Golden Sun Boutique

You’re close to everything in Malia but tucked into a very quiet area. The apartment location is excellent, and the pool area is fabulous. It’s recently been upgraded, with clean, comfortable loungers.

The apartments are basic but pleasant enough, and the WiFi was pretty good. It’s a good location, close to the main strip, though the beach is a solid 15-minute walk. The rooms weren’t cleaned every day, so I had to ask. I haven’t stayed in a self-catering apartment for years, so maybe that’s normal. For the price, it’s good. Just be aware that air conditioning costs 6 euros a night, which wasn’t mentioned in the booking description.

The pool was spacious and well looked after, with plenty of good-quality sunbeds, and the rates were good. My room had new furniture and nice extras like air conditioning and a decent hair dryer. It was set in a quiet spot away from the road, but still an easy walk to town, the best restaurants, and supermarkets. From the moment I arrived, I felt I’d picked well. I’d recommend it.

My partner and I stayed here in 2020 and booked 15 days. From the first night, I couldn’t sleep because of a strange rattling noise. When I turned on the lights, huge cockroaches scattered around the room. We were so disgusted that we spent the night outside. The owners admitted there had been an infestation, then handed me cockroach spray. We complained repeatedly, but they just laughed at us. We had to take it up with AirBnB. Once we sent photos as evidence, they refunded us right away because the conditions were so bad. The pool was green, and after swimming in it I had to take antibiotics for a UTI. A cockroach floated right beside me in the water. After the AirBnB refund, we moved out, and the owners’ son was having a party in the garden. He asked why we were leaving, then laughed in our faces and said we were lying. I pointed out another cockroach floating in the pool as he said it. Their behaviour was completely unacceptable and so rude. They also didn’t say in the ad that air conditioning had to be paid for separately in cash. We paid 150 euros for it, but they wouldn’t refund that even though we left on day three. I wouldn’t recommend this place. The photos are a lie, and you can find better places for less.