We did have a really good holiday though - would overall rate the whole fortnight as a 7/10!

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Apartments Blue Aegean - Gouves

Operator and Date: (Cosmos Discounts) Cosmos - May 2004

Opinion submitted in May 2004 by : John and Margaret,  Liverpool (50-ish)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We went for a last-minute holiday early in the season so not all the resort facilities were open. The apartments are very well equiped, quite spacious and spotlessly clean. All the staff are friendly and efficient and there are good facilities for children.

Prices are higher than before Greece joined the euro - a meal out is about 12 to 15 euros per adult including house wine. Best buys are leather goods eg belts at 3 euros (two pounds sterling).

The Blue Aegean is about 1km from Gouves and about 50m from a small beach. Its cheaper to book excursions in Gouves rather than via the Cosmos reps (eg trip to Knossos and museum costs 24 euros each in town but 31 euros through the reps).

Their restaurant is reasonable and the pizzas are excellent. For a more romantic meal try Mylos (turn left out of the apartments, go up the slight hill and keep bearing left - about 200m).

Heraklion airport wasn't busy when we went, but most of the departure lounge is clearly marked "no smoking". The check-in for MyTravel flights is near the passport control on the far left of the check-in desks.

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Apartments Blue Aegean - Gouves

Operator and Date: (Cosmos Discounts) Cosmos - April 2004

Opinion submitted in Apr 2004 by : Darren Carpenter - Kent (36, 35, 13, 8)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

The actual accommodation is probably the best self catering apartment you could wish for, and the staff are superb. The resort was only just opening and the choice of places to eat got better in the second week (20/04/04 onwards).Oasis and Skorpios restaurants at the back of the Pantheon Palace are both recommended. The nearest beach is only 50m away, but there is a better one a short walk away in front of the Pantheon Palace hotel. Day trips to Heraklion may be a nightmare later this year as they have just built a new stadium that is hosting some of the football from this years Olympics.

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Blue Sky Apartments - Gouves

Operator and Date: (Airtours Direct) Airtours 27/09/2005

Opinion submitted in Nov 2005 by : Alan  South Wales (53, 52)

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

After reading the reviews on this site I was anxious about staying at the blue sky.but I'm pleased to say we had a lovely time there the studio's were very clean and roomy. Katerina who runs the bar by the pool is very helpful nothing to much trouble. we were there late in the season and it was fairly quite in Gouves but still plenty of places to eat out bars and shops.

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Blue Sky Apartments - Gouves

Operator and Date: (MyTravel Direct) MyTravel may 2005

Opinion submitted in Apr 2006 by : laura 20 pete 23

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

This was a brilliant holiday, i would highly recommend the accommadation, it was very clean the staff were lovely. It is in a brilliant location close to restaurants, bars and supermarkets. I was completely satisfied with everything it was a bargain for the amount we paid. The mytravel rep was brilliant as well, she didnt try to sell us anything she was completely honest about everything. All the local restaurants were excellent and the staff really helpful and friendly.

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Blue Sky Apartments - Gouves

Operator and Date: (Airtours Direct) Airtours  - October 2004

Opinion submitted in Nov 2004 by : Iolo and Kathryn - North Wales (41, 43)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Poor

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We had booked the Blue Sky on the basis of very positive reviews, and a friend having recommended it, but we were truly disappointed when we opened the door of our room, and found our room to be dirty, and frankly worse than basic, with bare wires in the bathroom. We wonder if they stayed in the same room (105) since the description tallies so much. The review from Davina and Paul reflects exactly our experience, as we too found the staff to be reluctant to help, and insisting we talk to the rep the following day.

We too had to pay the rep to be moved to San Constantin (128 Euros in our case), which we felt was worth it to save our holiday from being a total disaster, but like them we will try to recoup at least some of these expenses from Airtours.

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Blue Sky Apartments - Gouves

Operator and Date: (Airtours Direct) Airtours - Aug/Sept 2004

Opinion submitted in Sept 2004 by : Davina and Paul - (25, 22)

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Poor

My/Our Holiday Opinion:

We have stayed at some very cheap and basic places before, but never ever anything like this!

We arrived at our room and was faced with what can only be described as the most appalling accommodation I have ever come across, so much so that I think Airtours have a nerve to actually offer this to holiday makers.  The hotel staff were reluctant to help so we promptly called the Airtours 24hr emergency line only to be told that nothing could be done until 9am (so much for it being a 24hr emergency number!).

To cut a long story short, the room looked as if it had NEVER been cleaned, the kitchen facility was non-existent and the bathroom a  very dangerous health hazard (broken shower and electrical wires were poking out from wall cabinet) and our balcony overlooked a dark alleyway (very bad security).  This was a shame as the pool area looked very nice.

When our Airtours rep (Matt) arrived he was very helpfull and managed to find us a room in the nearby 'St. CONSTANTIN' apartments which we had to pay 90 Euros extra for (well worth it at the time, however we will be taking our complaint further with Airtours so as nobody else has the first day of their holiday ruined like ours).

You can find our full review of Gouves under the 'St Constantin' apartments (which were very nice by the way!).

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Cosmi Apartments - Gouves

Operator and Date: libra sept.2006

Opinion submitted in October 2006 by : Annette and Steve.54,56

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

This being our first holiday abroad in over thirty years, and the first without the kids, we were worried whether we had done the right thing,chosen the right resort.. you name it, we worried about it.On our first morning there all those worries vanished.Our studio was small but spotless and apart from no kettle had everything we needed.shops, tavernas, beach,buses, all just a short walk away. We met some lovely people, and nikos made us very welcome. Philipos, whoruns the taverna just down the road, was a very friendly polite character, on reading other reviews,i see it was not only me that called him Manuel! OK so there were the odd few unfinished buildings but you half expect that when you go abroad. 

All in all we had a quiet, relaxing holiday and i would recommend it to anyone.

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Cosmi Apartments - Gouves

Operator and Date: Libra-Sept 2006

Opinion submitted in October 2006 by : Martine Griffiths - Devon 46, 73,79

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Poor

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We have just returned from 2 weeks at the Cosmi apatments and whilst the standard of accommaodation is reasonable ie a small sparsley furnished apartment with hand held shower and very little in the way of equipment (no kettle) they are clean.

However the complex is ruined by the owner who is rude to guests unless you are prepared to spend all your time sitting at his pool drinking from his bar. He doesn't even afford you the courtesay of a good morning.
For three days we had cold water (not even luke warm but stone cold) and each time we asked him about it he told us the sun would warm it- fine but there was no sun as it was overcast.

My 79 year old mother who suffers from asthma asked him if he would put on the back up system as she could no longer take anymore cold showers and he shouted abuse at her and told her she was always complaining and she never used his bar.The way he spoke to her was totally uncalled for and most unproffesional.

We never once saw the Libra rep in the 2 weeks of our stay and had to resort to phoning their office where I was at first told that it cost the owners money to heat the water- I did point out it cost us money to stay there.

We are seasoned traveller and have never in all our travels all over the world been to such a badly run complex with such an awful atmosphere caused by the owner who is only interested in the money and will keep the bar open until 2.30 in the morning playing loud music for 2 or 3 guests with no regard for anyone else.

That said the resort of Gouves is a pleasent resort not over populated with lots of nice bars and restaurants. We ate at Taverna Phillipos (just down the road from the Cosmi) where Phillipos the owner and Matilda know how to look after their guests and his mother cooks really good Greek food all at very reasonable prices. You meet the same people night after night.

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Cosmi Apartments - Gouves

Operator and Date: Libra - July 2006

Opinion submitted in July 2006 by : Tania - 26

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Below Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

I hoped that the recent reviews of 2005 for this place were more up to date than the horror stories written before.  Sadly, this is not the case.

If you are going to Gouves I strongly advise you to consider any other apartment complex.  

Cosmi- the building is everything you'd expect from self-catering accommodation.  The rooms are on the small side- practical and simple, the views from the apartments are not really up to much, the bathroom is basic - hand held shower, air-conditioning is fitted but you have to pay extra for this, an extra charge is added for the use of the safety deposit box in your room, the pool's clean.

There's a small poolside bar that serves snacks throughout the day in the form of toasties.  Prices are reasonable.  Your own refreshments are not allowed to be consumed in the poolside area.

The cleaner only came once in the week we were there- despite having been told she would clean the apartment everyday apart from Sunday. 

I advise you to not waste your time or money on this and look elsewhere for your accommodation.

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Cosmi Apartments - Gouves

Operator and Date: (Libra Discounts) Libra July 2005

Opinion submitted in Aug 2005 by : Miller , Lancashire 40,35,14,10

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

All in all an excellent holiday, the rooms were small, but not an issue,clean and bright and all that you would need, with the exception of a tin opener and brush.

Nikos and his Sons were really helpful and despite reading some of the horror comments on here could not have been nicer.

The pool area was without doubt one of the nicest i have seen and during our stay the pool never had more than eight to ten people in it at one time, indeed much of the time it was like having your own private pool.

The resort itself was just a short walk away, excellent resturants such as the Elotia which has a great selection of food and both Helen and Nikos could not have been friendlier. Also they are happy to provide Doggy bags for what you can't eat at the time !. Blue Sky on the Beach and the smaller of the two Chinese resturants were also excellent. The Yard of Ale deserves a mention too for a good cheap English Meal,just watch for flying bottle tops and ice cubes !!

The weather could not be faulted

If at the end of two weeks all you can moan about was lack of a tin opener and a brush in the apartment you ain't gonna go far wrong

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Cosmi Apartments - Gouves

Operator and Date: Lubra Holidays - 2004 / 2005

Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : Paul Lesley Alan Tom Danielle (46,39 + teenagers)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

It was only after booking we found this site and we were terrified to go to the Cosmi after reading some comments, however, we had a fabulous time, Nikos and his 3 sons were lovely, very welcoming and friendly, our cleaner was worth her weight in gold as our apartments were spotless, linen changed every other day too.  

The pool area is lovely and clean, with a lovely bar which was very much on par with others in resort if not cheaper on prices.  The Cosmi is well situated from the hustle and bustle of the "strip" but close enough for a visit if you want. 

The beaches are close by too, but the beach near the Panatheon Palace Hotel had the nicest sand.  All the bar/restaurant owners couldnt do enough for you and there was always a plate of fruit and a glass of Raki to finish off every meal-on the house! We went as a family of 5 but met relatives at the Cosmi with age ranges from 55 to 2 years, 13 of us in total, we were always seated together when needed.
All in all we had a mixed age group who all found something to do, somewhere to eat, and had a really good holiday.

Would we go back? Yes, without a doubt.

As always people need to know where things can be improved, if you like a cuppa in the morning, then take a travel kettle as there wasnt one in the apartment, but if thats all i can pick fault on then i think in scrapping the barrel. 
Oh and the local bus service is great.

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Cosmi Apartments - Gouves

Operator and Date: (Libra Discounts) Libra - July 2004

Opinion submitted in July 2004 by : Roger Frith - Leigh-on-Sea (57,53)

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

The reviews of the Cosmi Stusios & Apts. I read before we went worried me a little, but, when we arrived we were pleasently surprised. The Cosmi is one of the nicest accomodation units in the village of Gouves.

Only a couple minutes from the Easy beach and about 10 to 15 minutes from the main strip. We are not heavy drinkers and tend to spend most of the time either on the the beach or out and aboutand only buy a few occasional frapes at the bar in hotels. Nicos and his two sons were very pleasent and polite. Nicos always said hallo and asked how we were. I don't think he suffers fools lightly and found that no problem with his attitude! and makes a MEAN FRAPE too! The apartment we had was spacious and clean,the bins were emptied only every other day so we just walked to the dustbin when necessary. IT WAS NOT A BIG DEAL!! Linen and twowels changed twice a week.

The nearest supermarket is about 1 minutes walk 'The Sylvia' has a loyalty scheme and for 50 euros worth of receipts you get a free bottle of home made wine (very nice too!) or for each 15 euros spent you can exchange them for 3 free postcards. Prices average not dear compared to the UK! Places to eat included Philippos's Restaurant at the end of the road to the beach. Phillipos reminded us of Manuel from Fawty Towers in his mannerisms but his free home made raki or ouzi shots after you meal are a bonus. THE FOOD HERE IS EXCELLENT and reasonably priced and he's a great personality,. The other place to eat is the Paradise on the beach road. Their fish special, when available, is great 19.20 euros for 2 persons and included Greek Salad and 1/2 ltr of wine. We ate here 6 times cos they too have an incentive scheme. For every 5 meals you have the 6th is free. For car hire try Perla rent a car in the main strip. Elana gave us a great deal and is a sweet and helpful person.

All in all the holiday was great, the accomodation good, the food not expensive and the resort not bad. THE WORST BIT WAS THE FLIGHT OUT 3 HOURS LATE LEAVING STANSEAD! and Viking Airlines planes are VERY BASIC! NO entertainment etc. The seats were comfortable and the leg room ample!
The weather was warm but often windy!

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Despina Apartments - Gouves

Operator and Date: libra - May 2007

Opinion submitted in July 2007 by : Les&Dawn Baker  -  Grimsby (57-53)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Where to start ???
Despina Apartments..Basic but clean the bathroom/shower very cramped. No Air Con so in the hot season hire a fan asap!The bar area is very nice but not the cheapest around,the pool area is ok but we`re beach bums.

Location..Away from the madding crowds a nice and peaceful base to step out from. Left out of Despina in a few yards is Sofia supermarket owned and run by Maria & Yannis the most helpful of couples who`s prices where very reasonable, on the same lane carrying on you will find a Bakery for Fresh bread,Mylos Taverna good food and service at the end of the lane is the Rainbow bar a good watering hole if you go for a stroll round..Right out of Despina in a few yards is the Da Vinci Code Taverna the food and service again was very good a couple of hundred yards futher on is the Skorpios taverna our favorite eating place, family owned and run by Yannis& Sofia with the excellent waiter Doris, Yannis does the cooking, his food is brill and plentyful plus at the end of the night he joins in with the drinking and dancing,Sofia his wife serves and works hard, she also likes to chat to everyone plus another dancer! Doris! (yes Doris) the waiter is excellent at his job always smileing and  is THE dancer,everybody  gets invited to join in the fun way into the night. On the whole very friendly and excellent food, highly recomended!!!

The Resort..Onto the beach road from Skorpios turn left you have the beach small and sandy and clean! Walk along the road past the little Church you will find small bars and tavernas, turn left at the big Hotel (aphrodity) follow the road and you will find PUBS with English beer Tavernas,bars, shops anything you want, the Pig n Whistle does an excellent breakfast!!! The whole area is nice for walking around  with small bars around for a pick me up, We will definatly go back again.

ONE more thing, do yourself a favour over the road from Despina is a tiny bar run by an old Greek called Yannis (aren`t they all?) go have a drink with him doesn`t speak much english but what a guy,he seranades the Ladies and supplies plenty of drinks.

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Despina Apartments - Gouves

Operator and Date: Libra - May 2007

Opinion submitted in June 2007 by : Steve, Hazel and George (54, 47, 8)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Thought accommodation warranted good only after a bit of thought! The apartments themselves (we had a 1BA for 3) are quite basic, and are overdue for refurbishment. However, we found we had everything we needed (exactly 3 of everything in fact) and we had plenty of hot water even when it rained all day. What takes it into good are the following: The pool area is fine, with plenty of sunbeds (about 30 for 15 apartments), the bar very comfortable, and most importantly the 2 guys who run the place are really good. The bar is open to all but is very relaxed and plays lots of latin music - no problem at all with any noise. There is also Internet access, pool table etc. Kosta and Ari tend to run it all most of the time, with occasional help. Also they are very keen on checking the pool water, disappearing down the service hatch several times per day. The morning after we arrived they searched us out and introduced themselves, and they really care. Another example of this occurred after George was stung while in the sea; they gave him a special ice-cream on the house to cheer him up, and kept asking how he was.

The apartments are situated near plenty of shops and tavernas, about 150 m from a good beach. The main street of Gouves is a good walk away - if you go along the seafront it is a good 20 minutes, but there are quicker ways if you go up to the main road and turn right.
We found the best s'market to be the one about 100m up form the apartments on the right, just before Milos taverna. There is a lovely bakery a bit further on as well. There is a s'market literally next door to despina, but it isn't particularly well stocked - but hey it sells water and beer!
The best taverna we think must be Skorpios. A really big menu, big portions of really good food, good prices, very friendly, Raki, impromptu Greek dancing and even a bit of plate smashing if you're lucky!Also worth a mention are Philippos and the grill house near the crossroads on the main street for an excellent gyros.
We hired a car from the Intercar office in the same building as despina. The price was quite good (75E for 3 days) to start with, but when he realised we were staying in Despina, he dropped to 65E, with full CDW etc. Car was Atos with a/c, quite new. He even cleaned it every morning before we got up!!
We went to Ag Nik., Sissi, Heraklion, Bali, all worth a trip. Driving in Heraklion not for the faint-hearted especially when you don't know where you're going!

Gouves is a good place to stay - it does most things well. Quick transfer, good beaches at Despina end of resort, plenty to do without being OTT, good restaurants, easy access to buses etc.
A special word about Libra. This is the 3rd time we have travelled with them, and the third time we have had a problem at some time. First time we went to Rhodes, the apartment owner had an argument with them about payment and threatened to throw everyone out, last year we were overbooked and stayed somewhere different, and this year we originally booked in at the Ourania, only to be told about 3 weeks before that it wasn't opening till June 1st. They offered us a few places in other resorts before fitting us in Despina. Everything has always turned out OK in the end, but you don't need the hassle. 

A final word - the transfer does not have a rep. We weren't told our room number, but Libra hadn't told despina that they needed to meet us. When we arrived at 0430, the driver put our bags on the pavement then drove off, and we spent 10 mins trying to find someone to tell us our rooms. I heard the Libra rep saying that they had some teething problems! They need to sort it out.

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Despina Apartments - Gouves

Operator and Date: Libra Holidays May 2007

Opinion submitted in May 2007 by : Vicky - Leeds (23)

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Despina Apts, Gouves
You arrive to a lovely sophisticated looking bar that fronts the property.(Very popular with local greeks at weekends, but not noisey.)

The appartments are family run, mostly by 2 brothers, costas and arnis. Both speak very good english and are happy to help with requests for your room or information on the resort.

The rooms, we had a 1 bed appartment. Very basic and clean. 2 twin beds a small balcony, and living area with fridge, 2 ring hob, kettle and a few utencils and plates (inc. frying pan and 1 big sauce pan) At the first the rooms are very cold, but this is a bonus when it gets hot during the day as there is no air con. The balconies over looking the pool do not get any sun apart from an hour between 8-9am. We had room 22 wich was on the end and luckly the sun lasted a little bit longer there.

The pool area is fairly small 20 or so sunbeds with parasols. When the complex is full this could be a problem, but the beach is only 2min walk away. All the grounds were kept clean and tidy. There is a small kids playground but no kids section in the pool.

The pool bar was reasonably priced for snacks but they do not have a wide selection. Drinks were under 2euro for a softdrink fresh juice 3euro, sprit& mixer 4.5euro and a caraffe of wine 5euro. They open around 10am and close around midnight.

The resort, surrounding the appartments is small and quiet but this is not Gouves main area. I highly reccommend a visit to the Da Vinci Code restaurant next door to Despina, The couple that run it are very helpful and friendly plus the food was lovely, we was well looked after. If you head towards the beach and walk past the big supermarket (very expensive the one next to despina is far better priced) past a church and a few beach bars. You come to a hotel on the left called aphrodite, take a walk up this street and you will find lots of shops and a scattering of restuarants with a few quiet bars. Pig n Whistle good for sunday dinner!

Getting around is fairly easy if you like walking. If you take a left out of Despina and up a side road, passing the bakery and a few other establishments you will find your self near the main road. Take a right for around 300m to outside the petrol station and opposite the Fur shop & florist. You will find the bus stops. At the garage side the Hereklion Bus and the Fur Shop side the bus to Stalis,Herssonisos,Malia,Ag Nik etc. We found it scary at first but cheap way of getting around once was used it, we had 2 days out.

Libra phoned us a few days before we traveled changing us to this accom as we had been booked to stay at ourina which is nearer the bus stops but further out from everything elese. The flight was good with xl, watch your luggage ladies we got charged 66euro to come home being overweight. 8 euro a kilo. If your tall the extra leg room is worth it. Rep was useful and chatty but Libra don't do transfer reps anymore has plus and minus points, crazy lines inside the airports.

All in all 7/10 holiday.

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Despina Apartments - Gouves

Operator and Date: Libra - Sept 2006

Opinion submitted in September 2006 by : Emma & Paul - Stalybridge (22, 25)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We stayed at the Despina Studio/Apartments for 14 nights in September 2006.

The beginning of the holiday was an absolute nightmare leaving me thinking that we may have chosen a duff holiday - directed into a taxi with 2 other bewildered people. No Libra rep to guide us at 3.30am! The taxi driver was helpful and we arrived at Despina safely. It is only about 15 minutes from the airport.

The apartment itself was basic - but sufficient enough for just a base from which to explore. The facilities in it really could do with improving 3 forks, 2 glasses, odd assortment of crockery.The cleaning, unfortunately was not a good standard, bins were emptied every third or fourth day. This left us doing it ourselves as the weather was hot!

The pool and bar area is nice - a small swimming pool - but this is a small apartment block! The apartments themselves are run by brothers Ari and Kosta and they do very well. The bar offers snacks and drinks all day long at reasonable prices.

Another reviewer mentioned that they don't like you eating your own food and drink by the pool - this is for reasons of tax in all of the Greek islands. I suppose they don't want a hefty fine for you having a sneaky bag of crisps on the sun-loungers!

There is a shower block, toilets and seperate changing room by the pool - adequate if you have a very late flight like we and loads of others did. The bar has internet access and stays open until late- but mainly if Kosta has friends round the bar. We found it shut at around 1am on average.

Nearby, there are lots of car hire shops etc. Don't waste your money pre-booking a hire car through the travel agent - shop around and get a good deal in Gouves. We got a small car for 3 days for 85E with full insurance. We were quoted over £200 at home. Same goes for trips etc. We hired from Zak's Cars (turn left from Despina and it is between the Mediterranean taverna and a supermarket).

Good quality food is plentiful in Gouves - lots of traditional Greek food as well as all the usual tourist fayre. The bakery just 2 mins walk from the Despina offers fresh bread, cakes and croissants at good prices and are delicious!

Our favourite place to eat was PHILIPPO'S. The food was top notch and the service friendly. The prices weren't too steep either. To get to it from Despina turn right and follow the road to the sea front. Carry on straight ahead until you reach the little church. At the church turn left up a side street and it is next door to the Olaya Beach Hotel. Excellent.

Other good places were Da Vinci Code (next door but 1 to Despina) and Skorpios (turn right and carry on walking for about 2 mins).

The good thing about Despina is that it is close to amenities but far away from banging music (not there is much in Gouves).

Gouves is an ideal resort for couples and families - enough to do but safe and quiet. Not at at all dirty and dingy as we found Malia and Herssonisos. It can get windy in Gouves in September and remember the mossie repellent, plugs etc as you will definitley need them!

Knossos is a must-see but don't take very young children it is much too boring for them. The interesting stuff found at Knossos is actually at the museum in Heraklion so don't forget! Heraklion is a very sweaty busy town so go in the evening, its much nicer. We drove to Aghios Nicolaos to see the 'bottomless lake' we were really disappointed and glad we didn't pay Libra top whack to be taken there.

The flight back to the UK was horrendous - unexplained delays and no communication- this is where the holiday was let down.

We're going back next year - as a previous reviewer mentioned a lot of the people at Despina are returners, so don't be surprised if you want to come back!

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Despina Apartments - Gouves

Operator and Date: Libra - July 2006

Opinion submitted in August 2006 by : M. Dover - Cumbria (49, 35, 09)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

This was our 5th to Gouves, so we knew exactly what to expect from the resort. 

Odviously we love the place, thats why we keep on returning.  It is only a small resort compaired to neighbouring resorts like Hersonnasiss and Malia, but it is very spread out, great if you like to take a stroll and explore all the little winding tracks that run around the resort, and when it gets too hot you can always call in one of the local tavernas for a chance to sit back and take in the atmosphere and maybe a large amstel. 

During our stay this year we visited the Aquarium which is a short bus ride away, but is also in walking distance (about half an hour) just walk the full strech of the beach road and you come to an old millitary base and thats where it is.  8 euros for adults and 6 euros for children. excellent value, worth every penny!  

We also booked a trip to Spinalonga which was fantastic. The scenery is fantastic and we got the chance to go to a small island called Pumpkin Island, while we swam in the beautiful clear waters, the crew were busy cooking a barbeque on the beach. Heaven.  The cost for 2 adults and 1 child was just under 100 euros.  We booked with Mike Tours over the road which was a lot cheaper than going with the reps. 

There are loads of lovely places to eat near the apartments, we were spoiled for choice. But we can recomend, Medusa (over the road), Mylos, Georges, Oasis and Scorpio's. All of the are on the doorstep. 15 mins walk takes you into th centre of the resort which again has more places to eat, favourites of ours in a place called D & M's which is run by a couple,called Debbie and Matthew.  She is english and he is Greek, and together they make a lovely couple and serve fantastic food. They serve a mixture of traditional greek food and good old fashioned Sunday lunch and fish and chips (if you're missing your home comforts) There are 2 supermarkets on the doorstep both reasonable. There's a bakers just up the road which sells the most beautiful bread, donuts and cakes you could ever wish for ( now I know where the extra 5 pound came from). 

The apartments them selves we basic but had everything you expect, and were kept clean enough, although the shower was really poor, but you can't have everything! No air conditioning in the apartments so it's worth hiring a fan 12 euros a week.  Ari one of the brothers who own the apartments was friendly and made you feel welcome.  Looking forward to next year now. Roll on Gouves!

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Despina Apartments - Gouves

Operator and Date: Libra June 2006

Opinion submitted in October 2006 by : Michelle and Ben (21+22)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

After reading the mixed reviews online, we were unsure what to expect on arriving at Despina.  After a late flight and a long coach trip to the apartments, arriving at around 1am, all we wanted to do was shower and sleep.  The latter proved a big problem, as many of the showers at Despina can be likened to a clogged up watering can, and fluctuate between freezing and luke warm on a good day!  The beds however were comfy and the apartment was clean if only very basic.

We stayed in Gouves for two weeks, and fully enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere of the area.  We ate out almost every night, the majority of the time at the Da Vinci (you MUST try the pork/chicken Souvlaki and their potatoes are TO DIE FOR!), Mylos (pork in white wine is delicious and the service is wonderful), and to the restaurant directly opposite the apartments of which i cant remember the name! 

It is a very short and flat walk to the beach (which is even quicker if you nip through hotel pantheon!) however we did not get a chance to do much swimming there as it was so rough.  You can take a lovely walk to the next town along the sea front, which although is very windy, is a charming walk with plenty of restaurants open for refreshments along the way.  The next town over has a chemist where we picked up some essentials and has loads of jewellery shops and the normal gift shops you find everywhere.  We only came here once or twice for a look around, as we got hassled by many of the shop owners when trying to look around and it wasnt the most pleasant of shopping experiences!

Gouves itself is very clean and quiet.  We didnt want a noisy area full of clubs and pubs so Gouves was ideal for us.  You can always walk over to the next town where they have a more lively atmosphere if this is what you are looking for.

A must is a visit to Mikes Tours, where you will meet a charming girl who will offer you trips to different parts of the Island for a reasonable price.  We went on Captain Georges boat (very fun for all the family!), a trip to Watercity waterpark, and finally the Landrover Jeep Safari (It was a wonderful day out, full of fun and interesting things to learn about Crete itself, a must if you want to explore the island but dont want to hire a car).

All in all we enjoyed our stay immensely and have very fond memories of two wonderfully relaxing weeks spent lounging by the pool and taking long walks.  I highly recommend the Despina as a basic but substantial base in which to spend your holiday - just dont expect five star luxury!

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Despina Apartments - Gouves

Operator and Date: Libra 2006

Opinion submitted in August 2006 by : Rebecca Science - Hull (62,38,36,13,11 and 3

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

BEST HOLIDAY EVER!
I have booked to go to gouves again.  We have always gone to spain but not any more i have never met nicer kinder people then in gouves town. This was a last minute booking and my husband and two children stayed at the elpida apartments and my mum myself and little daughter stayed at the despina.  

The despina is a very friendly place with the three brothers looking after you, they carried the water up for my mum and make sure you are ok.  The apartments are basic but very clean and comfortable my daughter had a travel cot which i requested when i got there and Ari sent one up as soon as one became available.  The beds are changed twice a week and all bins emptied daily i coulden't believe how hard the maid works spending a long time cleaning apartments.  

