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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