AQUILA RITHYMNA BEACH

Went as a couple kid free and this was such a lovely hotel. Weather was really weird but at least it was absolutely gorgeous for a couple of days. We just enjoyed the rest and relaxation to be honest. The food was fantastic, so much choice and we got to try so many different things. Breakfast was varied and dinner each night was full of flavour. If you can’t find anything you like on that vast buffet you need to give yourself a talking to. Special mention to Anna in the main restaurant , she was like a wee mother hen trying to teach us some greek hahaha, Maria in the lobby bar had good crack. Great cocktails, yes the booze and drinks are expensive but then we knew that! We saved up and had a ball. Reception staff was amazing and anything we asked was acted on immediately. I had a massage which was good (im in the industry as well and appreciate a good massage) the spa staff however were very pushy and I understand they have to upsell down at breakfast but it became a bit tedious. It felt like we had to dodge them and not make eye contact. The beach bar makes great cocktails, not so sweet that it tastes like juice so we found we sipped it a lot longer. The main pool was fabulous, clean and plenty of loungers. The water was a tad cool but we got in and loved it. Evening entertainment was a bit poor as its early in the season. Rethymno defo worth a visit, we had the best seafood and ice cream honestly so good. We found an absolute gem a wee bit down from the hotel called taverna Poppy. €4 for 500ml of housewine, needless to say went a couple of times and got quite tipsy🤣🤣🤣 What a gorgeous hotel, grounds and staff. The housekeepers are top notch and every day we felt like our room was cleaned beautifully. Clean towels every single day, nothing is too much effort. We couldn’t understand each other but we still had a laugh with the housekeeping ladies, they are truly lovely. So glad we went before real silly season starts. I felt we got the best treatment and no long waits for anything. Best holiday sofar and Crete is stunning, people friendly and just all around big spoil!

Great hotel, ignore any negative reviews! All staff extremely helpful and always smiling which makes such a difference to the whole experience pleasant, Great spa which is free to use (treatments extra). Housekeeping excellent our room was clean and with plenty of fresh towels. Food excellent loved the Italian buffet with vey good food. The main buffet was also good with gorgeous smoothies and bread at breakfast. No issues with bugs, we stayed in September. Grounds very well maintained and beautiful. Rooms a little dated with it enough plug sockets and drinks expensive if not all inclusive. The fact that water is charged at dinner was disappointing but small supermarket if you turn right outside the hotel solved the issue. W

Decent holiday. The drinks are amazing but the food was no better than any 4* hotel I’ve been to. If I went back again I would go all inclusive as we only went half board. However, I wouldn’t book this hotel again only because the transfer back to the airport was over 2 hours, had to keep going round massive bends and roundabouts to pick other people up from their hotels this made me feel extremely travel sick. The staff are always very welcoming and friendly. The lady in the restaurant who was seating people at the buffet was amazing she remembered us each time and knew we wanted to sit outside in non smoking area. Service for drinks can be a bit slow if you go at peak times. We always went in quite early so got served very quickly. But can imagine it being very hectic in peak times as we went early May. There’s signs saying no reserving sun beds but people still did we only managed to get sun beds by the pools because we went to breakfast early and then straight to the pool otherwise by 10:00 they were all reserved. One day we went on the beach sun beds because we couldnt get beds by the pool but they hadn’t purl any of the cushions out so was very uncomfortable on our backs. A few days later we saw they had now put the cushions out and tables. Make sure you bring sea shoes or crocs for the beach as had loads of little stones which hurt your feet to walk on. There’s loads of cheap restaurants and bars outside the hotel. Bus stop right outside hotel which we got one day to old town but the buses were so full on the way back we had to wait over two hours to get a bus back to the hotel so we didn’t go back again but it was lovely there.

We recently stayed at the Aquila Rithymna Hotel, and unfortunately, our experience was far from what we had hoped for. Despite being advertised as a family-friendly hotel, it did not cater well to families with young children.The family pool area was particularly problematic. The lifeguard made up her own set of overly restrictive rules, requiring our child to wear armbands and a life jacket even while we were in the shallow end teaching them to swim. No inflatables or ball games were not allowed, which made it difficult to keep our child entertained. The larger pool did allow inflatables, but with no shallow end, it wasn’t suitable for our 3-year-old. To top it off, the lifeguard’s attention was sporadic at best, and we witnessed a near-drowning incident when she was nowhere to be found. Additionally, we were disappointed to find charges added to our bill for mini-bar items we did not use on 2 occasions, the charges were removed by the reception after lenghty uncomfortableconversation. The red flag on the beach was up for most of our stay, meaning we couldn’t enjoy the sea, and with the restrictive pool rules, we were left with very little to do. The drinks were also incredibly expensive, and the entertainment was sparse and poorly organized. Overall, this hotel did not live up to its family-friendly reputation, and we left feeling frustrated and disappointed. For the high cost, we expected much more. Unfortunately, we would not recommend this hotel for families with young children. On the positive notes, spa is beautiful and sunsets too.

I visited the Aquila Rithymna Beach hotel with my two teenage children. Our experience has been fantastic. 1. The setting is amazing. We chose a junior suite that has a terrace right in front of the sea. You look out over a bay with an amazing sunset every night, which you can watch from the beach bar. The beach is a combination of sand and small pebbles. There is full waiter service on the beach. The hotel has a traditional village feel is very relaxing. 2. The staff in the main are very friendly and professional. In fact, I was so impressed with the staff, especially the supervisors and youbger staff, that I felt I had to complement the general manager. I lost a ring that had huge sentimental value and reported it to reception. On the last evening, a guest had found it on the beach and handed it in. The reception team rang me immediately. This was nothing short of a miracle but a good example of how the staff remember things and look after their guests. 3. The food is excellent, and it is a really good quality. We had a mythos room which gives you a bit more choice in terms of a la carte restaurants. I had trouble booking through the app and called reception everything was organised for me by Maria and Victoria. We only ate breakfast and one evening meal in the main restaurant. The choice of food is very good with lots of fresh fruit and vegetables. The alcholic drinks are at times not premium, but they are available. The local wines recommended by the staff were very good. They have adults and children catered for with cocktails milkshakes, etc. The local spirtis like Raki are served ice cold and are great for relaxing. 4. The cleanliness of the hotel is faultless. Every area is kept very well. From the beach to the pools to the toilet facilities. The grounds are kept very well. I could go on, but this has been a really relaxing and carefree holiday. The Mythos rooms are worth booking in my opnion. This is a hotel that is getting it right!!

I put i went this august even though it was last august (it wouldn’t let me go past last september). Absolutely loved this hotel. Dining room was huge. Hotel area was so big there are parts i never knew were there, many pools, super friendly staff, lovely food options. You must try the mock tails they are absolutely stunning. Wish i could go again and it’s around a thirty second walk to the beach since the hotel is right next to it. Reception area is very fancy.