We ate out every day our favourite was Limanaki on the sea front which we visited 5 times, they are a lovely family all working together and make you feel welcome and give the kids free ice creams at the end of the meal.  We went to Andreas which was fantastic service and also to Elpida where my husband was he was nearer the town    there was a noisy barking dog near him and the roads were noisier but again his apartment was alot bigger and the pool lovely.  During the holiday we visited many pools and got the bus to hersonnisoss which was brill service the conductor sees you have a pram and just helps you on.  We went to spinanlonga which i loved and the boat and the bbq great. I have never seen such clean toilets in all my life in all the restaurants etc.  Water city was brilliant and the kids loved it as well as my husband.  

We found the resort cheap so we ate out all the time there are super markets everywhere and the despina has one on its door step and the owners really friendly. My kids where very safe at the despina my 3 year old got on well with the family there and she ran around all over and loved the pool.  We are going back next year to stay all together as such a relaxing holiday. The bar area at Despina is beautifully designed and immaculate very greek. The pool is clean and the whole area very clean.  I would definately recommend the despina as they are so helpful and friendly, the aeroplanes never bothered us as you get used to seeing them.  

There is so much i want to tell you all but i don't want to bore you any more so my advice just go and see for yourself but one thing make sure you go for two weeks you will regret it if you don't.

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Despina Apartments - Gouves

Operator and Date: (Libra Discounts) Libra - August 2005

Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : Paul - Bristol (44, 42, 17, 14, 11)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Accommodation -

The accommodation is basic but is what you expect in Crete. They have all been newly painted and are all clean and tidy. 1 bed roomed apartments have twin beds, small shower room (some of the showers you can barely move in without not using the curtain. Cooking facilities are sparse, with an electric hob having 1 large and 1 small electric ring, 3 plates, 3 spoons, 3 knives, 3 forks, electric kettle, 3 glasses, 3 mugs, 1 frying pan and 1 saucepan. The maid cleans 6 days a week and changes the bedding twice a week.

The accommodation is only occupied by British.

They do not have air conditioning, but you can hire fans from the owners of the apartments at e10 a week per fan. Better still take your own with you.

Facilities they offer are an outdoor pool, sun beds, bar selling drinks and snack (which has internet access and wide screen TV for Sky Sports etc), children's play area and pool table.
 
We would all stay at the Despina again.

Resort -

Lovely, picturesque, quite, family resort. Nearest beach is only 5 minutes walk away. Sun beds are e2 each and Sun Shades are e2 each.

Places to Eat -

There are Tavernas all along the street where the Despina is and I would recommend Skorpios, they are a family run and family friendly Taverna (Yamas).

Slightly to the left of the Despina and up a slight hill is a Bakery (3 minutes walk) that makes the most wonderful bread, cakes and massive croissants.

There are 3 supermarkets and the best value for money was the one close to the bakers.

Car Hire -

Use "Club Group" which is just below the Despina Studios & Apartments. Louisa is very helpful, will give you ideas of places to visit and they are cheaper than the Libra rep. Group C with Libra for 3 days was e142 while Club Group was e105. Must wear seat belts at all times.

Telephone Call back to UK -

Most supermarkets sell Pre Paid Calling Cards and they are very good value. There are 2 telephone boxes near to the Despina.

Cash Points -

Nearest is on the Sea Front and is only a 10 minute walk from Despina.

Water Park -

Best is Water City, which is only about 15 minutes on the bus. Libra only charges for the bus journey and you have to pay the entrance on top when you arrive. Libra bus fare is e6 child e12 adult plus park entrance, which are e11 child and e16 adult so the total is e17 children and e28 adult.

Whereas, "Club Group" situated below Despina sell all-inclusive tickets at e15 child and e24 adult, which picks and drops you off outside the Despina.

Once in the park there are lockers at a charge of e3 for a loan of a pad lock, and sun beds are e3 each.
 
Flight -

Although we should have flown with Air Scandic, the flight was subcontracted to a Canadian company called Sky Services. Sky Services staff were exemplary but they were constrained by the working conditions imposed on them by Air Scandic. Although I had contacted Air Scandic for a Vegetarian Meal none were provided despite being assured by the check in staff that a vegetarian meal would be provided.

3 people on the both the outbound and inbound flight had no vegetarian meal provided (and were told that Air Scandic do not provide them), yet on the return flight, the crew meals were vegetarian, so they were quickly heated up and given to the passengers who required them.

Also, the complimentary drinks were either tea or coffee. With these being family holidays it should have been extended to water, fruit juice and soft drinks (instead of charging for these), but this was a condition of Air Scandic and not Sky Services

Rethymno -

This is about a 90-minute drive and has lovely beaches. "Popeye Water Sports" which is situated half way down the length of the beach offer a good deal in sun beds @ e2.5 per sun bed and the sun shades are free.

Popeye Water Sports are very professional, ultra safety conscious and do not take any risks.

Local Representative -

Our representative was Jill and she was very helpful, professional, knowledgeable and was not forceful in selling excursions.

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Despina Apartments - Gouves

Operator and Date: July 2005

Opinion submitted in Aug 2005 by : Ted & Sue

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Overall we enjoyed our stay but the pool could sometimes be very crowded due to its size. The apartments were very small & we didnt even have a toaster. Due to the apartments being so near to the bar area it could be a little noisy at night & the 3 brothers were very strict about eating or drinking anything outside your apartment unless it was bought from them! Gouves itself was very nice with plenty of restaurants etc & is definitly a good base to explore the Island. We did however find that the bus driver/conductors were pretty unfriendly & the same applies to the taxi drivers who drive like maniacs!

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Despina Apartments - Gouves

Operator and Date: (Libra Discounts) Libra - June 2005

Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : Rusty and Ceilidh Rosbotham - Scotland Paisley 20, 23

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

This was our second time at Despina because we loved it so much the first time we got engaged here so came back as a married couple.

Most people who come once are returners this year only 2 couples were new visitors.
After bad experiences abroad the most important thing in a holiday for me is security after all you are in a foreign country. I feel so safe and go little wonders to explore on my own down to the beach and gouves old town.
The boys are like family and love to please the weather is great the food is great the beach is great.

I have heard comment about the size of the rooms but have lived in smaller studios back home you are getting two rooms a kitchen and bedroom if there are more than two i would request rooms at the top they are the biggest and we managed with my husband and my mum last time! 

Food is excellent Milos 5 mins away traditional new bar has just opened on Main St called the Pig and Whistle for those who miss home and they put new release films on at night.

Would recomend Di vinci newly taken over just next door so friendly they also do take away if you feel like a night in recomend spag bol and the mousaka.

That only if you havnt been eating Ari's chips and toasties all day !!

Unlike a lot of resorts there is a very good age range retired, young couples families even on your own you wouldn't be lonely. Despina is family run with the three boys and their mother to keep them in check.

The mosi's have been bad this year and you will need some spray.

Whatever you are looking for in a holiday Despina and Gouves will meet your expectations

See you same time next year
Ceilidh

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Despina Apartments - Gouves

Operator and Date: (Libra Discounts) Libra - 2005

Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : 12months,11, 16,18, 21, 23, 38, 41 60+ - Chesterfield

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Below Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Our holiday started in a bad way from the minute the plane took off, we ended up returning to Manchester after about 45minutes in the air, then we were delayed for 21 hours and stayed a night in the Hilton Hotel at Manchester. Excel airways (Part of Libra) were terrible and very offensive to people in the airport, they didnt give us any information during our delay they didnt even sedn anoyone out who represented the company, we were very dissappointed. would not recommend these.

I am unsure if we stayed in a despina apartments from another world, when we arrived there it is nothing as other people have mentioned.
We were shocked at the state of the rooms, they were small, dirty and unattractive. We had a baby in our room and he didnt even get a matress to sleep on.
Although people are correct about the brothers they are very friendly and helpful. We had an OAP on holiday with us and whenever a taxi was needed they ensured it was with us in a flash. The pool and bar area is fine.

However Gouves itself is a fantastic resort and made all the other things seem none existent. Phillipos is THE BEST place for food, not expensive and he is extremely friendly. The chef there is definately without a doubt the best in Greece.
Also along main street across from O'Connors you will find Flamenco's. Run by Thomas and his wife Anna. they are the most friendly couple you could meet, they make you feel welcome from the minute you get there to the minute you leave. If you visit here tell Thomas that Damon, Mandy, Paul and Sarah say hello to them!!

We would definatley return to Gouves however to a different apartment and with a different tour company. We would recommend the Sevini next time we travel there.

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Despina Apartments - Gouves

Operator and Date: Sept 2004

Opinion submitted in Oct 2004 by : 21,25

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Poor

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

After booking a holiday to CRETE and choosing to stay in Gouves I decided to read reviews about the apatment we were staying in.I felt confident enough that me and my partner had chosen nice apartments to spend two weeks relaxing.

However when we arrived in the early hours of the morning in Sept we were disgusted at the Despina Studios.I have never seen any apartment as small and gruby looking in the many resorts I have stayed in.The kitchen, well there wasnt one or a cooker just a camping stove on top of a fridge with a few cupboards.The beds were too short for either of us to sleep in and as for the bathroom it was that small that one person would barely get washed properly in it.After a few hours sleep we decided that we could not enjoy ourselves staying there and contacted our rep of Libra Holidays, only to be disappointed further.We were told that we could not be moved, us and another couple who felt the same about the apartments.

My partner and I still moved and had to pay the costs ourselves.we moved to Hersonnaiss to a wonderful friendly hotel and had an excellent time.If anyone is thinking about staying in Despina I would advise against it, although the pool area is clean and well maintained the rooms are very poor and is not suitable for a relaxing holiday.

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Despina Apartments - Gouves

Operator and Date: (Libra Discounts) Libra - Date Not Specified

Opinion submitted in June 2004 by : Nick Allen - Kent (43,39,9,8)

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

I selected the Despina on the strength of the comments on this webpage. We were delighted to find the accommodation very clean indeed and the pool area was fantastic. Admittedly, the accommodation is pretty basic - but it is only somewhere to sleep!

The Despina is not in the centre of Gouves, yet this I believe is a further advantage. The beach (just down the road) is very good and there are plenty of restaurants nearby to choose from. My favourite eating house was Skorpios which is located about 100yds away (turn right out of the appts). The food was excellent and the waiters were not over the top at being friendly. This proved a bit overpowering in some other restaurants!

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Hotel Despo - Gouves

Operator and Date: xl holidays    june 2007

Opinion submitted in June 2007 by : gill mike worcs (56,59)

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

good points about the despo hotel,pool was good rooms small but clean.bad points the food was awful breakfast bread & jam no toast,lunch and dinner just as bad soup every other day choices rice rabbit,pork etc not buffet style someone dishes food out no potatoes for two days,def.no chips.all in.drinks are only raki brandy ouso beer,no other locally prod drinks which upset a lot of people.there was no entertainment at all no babysitting service,no kids club which was advertised on the web site.all in all one of the worst holidays we have ever had.nearest taverna was across the main highway which you have to cross no matter where you go.you take your life in your hands when crossing,you have to try to look around the bushes to see the traffic and then step up on the road as the cars and coaches wizz past.dont waste your money here as you will be eating out most of the time.

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Hotel Despo - Gouves

Operator and Date: On the beach.com - June 2007

Opinion submitted in June 2007 by : Angie - London (31, 26)

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Below Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Upon booking this holiday we had seen a couple of reviews already on the internet, which were not great and said that the food at this hotel was below average.  However, we went into it with an open mind, it was a last minute deal and we only paid £180 pp for 7 nights all inclusive.  At the very least we had the view that we have a cheap week in the sun, what difference if we do not gorge and feast ourselves like pigs for a week!

We arrived after a nightmare hour long security queue at Gatwick South in the middle of the night.  The transfer from the airport was approx 30 minutes in a taxi.  The reception staff were still up to greet us (it was about 04:30) and offered us some food if we still wanted it.  We declined as were keen to get to sleep and were shown to our room.

Our Room:

Having been to many other Greek Islands we know how basic accommodation can be.  Nothing prepared us for this.  The room we had been given was NOT the rooms pictured on the hotel advertisement.  The main part of the room contained 2 single beds, set in concrete and one vanity unit with a mirror (minus a drawer!).  There was little room for anything else let alone our suitcases, which we had to put on the bed to open up.  There was no storage space to put these so they had to stay on the precious little floor space we had!  There was a small wardrobe behind the door (that made the few clothes we had in there, odd) and a bathroom containing a shower, a toilet, and a sink.  The room was on the ground floor, and outside the double doors behind one of the beds, was a HUGE patio with a table and 2 chairs.  The patio area was bigger than the room! The room was clean though and the sheets and towels were changed twice during the week, but the maids came into the rooms every day except Sunday to clean and make the beds. 

Food:

Breakfast was served from 8:00 - 10:00.  This consisted of ham with green bits in, sliced cheese, bread, butter, jam, tinned peaches, muesli, Greek yoghurt, cucumber, olives, feta cheese and tomato.  On the first day we also had boiled eggs.  These then only appeared once again.  Tea and coffee were available as well as 'orange juice' which was actually orange squash and watered down grapefruit juice.  We were pretty accepting of this as have been to resorts before where these kinds of breakfast food items have been served.  We were disappointed that the hotel advertises an American breakfast.  We thought it was more continental - minus croissants.   If you did not arrive before 09:15 the ham and cheese had ran out and supplies did not seem to be plentiful. 

Lunch was served from 13:00 - 15:00.  We only went for lunch 3 times during our stay.  There seemed to be plenty of food on offer, including 3 different hot dishes, as well as plenty of pasta and different salads.  There was a really nice fish pasta salad, different bowls full of fresh tomatoes and cucumber, olives, feta cheese, and there was always 2 different desserts.  These were sometimes either little cakes, ice cream and always slices of melon.  The salads however always contained the vegetables left over from the previous evening's meal.  This did not bother us, as we do that at home, and you are pretty safe to eat left over vegetables the next day.  However, on 2 consecutive days a 'creamy pork' dish was served.  This did worry me a little!

Dinner was served from 19:00 - 21:00.  This again was in plentiful supply and quite varied.  Lots of people that were staying there went out to different restaurants to eat at night as did not want their holiday ruined by the food, we chose not too as it defeated the point of a budget week away and stuck with it.  It did seem to improve as the week went on.  There were always 3 hot dishes to choose from, including creamy pork, meatballs, rabbit in sauce, pasta la crème (kind of like a pasta omelette) 'beef meat' in sauce, battered fish in sauce etc.  These are just some of the hot dishes on offer, although as the Chef was Greek and not very English speaking, it was not always clear what sauces the food was in, but you could pretty much tell it was either tomato or cream.  There were also vegetables to go with it, sweetcorn, mash, carrots, and green beans.  For 2 days we also had a tasty aubergine and potato dish.  Alongside the hot dishes were always plenty of salads, cold pasta and rice.  Dessert was always either chocolate mouse or melon. 

The staff in the restaurant was friendly, and you had to sit at the same table for the week for all your meals.   The table cloth did not get changed once, just rotated or flipped.  (We had spilt some sauce on the first day, and we had fun watching it move around the table!)  There really was not much to eat if you are vegetarian, it was mainly meat, even in the cold pasta dishes.  Also there was very limited food that a child would eat.  I hate chips and am quite glad to eat a variety of food and try new dishes, but for kids these were only served once.

Each day between 15:30 and 18:00 was 'snack of the day' and ice cream.  This was a god send.  The snacks of the day were either one of these, cheese pie, spinach pie, Spanish omelette.  They were delicious.  Ice cream was great for the kids as they could have as many as they wanted and a choice of 6 flavours. 

Drinks:

All inclusive drinks were advertised from 11:00 - 00:00, however on arrival at the hotel bar there was a sign stating they would only serve them until 23:00.  The only alcoholic drinks available were local beer (which was nice - although despite drinking it all day you never felt tipsy!) red and white wine, as well as a rose, which was red mixed with white!  Also, local brandy, ouzo and raki.  Soft drinks were Fanta (orange and lemon), sprite, coke, water and tea and coffee. 

General:

The hotel looks stunning from the front; the pool is fantastic and pretty big.  There were not enough sun beds for the number of people staying at the hotel, and typically 'some people' would put there towels down at 09:00 until 18:00 only spending half an hour actually using them.  There was a kid's pool which was 60cm deep.  The main pool was about 2 metres deep.  This was not fenced off.  I think this is awful considering the only bar in the hotel is outside around the deep end of the pool.  Luckily we did not have any kids to worry about them running around it or falling in it in the evening. 

On our second day there had been a power cut at the hotel, which meant no drinks were available for a few hours.  This then led to a water shortage and there was no water for 2 days in a row at 'peak shower times'.  For the first 3 days, the shower water was not hot.  We complained to the manager about this, and on our day of departure we were allowed to keep our room, and our all inclusive until we left at midnight instead of it finishing at noon which we thought was a lovely gesture. 

The hotel is situated about 20 minutes walk from the main town of Gouves and about 10 minutes down hill walk to the beach.  The hotel runs a shuttle bus to the beach at 09:30 and 13:30 for pick up.  This should be more frequent as the hotel is on a dual carriage way which is the Heraklion new road.  This runs the entire length of the island.  This must be crossed to get to the beach, the supermarket or the main town.  We went into the main town late evening one night but didn't bother again as the town seemed pretty dead, plenty of bars and restaurants, but it is early season after all.  The beach in the main part of town was rocky and small; the one down the road opposite the Despo hotel is much nicer, bigger and sandier. 

Overall, we would not return to this hotel, the staff were not very helpful or interested in being pleasant to you and unless there was a shake up on the variety of food and drink available, we would not return to this hotel.

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Hotel Despo - Gouves

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook - May 2006

Opinion submitted in June 2006 by : Kelly Miller - Nottingham (23 & 22)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Rooms: Our room was on the first floor, it was very basic, but then you only sleep in it & get ready so you don't need a palace. The only problem with it was that there was no fridge & no air con. Other than that it was kept spotlessly clean by the housekeeping/maintenance staff & clean sheets/towels etc were provided every other day. Since the room was situated on the grounds floor, the room was quite coolish...and the patio outside was a suntrap so if there was no room by the pool you always had that to fall back on. Bit warm tho!

Staff: Some of the staff speak more English than others. Altough none of them are rude! I have read other reviews of this place, where they have accused the staff of being ignorant - they are not. We are lucky enough to speak a language recognised the world over. The staff were, quite pleasant, and were more than willing to chat with you if they were confident enough with their English skills.

Check In: Check in for us was at around 5am, and was very brief, the chap on reception was more than understanding...and placed us in a convenient room nearby for a rest before we went to our main room.

Food/Drink: We stayed all inclusive and so meals & bar drinks/snacks were provided for us. The meals at Hotel Despo are a little samey, however it is not their fault that we Brits tend to like a bit of variety & are a bit fussy about our food! They tend to cook mainly Greek dishes, like Goat, Fish, Veal etc, and they do provide some English treats like boiled veg & mashed spud! We tended to favour the restaurants outside of the hotel which are than reasonably priced when you consider the size of the portions.

Drinks are all local spirits, wines & beers. The beer is nice enough, not the best mind! Wine is nice, didn't sample much of the spirits, although the vodka was ok, and my partner was drinking the local Brandy Metaxa which was nice.

Resort: Gouves itself is a beautful place, quite rural, lots of space. The Tavernas are all clean and well run. My favourites were Rainbow & Mylos. Rainbow tend to cater for the Brit crowd & the food there is lovely. Just like really good, extra large pub grub - I recommend their Squid its excellent. The beach is around 15 mins walk from the hotel, and is lovely . Lots of coves and sun beds for those people who like the sea & sand. Lots of supermarkets nearby to get your water & other nik naks. Cigarettes and alcohol is reasonable...although some of the booze prices are the same as home. Shop around you will find it cheap!

General: I really enjoyed this holiday, my Partner and I would definitely go back. We intend to go back if for nothing else to go back and visit George & his staff at Rainbows Sport Bar. They are lovely people all around in Crete all polite, and they all make an effort to strike up a chat and make friends!

All in all a lovely holiday. Those of you who seek perfection in a hotel/resort or have a lot of money to spend on luxury places, would perhaps not like it so much at Despo, however the place itself is lovely. There are superior hotels by the sea front such as Pantheon Palace. Those of you like my partner and I, young couples with or without children who just want a break away in the sun to get away from it all, and spend some time with each other & get a serious tan & some fab r & r this is for you. We got our hol for £400 each for 2 weeks all inc...I could not grumble at all for that it certainly was worth the money. We spent about 450 -500 euro between us, but that included fags and booze for people at home, and for 2 LARGE meals each per day with drinks. Not bad on the whole really.

If you're thinking of going away and have read negative stuff about Despo, it will all depend on how adaptable you are. The room we stayed in was small, but adequate. If you can deal with basic furniture, basic decor etc as long as you have good company & a good attitude to it you'll have a lovely time.

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Dimitra Apartments - Gouves

Operator and Date: may 2006

Opinion submitted in July 2006 by : paul crowe-dublin(15 ,18,45)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

I arrived in the dimitra apartments on a staurday night.A small man comfronted us from the dark.He told us he was with the dimitra apartments and to follow him.

At first we where all a bit edgy,but soon all this turned to fun. The dimitra apartments itself is a nice size place with a average swimming pool.The bar is good(ITS LIKE IT DOSENT CLOSE!)

About gouves it self.It is very good with a lot of beautiful taverns and the people are very fredinly.Herrsiones is just 10 mins away on the bus ,it offers everyting TRUST ME!

Back to dimitra apartments it is 3 mins from beach and overall is extremely nice,I reccomend it to anyone and am looking forward to going again next year.

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Divina Apartments - Gouves

Operator and Date: Cosmos - July 2007

Opinion submitted in July 2007 by : Nick 38, Liz 40, Emily 9, Adam 7

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We've just got back from a week at the Divina Apartments and thought we'd offer our views.
We got exactly what we wanted. Clean, basic, quiet accommodation situated outside the main resort, but only a short walk to the main shopping street.
The weather was excellent throughout.

The accommodation was basic and we did'nt see any roaches during our stay. The maid was in 3 times during the week, but only one change of bedlinen. As we had decided not to pay the extra for the AirCon, the sheets got a bit sticky. Don't forget to take some loo paper as once ours ran out, it wasn't replaced, necessitating a trip to the local minimarket!

The pool was quiet enough and generally well kept. Some afternoons we had it to ourselves.Although as the week went on, the water did seem to get a bit murkier. This changed two days before we were due to go when it appeared to clear up. We didn't experience any problems getting a lounger.

On Sunday it seems that the owners open it up to friends and family, so it gets a bit busier then. The local kids were generally left to run riot and helped themselves to the guests' inflatables/rubber rings! This was only one afternoon though.

When not in the pool, we spent a lot of time in the sea. If you walk out of the accommodation and straight over the road you can go straight onto a narrow strip of sand which you tend to have to yourselves most of the time. The sea shelves gently out for quite a way and the water was clean and the wife and kids had great fun splashing about in the waves.

The food in the Divina was generally good, with a varied menu. Avoid the Mezes though as I felt it was padded out with some very non-traditional and deep fried items. Poolside snacks during the day were good value.
It was my sons' 8th birthday while we were there and they arranged a local bakery to prepare a special cake (and very nice it was too).
The Divina have some lovely tables sat across the main road and right next to the sea. Sitting, overlooking the beach with a bottle of beer and dinner as the sun went down with the waves crashing in the background was truly memorable.

The staff were friendly, helpful and approachable. The owner, Andreas, could be a little grumpy. In fact he was quite rude to my wife when she erected the sun parasol by the pool and turned the hinge in a direction which he felt would damage it in the breeze.

Don't restrict yourself to the Divina for food though. Leave the Divina and turn right for a walk along the seafront for about 20mins until you get to the Dive Shop. Turn right at the next road and a little further up this road you'll see the main street on the left. We ate here a couple of times. We can recommend the Dimitrious (with the campest waiters in town), and the Blue Sky (which was excellent).
Meals weren't as cheap as we had hoped. Expect to pay around 60E for a meal in a Taverna for a family of 4.

Gouves is a quiet resort, which is aimed squarely at families. My only complaint would be that they need to improve their litter patrols as there was a lot of litter everywhere. Gouves is evidently growing as there is a lot of building going on (which wasn't intrusive)

I was worried after reading the reports about the aircraft noise and was imagining that we would be sat at the end of the runway or something. I cannot agree with other reviewers. We never once had a problem. The Police Spotter Plane back home is noisier! You couldn't hear the planes over the crickets!

We also avoided the "Happy Train" after reading other reviews. Those on it didn't look too "Happy!"

Don't get caught out at the airport on the way back. Unsure whether the UK security rules on liquids in hand luggage were the same in Crete, we asked the Cosmos rep if it would be OK to take some duty free bottles in our hand luggage. I was worried about the weight limit in my checked luggage. She said it was OK. We checked our cases and got to Passport control where what looked like a 16year old lad in an ill fitting uniform tried to take a bottle of Metaxa and Ouzo off us. I pointed out what the rep had said and he stated this was wrong. We returned to find the rep, but she was unavailable .... hmmm. A colleague of hers said that the Greeks change the rules daily! Rather than give it to the nipper on the desk for a his xmas do, I shoved it in the bin. Funny how he wasn't bothered about the unsealed and used bottle of water in the same bag!

All in all, an excellent holiday for the money we paid for it. We all had a relaxing time and only a couple of minor points took the sheen off it.

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Divina Apartments - Gouves

Operator and Date: (Cosmos Direct) Cosmos july 2006

Opinion submitted in July 2006 by : geoff and gay hart 38,43,10,2

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Reading the reveiws, i was very dubious about the apartments and the resort, but i have just returned from a fantastic holiday. The family owners and the staff are so helpful and friendly, and the food served in the taverna is out of this world. The apartments were under one of three flightpaths into the airport so there was some aircraft noise, but i did get used to it,so it did'nt bother me too much. I'm already planning to go back to the same place next year. Thankyou Andreas, Yennis, George and staff, see you next year!

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Divina Apartments - Gouves

Operator and Date: (Cosmos Direct) Cosmos - 2006

Opinion submitted in August 2006 by : (Martin Bennett - Aberdeen (43,39,14)):

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Resort:

The Greek people in Gouves were very friendly, just as any Greek island. Gouves Tavernas can be lively at night (no discos), however the Divina Apartments are in a very peacefull location to the far west of the resort.Ideal for relaxing during the day and going out at night. Approximatly 15 minutes walk to the town centre, which is fine to work up an appetite and thirst. The food at the Divina was excellent although you would get bored with the menu after a few nights. The rooms have air conditioning, which cost extra, but Andreas the owner will nip into your room and switch off when you are out. 

Would recommend if you want relaxing peacefull holiday, but not if you're a lager lout.

Accommodation:

Pleasant, peacefull location, rooms are basic, but very clean, as par for the course in Greece. Room cleaned and towels every 2 days. Pool good, but seemed to require maintenance on a few days, poolside bar opened daily.

Staff:

Made the holiday, George and Yanis a father and son combination were the waiters, who work extremly hard to look after you, watch out for George at Dundee United in 2008.

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Divina Apartments - Gouves

Operator and Date: (Cosmos Discounts) Cosmos - August 2005

Opinion submitted in Aug 2005 by : P Friend & D White (51, 44)

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We arrived in the early hours of the morning to be greeted by ...nobody! Cosmos Rep had to climb over a wall to find the son-in law who let us in to a very small downstairs appartment.  We crashed out, only to wake up 15 minutes later to find that we were on the flightpath. Had we have had the lights on I feel the plane would have landed on the roof! However, after the initial shock, you do get used to it. 

As we found that we had a joint patio, we requested to be moved. This was no trouble at all,and we were given a large 1st floor appartment with lovely views and a separate balcony.We found that througout our 2 week stay the swimming pool was very murky so we were reluctant to make full use of it and although there was a pool bar, it was never open. There was no background music around the pool - very quiet. 

Food at the taverna was excellent, but no weekly bbq/greek night as promised in the cosmos brochure.In fact no entertainment at these apartments at all.It is a good 20 minute walk to the main resort area, but there are bars and tavernas along the way. 

In the main resort all of the restaurants and tavernas were excellent. We were spoilt for choice.The sports bar opposite the Irish bar at the beginning of the main street looked after us very well most evenings. We recommend hiring a car as the southern side of the Island is well worth a visit. We stayed overnight in Agios Gallini, a lovely little port & village. We also hired a scooter to go to different beaches along the coast.Balnea car & scooter hire does excellent rates and is the first one you come to on the way into the resort centre. Just across the road from the apartments chrystal clear sea water with a nice sandy beach just up the road.

We were not originally booked to go to this resort, but cosmos changed our booking 2 days before we were due to fly out & were given very little choice. We were not impressed - would not use cosmos again. We had a lovely holiday, because we got out  and about and found some nice places on the Island. If you are not prepared to do this, you could feel quite cut off in these apartments.

