Themis Beach Hotel

The beach is lovely, with clear water where you can spot little fish around your feet, and the sandy shore slopes gently into the sea. It felt good for families. The grounds are green and well kept, and our room was cleaned every day, though the rooms themselves are a bit dated. Staff were warm and did their best to make us feel welcome. We stayed with our 1.5-year-old and found food she could eat, but there’s no kids’ menu or baby jars. Getting around with a stroller was difficult, especially reaching the beach, and there aren’t proper walking paths or a promenade nearby. Food was okay, but the all-inclusive meals got repetitive. Fish and meat were often dry and overcooked, there were no shrimp, and mussels appeared just once. The alcohol seemed a little watered down. You won’t go hungry, but it’s not a gourmet experience. There’s little to do outside the hotel, and getting to Heraklion with a small child is hard, so renting a car helped us a lot. Most of the other guests were German, French, or Polish; we saw very few Ukrainians, no Russians, and one couple from Kazakhstan. If you’re expecting a “Turkish-style” all-inclusive, this isn’t it. With older children and a rental car, though, it’s a nice, quiet vacation spot. We’d rate it 4 out of 5 for the beach, cleanliness, and kind, helpful staff.

The hotel itself was pretty clean and generally well maintained, but we had a rough stay. At night during the first couple of days there was basically no air conditioning, and sleeping in the room was so hard it might have been easier out on the balcony. We tried to get alcoholic drinks the next day, and the waiter asked us to pay. That was understandable, though a sign explaining what was included would have helped. The following evening we ordered juice, and a woman came over about ten seconds later asking for payment. The juice tasted like sparkling tap water. On our last day they finally put up a sign listing what the price covered. If you book on a high floor, be aware that at least one elevator seems to be out of order nine times out of ten.

We had such a great time at Themis Hotel in Crete with The KING 😍 The staff were welcoming from the moment we arrived, and Manos at the bar was especially kind and helpful every day. His tips and hospitality were a big reason we ended up extending our stay by a whole week. 🥰 The rooms were spotless, the atmosphere was warm, and the service was top-notch. Everything felt just right. Thanks to the whole team, and especially Manos, for making the holiday unforgettable. We’ll definitely be back!

The location is excellent, with plenty of restaurants and shops nearby, and there’s a direct path from the hotel to the beach. You can use your own towel on the sand for free, or pay at the beach bar for a sunbed. There were always enough sunbeds by the pool, and the receptionists were polite and friendly. Our room was cleaned daily. The hotel was clean and comfortable, and the food was delicious, though eating the same breakfast for seven days got boring. The bathroom in our room needs some renovation, and the pillowcases on the balcony armchairs were dirty. I’d also have liked them to stop guests smoking on the terrace where people eat. Those things are why I’m giving it four stars.