Heronissos Hotel - All inclusive

We complained about the room and were offered an upgrade for an extra €90. The standard rooms were in poor shape, with no shutters and curtains that let in enough sunlight to make resting difficult once it got bright in the morning. The hotel doesn't come close to its four-star rating. Food was average for the price and category, and the pool snacks were only served from 4pm to 5pm, which was misleading if you expected them during the day. We were also charged a very high tourist tax. The experience fell well short of what we expected.

The staff were consistently friendly and helpful, and the location was excellent for getting to attractions, restaurants, and the beach. Being near the airport was useful too. But we found the hotel closer to three stars than four. The restaurant was small, the food was poor with little choice, and we ended up paying extra to eat outside during an all-inclusive stay. The afternoon snack was just a plain sponge cake, and we spotted mould on some cups at the pool bar. There wasn't much entertainment: just one evening of live music during our five days. Families should know the pool is quite deep and there were no children's activities, games, or entertainment staff. Our bathroom was tiny, and the room we'd booked didn't suit more than two people. A better room would have cost about €100 extra. We'd booked an Economy Double or Twin Room with Balcony/Terrace Land View, but as a couple we got twin beds and a view of the neighbouring building's balconies. It felt like we had one of the least desirable rooms. Sunbeds were meant to be off limits for reservations, but by around 10 a.m. it was already very hard to find one unless you got there early. There was also a strong sewage smell in the corridor. We left feeling the hotel didn't deliver the standard we expected from a four-star all-inclusive resort.

The hotel felt very old and in need of refurbishment. The restaurant and pool area were small for the number of rooms, so there was a lot of queuing. The staff, though, were nice. Food was the main letdown. Breakfast was the same each day, with only apples, grapes, and frozen kiwi for fruit. Lunch was tasteless, oily, and poor quality, with mixed seafood or unidentified meat alongside chips, rice, or plain pasta. Then the lunch leftovers came back at dinner in a different form. After three days we started eating out. The desserts were sugary, and the baklava was served half frozen. The beach bar was okay, but the drinks were the cheapest possible. We arrived at 6 a.m. and were told to fill in a form and return in an hour. An hour later they asked us to come back in two hours, then at 1 p.m. Around 11:30 the receptionist called me over and said a room was available, but that we'd paid for a standard room and he recommended an upgrade for €100 at a discounted price. We looked at both rooms. They were more or less the same, but the standard one was much more worn, with cracks, a musty smell, and a broken fridge, so we upgraded.

The location was good, but none of the six of us managed a decent night's sleep because of the noise, which went on around the clock. The rooms were basic but comfortable, though bubbles and water came up through the shower drain. The dining room wasn't large enough, so there were queues to enter and for the buffet. Breakfast had plenty of choice, but for vegans or people with dietary needs the only option was salad. Most dishes had no description or allergen information, and lunch and dinner were basic at best. Spaghetti bolognese was served at both meals every day. Afternoon tea and snacks amounted to a few pieces of cake, nowhere near enough for even half the guests, plus machine tea and coffee. Cocktails were very mild, though they were included. The staff were a mixed bunch, some really lovely and others very rude.