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Divina Apartments - Gouves

Operator and Date: (Golden Sun Discounts) Golden Sun - September 2004

Opinion submitted in Oct 2004 by : Ellie & Phil - South London - 23 & 24

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We visited Gouves at the end of September and had no problems with flights or transfers. We arrived at the apartment to find that it was very basic but clean. The pool area was also very well kept along with the main restaurant and reception of the hotel. It was quite quiet at that time of year but as we were looking for a relaxing couples holiday this was fine.

The apartment was right on the sea front which was lovely as we could leave our towels etc. by the pool as it seemed very safe and just walk across the road for a swim in the clear sea.

The hotel staff were friendly and welcoming, (especially considering Golden Sun went bust while we were out there and they hadn't been paid for 6 months) and the traditional greek food and the not so traditional pizza we ate there was very good.

The resort was about a 20 minute walk away but it was a romantic stroll along the sea front all the way there and back with many nice sea front bars to stop at on the way.

The resort was quiet at that time of year with many older visitors (silver foxes) but there were also quite a few young couples around. The resort was very pleasant with many restaurants and bars. The Blue Sky restaurant was the best and the Booze Bar was definitely the best as the 2 bar men were very entertaining and welcoming with their bottle balancing, wicked cocktails and pyromaniacs!!
However, after eating out every night the menus in every restaurant do start to look very similar!!

Overall, we had a lovely holiday, just the relaxing break we wanted!

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Divina Apartments - Gouves

Operator and Date: (Golden Sun Discounts) Golden Sun -  Aug 2004

Opinion submitted in Feb 2005 by : Dave, Derby  45,42, 10, 12

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We booked with Golden Sun, who are sadly now defunct, and this was a last minute switch from another place in Gouves.

What you make of the Divina would depend on what you like in your holiday.  Its quite a way from the main part of the town, I think it had its former glory in the days when the US air base was used nearby.  We liked the walk into town each evening to main street where there were a lot of tavernas, some might find it a long way.

The apartments were clean and basic, we had two adjoining groundfloor studios which shared a patio. It might have been a bit too cozy if we'd had to share the small space with another family.  The pool was clean and well kept, with decent sunloungers around and some shady areas.

We found the staff polite and helpful, and they always looked so hurt that we went onto town for our meals most of the time.  The meals at the Divina were ok, we just wanted to go somewhere else.  There were some English "regulars" staying at the time, one was teaching the chef how to cook apple crumble (ye gods no!) in an attempt to attract more trade (?), its the location that was the problem, not the food.

The beach is just across the road, or rather the sea is. There is a very narrow strip of sand in a few places and you have to walk west (300m?) to the nearest beach proper, or east towards the main town and the harbour.

The Divina is right on the flight path for Heraklion airport, we didn't find it a problem, it wasn't busy all the time even though there was increased traffic due to olympic commuters while we were there. The sight of planes looking like they are going to land on the roof is something else.  They never through the night.

We hired a car (in the UK) for most of the stay, there's a lot to see around the area and Heraklion itself is well worth a visit.

Can I just put a plug in for the Mithos Taverna in the mainstreet? Polite, helpful and good food.

Would I go back to Divina? Yes, I wouldn't mind, but I think we've seen everything there is to see there.

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Elpida Studios & Apartments - Gouves

Operator and Date: (Libra Discounts) Libra - June 2004

Opinion submitted in June 2004 by : Lewis' - Pontypridd 43 & 42

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Just returned from a week at El Pida.  We were well impressed with the studio, only downfall was no air con which would have been a problem in the high season.  Elios, Angelika & Natalie made us feel very welcome and were not in the least bit "pushy".  Pool area clean and bar well stocked.  Food cooked by both Angelika & Natalie was very good.  Will certainly be visiting again, sooner rather than later!!  The location, by the main road, was a little bit noisy but as we live near a dual carraigeway we did not find it too bad. 1/4 mile from the main centre of Gouves but both lanes were well lit.  The sea was another 1/4 mile away.  

The resort was very quiet mainly due to the footie but this was to our advantage as we had plenty of "freebies" in the bars and restuarants for our custom.  Overall we had a great time and fully recommend this accomodation.

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Elpida Studios & Apartments - Gouves

Operator and Date: all summermonths from 2001-2004

Opinion submitted in May 2005 by : Angelika Demolski-deli

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Ok hi there I'm writing on behalf of us working at this place these years.So this review is for you all our nice customers who has been coming again and again , giving us a nice time . Meeting all of you has been really stimulating and making our work much more fun .We must thank you all because this year we will not be at the hotelbar anymore. And what I wanted to do was to write a thanks and excellent review about all our customers in general.We've made such good friends and sometimes unfortunately not been able to give everybody the share of our time as we wanted to.But I hope that in general everybody had a good time or at least will remember us by it.So sad to say ,we may meet sometime again but Thank you all and take care .

With all our love greetings to you all from Angelika Elios and Nataly. We will miss you!!!

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The Eva Maria Hotel - Gouves

Operator and Date: (Libra Discounts) Libra Holiday - Sept 2005

Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : 

Resort Rating: Below Average

Accommodation Rating: Below Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

If you're used to sleeping on the M1 this will be right up your street! You're on the flight path and a main road & major junction. 

The hotel is run down - we didn't see a cleaner for the first 3 days of our holiday. The bathroom may as well be a walk in shower room - the water goes absolutly everywhere because of no shower curtain. The 2 girls who run the hotel agued constantly & then told us to be quiet one evening at about 12! The breakfast was so poor we hardly ever made the effort to get out of bed for it. 

On the last day we were being picked up for the airport at 11.30pm but had to leave our room by 12 midday, they wanted 30 euros off us to keep the room until 8pm so a group of us walked down the road to Klio apartments (very nice) and got rooms (or suites really)  until 11pm for 15 euros and had a lovely time by the pool bar for the day. In a few words..... don't bother with Eva Marie!!!!!!!!

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The Eva Maria Hotel - Gouves

Operator and Date: (Libra Discounts) Libra Holidays - August 2005

Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : Marta, Eva 29,28

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Poor

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

The hotel boasts to be a family run business, which shows the moment you arrive. You don't feel you are a welcome guest, quite the opposite - a burden. Two daughters of the owners - Eva and Maria are the only ones speaking English, which makes it difficult to deal with things when they are not around. 

The attitude of the hosts is appalling - we'd been stared at, misinformed and at the end SHOUTED at because of tour operator's blunder. The hotel serves fabulous breakfast - two dry pieces of bread, tiny slice of cheese and ham from a packet and orange squash every single day - you would hope for something more on a Greek island, perhaps half a tomato and fresh orange, local cheese and meat and some variety. When on the third day of our stay we resigned from the delicacies we were served, the hostess couldn't hide her indignation. Thank God she didn't speak English so we can only hope what she was muttering to herself were not some obscenities. Not surprisingly there was hardly anyone ever in the restaurant despite it being a busy time of August. No one seemed to be even tempted to try their homemade cuisine although the rep praised their cooking skills - potatoes with beans, potatoes with nettle.... 

The hotel is fantastically located on a junction of two roads just by a petrol station so you didn't miss hustle and bustle when you are away - there are always coaches and tracks passing by. The pool - or rather a paddle is only a couple meters from the road so you can always be at the centre of the action. The rooms are quite compact, especially bathrooms which may be ideal for minimalists. You could easily have showers while sitting on the toilet pondering about spartan life. There's no fridge or kettle - most annoying as we could easily get by without a luxury like TV or radio in the room. 

Overall, we feel we'd been ripped off by the tour operator paying £370 each for a week there, while the rooms in Eva Maria cost 30 euro per day in August . That makes £70 per person for accommodation - which is more or less a fair price for a place like this. We just wonder why we paid so much and will demand some answers from Libra Holidays. 

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The Eva Maria Apartments - Gouves

Operator and Date: (Golden Sun Discounts) Golden Sun September 2004

Opinion submitted in Oct 2004 by : Bob & Josie (50)

Resort Rating: Below Average

Accommodation Rating: Poor

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We took a late deal via TELETEXT and paid a little over £200.00 each for 2 weeks from 14 - 28 Sep.  I don't suppose I can moan too much considering the amount we paid but this Hotel is severely run down and would benefit from a total refurbishment, even a lick of paint would have been an advantage.  Had I paid the brochure price I would have been upset to say the least.

The standard of cleanliness was not good, and thats being kind!

The pool was dirty and the bar was shabby, many others seemed to think so also as the bar and pool were about as much used as common sense at a Labour Party conference!

On day 6 of the holiday we were notified of Golden Sun going bankrupt via a chalked notice informing us that all Hotel facilities would cease, we did'nt really notice any difference!

The west side of the resort told a tale about Gouves, at least 5 Hotels closed down and in differing states of decay or dereliction and several abandoned new builds.  This possibly an indication that too much investment had taken place several years earlier in a resort that really cannot attract the tourist!

Litter seemed to be a particular problem throughout the resort, not surprisingly as there were few bins!

The beach was too crowded with no space at all between sun beds and giving the same feel as elsewhere in Gouves.  Rusty tin cans were provided as ash trays which were seldom used as most smokers just stuck fag butts in the sand, ice cream wrappers, soft drink cans, bread wrappers etc littered the beach, not the best experience at all.  Perhaps the local Council/Stadt/Tourist Board, call it what you will, needs a little help if Gouves is to compete with the likes of Georgioupolis, Bali, Ag Nik etc!

The East of the village is just about ok with some surprisingly good Tavernas, the best being Asteria or Hermes.

Gouves has its share of "rip off" bars charging 4.50 Euros for a beer when the Supermarkets charge 70 cents for the same, watered down cocktails starting at 5 Euros and each bar with its regulation "chucker inner" who irritate the life out of you.  I am happy to pay over the odds for a drink in a reasonably welcome setting but not in a makeshift, dirty bar where a football screen or loud music seems to be the only attraction dreamed up by the owner (supply and demand does not come in to it)!  When the hell will these people learn that a threatening smile from some Albanian thug ("chucker inner"), loud rap music or a giant TV screen will not induce the majority of normal people to enter their bar?

I am reasonably widely travelled in Greece: Zante (Kalamaki/Alykes/Laganas), Rhodes (Lindos/Faliraki), Santorini (Perrissa/Kamari), Skiathos (Pareskevi), Crete (Georgioupolis/Ag Nik/Kalives/Bali), but Gouves has to be the worst resort I have been to.  I really do hope that something can be done in Gouves with some enterprising young people willing/able to provide the normal Brit tourist with something better than tat and an "it will do attitude".  Sorry, but I cannot recommend Gouves to anyone!  The only saviour to this holiday was the beautiful weather we had!

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The Eva Maria Apartments - Gouves

Operator and Date: (Golden Sun Discounts) Golden Sun - JUly 2004

Opinion submitted in July 2004 by : Andy Alex Allan (40 50 14)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

we have just arrived back from the eva maria apartments,we found them very basic but clean the towels and bedding changed frequently,pool area was very nice large pool with bar area food was good there and the owners eva & maria very helpful and pleasent,quiet location only 10 min walk from beach & town lots of tavernas, bars and shops, beach ok but had red flag up all the time. We found the people very friendly where ever we went.

On a down side we booked 2 exursions through the rep and were told by her that as we had booked 2 we could go to water city free,one of the excursions was cancelled and we were then charged 60 euros by the rep for water city as this was company policy,this was a fact she did not mention when we booked we are now taking this issue up with the tour operators

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The Eva Maria Apartments - Gouves

Operator and Date: (Golden Sun Discounts) Golden Sun June 2004

Opinion submitted in June 2004 by : Jim Graham Wakefield

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

The accomodation is 1970s but is cleaned daily albeit the interiors reflected the age. There is a large swimming pool but it did not appear to be cleaned regularly. We made a last minute booking, cost just over £100 each and thus perhaps cannot grumble.

The property is about 1km from the main 'strip' which is not typically Greek, there being English and Chinese restaurants. Unfortunately there are also a number of 'English' bars. These features we believe spoil the resort.

We ate in tavernas away from the 'strip' try the Asteria, especially on live (Greek)music night. The Hermes further along was well worth a visit. Both are only a few hundred meters from the apartment. My favourite was the Bacchus in Gouves village which is about a 25 minute uphill walk from the 'strip', the food was excellent.

For car hire I found Intercar excellent value and only the 1 all inclusive price quoted, 40E for 2 days for a family car. From the apartment turn left down past the mini-market and continue down the hill for about 1km.
For a visit to Knossos cheaper by car than reps trip. At the water park you pay an extra 3E for sunbeds, entrance fee 15E but still worth a visit if you have children.

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The Eva Maria Apartments - Gouves

Operator and Date: (Golden Sun Discounts) Golden Sun May 2004

Opinion submitted in June 2004 by : L & L, 34, 29

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion:

2nd time in Crete and much nicer apartments than in 2002.  Eva Maria apartments are TYPICALLY Greek, ie, very very basic.  However, they are also very clean with maids in everyday and a towel/bedding change every couple of days. 

Lovely pool with plenty of sun beds for everyone - look out for the flying black beetles that dive-bomb unexpectantly.  Family who run the apartments are very friendly, especially the 2 daughters, Eva and Maria.  Only a couple of small complaints about the accomodation - some of the plug sockets were very loose, shower was more of a trickle and no hot water supply to the kitchen.  There were a number of people who arrived after us, were not happy with the standard of the accomodation and were upgraded.  Each to their own but I couldn't really see issues big enough to want to move.  

The Golden Sun rep was extremely efficient and did not do a 'big sell' on the trips.  I heard from other couples however, that trips can been cancelled without them being informed and NO refund was given.  Bear this in mind if booking anything.

Best places to eat - D & M's (wicked Sausage, Mash and Beans!), Asteria (live Greek music but don't sit too near the speakers)and the Chinese (next to DMs).  Pay a visit to the Totem Bar where you will be made very welcome by Darren, George and Co.  Usual tricks - loads of pop corn and nuts given free in the attempt to made you drink more.  Each drink seemed to get stronger and stronger, in the attempt to keep you in the bar.

Didn't spend anytime at the beach this year as the pool was spot on with great people around for socialising.

Heraklion airport is the horror story of the holiday.  We were kept waiting nearly 2 hours outside the airport for the check-in desk to open.  Mad dash for the front where some people trying to push in, and others in the queue nearly came to blows.  Flight took off 4 hours late and provider changed from Excel to Scandair.  Cottage Pie is NOT very appetising at 5.30 a.m.  Crap, turbulent flight and was glad to land back in the UK.

Will not return to this area of Crete and probably Crete altogether.  There are a lot of run down buildings/waste ground, they drive like lunatics and the airport really needs to be sorted out to accomodate all the visitors to the island.  Gouves loses its charm due to the unfinished/run down buildings and without the sun and friendly locals, it would be quite an ugly place.

Still, a great holiday for the money (£427 for 2 adults) and we met some lovely people.  Weather was fantastic, hot days and nice cool nights.  If you want a cheap but cheerful holiday, Gouves is for you!  If you're expecting 5* accomodation, don't bother.

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The Eva Maria Apartments - Gouves

Operator and Date: (Golden Sun Discounts) Golden Sun - Date Not Specified

Opinion submitted in July 2004 by : simpson family- co,durham (60, 43, 34,27,18,9,7,4, )

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Well this is the third year we have been to crete and the eva maria appartments and i must say that all eight of us enjoyed every min again. 

Eva and Maria are lovely girls, there helpfull,polite and will try to make your stay a happy one. My son dion who's 4years old loves them both dearly. the pool is great the food even better, everythings clean and tidy, the sunshine is heavenly and we are totally hooked on the beauty of gouves. we ate at a number of places but i have to recomend DM's, debbie and mathew are great people and the food is perfect. Asteria is great, the greek nights are very entertaining as is mike. hermes does a great english breakfast and they are very friendly. we played crazy golf which was fun and walked for hours just admiring the view of the mountains and scenery. the water parks great for the kids as is the beach. 

we will be going back.... i miss the place loads already

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Golden Bay Apartments - Gouves

Operator and Date: First Choice May 2006

Opinion submitted in May 2007 by : Peel 36,37,9.6

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

This was a beautiful holiday.  The location is very quiet, but this was exactley what we wanted.  The pool area is just about the right size, you can see your children at all times.  The pool bar is nice and the food was very good.  The staff were excellent and very friendly.  The resturant was good but perhaps not the best in town.  Apartments  were clean and were basic. In the immediate area there are about 10 resturants a couple of bars and 2 small supermarkets.  Just enough for all your needs.  Kokini Hani is about a 20 min walk and has alot more.  We have recommended these aparments to friends who have also loved them and would go back.  All in all lovely quiet location, super friendly staff, great food and no rowdy people!!!

Would definately go back.

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Golden Bay Apartments - Gouves

Operator and Date: First Choice - 2006

Opinion submitted in August 2006 by : Umit Batman, 24, Laura Cornish, 21 - London 

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

great holiday, only thing was the d The hotel is a really lovely place very friendly people (except for the maids). Food from the pool bar was a bit more expensive then the local shops. The taverna was rubbish, we waited half an hour for a menu but walked out!!

Gouves its self is a 20 min walk through an old army base and is quite dangerous as there was no lights at night. The hotel was too far away from anything except a few shops and tavernas. you could go to the bigger towns like hersonisis or Heraklion but they are 20 min bus rides away and the bus were few and far between.

The beach was small but clean. At the weekend it was full of locals.

We want to say hello To Tony, Cheryl, Amy and Kate. Hope everything is well it would be great to here from you.

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Gouves Bay Hotel - Gouves

Operator and Date: Avro June 2007

Opinion submitted in July 2007 by : Simon Lincoln  43

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

First impressions as the taxi turned in to the hotel grounds were not favourable; barren wasteland and a hotel exterior that needed a new lick of paint. However, first impressions are not always accurate. The room we were given was small, but clean and tidy (and we were given a free upgrade to a double bed). You are expected to purchase a remote for the air conditioning (?5 per day) but I was given that free (I mentioned that I work for a Greek Company so that probably helped) The room was cleaned every day and new towels received every two days. We had a sea view, as I believe most rooms did. The beach was in fact only about 100 metres away although it was rocky and pebbly with a splattering of sand. 

Breakfast was pretty standard every day, ie. lots of bread, cereals, cheese, meat, olives, tomatoes and cucumber. There was also a hot selection consisting of eggs in various forms, sausages and 'loukoumus' which is yeast fried in batter covered with honey and cinnamon (no good if you are diabetic as am I). Tea and coffee was plentiful and free, as was apple, orange and pineapple juice. Evening meals consisted of soup, salads and a selection of hot food including fish (cooked different ways), chicken, pastas, vegetables to name but a few. The staff were efficient and polite but not overly friendly. The pool was cleaned daily and offered plenty of sunbeds - there was always a few available so I didn't have to remove towels from beds that had been claimed in the early hours by other guests (from other countries).

All in all, this is a very good hotel for the price you are likely to pay and as one who normally complains, I found this one so refreshing that I felt obliged to write this review. 

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Gouves Park Hotel - Gouves

Operator and Date: Sunstar Leisure Sept 2005

Opinion submitted in Oct 2005 by : Barnsley couple 38,43,

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Just got back from the Gouves park this weekend, I could not find any reviews before we went, now I know why! My husband has named the hotel 'little camp Germany'
We flew with AlexanderAir, very small dirty plane but no problems.
Arrived at tea time, check-in fine.
Porter took our luggage to a second floor room with pool view, we were very impressed with the room, very spacious, clean, new and up to date. The whole hotel looks new.
The rooms are the only thing that this hotel has going for it.

FOOD.
The restaurant is too small for the amount of guests, food choice was very limited, everything was served with the German guests in mind!
No english dishes at all, not even a chip! We are not fussy eaters and do like to try different dishes but didnt get the choice, lots of German sausages, cheese pies etc and that was breakfast. We had toast all week- and had to ASK for a large loaf to slice as all they had were long thin bagguettes when sliced were as big as a 10p.
BARS
There is a pool bar open 11am-6pm, the best thing about this was coffee was served FREE from 4pm-5pm, with madeira cake and German biscuits. WooHoo.
Evening bar was called the 'sports bar' this was open till 1pm, down the street, a couple of minutes walk from the rooms.
DRINKS
Beer, ouzo (we darent touch this lethal stuff, we had it before in Tunisia) Raki or brandy. We spent the whole week drinking brandy and coke. Cocktails were 3.50 to 4.00 euro's!!
We went into town 2 nights to escape the brandy.
KIDS
Only saw a few, seemed happy enough.

ENTERTAINMENT
Heinz -fly -dry! thats it. There is one song sang in German each day at 10.00am.
There is a tennis court that didnt seem to be used. Two nets are positioned at the pool, but no pool games were played!
The animation team were struggling to speak english when asked a question.
We heard German songs coming from an ampitheatre from 9.30pm-10pm but the Germans didnt even attend.
BEACH
Small quiet cove. Lovely fine sand, no pebbles clear sea - excellent.
Sunbeds 2.50 euro.
TOWNS
Gouves was old greek- small village, one street of shops, quite quaint.
Malia- 30min on bus (decent air-con transport) costing 1.30Euro. This town is like Faliraki, mad! Beach is chocca and full of 15-20's, lots of posters of missing kids! Excellent shopping though.
Hersonnissos- 20mins bus cost 1.Euro. Good shopping, beach pebbly.

OVERALL
I would stay again in Gouves, not Malia or Herssonissos, we had a good time as we made our own entertainment and ate out occasionally, staff were all ok, cleaners excellent.
If you have booked here there is nothing to worry about you just need more british guests to make friends with and a better selection of food and drink, by the way no-one was ill.
If food, drink and entertainment was sorted i would rate this hotel 9/10
We paid £329 for one week all inclusive the second week in sept -kids back at school.

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Hara Ilios Village - Gouves

Operator and Date: Glogespan - June 2006

Opinion submitted in October 2006 by : Kathryn & Neil 31 & 26

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

This was one of those holidays that you never want to come home from. We loved it here.

THE RESORT is one of two halves and the two don't clash so there really is something for everyone. If you are like a bit of a nightlife head into the part of the resort away from the beach at nights where your busier bars are. You get the usual people trying to entice you in with free shots but not too annoying like some resorts (we were in Magaluf last year and these people were more annoying than Wasps when they set their sights on you) Here in Gouves they treat you more like friends wecoming you in. If you prefer a quieter life stick to the traditional taverna on the sea front where the food is amazing and you get free nibbles with your drinks (a nice touch). The Greeks are so friendly and have a great sense of fun, humour and are fantastic hosts try speaking Greek and you will have a friend for life. (If you want a 24 hour mental time head about 10 miles west to Malia the more 8-30's style resort on the island.)

THE BEACHES are clean sandy stretches seperated in parts by rocky bits and the sea is quite choppy but if you are beach lover (which we are) don't let this put you off too much as they are in no way overcrowded although this was early season but don't let this put you off a fantastic holiday.

THE HOTEL is a small complex 5 mins walk from beach one way 5 mins walk to bus stop if you fancy getting about the island these are regular & very cheap. There are 3 & 4 star blocks which are all clean and v nice but the 4* has aircon and fridge and hairdryer included and if you go with Globespan who I highly recommend this is what you are getting. The food is fantastic we were 1/2 board and would happily have eat there every night although we did go out to eat just for a change of scenery and because the tavernas are fantastic also. We never went to the pool being beach lovers but it looked good if thats where you like to spend you time.
What really made the holiday for us was that neither the hotel or the resort was crawling with kids or people who go on holiday expecting everything but the weather to be like home.

I don't mean to be anti but if you are looking for a holiday where you get a real feel for the country you are visiting and are proud to share that with you and don't feel the need to offer chips with everything....full English breakfasts....Kareoke...Eastenders...everywhere you go then this is the perfect place for you. 

Kids are not really catered for and if you are thinking of taking yours here they will probably get bored unless they are generally chilled out and quite content with stuff. If the above statement puts you off coming here...then don't! You and your children will probably not enjoy it there are plenty other places that will cater for you and you don't have to ruin this one.

Please do not be offended by my comments they are there to help you choose the right holiday for yourself whoever you are???

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Iraklis Apartments - Gouves

Operator and Date: (Direct Holidays) Direct Holidays-AUG 2006

Opinion submitted in August 2006 by : Jane Gibbons-Leeds 38,40,11

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Below Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

we stayed in a one bedroomed apartment to the front of the property which was good a size.on arrival the floors had not been cleaned and were not cleaned for the 14 days we were there we swept and mopped them ourselves.the pool area is nice but a lack of umberellas were a problem.the resort of Gouves is a 30 minute walk.
Gouves is a nice quiet family resort with shops bars and restaurants.we would recommend eating at Elotia he has a proper pizza oven.
We would return to Gouves again but wouln't stay in the same apartments again.
there are two waterparks both nearby which are excellent and the beaches are beautiful.

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Iraklis Apartments - Gouves

Operator and Date: (Direct Holidays) Direct Holidays - July 2006

Opinion submitted in August 2006 by : G & B  67,65

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Below Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Gouves is a very nice resort especially this end during July/Aug. Lots of tavernas and shops to visit. Sofias supermarket is opposite the apartments, lovely couple very helpful. The bakery provides a great service shame about the unfriendly staff. Went to lots of Tavernas, Milos was excellent with both service and food. Oasis was very dissapointing the food was very, very salty and when we informed the staff they weren't interested. 

There is a lovely beach nearby and a nice stroll to the center. The Paradise taverna is also excellent, along the beach front. 

When it comes to the apartments all we have to really say is, we were pleased we had family and friends staying at the nearby Marie Kelly apartments because we spent most of our time there. We thought on arrival how pleasent and traditional the apartments seemed. We felt unwelcome and there seemed to be no atmosphere around the pool area e.g greek music. The maid didn't clean the apartments during our two week stay, she came and swept the floor but my wife ended up doing the cleaning. When eventually we got a bed sheet change it was left on the bed to do ourselves. We had to ask twice for toilet roll. 

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Iraklis Apartments - Gouves

Operator and Date: (Direct Holidays) Direct Holidays - June 2006

Opinion submitted in June 2006 by : Paul McCluskey - Birmingham (38, 42, 11, 9 )

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

The Iraklis were excellent value for money and well maintained, and anything you needed advice on could be picked up from the friendly staff, in particular the manager Nektarios. The place was only half occupied whilst we were there and we had the pool completely to ourselves all week long.

Only slight moan was the price of the drinks at the bar, 3 euros for a beer in a 400ml glass. In nearby Hersonissos you can get a 500ml beer for 2 euros. But apart from that the food in the taverna was of a high standard with friendly service at a fair price.

The resort is extremely quiet near to the Iraklis, which is fine if you just want to chill out, and sleep undisturbed until 10 o'clock, with about half a dozen tavernas in the vicinity with more about 15 mins walk away.
We asked for a late checkout as our coach didn't come until 10.30, and we were allowed to keep the room right up until then for 20 euros.

Good value bar nearby is the Rainbow, (turn left out of Iraklis and 5 mins up the hill). Cheapest beer and spirits we found, and good food, run by a strange little man who is forever blowing a whistle, but friendly all the same and always giving you his home made Raki.
Bought cakes from the bakery across the road, which were possibly the most calorie laden food we had ever eaten in our lives, (No kidding), but tasty all the same.

In all we wouldn't hesitate to reccomend the Iraklis to anyone after a relaxing trouble free break, and will probably be back one day.

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Iraklis Apartments - Gouves

Operator and Date: Freedom Flights - May 2006

Opinion submitted in June 2006 by : Jill 27, Abbie 4, Joanne 27, Josh 4 & Mya 8months

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

The Iraklis apartments are very clean & have friendly staff working. Our apartment was cleaned 3 - 4 times in the week we were there & was very spacious & well equipped compared to some places i have been. Pool was really clean too although not quite warm enough for me but the kids loved it & were never out of the baby pool.

Gouves is a really quiet place & is good if you are wanting a relaxing holiday and not do much when there.
The aprtments are only a few minutes walk to a selection of tavernas & a bakery is just over the road (dont get the quasants thought too gressy better have a bacon butty). Mediterranean Taverna very good and owners very friendly great food cooked to just how you like it & if you dont like the greek food you can ask them & they will do mince n tatties for you. Breakfast great too.

Beach really clean & you can hire sun beds & brolleys.

The main street is about a 10- 15min walk along the sea front which is quite nice.
You can get a bus about 2mins up the road into Hersonosis if you want a bit more liveliness.

All in all we had a fab time & everyone we met was friendly. Definately try the Mediteranean Taverna.

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Iraklis Apartments - Gouves

Operator and Date: August 2005

Opinion submitted in Oct 2005 by :

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We have just returned from a two week holiday in Gouves staying at the Iraklis Apartments.
Our two bedroom apartment was spacious, comfortable and had all the facilities you require for self catering. The complex itself had it's own taverna, bar, swimming pool and sunloungers.It was definately a lovely place to relax and soak up the sun rays.

There are a few supermarkets within a five minute walk and a bakery centre opposite the apartments. They sell fresh bread, rolls, pastries and cakes, worth a try.

