Marilena Hotel

My friends recommended this hotel, and after nine nights here, I’m glad they did. It’s a lovely, peaceful place with delicious food and plenty of choice. The staff are friendly and helpful, and the rooms were cleaned with fresh towels every day. The bus stop is right by the hotel, the beach is a four-minute walk away, and shops and restaurants are nearby. Thank you for your hospitality, Marilena!

The grounds and pool were a real pleasure. There’s room to unwind outdoors, and the pool has a deep end for swimming as well as a shallow section for playing ball or relaxing. The garden with its palms is lovely and peaceful. The hotel is also well placed, very close to the beach, with a bus stop right outside for a quick ride into central Heraklion. I’d stay here again, but I’d skip all-inclusive. The meals were just okay for me. Some dishes were too heavily seasoned, others bland, though the vegetables and salads were good and we never went hungry. Chicken was only wings or bony pieces with little meat, never fillet or breast. Desserts were mostly a few simple jelly cakes, sometimes ordinary cake, and sweets based on jelly or whipped cream. The included soft drinks, like cola and lemonade, tasted strangely sour and bitter and were undrinkable to us. We often bought drinks from the kiosk opposite and stuck to water at the hotel. Next time I’d eat at nearby restaurants.

We had a lovely, restful stay. The place was clean, the food was quite good, and the staff were warm and helpful. Getting some sleep in the morning was the one difficulty: a truck woke us around 7, then there was knocking or cleaning noise and furniture being moved around 8 to 8:30 every morning. Still, we had a great time, and the location was convenient.

The rooms were clean, the food was consistently tasty, and there was plenty to choose from. Everyone we met on staff was friendly. It’s a comfortable, very nice place for a Crete holiday, with lots of beautiful beaches nearby. Highly recommended.