Kastalia Village & Saint Nikolas Resort

The only real nuisance was the air conditioning. It didn’t do much to cool the room, though it kept the table and chairs nice and cool 😂. It would have been more useful closer to the sleeping area. Kastalia Village is on the edge of town, so it’s quiet and away from the crowds. There’s a large car park, and it’s a good base for exploring this side of Crete, close to the main road. Restaurants and shops are nearby, along with a tiny shop next door where the lovely man has everything you need. The rooms are basic but spotless, and the grounds are clean and well maintained. The pool was great and not too busy, with loungers still available. The splash park is small but kept the little ones entertained, and the snack bar has a decent menu and drinks. There’s also a very basic playground for younger kids. You can walk to the beach, though we only went there for a stroll. This is a really good budget option for families who plan to explore and don’t need anything fancy.

We had a good stay overall, and the price felt fair for what we got. It’s a family-friendly hotel that would also suit couples or solo travellers. The village is small and remote, but the hotel is on the so-called main road, making it easy to drive a rental car or take a bus to Chania, Kolymbari, and other places. There’s a large pool with a jacuzzi for adults in a quiet area. In the courtyard are a pool for very small children, another for all ages, and a deeper one for everyone. The backyard water park has three slides for different ages, plus a separate larger pool with slides. The grounds were clean and tidy. Rooms were in fairly good condition and reasonably equipped, and the large private balconies were nice for an evening meal. The rooms did show some wear, though. Our bathroom was very dirty, and the floor trim was covered in mold. It seemed the floors were swept with a brush instead of vacuumed, which didn’t work well for a beach holiday. The beds were made nicely and the sheets changed, but there were always crumbs of sand in the bed. We can’t praise the restaurant. Breakfast had decent options, but the dishes were dirty every day. We had lunch there once and found dirty plates with lipstick and food remains, and the meal was cold. Several other guests had the same problem with cold food and dirty dishes.

There are a couple of nice restaurants nearby, a chemist, a little shop next door with a limited selection, and a bus stop opposite. The beach is about a ten-minute walk, but it’s pebbly rather than sandy and the waves can be quite fierce. The hotel itself was lovely, with good food and cocktails. The afternoon receptionist was lovely too, as was Akis, who runs the bar. The downside was that the little ones cut their toes on the tiles in the splash park and in the pool near the bar. There’s air conditioning and a free safe. Hopefully we’ll be back in 2027 🕶️🥰☀️ thank you all…

The hotel is spotless in the mornings, and the food is amazing. What made the biggest impression on me, though, was everyone working in the bar and restaurant. They were polite, cheerful, smiling, and helpful, every one of them. I’ve stayed at many hotels in Greece and haven’t experienced this before. I travelled from England with Jet2, and my holiday is nearly over. Thank you for making it so wonderful. I’ll definitely be back next year!