If you turn left out of Iraklis and walk five minutes up the road you reach the main road where you can catch public transport to the resorts further east and those west. We visited Hersonissos, Aghia Nicholas and Heraklion. The buses are cheap, reliable and air conditioned.

We ate out every evening and tried different tavernas. Our favourite was a place called "Scorpios". They served a variety of traditional Greek dishes and we found the staff to be friendly, helpful and extremely hospitable. Nothing was too much trouble and we are made to feel very welcome.
If you venture to the beach front you will find a long promenade, with a small church, taverna's and a few souvenir shops. Sometimes when the heat becomes unbearable it is ideal to stroll along the front as you get a cool breeze from the sea or in the evening to see the sunset.

Our holiday was perfect and we thoroughly enjoyed our times in Gouves and Crete. We would definately return for another holiday and would not hesitate to stay at the Iraklis Apartments.

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Iraklis Apartments - Gouves

Operator and Date: (Direct Holidays) Direct Holidays - July 2005

Opinion submitted in Jan 2006 by : J Gribben - Armagh 39, 38 ,15 ,11 ,6

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We stayed in Iraklis apartments for 2 weeks in July 2005.  This was the best holiday we have ever had.  The apartments are spotlessly clean, modern and comfortable.  The pool is a good size and very well maintained.  The manager, Nektarios did an excellent job while we were there, offering advice on what to do and where to go.  The cleaners work non-stop from morning till night and are very helpful and friendly.  We ate in the Iraklis taverna nearly every night.  The food is excellent quality and good value for money.  On certain nights the chef cooks greek specialties which are even better than the variety of food offered every other night.  The children's menu is very good also, and cheap - e3.50 for most of the dishes.  The restaurant staff and bar manager Yannis could not be more helpful - always keen to make you feel welcome and making sure that everything was OK.  Gouves is a quiet resort - exactly what we wanted for a relaxing 2 week holiday.  

We have booked again to go in July 2006, but not with Direct holidays this time as we found them to be pretty useless last year.  The Direct Holidays rep at the Iraklis was very young and inexperienced and wasn't able to help with any queries we had.  We got much better advice from Nektarios and Yannis.

The nearest beach is at the bottom of the road, in front of the Pantheon Palace hotel - about 5 mins walk.  There is a supermarket about 2mins walk down the road.  It's run by Sofia and her husband and if you tell them that you are staying at the Iraklis apartments you get the 5 star treatment.  It's open from early morning to late at night.

If you come out of the Iraklis apartments and turn left, 3 mins walk will take you to the top of the road where you can catch a bus.  The buses are meant to be every 30 mins, but they are a bit erratic, but you get used to them.  The bus stop is just marked by a small sign on the grass verge.  A word of warning - there is no shelter near the bus stop so you need to have a hat or some shade protection if you are catching a bus during the day as you might have to wait at the bus stop for up to 40 mins in the blistering heat.  The buses run from early in the morning till about 11.00 pm.  We went to Hersonnisos on the bus one night, but didn't like the crowds of young people staggering around drunk so we only stayed about an hour and came back to Gouves.  Hersonnisos is OK for families during the day, but not a great place for kids at night.

We went to Heraklion a couple of times on the bus - it's a nice city with lots of old churches and buildings if you like that sort of thing.  There are lots of pavement cafes etc and quite a few high street names you will recognise from the UK on Dedalou street.  There is another little street that runs paralel to Dedalou street which is full of very cool cafes where all the locals hang out on Saturdays - well worth a visit.

We went to Knossos - using the local bus service.  You can catch a bus from the main bus station in Heraklion every half hour or so.  Knossos is worth visiting, but take the advice in the guide books and visit the museum in Heraklion first, to see all the artefacts that have been removed from Knossos.

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Iraklis Apartments - Gouves

Operator and Date: (Direct Holidays) Direct Holidays- July 2005

Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : Francoise and Rochelle 37 and 13

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Apartments Iraklis were sufficent. Two of us stayed in a 2 bed apartment which could sleep up to 4 people, with a very small kitchen area and not much clothes storage space, it was adequate for two people.

The resort of Gouves IS VERY QUIET. It does have a long promenade with a beautiful beach. The main street which was a half an hour walk from where we were staying, has a reasonable selection of bars/restaurants. Gouves itself is very poor for shopping. Heraklion and Hersonissos, both easily accessable by local bus, are the places to visit for decent shops.

We absolutely loved Greek food and would recommend 'Oasis' restaurant,just past Pantheon Palace.

An absolute must to visit to eat is 'The Minoan Prince' restaurant, again just past Pantheon Palace Hotel, straight up the road and on the left after Iraklis Taverna.  This family run restaurant served the best food we had all holiday - very unusual vine leaves which were superb.  Eva,  the restaurant manageress couldnt have been more accommdating, showing a movie of our choice and opening the restaurant early on our departure day. Out of the twelve or so so restaurants we ate in over 2 weeks this is the only we revisited - 3 times in fact!

In summary if you are lookinh for night life Gouves is not the place to go.

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Hotel Irene - Gouves

Operator and Date: (Olympic Direct) Olympic Holidays - July 2005

Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : Sonya Ali - Birmingham (23,24)

Resort Rating: No rating

Accommodation Rating: Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We were staying at Hotel Irene which was a 2 star hotel with pool, when booking a holiday we tried to view the hotel which was on offer, we tried to find hotel Irene on every possible website, but there was nothing, finally we were told  to view the hotel on olympic holiday's website, which we did but we only saw a picture of the pool and that was it, when we arrived at the hotel we did not expect what was about to hit us and the rest of the people travelling with us, we were so dissapointed on how basic the hotel was, i mean i dont expect much from a 2 star hotel but this was unacceptable....the rooms were dark and dingy, the pool looked bigger in the brochuers and we had a tile for a shower with no curtains! 

i was really dissapointed with our accommodation but food did make up for it! Ella the owners wife made beautiful greek food and faniyah thier daughter was helpful and a very polite person. we met lovely people whilst we were staying there and we really liked the town gouves, we are planning to go back next year but not to the Irene Hotel!

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Irene Beach Hotel - Kato Gouves

Operator and Date: Planet Travel - Aug 2007

Opinion submitted in August 2007 by : Pauline & David Burns - Meseyside (48,49)

Resort Rating: No rating

Accommodation Rating: Poor

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

This hotel is the worst we have stayed in, staff are unfriendly and the food well we never ate once in the hotel and it was supposed to be 3 star AI, would not allow us to upgrade out of the place in the first 24 hrs and told us we would lose all our money. Just slept in the place and sat around the dirty pool area where we got paint on our knees and feet! Area is nice and locals are very friendly, it is only 1.5 euros on the local bus to many areas and the taxis are reaonable . Many places to eat and we ate at the Rainbow sports bar and the Adonis bar for a good few meals. If you are going here I suggest you change mighty quickly before it is too late. You will spend a lot eating out etc..due to the glorious weather.All the locals are aware of this hotel and nod their heads as they have been hearing about this place for a long time.if only we knew first!!

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Irene Beach Hotel - Kato Gouves

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson Fly - May 2007

Opinion submitted in May 2007 by : Janet and Kevin

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Poor

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We booked this hotel for a week in May 2007 and it was booked as all inclusive, however when we received our travel documents it had All Inclusive Light (which we had never seen before), which apparently means Breakfast, Evening Meals,Dinner and Drinks (no snacks). That was the first shock, then we arrived at the hotel - nothing could have prepared us for what we were to encounter. 

The hotel was the worst hotel we have ever stayed at the rooms were dark and damp and the shower was awful just tiles on the floor with a curtain around it (falling off I might add!!). When we eventually got the balcony door open the balcony was full of snails and looked as if it had never been cleaned, it was quickly closed again!! The pool area was another matter, the pool was awful you could not see the bottom and there were snails all around the inside - I won't elaborate about the pool area but I have never seen anything so dirty and full of flies, oh I nearly forgot the snails where everywhere here too!! The bar served drinks from 11am to 11pm, however, the barman in the evening was the most hostile and moody I have encountered you had to look at his face to see what mood he was in that evening.  I asked for a red wine and was asked for 10 euros - apparently, they only served white wine on All Inclusive and believe me, this was not worth drinking - the only drinks that were ok were draught beer and water.  The food was the worst I have ever encountered and we have stayed all over the world - I won't labour the point, but we had to eat out every day and did not eat one meal at the hotel.

The town of Gouves is nice and the people are the most friendly I have ever met - there is a bar called the Anfield Bar in the town and this is a great bar - the owner and his wife are brilliant people.  There is a restaurant called Blue Sky which we thought was a class above others we tried and would fully recommend - the staff are very professional and efficient.

In all, Gouves is a nice resort down the beach end of the resort - however, I would not recommend the Irene Beach to anyone as everyone who stayed there complained and said they would not return to this hotel, also, it is 2-3 Kilometres outside of the Main Town and you have to get taxis every night, which on top of having to pay for food that should have been edible made the holiday even more expensive.

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Irene Beach Hotel - Kato Gouves

Operator and Date: 2007

Opinion submitted in August 2007 by : caroline wilkinson[ 46 ,13.]

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

my advise would be if you are all inclusive change your booking to bed and breakfast or change your hotel!!!! 

the hotel is clean enough and the rooms are spacious, basic but after all this is greece and part of its charm, the pool and area is nice although sunbeds are passed their best, but the thing that lets this hotel down is the disgusting food. 

the staff are friendly and helpfull and there is some lovely tavernas nearby{not the shamrock though unless you like your flies deep fried!!]take the walk into gouves where you will find something for every taste, the beach is a bit of a treck to but worth it,pop in the bakery on the way mmmmmmm  so if you are to late to change your booking then make the most of your holiday be prepared to eat out most nights, and its cheap enough, two places i would definitely reccomend  are adonis and milos.if you are thinking of doing any trips or hireing a car pop down to see wendy at mikes tours as she is very helpful and chances are you wont see a holiday rep at the hotel anyway!
irakilis taverna also nice and will change money for you commision free many tavernas will take visa . 

if you are still going have a great time and i hope this helps!!!!!

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John Mary Apartments - Gouves

Operator and Date: (Golden Sun Discounts) Golden Sun September 2004

Opinion submitted in Oct 2004 by : Cindy - Northy Yorks (45- 55)

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Poor

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Sadly Golden Sun went bust whilst we were there. This had a very negative (but to a certain extent understandable) impact on the apartments owners who really were not interested in us at all. I am sorry that they felt that it was our fault that they had not been payed - but it managed to spoil our holiday and I think we were treated unfairly, I would like to think that if I had been running the business I would have looked after my guests.

Apartments not cleaned, no fresh towels, pool dirty and worst of all we had to empty our own bins on  daily basis. I do think that in the interests of basic hygiene the bins at least should have been emptied.
bathrooms on the small side - but plenty of hot water for showers. Beds very uncomfortable and there were cats everywhere - which everyone insisted on feeding and therefore encouraged them into the apartments - no fun if you are not a cat lover.

No reps to be seen and no arrangements to make sure we were OK.
I know the company went bust but I would have expected other reps to take some interest in 'stranded' holiday makers. We ended up ringing the UK to find out what was going on.

Resort nice, beaches good, weather good. Bit too 'english' for my tastes as I like to eat Greek food when away not burger and chips. but each to their own.
Good mix of nationalities, but predominantly english.
With the exception of the apartment owners everyone else was really friendly and welcoming.
Definitely go back to Crete, so much to see and do that we didn't get around to.

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John Mary Apartments - Gouves

Operator and Date: (Golden Sun Discounts) Golden Sun  july 2004

Opinion submitted in July 2004 by : nick &val martin devon  50'52

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion:

the john mary apts are probably the cleanest and well maintained apts that my wife and i have stayed at. the owner and his family made my wife very welcome Michaleous & Nikki were always on hand to talk to and made all the people more than welcome. I will have no hesitation in returning there for another great holiday. 

They do their own car hie which is run by Yanni& Marietta ,the vehicles are cleaned everyday before the next hirer receives it.I have never stayed anywhere before that warranted a comment to be left but you here so many horror stories about holidays that i thought praise was well deserved in this case. All the people who stayed there for the same period as us were all of the same opinion WE WILL DEFINATELY BE RETURNING.

To anybody who reads this comment i can assure you this is the honest truth any you will also enjoy your stey there GOLDEN SUN the tour operators were not very good as other people before me have confirmed .The reps are only concerned with making money from their so called guests [enough said]

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John Mary Apartments - Gouves

Operator and Date: (Golden Sun Discounts) Golden Sun - May 2004

Opinion submitted in May 2004 by : Sam & family - Crawley (28, 28, 16, 44, 45, 67)

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We arrived at the John Mary Apartments to be greeted by Michaelos the owner. He used to be a captain of a ship & is a wonderful character with many stories to tell. Very loud & very Greek! We all loved him. Our apartment was in a new block & was only 2 years old. It was the nicest Greek accommodation that we have stayed in (and between us we've stayed in a few). Lovely pool & we were very close to the beaches. They are small, sandy coves. Very cosy. There was a barbecue night at the aparments one Saturday which was great fun, lots of drinking & dancing with Michaelos setting fire to the bar...

Gouves itself is quite nice, very spread out & plenty of restuarants. Zorbas at the far end of the beach was a particular favourite & very good value. For a good english breakfast visit the Mediterranean then pop up to the bakery nearby for some dessert.

We would go back to John Mary as the family that run it are so lovely & genuine they really made you sorry to leave.

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Kaissa Beach - Gouves

Operator and Date: Booked independently through Great Late Deals, Travel Republic, Thomson Flights - Summer 2007

Opinion submitted in July 2007 by : Rod & Sue - Hertfordshire (54, 54)

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We were pleased to see the previous review from Kay and Martin about Kaissa Beach Apartments as this was the only review we could find before booking. 

We were met by Costas who was very friendly and informative as were all the staff on site.  The grounds were full of flowers and shrubs and were well kept.  At first I found the "village" style of the apartments a bit claustrophobic, but it grew on me as the week went by.  I was pleased though that we had a first floor apartment with a large balcony as the small patios on the ground floor would not appeal to me.  We booked a studio but none were available on our arrival and we were upgraded (at no cost to us) to a huge one bedroomed apartment.  Very well equipped with two cooking rings, fridge, microwave and kettle as well as an excellent selection of crockery, pans and other kitchen items meaning that you really could self cater if you wanted to, though eating out is such good fun in Crete, why cook?  Agree about the size of the shower cubicle....... huge!  The apartments would benefit from curtains in some rooms to avoid a bit of ducking and diving to avoid unintended exposure to neighbouring apartments if nipping from shower to bedroom etc! 

Unusual, but good combination of 3 pools. One small safe separate kiddies pool, small shallow (1.2 metre)pool accessed by walk in steps, leading into larger pool ranging from (1.4 metre - 2.10 metre).  Pool area well kept with plenty of sunbeds.  Pool bar good with reasonably priced food and resturant attached to apartments on beach road very good as well.   The description of being 10 metres from the beach is a bit misleading.  It is 10 metres from the sea, but the nearest beach is a 5-10 minute walk away in either direction, but this was not a problem.  Lovely to have the sea opposite if not the beach.  Gouves, has plenty of good Tavernas and enough shops to buy a few souveniers etc.

Gouves appears to be growing, but is a pleasant family friendly resort. 

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Kaissa Beach - Gouves

Operator and Date: Booked independently - May 2007

Opinion submitted in May 2007 by : Kay & Martin [48, 45]

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

My partner & I took a chance when booking the Kaissa Beach as we couldn't find any reviews. However, the chance paid off as the complex is lovely. We had a one bed apartment with the largest shower cubicle we've ever had on a Greek holiday. We were the first guests to arrive for the season [2/5/07] and the staff were still getting all the apartments ready but there appear to be more than enough sunbeds around the ample pool to cater for full occupancy. 

The grounds have lots of plants, trees, shrubs and it all looks well cared for. The manager Costas and his staff were very helpful and pleasant. The bar was busy every night of our stay and filled mostly with locals which is always a good sign as far as we're concerned. The bar manager, Biliana, was very welcoming and we felt like regulars from the very first night. We only stayed in Gouves for a 5 day short break and although not totally open, being the very beginning of the season, it looks as though there are more than enough shops, bars & restaurants to cope quite easily at the height of the season. There is a new shopping centre being built which looks as though it will be ready very shortly. 

There are beaches within walking distance of the Kaissa Beach either to the East or West but we used the one furthest past the church to the East [right when you come out of the complex].  The sand was very soft and there were very few pebbles going into the sea. We hired a quad bike from the place just past the dive centre near to the marina and it was great fun but not sure if we'd be so keen later in the season when there will be more cars on the road. We had good meals most nights but would recommend the Da Vinci Code which is a very unlikely sounding Greek taverna but take our word for it, the food was absolutely fantastic. It's opposite the Pantheon Palace Hotel at the Eastern end of Gouves. We've visited Crete before and on that occasion we went to Knossos so if you've never been, make sure you take half a day and go there. 

All in all a lovely break in a very pleasant resort.  

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Kleanthi Apartments - Gouves

Operator and Date: (Golden Sun Discounts) Golden Sun - June 2004

Opinion submitted in June 2004 by : Lee & Sarah Rose (24,27)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

After reading the other comments on this hotel I thought I would give it a go, and I am very glad I did.  

The hotel is a family run place, quite small but very clean and friendly.  Our room was cleaned almost every day, fresh towels and floors cleaned.  The beds were very comfortable and very clean (no horrible old dirty sheets).  Kleo the owner makes every effort to make you feel at home, and practically everyone we spoke to at the hotel had been there before and this was their 2nd or 3rd time at this hotel, (surely that must show something). 

The resort is lovely, a good mix of bars and resturants at different prices.  The Blue Sky is very good, one of the more expensive resturants but definately one to be tried (I can recommed the fillet steaks!!)The Pig 'n' Whistle is another great bar, English owned and very friendly with fantastic home cooked food.  

To sum it up I would definately go back to this hotel and this resort, an excellent time had by both of us, well worth the money!

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Klio Apartments - Gouves

Operator and Date: sunset holidays june 2006

Opinion submitted in July 2006 by : doris monk mick bennett

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

yet again had fantastic holiday.klio staff made us very welcome,and always ready to oblige with any queries. breakfasts very good value and the shop very cheap for all goods. the beach only a few minutes down the road. and such lovely people who run it.anna and george have become good friends and give us such wonderful memories of crete.they always make time to talk and show interest to all that use the beach.and now to the evenings, you cant go to gouves without going to dimitris taverna, the food is out of the world for freshness value and sevice. they are all so very special people there and over the last 3 years have made our holidays so special. we have not got any complaints about crete. even the airport is getting better. 

we are going back to gouves in september and know that a great welcome will be waiting.

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Klio Apartments - Gouves

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook June 2006

Opinion submitted in July 2006 by : Bain 44,34

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We arrived At the klio Apts at 02.30 in the morning shown to our room by Rep as no staff on reception we were first off coach from airport while the others had to wait on coach for Rep to get back on.

Klio is ok for a base but that only,the pool area not up to much old sunbeds, bottles left out overnight and into nextday,dirty full ashtrays etc,rooms ok Very basic but lumpy pillows, We did not use pool area went to the beach every day 5 mins walk from Klio 2 sunbeds and Parasol 6 euro,Go to The ones in Bright Yellow Run By A guy Called George great Bloke and he has a small Bar.

Gouves is not a place if you are looking for the Party scene it is Quiet But Has Plenty Of Tavernas.Try The Corali on the front Good Food,Family Run,Or Walk Into The Town 15 mins plenty Of Shops bars Tavernas to eat,it has a good Irish bar,Dimitris is also good for food,we would go back to gouves great place.

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Klio Apartments - Gouves

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook June 2006

Opinion submitted in July 2006 by : 47 & 44

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We have just come back from Gouves and I was really worried when I read reviews before leaving, how wrong can you be.  

We stayed @ the Klio not 5* but it is S/C & you get what you pay for.  The resort itself was great plenty to see & do & great tavernas (especially Dimitris & Atlantis), the food in both is par excellence.  Must add a big mention to Darryl & Debs in the Pig N Whistle great couple and so is Denise who works there the food is very good too.  Went to Spinalonga very good & moving experience, also Chania very nice place, Heraklion was busy when visited but okay Rethymnon is also very nice.  The people of Gouves are friendly and hospitable & the weather was the db's (you work it out)over 100 degrees on 4 days, we will go back but in a few years as there are other destinations to try but very nice.  

All in all we enjoyed every minute of it, only came home this am I could go on but you visit & make up your own mind.

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Klio Apartments - Gouves

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook  September 2005

Opinion submitted in Oct 2005 by : Strike - Stafford

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Below Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We have just returned from our family holiday in Crete, the resort is small but we found that not to be a problem. Plenty of good eating places, the Blue sky along the beach front very good. We found staff in most places very friendly and helpful. Local transport very good and cheap. Heraklion well worth a visit. We would not stay at the Klio again, the pool area in our opinion needs attention the pool itself although is cleaned daily needs some work, the 8yr old came out with blue legs off the sides of the pool. Rimi the pool barman is lovely very friendly and good at making snacks.

We would not class these apartments 3* as stated in the brochure. The public areas looked ok although we only ventured into the public loos once as the mozzes had taken over. The rooms were very much in need of up dating everything was old and well used, you could not do any self catering through lack of equipment. I know we cannot expect a full fitted kitchen but we did expect a little more. 

The maids did not do much we had to ask for clean linen and towels, I also asked for toilet rolls and was dumbfounded when told we had to supply our own. We were booked into two rooms but having seen the one on the ground floor we moved into one room, the ground floor room was like a sauna and very dark my husband refered to it as the "Dungeon" 

We did enjoy our holiday but felt we paid far too much for this accomadation.

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Klio Apartments - Gouves

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook (Sunset)    May 2005

Opinion submitted in Oct 2005 by : Bigmick - Doris, Kent   ( 53, 60 )

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

This was our second time to Gouves for our hols, and to the Klio apartments. The apartments are very basic, but suitable for self catering holidays. Has a small pool, ideal for families with small children.

The sandy beach is about a 3 minute walk from the apartments where you can hire sun loungers and a brolly for 6 euros, and has a water sport facility. The couple who run part of the beach, George and Anna, and staff are very friendly and always make you very welcome.

We have tried a few of the taverna's in the main street just up the road on our first holiday (2004), but this year (2005), decided there was only one place to dine, and that was Dimitris, firstly the food was excellent and a wide variety of choice, secondly, the staff were very curtious and friendly, and by the time our fortnight was up, they made us feel part of the family. If you visit Gouves, I would highly recommend giving Dimitris a try, and they also have a kareoke bar there.

All in all, we had a fantastic holiday and have booked two holidays for next year in Gouves. This may not be everyone's cup of tea, but for us it's perfect.

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Klio Apartments - Gouves

Operator and Date: (Sunset Discounts) Sunset - June 2004

Opinion submitted in Aug 2004 by : Sophie Davidson - London (35)

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

These apartments are better suited for families with young children than single people, as I recently found out.  There are three separate buildings, one was modern, the other reasonably modern, and the third quite old and not very nice.  I had to pay a huge single supplement, and was given a shabby basement studio in the older building next to where everybody parked their cars, so I could not sit outside. 

The main hotel area was nice, and the staff were friendly, but the restaurant wasn't brilliant.  The pool bar was good, but the pool area was full of families, so I settled for the beach instead, which was not all that spectacular, except for a bay, about 15 minutes walk away, where you could rent a sun lounger reasonably cheaply and swim quite safely (the sea seemed to be too choppy everywhere else).

I would not recommend the Klio apartments to single travellers, or even couples, but would thoroughly recommend it to families, as there is a well stocked supermarket within the apartments, and everything is family friendly.

The main resort of Gouves is about a 20 minute walk along the beach, and you have to take your life in your hands, not only because of the manic drivers, but also because the pavements on the beach side are treacherous.

The resort itself is fine, with plenty of excellent tavernas, bars and nightclubs which seem to stay open throughout the night, so probably not so good for those seeking a relaxing break.  I can also recommend hiring a car rather than going on the organised tours, which are rather expensive.  Gouves is a good base for exploring the area, and I can strongly recommend Elounda, Sissi and Agios Nikolaos for day trips and better beaches!

If you want to do a tour, use a local company, like Mike's tours, rather than Thomas Cook, as it is a lot cheaper, eg the day trip to Santorini costs 64 euros instead of 81 euros with Thomas Cook.  You can also go by Hydrofoil, which costs only 75 euros and is a far shorter journey.

Basically, I would recommend coming to this area under your own steam rather than through a tour operator such as Thomas Cook or Sunset, as you can get accommodation more cheaply, and Thomas Cook charge £5 for the airline meal.

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Klio Apartments - Gouves

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook (sunset) - Date Not Specified

Opinion submitted in June 2004 by : Manchester Area

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

we have been to klio apartments now for the passed four years. the klio is family run and great for a quite family holiday. with a selection of shops and bars. 

It is in an excellent location has it is just outside of the main center aprrox 20 min stroll. a few of bars have little parks for the kids to play. The beach is just minutes down the road, a very well maintained pool area which is clean everyday.The maid service you can't complain about. The staff are very helpful if you need anything all you need to do ask. The only real noise problem is from the coaches if you are in your apartment is backing on to the road.

The food in the restaurant is good value for money as well as a lot of restaurant in the centre. dont forget to visit the market in heraklion on a sataurday, the early you get there the better. If you take the boat trip to santorini dont take the ferry option because the smell from the ferry make everyone ill from getting on to getting off and the food is very poor.
visit there website and see for yourself:-www  kiloapartments  com

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Kouros Apartments - Gouves

Operator and Date: (Libra Discounts) Libra August 2004

Opinion submitted in Jan 2005 by : Steve Halliday Buckingham 52,51

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Poor

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We arrived in the middle of the night to find reception closed and no lights on, our coach Rep could not find the lights or our room and just left us.Thanks to a late night party goer we found the key just left in the door!

The accommodation was basic to say the least, the bed was a thin matteress on concrete breeze blocks and the toilet leaked sewage onto the floor, it was reported but nothing was done.

The pool was absolutly filthy and I took photographs, I was seen and the pool was closed the next day. It was cleaned by an off duty Airline Captain and a member of the bar staff using a high pressure steam cleaner and was finally opened a couple of days before we flew home.

The resort itself is akin to a miniture blackpool with all night bars and thumping rock music to ensure you dont get any sleep before 4am.

Local drivers have failed to grasp the basic rudements if driving and it is the Taxi drivers who cause the most accidents, they are known as the Killers.

Would we return to Crete? possibly. To this resort? No. To these apartments? We would rather sleep in the street!

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Lavris Hotel and Bungalows - Gouves

Operator and Date: Med Hotels-Aug 2006

Opinion submitted in August 2006 by : Emma and James (23, 31)

Resort Rating: Below Average

Accommodation Rating: Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We had a lovely holiday in Crete but only because we hired a car and got out of Gouves!  The resort is full of run-down, unfinished, dirty buildings.  The beach is long but not very wide and, even though ash trays were provided, people still felt the need to completely litter the beach with their cigarette ends. So when you read about the beach being sandy and gorgeous, please don't picture white, sunkissed sands and calm turquoise sea like we did as you will be in for a shock (picture it more like the tacky seaside resorts you get in the UK- this is a lot closer to the truth!)  There are enough restaurants and bars to keep you occupied for a week, but stay any longer and you will get bored.

We hired a jeep for a few days-scenery was fantastic.  Please do this in order to see the real Crete as it is beautiful and made our holiday! The North East of Crete is very pretty and seems more relaxing.

We would go back to Crete, but would definately not go back to Gouves as it is, in our opinion, one of the worst resorts on the island.

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Lavris Hotel and Bungalows - Gouves

Operator and Date: Sunmaster_Jul2006

Opinion submitted in August 2006 by : Cheryl Rathbone-andover (46, 39, 14

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

I was dreading this holiday would turn into a holiday from hell. 

We arrived early afternoon and given the key to our bungalow. It was right down the bottom near the cess-pit. We had to drag our luggage down a good few steps. I felt I had walked into a cave. It was dark and dingy. The bathroom had no ventilation and was gloomy. Although it smelt musty it was as clean as an old worn-out appartment could be. We unpacked and walked around the complex. At first sight, I couldn't see the "pleasant setting", but hey, this is Crete! Apart from the newer parts, it looked quite tired. The pool didn't look hugely inviting, there were not enough sun-beds or parasols when the hotel is this full and the lower pool, which is quieter and looks cleaner, is too far away from the bar and you are not allowed to take drinks or snacks away from the bar area.

The first evening meal looked as if it had been kept since the day before. I spent the first night in the cave. I didn't fancy breakfast or lunch the next day and I spoke to the rep about being moved. She arranged for an appointment with the manager, Dimitri, that evening. We paid to upgrade and to be perfectly honest, once in a decent room, the sun started to shine a bit. Nothing looked THAT bad anymore. I suffer from IBS and have to be very careful what I eat and I have got to say that, ignoring the dish-water soup, relying very much on some delicious salad but sampling some quite reasonable hot dishes, the food wasn't too bad. It was not 4 star. For the number of guests the choice was too limited.

