Nikos Hotel

The grounds are lush and beautiful, and the small gym is perfectly adequate. The rooms feel a little small, but you're only in them for part of the day. The beach bar is fantastic, in a one-of-a-kind spot. By the entrance, the hotel also runs a shelter where stray cats are looked after and vaccinated. All three à la carte places were very good: Italian, fusion and Greek. Be sure to try the Assyrtiko white wines!

We were satisfied with our stay, though we mostly used the hotel just to sleep and weren't there every night. The price was the lowest we found, and we stayed in early September 2015. There's a pool and bar, but the rooms are small, the soundproofing is poor, and the doors and furniture are old. Internet costs extra. Malia is a 20-25-minute walk away, and the beach takes about 15 minutes to reach. Food, water and alcohol are very expensive here, so it's better to buy them in Malia and have breakfast, lunch and dinner there. This hotel is for the most discerning traveler.

The pool is rotten, and the food is bad and expensive. The place is full of idiotic young Englishmen riding around on motocross bikes. Malia itself is a town for the young, with well over 50 nightclubs. I could go on, but stay away from this hotel and town. The other side of Crete is much, much better.

The beach is far away, the internet only works at reception, and the insulation is poor. Breakfast was poor too. On the plus side, the pool is nice and clean, and there's a sunbed for you.