Anastasia Hotel Stalis

We’d been here twice before and liked it enough to book a third year, but this visit was a real disappointment. The room itself was much like the ones we’d had before, but the main light took three days to fix. Then the bathroom light stopped working. We were told to stay out of the room for a few hours while it was repaired, but the replacement still didn’t work, so we had to use our phone torches in the bathroom. It was finally replaced the day before we left. The bath didn’t work either, and nobody came to repair it during our stay. There seemed to be too few people working at the bar in the evenings, one person instead of two, so getting drinks took a long time. Most staff looked miserable, and they argued in front of guests, which felt very unprofessional. The food was repetitive over our 10 days. I could be wrong, but it seemed like leftovers from the previous night were mixed with other food to make more. Around the pool, lots of sunbeds and umbrellas were broken. On our last day, my daughter left an item of clothing in the room after checkout. I went back to ask for it, and reception said the cleaners hadn’t found anything. When I explained where it was and that they might not have looked there, they still wouldn’t let me back in to check. The hotel felt tired and run-down, and the bar area had none of the evening atmosphere we remembered. The staff didn’t seem keen to help or be there. We won’t be returning for a fourth year.

This was the worst basic hotel I’ve ever had the misfortune to stay in. The mattress was stained and had no protective cover. On arrival, the beds weren’t made, and we were left with a sheet to put on ourselves. When the dirty towels were taken away, replacements weren’t left. On the scheduled bed-change day, one bed was changed and the other wasn’t. We were told there were no sheets or hand towels, and they even forgot the bath towels. The room wasn’t cleaned, and when we complained, reception insisted the cleaner was very thorough. We showed them photos, but they had nothing to say and didn’t apologize. The food was nasty, the staff unfriendly and never smiling, and the pineapple juice from the bar tasted watered down.

The reception area was lovely, and the pools were really nice with plenty of sunbeds. The Anastasia complex itself was thoughtfully laid out, but the trees and gardens weren’t looked after well, with debris scattered around. My room was basic and very 70s. The TV didn’t work properly, and the bathroom was shabby and dirty in spots. The towels and bedding were clean, though I didn’t see cleaners until the day we were leaving. There was only one waiter who seemed friendly. The rest looked worn out and sad, and staff argued in front of us. The barman didn’t seem interested in serving just the two of us. I felt invisible while he served groups, laughing and joking with them, then came over to me looking stern. The food was just okay, repetitive, and only barely warm. People who’d been coming for years said the place had gone downhill and lost its atmosphere, and they wouldn’t return. I won’t be coming back either.

We had a great holiday, and Anastasia were very accommodating about letting us keep our room on the last day. The hotel sits between Malia and Stalis, about a 10-minute walk from a fantastic beach. Our half-board meals were excellent and varied, and you could eat indoors or outside by the pool. There’s good evening entertainment, three pools, nice rooms, and good service. Air conditioning was included, and the room safe was cheap to rent. They also had happy hour and a cocktail night.