We hired a car for 5 of our seven days and this helped. 

It was quite nice, overall. It was not the holiday from hell I expected but be warned, the AI stops dead at 12 on check-out day, they won't even let you have a free coffee. Having paid to upgrade to the room I had expected to get anyway and not getting 4 star food, I begrudged paying them one Euro more. It was a decent enough holiday but not good value on high-season prices.

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Lavris Hotel and Bungalows - Gouves

Operator and Date: Medhotels - May 2006

Opinion submitted in May 2006 by : James (Pod) Pearson - Cambridge (39,38)

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

I heard some bad reports about this hotel and bungalows, but found it to be quite good, for the amount of money I had paid.

I'll start with the problems. When you arrive at 3am, the receptionist will try to get you to upgrade to the hotel, before you have even seen the bungalow you are in!! at 3 am, all you want to do is go to bed!! just say NO. The only other problem I can think of is that at times, the bar people are very slow to serve you. They will collect glasses or do other things whilst you are stood waiting at the bar.

Now to the positives. The rooms in the bungalows are basic, but are very clean and very adequate for your holiday.The staff in general are very friendly. The animator was new, the week we were there, but she soon got into it.Her name is Amandine, but I said she should change it to Frenchy (her being French!!) and she did!! absolute diamond of a girl. (Anybody who goes, give her my best wishes)

All in all, a great holiday, where we met some really nice people. We WILL return.  

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Lavris Hotel and Bungalows - Gouves

Operator and Date: We booked privatly - 2006

Opinion submitted in October 2006 by : Gerard en Paula Zoetermeer Holland 52 53

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We loved are stay at the hotel. Met some old friends and had a lovely time. Room, view, food, personal were good. The only thing that needs improving is the shower. Gouves is a guiet place at this time of year. Visit the sea aquarium at Gouves.

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Lavris Hotel and Bungalows - Gouves

Operator and Date: Med Hotels - 2006

Opinion submitted in October 2006 by : Christine & Richard Schofield

Resort Rating: Poor

Accommodation Rating: Poor

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Having visited many Greek islands and the mainland, Lavris hotel,Crete unfortunately was a big disappointment.  Firstly I was sold the hotel holiday as a four star package, (as per the website directed to by the med. hotels girl on the phone, only to arrive and be placed in the "Bungalows".  These are decidedly 2 Star (if that).  I complained to reception that I paid for 4 star and was advised they could do nothing to speak to the Rep. Unless of course, I wanted to pay to upgrade to the 4 Star part of the hotel. (???) the rep had the same reply. (???)  So what do you do put up and shut up, seems to be the norm at this hotel.  At least a dozen other people were told four star and were just as disgruntled.  

The food was as described by others, recycled from the previous days left overs.  Quite bland and not at all like the normal Greek cuisine.   For anyone who wants to pay all inclusive prices for very basic accomodation, this is the place for you.  Absolutely no entertainment (even the entertainer left a few days after we arrived)apart from a Greek night you had to pay for. No thanks.  You also have to pay to have a fridge in your room (standard in all our other Greek hotels), then pay extra to keep your room, even if your flying out the next morning.  Big Rip Off.  We had to get out of Gouves, spent ten days hiring a scooter to see the island and excape the hotel.

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Lavris Hotel and Bungalows - Gouves

Operator and Date: Med Hotels - July 2005

Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : Daryl & Sally Chelmsford

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We booked last minute via Teletext. Great value for an AI. Bungalows are quite basic with dated decor, however very clean and tidy. Good cleaning service with fresh towels every day. Pool and surrounding area very nice lots of colourful flowers and you might be lucky with a sea view.

Out of choice we upgraded for the last three nights of our week to the 4* Hotel room for only 20 euros prpn. This was a lot nicer, based on the same style as bungalows but slightly larger with modern decor a Tv and fridge. Air-con was standard in both rooms. 

Food is above average, large selection of salad, meat, fish and good deserts.  Veggies will not be disappointed. Breakfast wasn't your typical fry-up but this is usual I think with most Mediterranean hotels. Always lots of fresh fruit and veg and wine and beer on tap with dinner.

All staff very pleasant and helpful particularly Zeta at the front desk who always wore a smile. In fact they all did. Great place, never hungry, lots of sun.

Get a car to see Crete because it's a beautiful Island. Car hire £25 a day from the front desk.

If any reads this that was there with us how's it going, and we hope you all got home safely in the end!

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Lavris Hotel and Bungalows - Gouves

Operator and Date: June 2005

Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : Zoe & Jerad Heydon ( 28&34)

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We booked this holiday at the last minute which it seems alot of people who ended up here also did. We soon found out why!!

On arrival we were shown to our room for it not to have been cleaned (good start) then to another room which eas in the Bungalows part of the complex and could only be described as the room off psycho on a good day ! it was dingy and really grimy not a chance i could slrrp in there (the * rating must be way different in greece to spain)

we made our way to reception and asked why we were put in the bungalows as our receipt clearly stated lavris paradise, she was okay about it a little touchy nothing too bad.

anyway we were told that if we wanted to stay there we could upgrade at a cost of around 60 euros so we did . feeling a bit ripped off, but what a difference i cant advise it strongly enough PAY THE UPGRADE!!  It made our holiday .

The food is as all the other reveiws say okay mostly but they are rehashed for other meals and when they dont allow you in (men) with shorts on you would expect more . Luckily I love salad but its a very limited menu and trust me you won't look at mousse or jelly for a very long time afterwards!

We had a really relaxing few days ,mainly because we stayed in th bottom pool which is peaceful and clean.
we wouldnt go back  but a nice few days in the very hot sun .

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Lavris Paradise Bungalows - Gouves

Operator and Date: med holidays - 2006

Opinion submitted in October 2006 by : anita  21 again sean 35 ben 12 charlie 3

Resort Rating: Below Average

Accommodation Rating: Below Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

ACCOM
We arrived just before midnight and the night porter showed us where we would be staying. It was right down the bottom near the cess-pit. The smell was ABSOLUTELY disgusting. We had to drag our luggage down a good few steps. I felt I had walked into a cave. It was dark and dingy. A bit like a 1960s Butlins chalet.The bathroom had no ventilation and was gloomy and smelt really musty. We had noticed a sign regarding upgrades so I immediately went to enquire about an upgrade. I could NOT stay in that room for two weeks. He was unable to upgrade me at that time but requested to return in the morning and I would be able to upgrade then.
First thing next day I went to enquire re upgrade and I was given a key to go and look at the 4 *Paradise room. We immediately said yes and moved straight away. These rooms were bright and airy and a lot bigger

POOLS
The pools were clean although my son cut his foot on a tile in the baby pool by the bar , I informed Dimitri the manager and he said that he would get it sorted. I expected the pool to be drained that evening and the tile to be replaced but by the end of the holiday and 4 more sliced feet by other children it still had not been repaired. BEWARE

ENTERTAINMENT
The entertainment on a night was very limited Martina did her best with the occasion quiz. The karioke was broken so I complained again to Dimitri the manager and he asked martina to put on mini disco for the children and he promised to get the karioke fixed still wasnt fixed by the end of the hols. the internet wasnt working so i spoke yet again to Dimitri and suggested that in the unused cards room that he replace that with a cyber cafe for the teenagers and charge 1 euro for 30 mins. he said he would do this. (But dont hold your breath)

FOOD
Nickos was really lovely as the restaurant manager really friendly. The food is the same in all hotel restaurants only so much choice for large quantities.But not one of our family went down with a tummy bug which was good.

POOL BAR
Petros, Dagmara and Nora were nice but initially we had problems with Stephanos when that was all sorted out he was fine but they do keep an eye on what your drinking and when 2300 comes around the service seems to get slower. A tip buy them some shots of RAKI and then they will remember what your drinking.
It sounds like we didnt enjoy our holiday, we met some really really nice people and all the children got on so the holiday all in all was fine.

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Lavris Paradise Bungalows - Gouves

Operator and Date: Last Minute / Holiday Bargains - Sept 2005

Opinion submitted in Oct 2005 by : Denise & Tina (33, 34)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We booked a last minute holiday at this hotel and for the price we paid, it seemed a little too good to be true.  The reviews on this website were very mixed, so we were a little apprehensive on arriving at the hotel.

However, on arrival, we were pleasantly surprised.  The rooms were clean, if basic - but this is common for Greece; there was air conditioning included; the pool area was clean and there were enough sunbeds for the time of year we visited.

Stefano the evening barman was fabulous!  Always friendly, as were all the other staff(particularly Zeta on reception), and made us feel very much at home.

The hotel entertainment team - Sam and Kate - were very friendly and tried their best.

Gouves itself is a small town, but this is more than made up for by the friendly locals.  There was a choice of places to eat out - the chinese is particularly good - and lots of bars to choose from.  They would stay open for as long as you wanted to drink.  We spent many a happy hour in The Yard of Ale where Nikos the friendly barman entertained us with his tricks.

If you fancy something more lively, Hersonosis is only 12E in a taxi and has excellent nightlife.

Basically, you get what you pay for and we would certainly recommend this hotel and resort if you want a good value, friendly holiday.

We only intended to stay for 1 week, but were having such a good time, decided to extend our holiday for another few days.

It was very sad when we left as we'd made many friends, so a big YAMMAS to Stefano, Sam, Maria, Zeta and everybody else that we met.

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Lavris Paradise Bungalows - Gouves

Operator and Date: On The Beach Travel LTD - July 2005

Opinion submitted in August 2006 by : Linda & Beki (12,30something)

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Below Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

This was our first AI holiday and we went thinking this resort would be a 4* as stated in the brochure before booking.  Sadly it was no more than a 3* in my opinion for either standard accomodation and food.  I have good and maybe not so good views here - i will start in order of sequence of arrival to leaving;-

Having read other reviews the only thing i would say to you regarding your room is BEWARE!  As most other reviews state - they appear to either not have a room for you or not the room standard you are expecting.  I suspect they do this to try and get you to pay an upgrade.

A short summary of Lavris would be - Adequate.  If you want the basics with no frills this is your hotel.

Our experience goes as follows-

when we arrived we were told there was no room for us.  (having paid an extra day to ensure we had a room prior to 1400 i was totally disappointed and as it was 4am in morning my daughter and i were extremely tired). After an hour of discussion with the chap on the desk he eventually claimed he had a room which was booked out to another party who had not yet arrived.  Unfortunately it was nothing short of a disgrace - one of the beds was  a 3/4 size - which with the best will in the world was not going to fit either my daughter or I as we are over the required height of 3ft to be sleeping in such a bed .we had no view in the first rooom other than the air conditioning unit on a type of balcony thing but unfortunately we had no air conditioning ourselves!!.  The bedding was soiled and the tv didnt work.  The door also did not lock.  We had a few visitors to share this horror with too(cockroaches)

On complaining the chap on the desk refused to call the manager saying that the Manager would only be in at 10am and he refused to call him any earlier.  He suggested we sleep at the reception if we did not like our room.

OK - so thats the bad out of the way.  The good was that as someone else pointed out in their review - the people that were there on our 2 weeks were the friendliest, nicest people we have ever met. They were mainly Italians and Brits.  The food was adequate and good  value - i would imagine that if staying 2 wks anywhere on AI it will and did become repetetive.  The entertainment staff made good efforts to include all children and adults and really tried to vary the evening entertainment.  Again very 3* but good all the same.  The bar staff were Stefano and Janet and they were great although very busy. The local village was very good i thought - small but lots of bars, clothes stalls, jewellry and cheap food. It is not a place for young Clubbers though - it really is more of a family or couples place .  The beach is a reasonable walk - but it is georgeous and buzzing.  Worth a few day visits.  It was easy to get around on the roads with a car - Agias Nicholias was beautiful as was Elounda.  Worth hiring a car for travelling.  Next door bar owner (older chap plays backgammon) was really friendly and typical Greek = although  particulary drawn to his many shots of ouzo (as are most of the locals)still he was pleasant and friendly.

All in all we had a good time largely due to the type of people that were staying there - reasonable food and upgraded rooms are great (but just much more holiday expense) staff friendly and facilities basic but adequate. i dont think the owner and his son Dmitris were particularly client friendly - they played too much the big boss dont worry me syndrome.  The pool was average to below average for a 4* and didnt always look too clean.  However i know that they did clean it every night.

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Lavris Paradise Bungalows - Gouves

Operator and Date: med hotels -july 2005

Opinion submitted in Aug 2005 by : 49 , 52

Resort Rating: Below Average

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Upon arrival at the Lavris at 5.30 in the morning we were met by the night porter in reception to be told that there was a problem.The problem being that our room was overbooked until lunchtime therefore they had booked us into another hotel down the road and sent us off in a taxi.The night porter there was very freindly and showed us to our room were we just wanted to sleep for a few hours but slept very little due to the fact that we did not know really if we would have a room later that day and then wandering what to do with ourselves not being able to unpack and relax on the first day of our holiday.

DImitris the manager from the Lavris came to collect us around 13.00 he gave us his appologise and said it was his decision to sent us to the Gouves Park for the morning and would make it up to us.We found our room to be clean and comfortable later that first evening a bowl of fresh fruit and a bottle of wine was deliverded to our room with compliments from Dimitris although we had gone all inclusive and could have these items in the restaurant cooled when we requierd them.

The food through our two week stay repeated itself quite a lot.The entertainment was very little and the evening bar service was terrible.Janet the barperson that was on every day was very friendly and welcoming from day one.The area itself is very limited to a few tavernas and shops.We will not be going back to this area of crete and i do not think The Lavris Paradise is the place to stay for two weeks.

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Lavris Paradise Bungalows - Gouves

Operator and Date: June 2005

Opinion submitted in May 2006 by : Neal - Manchester (34,30)

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Overall, this one one of the most enjoyable holidays we've had.  The really positive thing about this hotel is that the management clearly have aspirations ('delusions' is too harsh) since going 4*, so they go out of their way to try and please you in a professional way.  The hotel is about 15 minutes walk outside Gouvres (the receptionist knew a really good hairdresser on the way into town btw).

The complex was very clean and all seemed pretty fresh.  It wasn't noisy at all.  The pool was nice.  The rooms were basic, but fine.  There are 3* and 4* rooms (both ok, 3* older and without AC and TV I think), but make sure you know which you paid for, and which you end up getting.

The entertainments team tried very hard (although I should imagine these change every year).  OK, there wasn't a kids club, but all the kids there seemed to be entertained enough.  The evening entertainment was fine.  It is not a lively place, but there is enough to keep us amused.  And had really good fun with the water polo.

The food was fine, but a bit repetitive.  We are both strict vegetarians, and the choices were a little limited - but not that bad.  We spoke to the manager about the vegetarian choices, and he took a personal interest in making sure that we always had an option.  Can't fault that kind of service.  The AI element included toasties in the afternoons.  We had tummy pains when using their soft drinks, which disappeared when we took our own bottled water into the restaurant.  So, be careful.

I'm not sure why, but the people staying at this place seemed to be the most friendly that I've come across.  All ages, but not really for teens looking for a happening time (or whatever the current street phrase is).  Usually we keep ourselves to ourselves, but we really enjoyed the interaction this time.  Something about this place must make people have a good time.

Bottom line is that I would recommend this place.

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Lavris Paradise Bungalows - Gouves

Operator and Date: Last minute.com (Med hotels) - April 2005

Opinion submitted in May 2005 by : Phil Coombs  56

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

April 23rd 2005, the date I arrived at the Lavris Paradise hotel complex, at 9am, greeted warmly by the General manger Dimitris, who immediately made me feel welcome and comfortable and not just at the arrival, but throughout my one week stay at the resort. Maria, (the front office / customer guest relations manager), also the daughter of the owner of the hotel was checking me in and afterward Maria showed me to my room. I had booked All Inclusive at the 4 star Lavris paradise hotel complex , so meals and drinks were all part and parcel of my stay, my first lunch at the resort restaurant was outstanding as were all meals thereafter, the choices were many and the quality was of an extremely high standard, the chef prepared traditional Greek food in the traditional manner and the flavours he produced would delight any culinary expert. I was to meet the assistant Manager next, 'Titos', the son of the owner, Titos was very friendly and again this helped me ease into my stay at the complex, his assistance and concern throughout the week was excellent as was all the staff at the Lavris, from the waitresses who looked after my needs,  Mania & Gianna, to the ladies cleaning the rooms all were very attentive. 

Once meals are over I recommend a visit to the poolside bar, Barbara the bar manger was in total control behind the bar and was able to produce some really stylish looking beverages also some pretty clever fun drinks for the children with their parents, there was always pleasant music playing at the bar which opened up onto a luxurious pool which was one of three open air pools, plus one indoor pool within the complex and all were scrupulously clean as was the beautiful room I had been allocated. I must stress the entire complex was spotlessly clean and extremely well maintained. Gouves was a lovely little Town and contained all the needs of most human beings, the townspeople were all very friendly, I was amazed how many were able to converse in English with me, the beaches were clean and the water was so warm, the sun shone all week during my stay which was an extra bonus. 

Altogether this was one of the most relaxing vacations I have ever taken. I would recommend a stay at this very beautiful resort and at the Lavris hotel complex.

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Lavris Paradise Hotel - Gouves

Operator and Date: Med Holidays - August 2004

Opinion submitted in Aug 2004 by : J.Reynolds - Northern Ireland (30, 26)

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

My boyfriend and I have just returned from a one-week holiday in Crete.  We booked very last minute and all we wanted was a break away to relax and get a nice tan.  This holiday met both of these objectives.  The weather was fantastic and as the resort was so quiet it suited us both down to the ground.  However if it is a holiday of wild nights out that you are after, this is definitely not the place to go. Gouves is quaint and very quiet.  There are a handful of bars and decent restaurants and no nightclubs.  

The Lavris Hotel is nice, we stayed in the B Class bungalows which were clean and of a good standard.  I had the opportunity to look at the A Class apartments and they were very good and were equipped with A/C, however in the bungalows A/C was not included and cost 5 Euros a day if you decided that you wanted it.  The staff at the hotel were friendly, as were most of the workers in Gouves.  There is a bar next to the hotel and the craic in there is great, the owner is very genuine and friendly and you are guaranteed to have a good laugh if you frequent this place.

On a more negative note the all-inclusive at the hotel is not great.  Breakfasts and lunches were decent enough, however the evening meals were just average.  There tended to be the same choice of meals every night and quite frankly the choices were not great.  My boyfriend and I went out for meals in Gouves a couple of nights, just to have a bit of variety.  To be honest you would not starve and could get by with the food for a week but if your holiday is for two weeks I would definitely recommend that you bring enough money to dine out on occassions, particularly if you have children as meal choices for them at the hotel is limited.  

The all-inclusive drinks are not the best either; there is only local drinks available free of charge and if you try to order a couple of these during last orders the staff are very strict on only allowing one beveridge per person. There is little entertainment at the hotel and there was no Greek BBQ as we were told there would be.

In general the holiday met our needs, as it was last minute we were not expecting too much and were pleasantly surprised by the accommodation.  Go to this place if you do not care about drinking too much alcohol, are not fussy about food and want a quiet, relaxing time.  It is a decent place with freindly staff and fantastic weather, the all-inclusive lets this hotel down.

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Lavris Paradise Hotel - Gouves

Operator and Date: Med Hotels - July 2004

Opinion submitted in Jan 2005 by : Peter Gray (32,28)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Had a great time, weather was great, great rooms, friendly staff, clean and tidy place. Two outdoor pools which was great and a large bar next to one. All inclusive was more or less what i expected from other AI in Greece... The good think is that we had the choice of vodka, rum and gin if we didnt want to drink lager or wine. Food was ok, we never had to go out to eat cause we didnt find something. The entertainment could be improved as it consisted of Bingo, Karaoke, Live Music, Cretan Music and Music Quiz. 

All in all we can say that it was a 'value for money' holiday. 

We recommend it by all means.

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Lavris Paradise Hotel - Gouves

Operator and Date: Med Hotels Jul 2004

Opinion submitted in Aug 2004 by : Wilton - Southampton 40, 10,6

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Below Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

I have just returned from a fortnight's stay in the Lavris Paradise with my two children, and would not recommend this Hotel to All-inclusive guests or anyone else wanting to eat there.

The accommodation in the Lavris Paradise (4*) is very pleasant and comfortable, benefiting from air conditioning, fridge and Sat TV.  The Paradise complex (3*) is extremely basic.  The hotel setting is pleasant enough and the two main outdoor pools are lovely, clean and well maintained. The two children's pools are very small.  The hotel also has an indoor pool, however this again is very small.  The opening times for this are restricting, if open at all!  The sauna was not in use until half way through our second week, when signs for it suddenly appeared overnight.

The hotel's A-Z  services brochure located in all rooms, boasts facilities available;  Animation programme, (which I later found out meant 'entertainment') children's playroom and play park.  The play park is small consisting of two swings a seesaw and a slide.  The playroom has a Wendy house, a 'trikes' seesaw and junior basketball hoop.  Ok if you do not have any children over 5 or 6.  Teenagers are not catered for.  

Entertainment starts at 21.30 and consists of Bingo, Greek Dancing, karaoke and a musician. One event per night and sometimes there is no entertainment. There was no BBQ, or Cretan Nights etc, as detailed in Hotel write-ups.
The overall package for All Inclusive guests was far from satisfactory.  The drinks offered were local wines; beer, Brandy, Ouzo, etc. Do not expect to get any familiar named products for free. Soft drinks available are lemonade, coke, and orangeade.  You cannot get any juice or have any type of cordial for free.

We were unable to get a soft drink or coffee between 10.00am and 11.00am when breakfast finishes and the pool bar opens. Coffee stops at 6pm, after this time you have to pay. Snacks start at 11.00am and only ever consist of cheese, ham, Spam and tomato. And if you want to toast them you can use a broken toasting machine. (My 10 year old sustained a nasty burn from this whilst making a snack).  In the afternoon the snacks were the same as the morning, but the AI list of entitlements states cakes and ice cream is available.  I never saw cake during the whole duration of my stay and Ice cream is only available from 16.30

There is only one dining area (No Taverna - as stated) this is pretty much a canteen, where everyone helps himself or herself to what they want. All I can say about the food is that it was boring, bland and quite frankly a disgrace.  What ever wasn't eaten would be served up again at the next sitting disguised as something else. Hot Brussel sprouts - next serving cold Brussel sprouts in the Salad bar with cheese sauce!  Forget about desserts, as they only ever offered jelly, and Angel delight, the only thing that changed was the colour. There is no fruit offered except melon.

The lack of sun beds was a huge problem for all guests.  You had to get up at the crack of dawn to get one and eventually guests were leaving their towels on them overnight, causing even more problems.  The hotel management didn't appear to be concerned about any of the above issues and were rather dismissive and impolite to the guests when such problems were raised.

But apart from that the weather was absolutely fantastic, we met some very nice people. 

The Taverna next to the Lavris; Asteria, run by Spyros, Mike and family made our stay more bearable.  Spyros certainly knew how to pull the AI guests away from the Lavris!

On the whole Gouves was ok, quite quiet during the day and a little livelier at night, and Crete is beautiful.  I would return to Crete but not to this area. Thank goodness we hired a car for a fortnight!

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Lavris Paradise Hotel - Gouves

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - May 2004

Opinion submitted in June 2004 by : Clare Peto - London (37, 34, 8, 5)

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Initially the room which we were allocated was extremely poor, we therefore upgraded, which cost us another 150 pounds, 210 euros. 
The meals were extremely basic and after a few days very boring. 
The lack of sunbeds was extremely annoying, as you had to get up at dawn to even contemplate reserving a sunbed for the day.
There was none of the promised entertainment except for a Greek evening, which did not include a BBQ, just Greek dancers !!!
This was our first experience at an all inclusive resort, which quite frankly has not encouraged us to book AI again.
I would come back to Crete, but definitely not this hotel and not this resort!!

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Lyda Apartments - Gouves

Operator and Date: 2007

Opinion submitted in July 2007 by : 

Resort Rating: Poor

Accommodation Rating: Poor

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

hersonosis town itself is a great holiday for young people, star beach is a must see, we went as a group of friends aged 19-22 and it was excellent, lovely bars and cafes. we stayed in gouves which is way too far away from the town, there is no bars and cafes there and the lida apartments were disgraceful the staff treated us like we were staying in a prison, the rooms were disgusting, the food was horrible the building was falling down and drab and we were treated awfully by all the staff, the rooms were not cleaned and the air conditioning didnt work, the toilets were filthy

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Lyda Apartments - Gouves

Operator and Date: budget  travel Aug 2006

Opinion submitted in January 2007 by : cusack x10

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

the lyda apartments are a very nice place to stay,the only thing i would complain about is that they are kinda in the middle of nowhere but taxis are very handy to get. the cleaners came in everyday and change your sheets and towels once a week. the staff are very friendly espially the guy in reception who would sit chatting to us for ages.  there is a supermarket in the apartments and 2 little shops just outside them. there was a few places to get a meal nearby- the shamrock and the rainbow bar but other than that you would have to walk a 15-20 min walk to Gouves main street or a taxi for a few euro. oh and watch the main road just outside the apartment, there a few little roads leeding into one. there's a few nice restaurants and pubs in Govues main street for people with children but the real nightlife is in hersonniss. there was 10 of us between the age of 18-23 so we went to hersonniss every night, there's a big long strip of night clubs and reataurants. very livly, the best clubs to go to were, new york, temple bar and players!!!!!
hersonniss is great to go to during the day for shopping too-loads of shops!!
there are some good places to visit too, aqua park in the mountains, star beach and theres a few boat trips too. 

all in all we had a great holiday and i'd defo go back but probably to hersonniss as it is more livly and theres more around you.

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Lyda Apartments - Gouves

Operator and Date: Budget Travel - August 2005

Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : Marcella, - Cork. (41, 39, 16, 13, 2)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

At first, when we arrived I thought "Oh my God where are we". There wasn't much around us. Our apartment was great, very basic but lovely. The pools were fab and the kids loved it. Not alot there for my older two children but I couldn't keep my smallest out of the pool. The staff are wonderful and very friendly. one fab restaurant was Milos down passed the Rainbow Bar, which was also good. Be careful when crossing the main road, the drivers there are mad and don't stop!!! I really enjoyed this holiday as it was my first time to any of the Greek Islands and we met some wonderful new friends. 

I will definately return!!!

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Lyda Apartments - Gouves

Operator and Date: budget travel-july 2005

Opinion submitted in Aug 2005 by : dalu- dublin 39,42,13,10

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

i have just returned from lyda i enjyed it.

when we got thre we were put acros the road into hrible aartments away from everything else with a tiny pool we complainrd and got an appartment in the main complex with 3 pools and snacks bars there is nothing a all besie the appartments exept 2 supermarkets.nice places to eat were blue sky on the beach as there is 2.

we hired a car so we cud get around.there is not much to do 4 young kids as my chldren were bored.i would return to crete but defitnly not to lyda mabey to somewere WITH SOMTHING TO DO AND GO

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Lyda Apartments - Gouves

Operator and Date: Budget - June 2005

Opinion submitted in June 2005 by : Cathy & Gus Kearns, Dublin (38, 44)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Have just returned from a fantastic two weeks in the Lyda Studios in Gouves.  We have been going there for the last 17 years and as usual lived up to expectations.  The staff in the Lyda made our holiday, particularly Yiannis in the Chill Out Bar, Nicos & Maria in the Snack Bar, and Maria in the Sunset Bar (all part of the Lyda Studios complex). 

We would really like to recommend a restaurant we discovered this year called Da Vinci Code (not very Greek I know) but the food, service and price are excellent.  They serve real Greek food not tourist food and we can highly recommend it (for anyone who has been to Gouves before it used to be called George Place, beside the Panethon Place Hotel). Please go and say hello to Alkis and Miranda who really looked after us so well. 

Already looking forward to going back in September. 

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Lyda Apartments - Gouves

Operator and Date: Budget Travel Ireland June 2005

Opinion submitted in June 2005 by : Nicole McGuigan, Galway (30, 29, 8)

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

The Lyda Studios and Apartments consist of 5 large blocks, with 4 pools and 2 kiddy pools, a restaurant, a shop, 3 bars, 2 internet terminals, 2 air hockey and 3 pool tables. In the main area are 4 of the apartment blocks and all but one pool, the rest being over the road a 2 minute walk away.

The rooms are cleaned 4 - 6 times a week, new towels, sheets folded although not always changed, rubbish taken. Our studio was a good size, not cramped, plainly decorated with a reasonable bathroom and good strong shower. One double 2 single beds. Room has air conditioning but we did not need it. We had a balcony overlooking the largest pool which was excellent as we could supervise child from the balcony. We were on the top (third) floor in the furtherest block from the entrance and would recommend this. A single traveller left as her room was very poor and they were full so would not change her. 

