Sylvia Hotel Crete

I can't recommend this place. They charge an extra 5 euro per night as "tourist tax," something I hadn't encountered anywhere else I stayed in Greece. There's a charge for everything, even using the AC or your own fan. The room ventilation was terrible, with just one window, and on the ground floor I couldn't leave it open. They said they'd clean every three days, but during my week there they never changed the sheets or towels. Greedy host, unprofessional staff, and rooms that are poorly designed and maintained.

The pool was fab, with sunbeds around it and more on the grass terraces. Rooms were nice and clean, with fresh bedding every three days. It's close to the seafront, and there are lovely villages up a bit of a hill where you can walk for food. The bar serves food until early evening and drinks around the clock. People were considerate, so there was no silly noise day or night. Prices never changed while we were there, so I'm not sure what the other reviewer meant. Best two weeks ever. I don't want to leave in a few days, but I hope to come back.

The location is really good, and the pool and pool area were lovely and clean, with enough sunbeds. We arrived very late on Friday night and were greeted by a nice woman on the night shift. Our room was spacious and clean at first, but the promised cleaning every third day never happened. The cleaners didn't come at all, and we had just one towel each for the whole stay. You can pay for extra towels, and there's also a charge if one gets dirty. They said not to put towels on the floor, but the bathroom floods from the shower and gets very slippery unless you use your one towel to mop it up. Our room was up some stairs with no rail and a drop near the door, which didn't feel safe. On our last night we ordered chicken gyros, but it was definitely pork. We asked for ketchup and mayo for the chips; they brought little pots and only then told us there was an extra charge for each sauce. My daughter had already put the rest of our money in tips, but they still said we had to pay. We had a nice holiday, but I wouldn't go back.

The apartments are lovely, clean, and spacious, and as a first-time solo traveller I felt very safe. The staff were wonderful and the food was great. The one drawback is the very steep walk down to the shops and restaurants and back up, which can floor even a fit person in the heat. Take care if you have any problems.