Aquila Porto Rethymno

The staff were exceptionally friendly and clearly trying their best, and breakfast was good quality. The hotel's location is also nice, with a partial sea view that adds to the atmosphere. But it's right on a main road, so there's noticeable traffic noise. That's somewhat predictable, but guests should be told clearly. The bigger problem was the air conditioning. It didn't cool properly, and the room reached around 26°C, which made sleep very difficult. That's especially hard with a three-month-old baby, and also for older guests like our parents. We asked several times and were told the system wasn't meant for cooling because early May was supposedly still too cold, and that we should open the windows. That didn't work: from about 5:30 a.m. the traffic and waves got much louder, and after sunrise the room was fully lit. Neither we nor our baby could get proper, restful sleep. For a hotel that calls itself five-star, having guests wait for a breakfast buffet table at busy times is also unacceptable. It suggests poor organization and falls short of what that category should offer. The hotel feels outdated, and basic issues like climate control and organization aren't being handled to modern expectations. At best, I'd call it three-star, mainly because of the dedicated staff and good breakfast. I'd only give it a limited recommendation for a relaxing family stay.

The question I get is always, “What was the hotel like?” We had a recently upgraded Mythica room in the Superior Sea Room category, and it was very good. Mythica guests can dine at the a la carte restaurant free of charge, and also get wine and daily fruit in the room. The restaurant serves a fine menu to a very high standard, including filet steak and lobster. Vassilis and especially Tula deserve a special mention for looking after us. We had breakfast at the main restaurant, which offers a comprehensive spread, and some very good theme nights. We ate lunch out. The hotel is clean and well maintained. Is it five-star? I'd say yes if you're in a Mythica room, while the other rooms perhaps don't quite measure up. Still, compared with other hotels in the area, the price is very competitive, so I think you're getting very good value for your Pound or Euro.

It was our first time in crete, and we chose this lovely hotel. The staff were friendly and helpful, though there was a mix-up with our room on arrival. As we unpacked, another family turned up with a key card for the same room, so we were moved down a floor and lost a little of our sea view. They also offered us an upgrade. We checked the other room, but it wasn't much different, and the sea view was even more restricted. Later we discovered there were three football teams of 14-year-old boys on our floor, playing knock and run and making a lot of noise. That turned out to be why the other room had been offered, but nobody told us at the time. Overall, I'd stay here again and would probably accept a room change if offered.

We had a really uncomfortable night. It was noisy and kind of dirty, and the hotel looks like a swimming pool. They were painting during our stay, so everything smelled strongly of paint. Renovations were going on without consideration for guests. Breakfast was the same every day. This definitely doesn't deserve five stars, three at most.