Would avoid a ground floor apartment as some are below the level of the pools / walkways so people walking past can look staright onto your outdoor area. Little privacy in these rooms. However there arent many of these and overall the accommodation seemed to be of a high quality. Did not see inside an apartment to make a judgement.
The mosquitos did not bother us too much although we had taken a plug in which kept them away, you can buy them there for about 7 euro.

Quiet resort mainly, entertainment on 5 nights a week including karaoke, band, limbo, sports games on big TV, movie night. Two big pools were completely unfenced - one was very deep - would not be safe for unsupervised kids especially small ones. These two also had music being played during the day. The largest pool had a sunken bar in it to drink at the bar while in the pool. The third large pool in main complex was fenced and quiet, also with its own bar. Restaurant / snack bar was reasonable food reasonable prices, alcohol cheap by irish standards but not be Cretan standards. Overall eating and drinking in Crete was a little more expensive than Spain. Still much less than Ireland though. Shop in complex was good prices generally, slightly dearer than the two food market shops on the little road next to Lyda. Beer and alcohol cheap.

Gouves is nothing much really, a bit to see but cant hold your attention for long. Can hire cars just across from Lyda towards sea, we hired a small one for 90 euros for 3 days, the longer you hire the cheaper. Best prices can be found in Hersonissos which is a one euro bus fare away and a bustling resort with cheap souveniers, McDonalds, mini golf, Star beach, waterfront restaurants at reasonable prices and lots of trips and tours available. We also went into Iraklion which has a nice Venetian castle on the waterfront and a good atmosphere but catch the bus dont drive its mad. Best trip was to Rethymnon which is a great visit but too far for bus, need a car for that one.

Would visit again, but 2 weeks was 2 long for such a quiet spot.

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Lyda Apartments - Gouves

Operator and Date: Budget Travel

Opinion submitted in Oct 2005 by : Ann 30, John 31 - Ireland

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Poor

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Would not recommend Lyda Apartments thats the real advice I wanted to put on here. They are horrible. I thought we were the unlucky ones because we were put in a block down the end in the wilderness with only a dirt road to look at but in fact we were LUCKY in the long run.

We arrived on the Friday evening and were allocated our apartment. The apartment itself, a STUDIO MAX 2, was very basic with the smallest bathroom Ive ever seen and two single beds that were impossible to put together into a double bed. The main light wasnt working, we had no view and were blocks from the pool, snack bar etc. However it was only when we used the toilet that we found out the real horror! The pipe at the back of the toilet was leaking and lets just say everything that went in came out again onto the floor and shower area!! I'll leave it to your imagination to picture it.

Anyway we went to reception, we complained about the location first only to be told no one is guaranteed a pool view and they were new apartments!! We then told her about the toilet and she said she would get someone to fix it. We asked could we be moved as we didnt want to have to walk around the bathroom in the meantime. She said it wasnt possible as the place was FULL!! We were promised we would be moved in the morning. So we had to stay there Friday night and on Saturday morning we were feeling optomistic about being moved only to be told they were still FULL and we'd have to stay there again on Saturday night! We rang the Budget office in Crete and they promised to speak to reception but it never happened. So It dragged on and on Sunday only when the REP turned up were we moved to a new apartment. Obviously we were thrilled!

On Sunday night we couldnt sleep with this loud noise and discovered we were now in a room above a big generatoring room! We got no sleep Sunday night and met the Rep again Sunday.

In fairness to the budget rep they were disgusted with the whole thing and only for them we wouldnt have been moved at all. But to warn you if you arrive on Friday you wont see the rep until Sunday so if you have a problem you will be at the mercy of the receptionist!! I cant see how both budget reps are needed for the airport runs at the weekned. Anyway the rep moved us to a lovely resort of Piskopiano because of the problem we had had with the toilet mainly! So it saved us in the end. The rest of the holiday was great and Crete is lovely but just not the Lyda apartments! 

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Lyda Apartments - Gouves

Operator and Date: Budget September 2004

Opinion submitted in Oct 2004 by : P and F 30 Something!

Resort Rating: Poor

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Just back from a 10 Day Holiday in Gouves, we were staying at the Lyda Studios which were beautiful and very clean. We had a balcony with a pool view this was our request on booking.
The studio was for four people, which was very comfortable for two!

Gouves was a bit of a disappointment very quiet waith only a few restaurants and pubs in the main street (as it is called), this was approximately 1 mile walk from the Lyda Studios.
After a couple of nights walking we decided to hire a car and explore the island for ourselves this was great as we visited different resorts during the day and then in the evenings we went into Hersonnises where there were lots of restaurants, pubs, clubs and shops!!

On the whole our holiday was good if the accommodation had been elsewhere.
Two beautiful resorts we visited were Stalis and Elounda.

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Lyda Apartments - Gouves

Operator and Date: Budget - August 2004

Opinion submitted in June 2005 by : Young Irish couple

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We stayed in the Lyda appts in Gouves for 10 nights in August 2005.

I have no complaints at all with the accomodation. Basic but clean and that's what counts! I do recommend the air conditioning (extra)as it's great to return to a cool room and helps sleeping at night.

Also, I believe the maid service came round more often than we expected so that was a bonus(initially told it was 2/3 times a week)

Friendly staff also.

The pools at the Lyda are great and there's plenty of room around them plus adequate sun loungers.

The resort itself is quiet and not much to it but we went into Hersonnossis for the night life 3/4 times during our stay.It's close enough by bus (15 mins) and a taxi home after that.

For a quiet sun holiday,clean appartments, relaxing by the pool yet being close enough to nightlife (Hersonnossis)if you want it then I recommend the Lyda appartments

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Lyda Apartments - Gouves

Operator and Date: Budget - August 2004

Opinion submitted in Sept 2004 by :

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Poor

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Holiday starts off badly with the tpical 3 hour delay in Dublin. When we arrived at the gate it was full of schoolkids  that had been drinking alco pops for about 6 hours and could not hold their drink. Even when the Airport Police were called things did not get much better. On the plane we all settled to 4 hours of singing and sick as th "kids" got more alco pops poured into them by the crew.

When we arrived we thought that we'd be Ok as we had picked a "quite" resourt. We were thrown in with the "kids" again and had 2 weeks of being woken EVERY MORNING between 5 & 7. Don't bother complaining - makes no difference. There was a book at reception FULL of complaints. The place has a kids club for those under 12 - God help you if you brought kids with you! The older kids acted like idiots. They fired air rifels at people The hotel had to block off the pools every night with sun loungers to stop the "kids" jumping in. Still did not stop them. Even down to one "kid" seeing how far he could throw a bottle in the air and see it smash on the ground - BESIDE THE POOL!! at about 2 am

During the day the place was Ok - Quite pool beside the chill out bar. The shop accross the road from the hotle is good and prices vary from cheep to rip off.

We went to the south of the island to get away from the noise - no problem getting rooms over looking the sea for 25 - 35 Euro. Car rental is best on the internet. Budget was offering 160 Euro for 3 days We got it for 23 Euro a day - Just use the internet cafes locally and they will deliver to the hotel.

Hersonnas is load but what to you expect. Beer is cheap and there are plenty of good restaurants for under 40 Euro for 2 incl wine / beers. Best places are beside Lyda Hotel on the seafront.  

Main town where the plane lands is good for a day trip (get the bus - don't bother with Budget) There's a Bizaarr that really good value. All the shops close in the afternoon.

Crete is great and Goves is a good base for a holiday but if I went again I'd just book the flight and stay as far away as possible from Lyda. 

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Lyda Beach Apartments - Gouves

Operator and Date: budget travel - August 2005

Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : 14 16 43 44

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

we found gouves a quite resort,very friendly people, one restaurant behind apartments was excellent myrtos, lyda beach one bed apt was dissapointing it was like a large studio with apartition for bedroom, very small bathroom, if you are sharing ther is no privacy,they were kept clean and there was some intertainment, food was good and resonable,it was a 15min walk to town and there was some nice restaurants there and some shopping,old gooves was lovely very laid back worth visiting as is old hersonisis greek night very good, 

we would definetly go back to crete even gooves,good location for beach, and nice breeze on sea front and we were there in august 05

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Lyda Beach Apartments - Gouves

Operator and Date: Budget Travel - August 2005

Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : Kevin, 40, Rachel, 40, Sean, 13, Daragh, 10, Sean, 8

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We found Lyda Beach apts to be a good size and cleaned regularly. Typically Greek basic accommodation. Pool good size and snack bar/bar open all hours. There was a few groups of late teens/early 20's party-goers who could be a bit noisy in their comings and goings!

The apts are a bit of walk from the main town of Gouves we would recommend taxi (?5) especially if you have kids who don't fancy a 20/30 minute walk.

The Greek restaurants were average enough which was a bit disappointing as we have high hopes having had good experiences elsewhere. If you like Chinese the 'New China' restaurant at the very top of the town was very good.

As always cost of living generally was very low compared to Ireland and meals for five were usually no more than ?70 including beer and wine!

The beach across the road from Lyda is grand but a little small - we stuck to the pool as the kids enjoyed that most.

There was a heatwave last week - temperatures in 40's! But would recommend the once a day sun cream especially for the kids - none of ours burnt and we only used the cream once a day.

All in all a lovely holiday, fine apartments and resort. 

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Lyda Beach Apartments - Gouves

Operator and Date: Budget - June 2005

Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : Eric Thomason- Cork, Ireland (42, 40, 2)

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Hello,

Shenanigans ongoing on Crete with Budget Travel. 

My holidays just ended Sunday the 19th of June 2005. 

We left Cork on the 4th of  June 2005 to go on holidays to Gouves, Crete.  This holiday package was through Budget Travel.  The write up in their summer 2005 catalog stated that the lyda beach hotel is a "class A" accomodation.   We all booked this hotel because it is on the beach,(which is why this complex is sold out from May onwards.)
Towards the end their catalog description of the "outstanding facilities" is a small indescript blurb stating that  "some of the accomodation are basement studio apartments" .  What they don't state is that there are approximately 30 of these basement dungeons with no balcony or seaview,  and that unsuspecting travellers who are traveling in parties of  two and book a 3 bed studio apartment are going to get stuck in one of these airless hellholes, some which do not have windows.

As I stated before, we all booked this hotel because it is on the beach.   We were sold this holiday on the basis of  "Class A" accomodation on the beach.....In Gouves itself there are three budget holels, the flagship lyda beach and two other hotels which are about a mile from the beach, one of which (Lyda Apartments) invloves the crossing of the busy National highway in order to get to and from the beach.

In the party we traveled with there were approximately 8 couples who found themselves in  this predicament.  (There are three arrivals per week from Shannon, Cork, and Dublin--So this drama is played out three times a week).  All of these people complained and although one elderly couple were offered other, better apartments on the second floor of the complex, most were fobbed off with the choice of musical dungeon swapping or taking accomodation across the national highway in the obviously less desireable Lyda apartments.  (Because of their location, these apartments always seem to have spare rooms.)

We almost fell into that trap except that my child celebrated her second birthday there and we had  to pay for her as a child instead of taking the toddler free discount.  We also booked the 4 bed studio instead of the three bed which also helped us dodge the bullit.  (I don't know why they call it a 4 bed as it was just large enough for 2 adults and one almost two year old.)

We loved Crete and the staff at the hotel were excellent although on trips like this there are always things like "Karaoke night" where someone  murders a Brian Adams tune at full volume in the wee hours.  Gouves was  quieter than usual due to a British Travel company "Golden Sun Holidays" going bankrupt  last summer. 

We feel that anyone who booked a 3 bed studio at Lyda Beach should be prepared for athe posibility of having to move to another hotel or accepting accomodation that falls way short of the brochure.
If you check Budget's website for booking information on Lyda Beach, Lyda Apartments, and Mania Apartments in Gouves, Crete you will find that there are no openings for Lyda Beach but that the other two are always available.

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Lyda Beach Apartments - Gouves

Operator and Date: budget travel, Ireland - Sept / Oct 2004

Opinion submitted in Oct 2004 by : B , D, (50, 52)

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We have returned from a weeks holiday in gouves. As we had been there a couple of years ago we were aware that Gouves is a quiet resort which suits us. 

However this accomodation which looks lovely in the brochure was a disappointment.The reception and pool areas on arrival are impressive.However we were given,along with many others a studio apartment in the basement which had little natural light.Although the studio was stated to be suitable for 3 we were cramped with just 2 people.Even compared to several other apartments we have stayed in in crete, which are always basic, this was very basic indeed. kitchen equipment was minimal, no chair or sofa, except for beds. although we were supplied with change of linen twice no cleaning appeared to be done for the week- the bathroom was grubby throughout.As we were unfortunate to hit several days of very bad untypical weather, the apartments seemed even more like a dungeon.

Almost all in basement apartments - there are 30 apts in basement - were very unhappy and many requestd change - a couple of people were successful but there were few vacancies.There is a good 15-20 min walk to the main area of town along the seafront. there are some nice restaurants locally e.g. Mylos and Oasis tavernas 5 mins walk away behind the apartments. the walk to the fantastic bus service is also about 15 mins- we have been spolit in the past in having very quick access to the local bus. 

I would not go back to Lyda Beach (same group as Lyda Apartments near main road) but would return happily to crete at any time and maybe back to gouves.

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Hotel Magda - Gouves

Operator and Date: Fischer  -  May/June 2005

Opinion submitted in June 2005 by : Marta  -  Prague (62, 63)

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: No rating

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

At first, I would not go for the all inclusive category in this hotel any more. This is a citation from the information leaflet we got when complaining on the limited services in the bar: "Our guests on all-inclusive basis can have free of charge: soft drinks, some juices (not fresh), filter coffee, tea, beer, wine by glass or carafe, whiskey... All above alcoholic drinks are locally produced and served also as long drinks." So forget an espresso, real orange juice or a coctail.

Not knowing about such restrictions we tried to order coctails at the bar and learned the hard way: the information had been given to us so as if we were trying to cheat the hotel. It was a very humiliating experience, for the first time we felt with our all inclusive as outcasts, especially when we saw how some of the personnel behaved to cash-paying guests. 

The food is nothing to write home about and especially lunches (again, sorry for buying the all inclusive) were
examples how to use leftovers, and the choice was poor. Dinners were much better but e.g. fish was the same taste all the time, just the sauces changed.

Our room was nice, big and clean, unfortunately, our terace looked to an unkempt piece of land and we fought mosquitoes every night. The traces of those really bloody battles were always cleaned when we returned to the room, but just in the room, the bath was decorated with dead mosquitoes all week. And if you think that a four-star hotel will provide your bathroom with a shampoo and other usual bath accessories, forget it. You will get just a really small piece of soap per person per week. And bring also your pool towels with you.

The best feature of our stay in the Magda hotel were the pools. Nice, clean, water not very cold, twice a day bubble bath a la jacuzzi.

The personnel - with one or two exceptions - is very nice, helpful, friendly.

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Hotel Magda - Gouves

Operator and Date: Direct Travel - July 2004

Opinion submitted in Sept 2004 by : Rachel & Spence  - West Midlands

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

After reading a few of the other reviews before we went on holiday, we were quite worried to say the least. However, as soon as we arrived, we were pleasantly suprised.

Ok, so our room wasnt as nice as the hotel website but although basic, it was very clean and comfortable. If you want to catch up on the news while you are away, the BBC news channel is about the only english channel that is availble on tv in the rooms.

The food was always very well presented and enough choice. However, if your stay is for 2 weeks, then like other reviews, it is a little repetetive.

All the staff were very pleasant and helpful although their english isnt 100%.
The rooms were cleaned every day and towels changed frequently.

Only downside of the Magda is there were not many other english staying so the entertainment was geared towards the other guests which were mainly french.

The beach was a few minutes stroll down the road and was clean and always had plenty of sunbeds. The beach staff were also very friendly.

The resort itself was a leisurely 15-20 min stroll away. It had plenty of bars and restaurants to choose from and also a variety of souvenir shops.

As a whole the resort is fairly quiet but suitable for families and couples.

We had been to Crete before but not to Gouves and we will certainly return to this part again. We would definitely recommend Gouves to people who are looking for a quiet resort but with enough to do in the evening without being too busy like the resorts of Stalis or Malia.

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Mania Studios - Gouves

Operator and Date: Budget Travel July 2005

Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : Mary 37

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

I have just come back form Gouves after having a most enjoyable two weeks.  The Mania Apartments were basic but what do you need on hols.. there was a bed a fridge and a patio to sit out on in the mornings and evenings.  Each room had a safety box which you could hire for - I think 20 euros for the two weeks. The snack bar staff Ditzy (Dutch) took care of me during the day and Stephanie (Irish)looked after the bar at night - two lovely ladies.  The crack at the bar at night for me was the best part of the holiday.  

The resort itself is very quite but if your into a more lively night scene Hersonnosis is only aprox 10 minutes down the road by bus or cab, both of which are relatively inexpensive.  The Atlantis is the place to eat in Gouves and the staff there are very friendly.  O'Connors at the bottom of Shop street (one main street in Gouves) is the place to go to see all the GAA matches.. George the barman will look after you there.  The beach was very nice and it only cost 2 euros per day to hire out a sunbed. I came out to Crete alone but that only added to the enjoyment.  The people are friendly, Mania Apartments are small enough so that you get to know other guests and you still can take off on your own if you wish. 

Overall the holiday was very good and I would go back again..  The only one thing I missed is that there was no live music in the bars.. but you cant have everything..

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Mania Studios - Gouves

Operator and Date: Budget Travel - August 2004

Opinion submitted in Aug 2004 by : al,ash, val

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Below Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Having visited Gouves some 10 years ago I was keen to bring my family back to what was a quiet holiday resort.  Unfortunately this time the holiday was entirely different.  We were greeted at 5 am by the owner of the Mania Apartments who used the pool table as his reception area - told us to find our names on a crumpled sheet of paper and then told us to go find the apartment ourselves, stand outside the door and he would let us in. 

In day light the room was basic but clean and the pool area was pleasant.  However this "quiet holiday accomodation, supposedly suitable for families!" soon turned out to be an 18 - 30 haven.  The noise was relentless - from the early hours of the morning until late at night.  We were so unhappy at his accomodation we arranged our own alternative accomodation half way through the holiday. 

There were some positives - the sun shone, The beach was a good 15 minute walk away but much more pleasant than being around the pool.  The main town of Gouves was only a short walk from the apartments with a variety of restaurants, pubs and shops.  I would highly recommend Restaurant Atlantica - beautiful food and very reasonably priced.  Nightlife could be found in Hersonnisis a short bus journey away.

Gouves is a really small town, ideal if you are happy with a few drinks but I think we were desperately unfortunate with our choice of accomodation.  The half of our holiday spent on the other side of Crete was like being in a different country entirely.

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Mania Studios - Gouves

Operator and Date: Budjet Travel - June 2004

Opinion submitted in July 2004 by : Kerry, Kyria ( 23, 31 )

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We arrived in the Mania apartments early hours of the morning, in the beginning we thought that they didnt look like the place where we would like to spend any time in. After a few hours kip, the sun came out and our opinions completley changed!! The rooms where clean but basic as is everything in Greece but the atmosphere of the restort well made up for that! The bar was open from 9am til 3am, which i think is great for a family run business! I have to say the lady who works in the bar (Ditsy) is fantastic and really made our stay fun and made us very welcome!!

The resort of Gouves was just the kinda place we were looking for, plenty of pubs and nice places to eat without the noisy club atmosphere! Totum bar is a great place to go if u like to dance the night away and the staff are very friendly! DMS, taverna proved to be a favourite place to eat with mega fry ups ant sunday lunches if you want a taste of home!

We went on a few outings whilst in crete which included the greek night ( not to be missed) with flowing wine all evening and supperb dancing from the locals a very intertaining night for all ages!

The bus route to hersonnises is 2 mins away from the mania apartments and costs just 1 euro for those who want more choice of nightlife, although we found Gouves to have more then enough of that!!

We have decided to return to Gouves again before the end of the season as we found it to have been the most pleasent friendly and relaxing place either of us have ever visited!

I would recommend Gouves and the Mania apartments to everyone, and if ure there say hi to Ditsy for me, Kerry from N.ireland!!

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Maria Apartments - Gouves

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - 2004

Opinion submitted in Aug 2004 by : Tom Josephine Quin 48,50

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Best place to eat is up at the main road,its a barbecue grill place right on the corner,cheap prices,good raki,and very friendly.
Beach had a lot of crude oil spots on it a pig to try and get off your skin,we had to use petrol to clean it off !!.
As a resort gouves was cr*p,not a lot going for it at all, so we gota car and travelled around a bit,as we have spent a bit of time in Crete before so we knew where to go for better beaches and stuff,would not go back to gouves again,I managed to avoid it in previous trips to Crete-now I know why.

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Maria Kelly - Gouves

Operator and Date: (Manos Direct) Manos-July 2006

Opinion submitted in August 2006 by : Mark,Sharon,Russ & Lisa + Kids  aged 9-40yrs

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

This end of Gouves is very quiet even this time of year, which we were very pleased about having visited Malia and Hersonissos. The mini cooker was hard to use due to lack of power but we got used to it. The apartments were very clean. Very nice family run accomodation. Yaniss the barman, Maria and Kelly were all friendly and helpful. We hired a car and went to Aghios nikolaos, Elounda and Rethymnon but we also ventured out to the south of the Island and found Sidonia and Mirtos which were well worth visiting. 

Our favourite place to eat out at was Milos just a short walk from the apartments and Paradise which was on the beach road towards the centre. Scorpios was also a good place to go if you dont want to go far, the staff are very friendly they even opened up at 1am to feed our group of 8 when we arrived.We took the children to Watercity water slide park. We got our own taxi(15 euros each way) to and from the apartments and had a great day out. 

We had a really nice 2wks and would recommend staying at Maria Kelly apartments.

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Mariganna Apartments - Gouves

Operator and Date: (Direct Holidays) Direct Holidays - September 2005

Opinion submitted in Oct 2005 by : Elaine & Scott, 39 & 35

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Just arrived back from 2 weeks at the Marigianna Apartments in Kato Gouves. Accommodation of a reasonable standard, lovely pool area and helpful friendly staff, in particular Gianni at reception who I think is the owners daughter. 

On arrival we were allocated a 1 bedroom apartment to the front of the building. We did not get a minutes sleep that night - the only main road in Crete passes right by the front of these apartments, and for people not used to road noise at night, we found it unbearable. Next morning we asked to be moved to a quieter area to the back, only to be told the apartments were full, although Gianna did make arrangements as soon as possible for this to happen. We only had to spend another 2 nights by the road before being moved to a lovely quiet apartment right at the back of the pool area. Please do not underestimate this road - it is extremely busy, and seems to be more so between the hours of 3am-5am for some strange reason. It is not the easiest to cross, particularly as there are the 2 side roads which run along parallel, meaning you have to keep an eye on 4 roads all at once. 

As already mentioned the poolside is lovely, and always clean and tidy - Elena is very conscientious about keeping it tidy. The wee guy (Damos?)drove us demented playing Michael Jackson every day for 2 weeks - apparently he is a big fan, and thinks everyone else should be too, also too many renditions of Agadoo and other chessy songs - ok for a one off, but not every day!! Plenty of loungers and parasols for everyone. 

The pool bar is ridiculously expensive, and although there are signs asking you not to consume your own drinks etc, there is no problem with you doing so. Apartments were typically Greek - VERY basic and could do with some upgrading and refurbishment - the door of our fridge fell off completely at one point, however this was immediately replaced with a new fridge when we reported it. The 2nd apartment we had was also very dark, and when we booked a 1 bedroom apartment as opposed to a studio we did expect to have some sort of seating/lounge area. The area which we assume was the lounge area had a single bed with no cushions, which made it impossible to sit on it - although we didn't want to as it smelled very musty and damp. We were disappointed to discover that we were not near Gouves - we were in Kato Gouves which is about a 45 minute walk from the main shopping/restaurant drag of the town, as usual the tour operators only tell you what they want to tell you. The beaches are not up to much either - all small and they obviously never clear away the rubbish washed in or dumped there.

We tended to eat in the area around the Marigianna - our recommendations would be Mylos, Iraklis Taverna, Skorpios, Shamrock and Rainbow Bar. This bar saved our holiday, as there are very few bars in which to sit after a lovely meal - George, Jackie and Anna are fantastic people who can't do enough for you, the food is lovely and the drink prices are the most reasonable you will find round about. George is a born entertainer and they all work very long hours with no complaints. George shows all the major football matches, and I imagine it will be a hot favourite for watching next years' World Cup. There is also a small taverna - Mediterranea - down from the Supermarket Sofia owned by a Scottish couple called George and Ann, and if you are in need of some familiar food from home, please pay them a visit, their breakfasts are fabulous.

Word of warning when you are departing for home - the new ridiculous scanning caper at Heraklion Airport kept us queueing outside at peak time in the hot sun of 35 degrees + made for a very unpleasant end to our otherwise very relaxing holiday.

All in all we would go back to Crete, great food, weather and a lovely island from what we saw, however not to this resort I'm afraid, possibly the south of the island may suit us better.

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Mariganna Apartments - Gouves

Operator and Date: (Direct Holidays) Direct Holidays - July 2005

Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : Birch & Worrall (40, 39, 37, 36, 12, 07)

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Apartments are lovely and clean.  We had a 1 bedroom apt on 1st floor and a 2 bedroom apt on 2nd floor.  The 1st floor one didn't have a great view from balcony (too many trees) but luckily this kept us cool & shady.  The 2 bedroom apt was fantastic with balconies to back side and front - so sun at any tine of day.

It was really quiet while we were there - not enough other children to keep our 2 happy, but if you want peace and quiet it's absolutely lovely.  Pool area is now completely paved (some pictures have grassy areas), plenty of sunbeds and parasols.  Most days there were only the 6 of us by the pool - absolute bliss!!

The pool bar opened about 11 am and shut around 6 pm - but we found it expensive to buy drinks there all day long ie 16 Euros for 2 large beers + bacardi & coke + malibu & Pineapple (however, prices in resort were comparable - 4-5 euros for a cocktail, 3.5 euros for a large beer, 4 euros for a long drink.  The bar is manned by Damos & Elena who work very hard - it's a shame the prices damaged the amount of custom.

We took to long shady lunches on the balcony with beer & other drinks curtesy of the supermarket - the mini market in the apartments is cheapest for water and has most things you would want, but for a better selection & savings, leave the apartments, turn left and walk for about 5 mins to the Mega Market.

There is a taverna attached to the apartments and the food was lovely. On Wednesdays you get 15% off and on Sundays there was Greek BBQ for 13 Euros per adult - as much as you could eat!

A lot of people have mentioned the main road - it wasn't that much of a problem for us - the apartments are separated from the main road by a "slip road", so if you walk along the slip road it is relatively quiet.  There is no doubt that it's quite a walk from the main area of Gouves - if we hadn't got the kiddies with us it wouldn't have been a problem.  However, if you leave the apartments and turn left, walk along the slip road until you see the Rainbow bar across the main road, you can then cross over quite safely and walk down the road where the rainbow bar is, a further 5 mins brings you to selection of small tavernas and bars - there was enough here to keep us occupied for a fortnight - we'd recommend the Oasis, Mama's Kitchen, Mylos & the taverna opposite the car rental place & hotel/cocktail bar - the man in here couldn't do enough to please, and the white russians were fab.  We also went to the Rainbow bar (good movies!) and if you turn right when leaving the apartments & cross the road you'll find the Lucky Shamrock (we thought is was great there).

We left Crete on 12th July and it was HOT.  We caved in to paying for Air Con at a cost of 8 euros per night (cash preferable!).

If you are a beach lover, it's not the place for you.  We hired a car for a week (145 Euros - Athens Rent a Car via Internet) and couldn't find any decent snorkelling.  It's worth visiting Elounda and Rethmynon but be prepared for a long drive. Malia was a club 18-30 culture shock, in fact we didn't even get out of the car!

There is also Star Beach - a free entry water park about 15 mins outside of Gouves and easily accessible by bus.

Be prepared for the airport on return - 1 scanning machine that everyone's case has to go through before checkin.  Eat in resort before you leave as there's not much there.  Duty free was reasonably good value.

To sum up, we enjoyed the apartments & location as they were out of the resort and so very quiet, if you want action and noise it's not for you - if you want laid back & relaxed with a walk at night, go for it!

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Mariganna Apartments - Gouves

Operator and Date: (Direct Holidays) Direct Holidays- June 2005

Opinion submitted in Aug 2005 by : The Stringers - 30, 30 & 2

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We had a lovely holiday in Gouves at the Marigianna Apartments. Our apartment was on the ground floor, next to the back entrance to the pool area - it was a little bit difficult with a 2yr old wanting to run off all the time, but we had no trouble with noise or people coming in late at night.
The pool area was always kept very clean although there were a lot of greeks on holiday at the apartments while we were there.

The walk into Gouves itself is quite a way-we did tend to eat in the small street over the road from the apartments & down past the Rainbow - The Oasis restaurant was fantastic - the best meal we had there, along with the Minoan Prince (Mamas kitcher) where the hospitality was second to none. 

