Yiannis Manos Hotel

At the price we paid, I wouldn’t recommend this hotel. We ended up cutting our seven-night stay short halfway through and moving elsewhere. We got food poisoning after eating at the hotel on our second night, and all of us were violently ill with vomiting and diarrhoea. The room wasn’t clean or comfortable, and the advertised pictures were wildly different from what we experienced. The bathroom had various stains that hadn’t been cleaned before our stay. The bedding looked and smelled like it hadn’t been changed. There was a TV, but we could only get a few news channels. It was within walking distance of the town’s shops, but the streets seemed unsafe and potentially suspicious at night. I wouldn’t feel comfortable walking there, especially with women or children. The staff seemed reserved and hesitant, and made us feel like a burden for staying there.

The service deserves 10 out of 5. The rooms were cleaned every two days, and the bar service was quick and friendly. The room was comfortable and practical, though I’d give it four out of five because there was no microwave and the shower was really small. The location was the worst part of this otherwise wonderful hotel for us. It’s a 15-20 minute walk to the beaches, and about the same to grocery stores in the other direction. We were with children, so the lack of sidewalks along the road was a problem. I know the surrounding infrastructure isn’t the owners’ responsibility, but it still spoiled our first impression.

We picked this place because it was about a 15-minute walk to Malia town centre, but we won’t return or recommend it. It wasn’t the best or cleanest, and it wasn’t the cheapest either. Staff weren’t very friendly and could be rude. They gave us very little information about the rooms or services. The only information in the room was the fire evacuation procedure and a price list for damage. Housekeeping was very poor, and one evening we found a cockroach crawling in the room. The equipment was old and outdated, and the bathroom and kitchen areas were dirty and unhygienic. They seemed eager to charge extra for anything and everything, while providing service that was well below average.

Both pools were good. The one on the right, closest to the bar, was quieter, but it’s very deep at 3 metres. The area has a tavern and a few restaurants nearby, and Malia star is the best. There’s a shop close by that sells everything, with a spar down the road. The strip is close, though there’s not much around apart from that. You can get a taxi from reception, and the hotel food is good too, with very nice dinners and breakfast. The hotel is clean and well kept. Bar staff are very friendly, the waiters and waitresses are kind, and the 2 brothers are present and kind too. Rooms are basic, with nice TVs and standard beds that are a bit hard. The emergency exit sign makes it quite bright at night. The shower wasn’t good in my room, the curtain stuck to you and kept pulling the shower off its hook so I couldn’t hang it up. Check-in was easy, although after 10pm security checks you in and keeps your passports until the next day so you can check in properly. The beach is good, but Potamos beach is a bit of a walk if you want the good one. My wife and I loved it.