Arina Beach Resort

The main buffet was brilliant, with loads of variety every day. Even on themed evenings there was basic Greek food, which matters to me. I don’t go to Greece to eat curry or Chinese food. We also ate at the two à la carte restaurants, which I’ll review separately. The staff were amazing, attentive to our needs and kept everything clean. Our room was spotless too, with a powerful, relaxing shower. We’d upgraded to a penthouse, which included access to the à la carte restaurant at breakfast, robes and regular soft drink refills in the minibar. We didn’t really need the drinks with all-inclusive. The beds were exceptionally soft, and lack of storage in the rooms was the other small niggle. The hotel has a lively main pool for activities, but we spent most of our time by the quiet, tranquil heart-shaped pool next to the spa. There’s also a kids’ splash park, fumes, an adults-only pool and an indoor heated spa pool that children can use until 1pm. Evening entertainment was fine, though not really my thing. All-inclusive meant no hidden charges, with cocktails, ice creams and the room safe included. We had a wonderful time eating tasty food and relaxing while watching beautiful sunrises and sunsets. We’d happily return.

We had a fantastic family week with our two young children, 11 months and four years old. The family room and balcony were huge, the food was exceptional, the staff were great and the facilities were brilliant. My eldest was a little disappointed she was too young for the more exciting slides. We also would have liked shallower areas in the pools, since all of them except the splash park were 1.4m deep. Even so, we had an amazing time and will likely book again. Thanks to everyone at the hotel for a lovely holiday!

The hotel is immaculately kept, and the rooms are cleaned every day. I didn’t see a single bug in our room, and the food and bar areas were just as clean. The food was top notch, with lots of choice and mostly Greek dishes, plus chips and pizza for fussier eaters and kids. Plenty for a week. The stuffed vine leaves were fantastic. The drinks are strong enough to make you squiffy quickly, so take care, as my wife can confirm. Every staff member we met, from cleaners to reception and bartenders, was kind, courteous and considerate. For kids there’s an aquapark with three large adult slides, which our 10-year-old loved, plus a smaller play area with a shallow pool, slides and splash zone. The kids’ pool has toilets and a bar serving drinks, crepes and waffles. The heated indoor pool is open to children from 10:00-13:00. The main drawback is the location. For livelier places or sights, you’ll need a bus or taxi. The hotel has a taxi company nearby, and we paid 30 Euros each way to Heraklion, which seemed reasonable. It made for a great day out, with shops, a cathedral, a Venetian fort and plenty more to see. Despite the location, I rate it five stars, and would highly recommend it to families who mainly want to relax at the hotel or take a walk along the beach.

We enjoyed Arina Beach just as much on our September stay as we did on our first visit last June. With a four-year-old, it’s a nice place to relax, and it had all the facilities we needed. There’s fresh, tasty food with lots of variety, a long stretch of shore, plenty of pools, nightly shows, friendly and attentive staff, and comfortable, spacious rooms with sea views. A few bus stops away, we visited CretaAquarium, Dinosaur park and a Reptile rescue centre. Hope we get to return one day.