The beach is quite small, but served its purpose - it was clean and the sea was very clear. The waves could be quite rough on some days, but the breeze was lovely. I would recommend these apartments if you want a relaxing holiday - there is no entertainment on a night time - you will have to walk into Gouves or get a taxi to main strip (5 euros) but there is only restaurants & a few bars & shops - please do not let the "busy road" put you off - we had a 2yr old in a pushchair who wanted to walk all the time & we managed perfectly well (i was having nightmares about that road before we went).Enjoy your stay !!!

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Mariganna Apartments - Gouves

Operator and Date: (Direct Holidays) Direct Holidays - August

Opinion submitted in Aug 2004 by : Kristan Tarr - exeter ( 13 29 3

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Hi, I have just got back from the Marigianna this morning and it is a fantastic hotel/apartments. All the staff are brilliant especially Dimos, a small guy who works behind the bar.The pool is great and the bar is open to about 1:30.the marigianna is fantastic.

Places to eat:
Blue Sky is very good but is expensive compared with other restaurants nearby. Taverna Filoxenia is exellant and is in the main drag of the town. The Rainbow is a 10 minute walk left coming out of the apartments on the other side of the road. It is good for watching the sport but not really for food.Dont go to the Shamrock. three lots of people we know were bared from there. One person asked if they were putting on the rugby that night, another complained about a chipped glass. Another person was telling someone how to get to the beach and they left but then they got bared for aparently scaring customers.

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Mariganna Apartments - Gouves

Operator and Date: July 2004

Opinion submitted in July 2004 by : Lisa + Billy ,N.Ireland

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We have just returned from a week here and both had an excellent time.The Marigianna apartments were excellent, apartments were basic as far as cooking was concerned but spacious and very clean.The gardens around Marigianna are well kept and the apartments really are beautiful I would not have a bad word to say about them.

There is a poolside bar which is ok for daytime snacks and drinks but it does not open late at night for those who want a drink by the pool, which is needed as bars etc are very far from this accomodation.Supermarket caters for basic needs and you only get one toilet roll for your stay so bring some with you or buy over there.Staff are very friendly and I have no complaints about anyone.

Pool was wonderful very clean and safe for kids as it is not too deep throughout.Plenty of sunbeds and brollys for everyone.Air conditioning is 7 euros per nite and is worth every penny dont leave windows open or you will get bit at nite thats why air conditioning is a lifesaver.Safety deposit box is 10 euro we did not get it as it was very safe there.The restuarant was nice for breakfast but meals were basic choice and expensive.Do not pay for greek night at 18 euros.It was the only entertainment Marigianna had but was a waste of money.Spend it on nice trip somewhere. Hotel beside Marigianna is entertaining if you looking more of that and goes on into the early hours.

There is not much near the apartments as it is out of Gouves resort and is beside a main road and when I say this Im not joking all traffic goes through this road as its a main road from City right through to the other resorts.Be careful crossing with kids it can be so busy and they do not slow down, driving is terrible, watch out for mopeds they tend to drive towards you!

We found some nice restaurants one in particular was Kostas it has home made chips and the foods was lovely.Scorpios was nice as well as rainbows prices are quite high in peak time and the euro was not the best so keep note not to overspend.Drinks are expensive.

We went to Gouves centre its 5 euro in taxi from apartments(taxi rank is just beside Marigianna)During the day it is great good shops and plenty of cheap designer goods, during the night it is very busy with punters trying to leer you in, which is very annoying but it is good to go and get something to eat Blue sky was good and the chinese got excellent reports, we never made it there.

We went to Heraklion for the Saturday market not worth going for that but the shops were brilliant but its so busy its really too hot to walk about.Only 2 euro in bus.Hersonossos was only one euro away and was a good day out to get lunch etc, but the greeks had no time for you here as its so touristy and its very expensive compared to Gouves.

Beware of the airport coming home dreadful and so cramped and not a good place to get a bite to eat, feed yourself before you go.

Overall we had an excellent time and would return weather was 44 degrees and the island was lovely people were nice, we regret not hiring some transport to see around more and going on a boat trip, but this did not stop us from having a wonderful time.We bothed loved crete and would love to return again.Brilliant time.

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Mariganna Apartments - Gouves

Operator and Date: (Direct Holidays) Direct Holidays   june 2004

Opinion submitted in June 2004 by : danny farrell/gina(wife) margaret (sister) 53 52 56

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion:

Arrived ok,16.40 was in the hotel by 17.45,at first hand the hotel looked nice,but were later to find out that this was the only good thing about it apart from the cleaners,the sunday entertainment was a rip off,the rest of the week there was none,

the Rainbow bar acroos the main road was very good,the owner george and his lady jackie were great,do anything for anyone,the meals and drinks are very good value for money,further down, there was another taverna called Georges, which was another great place to eat and drink,and just across the road from this taverna is a tiny bar, (no name ) but it is run by a chap by the name of yanni,he is 69yrs old and will entertain you by playing his mandolin,and the best thing is that he only charges 2euros no matter what your drinking (beer-ouzo-metaxa-vodka etc)all in all most places were good,but i found the above mentioned the best,

i would not reccommend the marigianna as a family hotel,apart from the pool the kids have nothing else to occupy them with,as stated in many of these reviews the road outside the hotel is a nightmare for anyone never mind children,

and finally do give the Bacchus taverna a visit up in old Gouves,you will feel like a true greek eating there,the owner makes you feel like that,and for those who can drive,get a car and see the real crete especially Skotino and Kastelli(hire a car from Autotrip Iraklion (fantastic deals and service)I would go back to Gouves, but only to see the friends we made there. Enough said.

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Marina Hotel - Gouves

Operator and Date: olympic june 2007

Opinion submitted in July 2007 by : julie andy 41,45

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

just got back from 11 days,hotel  is great the rooms are good really clean couldnt fault them at all.we went all inc and i really feel that we didnt have our moneys worth.the food was awfull inless you were italian there wasnt really anythink nice about the food it was like a cattle market and the italians didnt beleive in waiting there turn.we had to get up at 6 most mornings just to get a sunbed with a brolley because the italians took them all.the bar staff were great fun.really glad we met some english people 12 in all which made our holiday we all stuck together.the entertainment was crp never did much for children.we ate in the town towards end of the holiday in a pub called the pig and whistle food was really nice.

we had a good holiday although it has put us off going all inc.this holtel is owned by italians so that should tell you that they put them before any other nationality.the town is small with a few bars lots of shops,the bars on the sea front were really nice sitting haveing a beer looking out to sea which was lovely.

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Marina Hotel - Gouves

Operator and Date: (Olympic Direct) Olympic - August 06

Opinion submitted in September 2006 by : Dani Medlin - St Albans 46,41,16,12

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Just back from 2 weeks all inc at the Marina Beach Hotel, our kids have said it was the best holiday ever. We agree ! Lovely beach just across a quiet road with plenty of free sunbeds & parasols. Two nice pools, one with a swim up bar, the other is the main pool, where the animation team bases most of their activities. We are not really in to joining in except I did try out the yoga session at 10 each morning around the pool and the beach volleyball that the children really enjoyed.

The rooms are basic but perfectly adequate and cleaned every day with clean linen & towels changed daily too. It isnt really a 4 star hotel although the entry lobby is all marbelled and pretty impressive but the facilities are all really good. We had 2 huge rooms on the ground floor next to the main pool. Each had a good sized bathroom,tv & A/C unit. Even had plenty of hangers in the wardrobes!  We did see a twin room in the main hotel part that was tiny and smelt of stale tobacco we would not have been happy if we had been given 2 of those rooms.

The restaurant food was very good with plenty of choice and the staff were all really helpful. (ignore the long trousers only rule in the restaurant- everyone does !)The bar choice was pretty good with locally produced spirits included and the tea, coffee & cakes buffet in the afternoon was a real hit with me! There is a disco open till 2 on site that the kids mainly enjoyed - and the local 'town' is about 5 minutes away with a few bars, restaurants & shops etc. Our eldest ventured into town with his new mates and we felt really confident that it was a safe place at night - especially as Malia is only 20minutes away. The restaurants along the sea front have fab views & good menus and make a nice change from the hotel restaurant. 

All in all it was a great place for the family, the kids made some fantastic friends English, German & French and have already asked if we could go back next year.

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Marina Hotel - Gouves

Operator and Date: (Olympic Direct) Olympic - October  2005

Opinion submitted in Oct 2005 by : John and Sue from Essex (both over 50)

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

What we wanted from our holiday was a week where we could sit out in the sun for a week, be fed and watered, and not have to bother about a thing.. . . .
... . and that's exactly what the Marina Hotel gave us. We had an "all inclusive" deal and actually spent very little money apart from what we paid for the holiday.

The organisation of the holiday from Olympic was fine - the rep (Jodie) was good, was there when she said she would be and didn't do a "hard sell" on the excursions.
The hotel bedroom was, like most Mediterranean hotel bedrooms, rather basic, but adequate considering we didn't spend much time in the room.

The facilities in the hotel were excellent. There were reputed to be four pools (we only found three of them!)and, probably because it was late season, no problem with availability of sunbeds- but then there were plenty of alternative places to sit out in the sun as well.

The hotel restaurant was excellent. There was a huge choice of dishes at each meal and even though some dishes were inevitably repeated during the week, the variety meant that you could eat something different at every meal for a week, and probably longer - plenty of salads for the veggie tribe as well.
Top marks also for the hotel staff - they were very friendly and helpful (with only one or two exceptions) and many of them were amazingly multi-lingual (you could get through the holiday speaking only English if you had to, although they really appreciate it if you try a few words of Greek). The staff seemed to get on well with each other as well as the guests, which made for a really good atmosphere.

We were quite happy with the range of drinks available to "all-inclusive" customers - local wine was good, as were the local spirits which included rum, gin and vodka (not mentioned in the brochure)and beer. If you wished to go out on a trip, the hotel would supply a packed lunch for you at no extra cost (rolls, cheese, wine and water) - much more than we could eat.
We ignored the entertainments team, who were quite noisy - we were not in "joining in" mode on this holiday, but those who did join in seemed to be enjoying themselves.
As a resort, Gouves is quite crummy, really - a street full of bars, restaurants (some a bit pricey - you should keep and eye on what you are charged and how it compares with the price on the menu) and shops selling (mainly) tacky souveniers. We inadvisedly took a trip on the road train that tours the local area for an hour - but there was nothing to see, so it was a bit of a waste of time (and money).

Marina Hotel is an oasis of excellence in a resort which fairly unremarkable - but don't let that put you off if you just want to relax and sit by a pool, eat and drink for your holiday - you couldn't do much better than the Marina.

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Marina Hotel - Gouves

Operator and Date: (Olympic Direct) Olympic Sept 2005

Opinion submitted in Oct 2005 by : John Naylor 44, 42, 2

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Below Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We have experienced a number of 4* all inclusive hotels across the Indian Ocean, Caribbean and Far East, These are far superior to this operation, in many cases for the same sort of prices. The hotel is clean if shabby, decor is unimaginative, tired and reflects the attitude of management and staff.

We stayed in the "Bungalows" and from what we saw this was by far the best option. The accomodation was basic, spotlessly clean if well worn and badly in need of some new furniture. The cot provided was serviceable, only due to running repairs and should have been retired a long time ago. The proximity of pool and quiet location were distinct positives.

Catering standards are low, and the choice of restaurants indicated in brochures not reflected in reality. (No a la carte, and taverna not opened during our visit). Food is international, reflecting the guests, this is not a critisism, however much of that produced is poor, and this is. For those unfortunate enough to book the all-inclusive package (we didn't) the choice of drinks is severely limited.

The entertainment occurs in an open air theatre away from the main bar, we cannot coment on its content or whether it even occurred as we never attended.

There are plenty of bars and restaurants in the immediate vicinity vastly superior to anything within the hotel, and prices whilst higher than they probably should be are not unreasonable.

The proximity to the airport may worry some, aircraft noise can be heard, however it was not intrusive.

We found staff to be generally friendly unless requested to do something beyond  their idea of job description. Be prepared to carry your own luggage and find your own way to accomodation, do not expect assistance from staff as you might expect from a supposedly 4* resort hotel.

Overall we thought the hotel to be well below the standard we thought acceptable for the price charged and we would not consider visiting again.    

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Marina Beach Hotel - Gouves

Operator and Date: Airtoures - Augusr 2007

Opinion submitted in August 2007 by : M. Mawson - Birmingham ( 60,46,19,14)

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We have just spent a week at the Marina Beach Hotel and agree that this was the worst All Inclusive Holiday we have ever had.
I the Travel Book the photos and description look very good, and first impressions appear to agree. However all is not as it seems.

We arrived at 1-30am and only one reception staff on duty and no porters at night to show you to your rooms. The complex is in four seperate accomodation blocks and all you are given is a quick look at a site plan to indicate where you are staying and then left to find your own way in the dark. We were offered a drink of orange jiuce but no offer of any food.

We found the hotel very clean and the rooms were cleaned every day and fresh towels provided if required. There are two out door adult pools and two outdoor childrens pools. there is also an indoor heated pool,gym, jaccuzi,sauna,hairdressers and mini-market on site.

we wre not at anytime informed that the Hotel had changed to Italian ownership and was run by almost all Itanian staff. I would estimate that 85% of guests were Italian,14% German, 1% British. As a result it appears that the Hotel caters for Italians more than any other nationalty. The Animation or Entertainment staff were about 90% Italian and all entertainment(when there was any) was all in Italian,they can talk in German or English, but choose not to. They would go around the pool area or the beach and talk and joke with the Italian families but would ignor any other nationalaties.
You will find that stray dogs are allowed to go in and out of the Hotel at will.

On only two days out of seven was any halfharted attempt made to cater for German or British tastes in food. At all other times it was Italian Food. For breakfast, ie, Small sugar covered doghnuts,Pasta,Rice,scrambled or boiled egg,chipalata sausages(heavy on the garlic),pancakes and some cerials.
Lunch and Dinner concisted of Spaghetti with sauce,maybe some pork or veal,chips, potatoes or salad,heavy on the olive oil and garlic and fish sauce. Most of the food tasted pre-cooked and reheated.

If you are used to allinclusive in Spain where you can get most types of spirits ang coctails free. Then forget it.The choice is Ouzo, Raki(paint stripper in a glass) very Weak white rum,Weak vodka,Weak gin and beer.
Allinclusive in Spain means the poolside snack bar has chips,burgers kebabs etc. Here its chese and ham rolls.

The resort itself is very quiet with a few shop and bars about a mile walk away,most of which do not open until 10 am. Most do not have siuatable access for disabled and any that do have ramps that are not very good. Also most of the motorcycles, quad bikes,or cars in the narrow roads will avoid you if they feel like it.
If you wish to look around you can hire a car,take a taxi or catch a bus which is a walk of about a mile up a reasonably steap hill. If you wish to go to the Market then you will have to catch an early bus as they are all full up after 10am.
And finally:- as usual the toilets are not very good and all toilet paper has to be put in a bin in the toilet. No paper to be put in the toilet and flushed away.

If you wish to enjoy your holiday you will need the following.
1) A good understanding of Italian and be able to speak it.
2) Forget all about British food.
3) Dont think that you will get drunk on the spirits in Hotel.

Like you I read the reviews about this Hotel and now realised they were written before the Hotel changed hands last year.  

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Marina Beach Hotel - Gouves

Operator and Date: Hellenic  -  August 2006

Opinion submitted in September 2006 by : Julian, Vicky, Millie & Alexa  Page - Kenilworth 38,34,7,1

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We have just returned from our two weeks at the Marina Hotel having had a fantastic holiday.
We were aprehensive about booking an all inclusive as we had a poor introduction to it in Malta a couple of years ago. However we soon found the Marina Hotel to be a revalation. Great food choice, lovely pools, own bit of beach, great entertainment team and meet superb friends including Debs & Geoff + Ellie & Maisie, Herve & Marina with Alicia, Ian & Jo, Jack & Grace, Debs & Scot with Joe & Robyn, Paul & Gayle and Reece.
We are firm believers that you should explore somewhere new, however this holiday experience would tempt us back again easily.

Gouves is small and ideal for kids, not a raving place and plenty of bars to choose from, and in the day, lots of activities to keep the kids entertained including the Marina's own section of beach. Where you can enjoy pedalo's and canoes free of charge. The sea stays shallow for quite a distance, thus allowing for the kids to snorkel or swim, albeit rough sometimes (adds to the fun).

What a great holiday and we will hopefully be having a reunion with the friends we made to include the cards on the forehead........down in one.   

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Marina Beach Hotel - Gouves

Operator and Date: (Olympic Direct) Olympic holidays August 2006

Opinion submitted in September 2006 by : janine46, Mark47, Eliza16, Alice14

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

What a fantastic holiday. The Marina Beach is a very good, exceptionally clean hotel with very friendly staff.
Good choice of food although when you are all inclusive you do get "tired of eating"
Entertainment team friendly and tried hard but weren't a nusiance - well done Connie we won't forget you and your smile!
Very high standard of cleanliness both in rooms and around the hotel.
We have never returned to a hotel as like to try new things but would have no problem going back here again next year! Highly recommended

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Marina Beach Hotel - Gouves

Operator and Date: (Airtours Direct) Airtours - Sept 2005

Opinion submitted in Oct 2005 by : Tracey Mac - Liverpool - ( 44, 42, 18, 15, 11, 10 )

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Below Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We chose Gouves as we like quieter areas were we can relax. Chosing this hotel as it was advertised as 4* and suitable for families we booked the A/I and paid extra for two bungalows.

The hotel appears very 70s and sadly most of the furniture appears to have not been updated and replaced.
The bungalows looked nice from the outside but were just larger rooms. They were dark with dark furniture and considering the amount extra to stay in them they added no additional comfort.

It has two resturants but only the buffet one was open.
Food was repetitive and catered more for the large amount of italian guests, the children had to fight there way through the childrens section due to the amount of adults that used it.Who many had the attitude that adults should be fed before children.
Although i will add that the resturant staff were helpful and friendly.

Evening entertainment consisted of a babys showtime and then the later shows were a series of various sketches and acts by the team. Unfortunately these were in mainly in italian, french and german so english guests found them difficult to understand, children got bored and gave up in the end.
The second week we had many nights of music in the bar area but most of this was ballroom dancing. We did have a dance competition and yes this was also ballroom dancing.
Although i will add that the daytime sports with the lads could be good fun. Evening was sheer boredom.

Children took to the pool table and air hockey etc which were coin operated, but make sure you have plenty of change apart from being costly the reception staff were not very willing to provide change to the kids but not a problem when adults asked.

Gouves itself was quiet and the locals were friendly. We spent most nights in the Brits sports bar (opposite the irish bar) Thomas and Anna made us very welcome. If you like football this is the place to watch the matches, Thomas is a Liverpool supporter and loved to meet other Liverpool fans.He showed all the matches and its got a great atmosphere.

The waterpark is also worth a visit great place to loose the kids and even bring out the child in us oldies.

Yes i will visit Crete again and i would return to Gouves. But i think i will go self catering.
No i won't return to the Marina Beach Hotel
as im not very good at ballroom dancing.!
I wouldn't recommend this hotel for families it would appeal more to couples.

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Marina Beach Hotel - Gouves

Operator and Date: Hellenic - June & August 2005

Opinion submitted in Oct 2005 by : Rachel Heron - Flintshire (58,53,31,27,22,2)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Gouves is a quiet, relaxed resort. Not much to do but friendly and fairly clean. A few shops but many bars and restaurants. The Marina Beach is a extremely freindly hotel, well run, clean (rooms may be basic but adequate for the time spent in them) and enjoyable. The restaurant staff do their upmost to make your stay one to remember, food can is of adequate choice, although can be a little repetative. The bar staff are excellent, very friendly and efficient. Irene, Effie, Spiros, Antonio and Stefanos make sure you never too long for a top-up!

Pools in my opinion were very clean, cleaned daily to my knowledge early morning. Adequate sun loungers with umbrellas. Poor snack bar service is efficient and friendly, Stavros and colleagues always make time for a chat.
Family members have been going to the Marina for 4/5 years and will definatley be going back to see everyone very soon. Hellenic offers good value in comparison to other tour operators, staff at the office are always helpful.

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Marina Beach Hotel - Gouves

Operator and Date: Hellenic Voyages - Aug 2005

Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : Bill and Carol - Cumbria

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Just arrived back from a 2 week all inclusive holiday at the Marina Beach Hotel. After a bad start (12 hour delay at Manchester) we had a fabulous time and would recommend this hotel which caters for families of varying ages. Our 15 yr old son and 10 yr old daughter really enjoyed themselves, always lots going on from beach football to the various evening shows. Food and drink was excellent and the staff were always friendly. A special mention to Irene who was great.

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Marina Beach Hotel - Gouves

Operator and Date: (Olympic Direct) Olympic - August 2005

Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : Maldes (35, 34, 4, 2) Patels (35, 35, 4, 1)

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

The resort was OK overall, although, the staff could have been more friendly and welcoming.  We had a bungalow by the pool which was supposed to have been cleaned daily - there seemed to be a constant layer of sand on the floor of the room and finally, decided to clean the bathroom ourselves.  A bit too dirty for my liking.

The kids club was well run and kept the children busy and entertained.  The beach was 2 minutes from the bungalow, with a variety of watersports available.  Sunbeds and umbrellas were free for all inclusive customers.  Kids disco every evening is great fun for the youngsters and the entertainers were friendly and inviting.  Plently of pools around and the gym was average.

The food was average, very repetitive and bland - thanks heavens for the tabasco sauce we managed to find.  Quality of the food is fine, you just get a little fed up eating the same old thing day after day.  The kids survived on chips and sausages!  There are some nice tavernas on the sea front and a great chinese restaurant at the north end of Gouves.

Our tour rep (Olympic) was virtually invisible - saw her on arrival and on the day we were returning to the UK.  We were very disappointed by the tour reps lack of knowledge when trying to book excursions.  Water city is great for kids and adults, alton towers in water!  We had a rude coach driver with whom I had a few words to say (not sure he understood).

To conclude, Crete is definetely worth a visit - the locals are lovely and very warm and welcoming.  I won't be travelling with Olympic holidays again but the resort was livable in (could be cleaner though).

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Marina Beach Hotel - Gouves

Operator and Date: hellenic voyages - July 2005

Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : Yvonne - Pontefract  (32, 30, 3)

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Everything about the accommodation was fine except for the rooms - they were extremely small, had an ancient air conditioning unit and were not cleaned properly during the week that we were there (beds made and towels changed, however no evidence of any other cleaning).  I booked with hellenic voyages and was advised that the children's club operated for children aged 3 upwards (the brochure and web site did not stipulate an age).  Unfortunately we were advised incorrectly and upon arrival at the marina beach ascertained that the children's club was only available for children aged 4 to 12 (little consolation to our distraught 3 year old!!).  Little activity for young children during the day however she loved the childrens disco which occurred each night at 9:00pm.  Would definately never book with hellenic voyages due to incorrect information being given and no acknowledgement of the adverse affect of this on our holiday (we received an extremely rude letter advising that we had poor judgement for considering using a children's club).

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Marina Beach Hotel - Gouves

Operator and Date: hellenic  june2005

Opinion submitted in Aug 2005 by : ann ogilvy north wales  58,53,31,27,22,2

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We have been back to the marina hotel several times both with our family and as a couple and have always had a relaxed and enjoyable holiday. I have read the comments of other visitors to the hotel, and whilst everyone is entitled to their own opinion I wonder whether some people will ever be satisfied.

During our visits back to the hotel we meet guests that we have met before and who, like us regard the marina hotel as good value for money and are more than happy to return to a clean,friendly and hospitable hotel where the staff are always helpful and anxious to do all they can to make sure guests have an enjoyable holiday.

Okay Gouves is not the most attractive of resorts and there is obviously a lot to be done to improve some of the walking areas and the general location but,if you can see past this and enjoy the facilities on offer and have the time to relax then this hotel is a good option.

The food choice in the hotel, at times is a little limited, but I would defy anyone that they would not be able to eat anything at a meal time. We had a 2 year old with us and he managed very well and their was no sign of any stomach problems. Drinks are served all day from 10.30 until 01.00 at various venues within the complex and are even available in the hotel disco as part of the all-inclusive package.

In conclusion I would say give this hotel a chance to show you what good value they are and go and meet Irene, Effie, Stavros, Costas and the many more who strive so hard to make your holiday enjoyable.

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Marina Beach Hotel - Gouves

Operator and Date: Hellinic Voyages - June 2005

Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : 46,43,39,18,18,16

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

What can I say,have just returned from 2 weeks of bliss.Rooms basic but extremly clean.All inclusive package and food was fantastic.We travelled with 3 teenages and they all enjoyed the food.It was nice not to see them eat pizza and chips everyday.Pools clean and staff are so friendly,they make you feel like family.

Were definatley going back.    

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Marina Beach Hotel - Gouves

Operator and Date: (Airtours Direct) Airtours - June 2005

Opinion submitted in June 2005 by : Alan Cook - Stevenage(36,28,4)):

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

The Marina Beach Hotel has provided myself and my family our most relaxing and enjoyable holiday ever!

The Hotel itself if spotless with cleaners about at all hours.We stayed in the Bungalows which were superb with fridge and climate control.The pool was 4 seconds walk away which was lovely with its plentifull sunloungers & its on pool bar with a swim up seating area which was my spot for the two weeks with new friends we met.Maria at the bar is very friendly and very quick and observant(MORE BEER MARIA)...The food was ok for adults but not fore kids(Hotdogs & Burgers please)..

Gouves is a very small town with enough restaurants and shops to keep the missus happy although why spend if you are all inclusive?I had to have 3 stitches in my head after a silly pool accident,it happened at 6.00pm & i was back at the hotel at 7.30 pm after having stitches & 2 xrays.What excellent medical traetment....

We would absolutly reccomend this hotel to anyone......Alan...Clare....& Harry....

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Marina Beach Hotel - Gouves

Operator and Date: Hellenic Voyages - 2005

Opinion submitted in Aug 2005 by : Stanley family- Cannock (39, 36, 10)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

The airport in Crete was an absolute nightmare, very small and badly organised but it was worth putting up with for the holiday.
We had a good time it was a lovely hotel,very clean,the staff are all very friendly and they make you feel very welcome.
Maid service is daily and towels are changed when you want them to be.
We stayed in a bungalow by the small pool. This is an ideal location. Sunbeds are not supposed to be reserved before 7.30am but unfortunately some guests take no notice of this rule so you do have to get up early to be by the pool! The hotel does provide free sunbeds on the beach though (which is just over the road) and these cannot be reserved until 9am so that is a better option! The beach is lovely and clean (even the beach toilets are well kept)and has lifeguards.
Food in the hotel is good although it can get a bit repetetive.
The barbeque evening is not included in the all inclusive package but is a good night and worth the extra money.
Gouves town is one street of shops and bars, it was adequate for us but if you want more you have to travel out to nearby towns (Approx 20-30 mins away).
The bungalow was basic but had everything you need, hairdryer, airconditioning and TV were all included in the price.
The hotel is in the flight path but you do get used to the noise and it doesn't spoil the holiday.
We had a great time and will definately be going back.

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Marina Beach Hotel - Gouves

Operator and Date: (MyTravel Direct) My Travel - Oct 2004

Opinion submitted in Oct 2004 by : carl hatch 32,32,2,5,6,13

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

just got back from a week in marina beach hotel and it was fabulous.
The hotel is superb and the food was excellent.
we stayed in the bungalows right next to the pool and although your in the same room as the kids they are well kept clean and very adequate.

All the staff are very warm and friendly and the drinks are good and plentyful.
The only trouble is some people in the hotel are half board and if like us you go all-inc you take a card with you to prove you are all-inc and some drinks you do pay for.
the beer wine and local drinks are free but things like martini you pay for.

evening entertainment could have been slightly better but the kids enjoyed it.
all in all a excellent hotel and beach and food is very  very good.

you will not be disapointed.

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Marina Hotel - Gouves

Operator and Date: Hellenic Voyages-September 2004

Opinion submitted in Sept 2004 by : Mal  Campbell-Liverpool 

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Hellenic Voyages is very much a no frills outfit.No luggage labels etc,but one benefits in the cost of the holiday. Literally half the price, or more, than other operators using this hotel.
You do have to wait a long time for Manos to answer the phone(sometimes I wondered how mush business he must be losing),but it is worth the wait.

The hotel was very nice,very Greek,very efficient.The staff are superb.My wife is a vegetarian and she suffered a bit as I don't think they are very au fait on the subject,extremly limited on what she could eat.The food is a bit "school dinner" but there is more than plenty of dishes to choose from.

For us the resort was just right.Not too big and not brash.The weather was in the high seventies, early eighties.
Crete is quite a large island so it is just not feasible to see the whole island.Hersonnisis and Malia are very loud resorts but worth a visit to see for your self.The Lassithi plateau is well worth a visit as is Ayios Nikolaos.
The prices for the excursions are extremley expensive, if you can hire a car it would be much cheaper.The car hire companies are in abundance and relatively cheap.Book when you get there not before.
We flew with Air Sandic who were no problem.

I am sure we will go back as there is so much to see and do. The Marine Hotel is more than up to the job of keeping most people happy.Whether you use it as a base or getting involved in all the ativities.

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Marina Hotel - Gouves

Operator and Date: hellenic-september 2004

Opinion submitted in Sept 2004 by : Essex-50/46

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

After reading reviews I was a bit concerned going to the Marina Hotel,but once we arrived we found the hotel clean at all times,the staff could not be more accomadating(friendly),the food hot& plentiful,the pools clean & safe,as for being in a flight path,an aeroplane must take about 6 seconds to pass multiplied by 15 times a day approx,"big deal",we wer`nt under gatwick & they were not that low.

we had a loveley peacful holiday at the marina.

p.s Heraklion Airport was the only downside,(more seating please)

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Marina Beach Hotel - Gouves

Operator and Date: Hellenic Voyages - August 2004

Opinion submitted in Aug 2004 by : Stephenson - Leeds (44, 40, 12, 12)

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Stayed at Marina Beach after a last minute swap from the Maya Beach and after reading the reviews it looks as if we had a lucky escape! 

The Marina was a beautiful hotel, 3 lovely pools, 1 minute to the beach,with free sunbeds and umbrellas, even the pedaloes and canoes were free.You have to be up early tho to get that towel on the sunbed!There was more than enough choice and quantity in the restaurant, food was always hot and replenished regularly, drinks included in the A/I package were great too, had tasted better red wine but greek wine is not usually too good anyway.All the staff were friendly and helpful.The children had a fantastic time, plenty of entertainment on an evening to keep them amused.

The town of Gouves was not the best I've been to but as we were all inclusive you didnt have to venture out too often.My only negative comment is we stayed in a 'bungalow'and I would have expected this to have a separate bedroom but it was just like a large hotel room, plus bathroom.If you dont mind being altogether with the children well it's fine but I would have preferred that little bit of privacy.

Overall a great place and would highly recommend.And Dee our rep was wonderful too, hello to her puppies Marina and Hercules!

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Marina Hotel - Gouves

Operator and Date: Hellenic Voyages - July 2004

Opinion submitted in Aug 2004 by : Tolladay - West Midlands ( 39,39,13,10)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Where do we start, absolutly fantastic holiday!
Hotel definately 4 star, we stayed in a bungalow round the smaller pool and it was immaculate. Rooms cleaned daily to a very high standard, towels changed every day, air conditioning available 24 hours a day free of charge!
Food was superb and not repetative (we stayed 2 weeks, all inclusive). If you decide to go out for the day, the hotel will provide you with a picnic basket, for your party. There was enough food to last us a few days!

The entertainment was fantastic, the animation team keep you entertained all day!
Gouves town was about a 10 minute stroll away, enough shops and bars to have a wonder round, quiet and friendly (no lager louts).
The beach was clean, free sunbeds and parasols for Marina residents. The sea was clean, although some days the sea could be a bit choppy.

We hired a car(outside the hotel cheaper than hotel)went to Watercity, Agios Nikolias(very nice)Malia Stallis.
Overall the best value for money holiday we have been on. I would recommend this hotel to anyone and we will be returning next year.

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Marina Beach Hotel - Gouves

Operator and Date: HELLENIC VOYAGES - June / July 2004

Opinion submitted in July 2004 by : S BROTHERTON - GLOSSOP(33,31,4)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We went in june/july 2004
we had read all the comments on this site but still went anyway(some not good)
We had a great hol,the weather,hotel,transport,airport all good
The entertainment team were a bit daft but we like that sort of thing anyway,you didnt have to join in if you didnt want to.
We would recommend hellenic voyages as they are almost half the price of the main tour operators but the same service.
The food was good,plenty of choice,you could always find something to eat even if it was salad.
Even the bottled water was free
we went all inclusive
The beds,pedelos,canoo,anything not motorised at the beach included in the price.
Might try it again next year or somewherw else with hellenic
They do other places

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Marina Beach Hotel - Gouves

Operator and Date: Hellenic - 2004

Opinion submitted in Oct 2004 by : Debbie (44,46,15,13,11)

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Just wanted to say we had a great time at the Marina Beach. The rooms are a bit basic but we didn't stay in them for long. The pools were great but you had to be up about 6am to get a sunbed around the pool. The food was good and plentiful and the free bottled water was good.
The evening entertainment was poor and a bit "eurotrash" in content. The kids loved the dancing in the pool at 5pm and watching the salsa dancing.

The barbecue one evening was a lot of money and a bit of a rip off. You could watch what was going on after eating in the restaurant. The only other thing about the hotel is that it has a taverna shown in the brochure but it is never open. A bit of a shame really.
Gouves is a bit tacky just tourist souvenier shops and fake designer clothes. There is no pavement and can be a bit dangerous when cars drive passed.

The children wanted to go back again before the summer was over but maybe next year.

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Mariquainna - Gouves

Operator and Date: (Direct Holidays) Direct Holidays - July 2006

Opinion submitted in September 2006 by : Elaine   Chester  47,14,12

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We were based in kato gouves, we were there 18.07.06 for 2 weeks, apartments very clean, pool also cleaned everday could't fault it.The people who ran the place were all lovely and really worked hard. The resort itself is not up to much nothing there for my childrens age, we did visit the water park  which was great and did the half day family cruise which i would recommend. If you went  further into gouves itself there was a little  bit more to do, this is the third time i have  visited greece first couple of times to kos town. Be careful of the main road running through it is really busy all of the time. The supermarket to the right of the apartments go up the hill alittle bit to  the second one on the left. It is really good value and she gives you free things each time you go. All in all had a lovely relaxing time   would visit if going on my own again, but not with the children as no entertainment. Beware also the mosies are really bad. Take   bite cream. Have a good holiday and say hi to demo and andy the bar men who are great  

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Maya Beach Hotel - Gouves

Operator and Date: Hellenic Voyages - July 2005

Opinion submitted in Aug 2005 by : Emily Weilson - London (15,18,40,42)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

When i arrived at the Maya Beach me and my family were really happy it looked lovely and welcoming. It took us a while to find our room but when we did we were not let down. Sure there not the most luxurious (the bathrooms could do with a bit of updating but were adaquete) but they are very liveable. The room itself had: Sattelite TV,Double Bed,2 Single Beds,Fridge and a table as well as a great balcony with a table and chairs.

The food was not 5 stat but was very nice , salad, hot food, dessert. Some nights though we did eat out - a very nice taverna next door.

The staff were extremely friendly, for example it was my daughters 18th while we were out there and they bought her a cake and all sung happy birthday to her and got her a card. The Rep DEE was lovely any questions yu had she answered. She also tried to fix any problems you were having.

The pool was great, as were the beaches (some great waves) all in all a great holiday.

The hotel wasn't 4 star more 3 but was perfectly adaquete and i have no complaints what so ever

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Maya Beach Hotel - Gouves

Operator and Date: Hellenic Voyages - July 2004

Opinion submitted in Aug 2004 by : S Cooper (30,33)

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Poor

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Please avoid this hotel at all costs. It is one of the worst hotels I have ever stayed at.

When I booked this holiday off the Internet I was told to look at the website for the details of our 'All inclusive' package. The hotel looked lovely and the ''all inclusive'''' package looked great value for money. As this was advertised as a 4 Star hotel, for what we paid this seemed such a bargain that we had to book it. I also phoned the hotel in advance to check the details of the inclusive package as we didn't have anything in writing and I was assured by the manager that we would get what was advertised on the website.

When we arrived at the hotel we were shocked, as it didn't look anything like it did on the website. Our studio apartment was a comfortable size but was indeed very basic and I would have said that it should have been a 2 star rating. 

Our room was right at the back of the complex and had 1 small window. Having entered the room and hitting 120 degrees heat, we decided to start the air conditioning. After phoning reception as we couldn't get the air conditioning started we were told that we had to pay Euro 5.00 per day. We were shocked as this was supposed to be in the ''''All inclusive'''' package. Having unpacked we decided to put our valuables in the safety deposit box. We went to reception to get the key and was told that this would cost us another Euro 3.00 per day. We started to get a bit concerned about this 'all inclusive' package as we had only been there 3 hours and had spent Euro 112.00.

Anyway we put this behind us and decided to head for dinner. I was completely shocked when I see that we only had 2 - 3 choices of food for dinner. This is totally unacceptable for a 4 star hotel. The food we did choose was warm and looking around at other people I have never seen so many unhappy faces.

At the welcome meeting the next day, there was only supposed to be 4 of us there. We couldn't believe it when every English person that was staying at the hotel were sitting there all complaining about the non-existent 'all inclusive' package and the quality of the food. There and then we decided to move with 2 other couples to another hotel. There were other families that wanted to move but they couldn't afford to.

Having moved to another 'All inclusive' 4 star hotel. I can tell you that Maya Beach Hotel is no more than a 2 Star hotel.

We have since found out that so far 80% of guests that have stayed at Maya Beach Hotel this year have complained and that last year there were a lot of problems also.

Having been on a 'All inclusive' holiday before, I have to say that this is one of the worst 'All inclusive' holidays I have ever been on.

I could really go on and on about what was advertised and wasn't available to us. But I wont!

There are a lot of us that will be complaining and all I can say is that people that are going to this hotel, I hope they take a lot of spending money with them, as they will be spending a lot of time out of the hotel eating and drinking.

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Maya Beach Hotel - Gouves

Operator and Date: Hellenic Voyages - Date Not Specified

Opinion submitted in July 2004 by : Stuart Dempster - Fleetwood (44,42,65,70)

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Been to Hersonnisos before, this is the complete opposite.Very quiet, walk everywhere,nothing to do really, if nightlife is what you want, forget it. Hotel was booked ages before, after checking out the hotel website, all looked well - 4 star A.I. All amenities (£500 for a week). When you get there, its very basic drinks(local whisky,ouzo,watery lager,some sort of coke)included,otherwise everything extra.All "amenities" were extra (air con etc)and had to be paid for(except the 4 channel sat tv, mostly snowy pics).Meals were usually concocted from what hadnt been eaten the meal previous! Definately nothing like 4 star hotels I`ve seen before.I`ve had better 2 star self catering to be honest.

On the plus side, if you didnt ask too much of the staff,they were friendly enough, but too many guests felt that they had to eat elsewhere, which was a real bad point. Not many English there at our time,mainly over-exuberant French getting thrown out of the pool for throwing furniture in! Claimed to have a swim-up pool bar, maybe so if you are a turtle looking for a nesting place, having to travel out of the sea, but even if you check the photo on the website, you will see what I mean? 

Word of warning - beware of the genteel looking village if you take kiddies shopping, as some have some extreme hardcore movies on the shelf next to toys which even made ME blush!

Overall, I wasnt overjoyed with what this hotel claimed to be, they could go a long way to travel themselves to get an idea of what 4 star means, and not just having their palms outstretched for your euros all the time! It claimed to have had a full refit in 2002, so god knows what it was like before! Full praise to DEE the rep for sorting out a room problem quickly! One of the nicer bits of the holiday, having a rep that shows when she says she will, and coping with all the questions we bombarded her with superbly.

If you are into diving/scuba, there is a decent place called the Deep Blue Diving School, which rents all the gear at good prices (3 hrs dive with gear rental cost about 40euro), and if you had time, you could get open water qualified for about 300, which is cheaper than most over here, and a lot better sealife to look at than the quarry we trained on! Shame I had to pass on that one, the hotel drained a lot of my spare cash. Basically, be prepared to walk mostly everywhere(even to the bus stop) and just have a chillin out time and go to bed early, or play cards until the barman decides to switch the lights out!

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Memories Apartments - Kato Gouves

Operator and Date: (Unijet Discounts) Unijet -  August 2004

Opinion submitted in Aug 2004 by : Mike Helliwell - Devon (58,53,25)

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Memories apartments are very good with very friendly and helpful owners and staff, a nice pool and bar and attractive grounds.  The downside is it is a long way to the village and the beach, about half an hour walk (ignore the Unijet brochure claims), which is ok in the evening but no joke in the middle of an August day.  I strongly recommend a hire car to avoid the daytime trek and it is also very close to the Crete superhighway (!) (which incidentally isn't all there yet although the maps say otherwise) giving good access to the rest of the island. There are enough places to visit, beaches and towns to see and things to do within an hour or so drive to keep occupied for two weeks without any poolside lazing.

Gouves village is ok for eating but limited for shopping but Irakleo is just down the road and that's got a Marks and Spencer.  Gouves seafront is not the most attractive but there are plenty others in easy reach. 
For eating locally I recommend Zorbas on the seafront for good cheap food and the best by far we found was Atlantis in the village, a bit more expensive but still very good value.

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Ourania Apartments - Gouves

Operator and Date: Libra   -  June 2007

Opinion submitted in July 2007 by : April,  John,  Adam    (37, 47, 7)

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

These apartments are basic but clean.  The beds where really sqeacky which was really annoying. The rooms are small with only 1 cooker ring, so if you are planning on making your own grub now and again, think again. if your looking for somewhere with some kind of entertainment this isnt for you.  there is 1 pool table, a small bar area, all they put on tv is mtv, 2 computers and the swimming pool.  we paid quite a lot of money for this holiday and to be honest it wasnt worth it.  ive been to crete before, stalis which was really lovely and found Gouves alright.  

the food was basic. they mostly cater for the tourists and when i asked for houmus the greek guy didnt know what i was talking about.  by the end of 2 weeks i was desperate to get home (for some houmus) and never eat chips again as they are served with everything.  if you do stay here, on the way to town along the beach front dont pass the paradise cafe, restaraunt.  every day we walked by because it doesnt look very nice but on the last night we had the nicest, cheapest meal we had in 2 weeks. 16 euros for 2 people, 3 courses. the waiter was a character, doing greek dancing and the food was really good. they really catered for my partner who is vegetarian and who was sick of omeletes and chips and made him a lovely meal. 

its nice enough but personally i would go somewhere with stuff for the kids in a different part of crete.  also planes fly over constantly but not too low so you dont really notice them.  anyway happy holidays hope this helped.

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Ourania Apartments - Gouves

Operator and Date: June 2007

Opinion submitted in July 2007 by : Terry & Marguerite - Leicester (63, 63)

Resort Rating: Poor

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

First a word of thanks to the people who post to this site, they have always proved useful.  If you do look at them and find them useful please take the time to post your own experiences.

We flew with Mytravel from East Midlands.  Left on time and arrived early.  Must be the worst food I have experienced on any flight and that takes some achieving!  On arrival some confusion on finding the right luggage conveyor as lots of flights arriving and what seemed like lots of conveyors in lots of different areas with lots of people moving backwards and forwards looking.  Eventually it appeared on a screen (along with another flight from Manchester although they didn't seem to get mixed) and by word of mouth everyone got to the correct place.  Thanks to this site we knew that there would be no rep. on hand from Libra but we were a little confused to initially find no apparent indication as to what we should do.  Outside we did eventually find a hand written notice that said go to desk 6.  We assumed this was back inside but thanks to another companies rep. we were directed to a long row of booths across the road.  No 6 was over to the left.  Once there we were quickly directed to the correct bus. 

Just before departure a Libra rep boarded the bus and said there would be no rep but the driver should know where he was going! (why wasn't he there at the exit?) and then got off.  A rapid 20mins transfer saw the bus turn off the road and stop and on seeing a small sign on a wall for the Ourania, we got off.  The driver then indicated two more cases that he had taken off.  It turned out these belonged to two older ladies who were still on the bus!  Once we were all off the bus it drove off into the night leaving us seemingly in the middle of nowhere.  Again thanks to postings to this site I did at least have an idea where to go.  We set off up the road in the dead of night with the two ladies in tow.  I think they thought I was leading them into the slave trade.  When we reached the end of the road even I began to have doubts.  We then saw a light from a doorway and as we approached could see Bob's pickup and a sign.  In the sunshine of morning and with familiarity it is only a 5 min walk and you can see the Libra and Ourania signs but in the dark....

From then on everything was just great.  Costas was waiting and quickly registered us and Bob took us too our rooms.  The apartments are set out in a village style with gardens and are the most attractive apartments we have stayed in Greece.  We had an upper level appt. (all only two levels) which overlooked someone's private garden and a site of the sea.  The apartments are spacious, clean and all beds had new mattresses.  Air conditioning and a safety deposit box are available for a fee.  The shower is the best we have ever seen in Greece and could accommodate 6 people (don't ask!) with constant hot water.  It didn't bother us but you would have considerable difficulty catering as there is only one small electric hot plate and no toaster but there was a kettle.  We only used the pool once but there always seemed to be sun lounges and plenty of shade.  All staff were friendly and helpful.  Towels changed regularly and sheets twice a week.  One toilet roll for two weeks!  Why do they economise on such a cheap item? 

Speaking of shade this became very important as although our first week started in the high 20s by the end of the second week it had reached (we were told) a very unseasonable 47C some hotels posting warning signs. 
Gouves itself is unattractive and must be on the most unattractive piece of coast line in the whole of Crete if not the whole of Greece (certainly the parts that I have seen and that's quite a lot) but we choose it as a base to explore eastern Crete by car (scuppered by the heat wave).  Close to the apartments are two beaches, we preferred the one with the coarser grained sand.  Two sun lounges and an umbrella were 7euros dropping to six in the last week (I don't know why either).  I have to say that by the second week I would have sold my grandmother for shade next to the sea.  The sea was very rough on 3 or 4 consecutive days and needed great care.  The little church is interesting especially if there is a wedding or christening as it is so small that all services etc. take place outside.  The "main shopping street", as they call it, is some 30mins walk along the coast.  Turn left at the dry river bed and you can't miss it.

We found Sofia's supermarket, next to Milos/Mylos taverna, cheaper than the large one on the front.  We also experienced being overcharged and short changed on 3 or 4 occasions in the large one (till we stopped using it of course).
Our preferred taverna was Milos/Mylos quiet, efficient, clean, friendly and excellent food with an extensive menu and no plastic pictures or chukers in.  The train trip around the area is a complete waste of time, costs 8euros and visits a few hotels to pick up, some back streets and a derelict US army camp, twice!  If you like to look at abandoned buildings and broken windows this is the trip for you.  The train is preceded by a man on a scooter who takes the fares before the train arrives and then fights to get past to get to the next stop.  The best bit for me!  

During the first week (before the heat wave) we used the local bus to visit Iraklion and Knossos.  To catch the bus go back to the slip road (off the main road) where you were dropped off and turn right past what looks like the bus shelter (times we had to advise people not to wait there) until you reach the main road, opposite the fur outlet, (honest! maybe they have cold winters) to stop number 13.  Stop 14 which you would expect to be nearer doesn't seem to exist.  The buses run every 30 min until 2.00pm (I think) and then every hour until back to every 30min at (I think) at 4.00pm, cost 2euros single.  They don't seem to allow standing but if a full one passes without stopping another seems to follow behind (I don't know how it works but it seemed to).  It is a short trip into Iraklion about 25mins unless full when it goes by the new road and only takes 15min.  The bus drops you at the bus station right in the port.  Right is the Venetian fortress which seems to have been restored out of existence if that is not a contradiction in terms, left, and up hill is the city centre.  Lots to see but not the Archaeological Museum which is closed for the summer.  On return buy your ticket inside the bus station and go out the port side to platform 2.  Don't get on the wrong bus as there does seem to be confusion with busses that stop at platform 1 (even the locals were confused).  Once full it seems to leave even 15mins before it was scheduled.  For Knossos- with your back to the port and bus station go to the right, the Knossos buses are yellow.  The ticket office is next to the stop, cost 1.15euro single.  I am pretty sure it only goes as far as Knossos and then turns round.  Knossos was very hot and very, very crowded.  Not the place, I would have said, for young children.

Come checkout on leaving day we were able to extend the room occupancy until 6.00pm for 20 euros, very worthwhile as we could spend another day in the sea and out of the heat.  Bob received a phone call to say we would be picked up 20mins early and took our cases down to the road in the pickup.  Delayed for four hours, but that's another story, same horrible food on the plane.  

I would recommend the Ourania but I would not return to Gouves.

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Ourania Apartments - Gouves

Operator and Date: Libra September 2006

Opinion submitted in September 2006 by : Gary Skyba 47, 51

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Poor

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We arrived just gone midnight and was left by the rep at the bottom of a very dark lane with our luggage,then Bob, who runs the Ourania bar came to pick up our Luggage in a beat up old van, thank god, we then walked up to the appartments which is only about a 5 min walk,so far so good,got to the appts and was allocated room 110 on the ground floor,first impressions were that it was old and very basic,but we have been to Greece loads of times so wasn't too bothered,we made our way to the bar and had a drink, the 2 chaps who run the bar,Costas and Bob,were very nice and very welcoming,

anyway went to bed and arrose around 8am next morning,the appartment was still pitch black inside so opened a shutter/window and was supprised that the room stayed dark,i ventured outside to find that the patio area at the rear of the appartment was covered by a lot of flowers/bushes and an enormous olive tree,so the sunlight was completely blocked out ALL day,the patio area at the front of the apt was just the same,not too worry, we had a good look around the Appt and it was clear that they are very old and could do with a good re-furb,

anyway we decided to spend the day on the beach, so of we went,we had read it was a 5 min walk, well we had a stroll and it was a good 10 min walk, but the beach to the left of the main coast road was shingles and the one to the right was sandy,we prefered the sandy one,4 Euro's for the sunbeds, then after a nice day on the beach we went back to the appt to have a nice hot shower only to find there was no hot water at 5pm,we asked at the bar why there was no hot water and was told that unless you have a shower between 11am and 5pm you will have to take cold showers, so for the next 7 DAYS that is what we did,freezing cold showers,

the next night we went to bed and we could smell urine on the bed so next morning we told the cleaners and they informed us it was the cleaning agent they used NOT SO it was urine,my wife used lots of perfume to mask the smell,

the restaurants around the Ourania are ok we found that only one did good greek food, that was the "Mylos" but if you went too late you didn't get in,all the others did the usual pizza's burgers pasta etc etc, we used the "Illios" on the sea front a lot, Manos who works there is very friendly and welcomes everyone and remembers you too,the walk into Gouves main street we were told was about 15mins,well we timed ourselves and it was a 1 hour, yes 60 mins at a stroll,we didn't go too often

i can honestly say that we will go back to Crete but not to gouves or the ourania appts.  

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Ourania Apartments - Gouves

Operator and Date: Libra - July 2006

Opinion submitted in September 2006 by : Martyn, Sharon, Laura, Kirsty

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Flew from our local airport (Exeter) arrived at Heraklion just before Midnight transferred to Gouves by Double Decker Coach which was interesting in the narrow tracks in the dark! seemed to keep going round in circles dropping off at various accomodation every few minutes. Eventually arrived and put our cases in the pick-up (legend) which Bob delivered near the apartments. We had two apartments & paid for the aircon on arrival. Apartments basic but beds comfy and they seem cleaned and cared for. Bar well stocked, Veggie Breakfast is great, Pool was clean.
Good Bits:
Bob & Legend
Hot weather
Friendly Atmosphere
Safe & crime free

Bad Bits:
A little bit too far from Town
Mice
Dodgy Food in Town
Airport Transfers
Recommends:
Aircon
Get your own Taxi Transfer
Eat Before you fly- nothing open in Gouves after Midnight
Mosquito Repellant
Mylos Restaurant- beware big portions!!

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Ourania Apartments - Gouves

Operator and Date: Libra - June 2006

Opinion submitted in June 2006 by : Debbie Pressdee - Devon (28, 30)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

When the bus stopped in what seemed the middle of nowhere and we saw the pick up truck and I thought - poor people who have to stay here, then they announced Ourania! Bob had come to collect the suitcases to take them to the receiption for us. In truth, we have stayed in other places that the buses are unable to drop you right outside and we had to take our cases ourselves so this was a nice service. 

The rooms were large and clean but every noise echos quite loud. We got air-con (which was an essential)and the safety deposit box straight away because Bob was running the bar until 2am. The planes going overhead are hardly noticable. It is a short walk to the beach which has a lovely promenade to the turning for the main road. We saw some fantastic sunsets on this walk. The main area of Gouves has plenty of tavernas, bars and shops then it is about a 10 minute walk along the side road (this runs alongside the main road and is not busy at all) back to the appartments so you end up walking in a large circle. The resort/appartments are quiet but still lively enought to have a good time. Hersonissos is just a short distance away but we found that Gouves offered everything that we wanted.
Our rep was a bit older than we were used to but she was very good - she even managed to get us a better deal on a hire car than the locals could!!

In the evenings the bar was run by Bob, Jessica and Costas "sorted mate". They all have a lot of local knowledge that can help you make the most of your holiday. The world cup was showing when we went so we were happy with the level of entertainment that this offered. We visited most of the resturants but found the best one on the last night (typical) it is in the main road and it is called Phelixenia, has no flashy signs and looks like quite a plain Cafe but the food was the best I have ever eaten and the service has fantastic too.

This was the best holiday I have had so far, I have tried but I cannot find a single bad word to say about it. I would love to go back for another holiday in the future and would deffinately recommend staying here.

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Ourania Apartments - Gouves

Operator and Date: libra may 2006

Opinion submitted in June 2006 by : s campion scunthorpe 60,55

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We found the apartments very clean, and the staff very helpful. Bit of a short walk when you are dropped of, but nothing to bother about.Eating out is very reasonable, meal for two and caraf of wine about £14.I can recomend the Oasis,Mylos,Limanaki and Ilios,all which was very good, we did try The Da Vinci Code nice starter but main meal salty and the most expensive.

We was only there for a week should of been longer,wouldn't hesitate going back again.

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Ourania Apartments - Gouves

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook - August 2005

Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : Louise Grogan - Newcastle (34, 32, 11)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We loved Gouves and the Ourania apartments which were very clean and friendly. Costas and his staff were very helpful.The resort is relatively quiet, which we liked, but it is a good place to explore the rest of Crete from. We hired a car from a company in the village and explored a few places. We spent two weeks at the Ourania apts and were spoilt for choice for places to eat - all of them excellent. I'd particularly recommend Mylos and The Minoen Prince. We would definitely return to the resort and the apartments!

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Ourania Apartments - Gouves

Operator and Date: (Libra Discounts) Libra - August 2005

Opinion submitted in Aug 2005 by : Steve Maloney - Liverpool (47, 46)

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Gouves was only a 15 min transfer from Heraklion airport, which was a good start, and the Ourania was the first stop.  So far so good.  There was a short walk up a narrow road as the coach couldn't get up there, but there's no-one more unfit than me, and I found it no bother.

The apartment was quite spacious and extremely clean.  We paid the extra 5 euros per night for the air-conditioning, which was money well spent - we went to Thassos last year and the room was unbearable at night.  There were two a/c units in the apartment, one in the living area and one in the bedroom, but you only really need pay for the one in the bedroom.

Costas and Becky, who run the place, are extremely friendly and would do anything to help. 

Two minor gripes.  There is a constant noise from thousands of tree insects which, to be fair, you tune out from most of the time but now and again you realise just how annoying they are.

Second, the apartments are just that little bit too far from Gouves Town.  Walking there is fine, as most of it is along the beach road where there is usually a refreshing breeze.  But coming back with a bellyful of food and drink is another matter, particularly as the last 10 minutes is uphill (again nothing too drastic though).  I'd say a leisurely stroll would take you 35 minutes.

Consequently, we tended to eat nearer the apartments, and there is plenty of choice within a short walk.  We went to one of the nearest, Milos, following other reviews, but were disappointed.  The food wasn't bad but compared to the other places we went, the service was poor.  I would recommend the New Wooden on the Beach Road.  We ended up eating here 3 times and the food was great every time (Beef Stifado superb).  The staff were attentive and remembered us when we went back the second time.  We also liked the place before you reach the New Wooden, which every night offered a very reasonable set price meal for 2 people(e.g greek salad, mixed fish,wine all for 17 euro). Unfortunately, unlike the other tavernas, here you don't get a shot of Ouzo with your bill, but a small bottle of what I think was Raki, which was disgusting!

A word for a bar on the Gouves Town road called the Blue Sky (next to the Blue Sky restaurant).  Can't remember the fella's name but the owner was really friendly.  Business is really slow for him (this was during the day) and he was genuinely interested in how we thought he could improve things, including whether his drinks were reasonably priced.  Give him a try if you get the chance, you'll get a free drink from him and if you like Ouzo he'll tell you all about it.

The brochure warns about aircraft noise but this didn't bother us, although for some reason you start looking up at every passing aircraft like you've never seen one before - just don't point at them as well or you'll look like a simpleton.

Overall, I'd go back to Gouves.  I just wish the Ourania could be transplanted that bit closer to the centre

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Ourania Apartments - Gouves

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook - July 2005

Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : Sandra an