Archipelagos Hotel

This is the best hotel I've stayed at in Greece! The room was super clean, and breakfast was a big buffet with lots of variety, including vegan choices. The staff were super clean. My only issue is that I found the city itself quite boring, but that's not the hotel's fault. I'm pretty sure every room has an ocean view, too!

I picked this hotel at random for a one-night stay, and it was a real disappointment. Getting to my room on an upper floor meant switching between three elevators, which was a hassle. There were basic problems in the room: the toilet was dirty and unequipped, and it made such a loud noise I couldn't sleep. The air conditioning didn't work properly either, and the slippery stone floor made me slip, which felt unsafe. The hotel also has almost no facilities for guests and no coffee bar. I felt I'd wasted my money, and wouldn't stay here again.

You can see the beach from this great location, and there's a pool too. The boss is so nice, and all the workers are really nice. The rooms are beautiful. I really recommend this place.

The staff at reception were always friendly and helpful, and we had a great week overall. Rethymno center is about a 20-minute walk away, far enough for quiet but still easy to reach. There's a big supermarket around 10 minutes away on foot. Across the street is a small beach with no amenities, which we enjoyed a couple of times before coming back to use the hotel's shower and toilet. A nearby kiosk is open 24/7 for drinks and snacks. If you drive, there are plenty of free public parking spaces around, including up the hill to the right of the hotel when you exit. The spots across the street fill up in the evening, but parking wasn't a problem for us. There's also a petrol station next door. The pool was rarely busy and had plenty of sunbeds. The pool bar had a friendly, professional bartender and served really good food, so lunch there was easy. We were disappointed it closed at 7 PM, since we would have liked to relax over dinner or drinks later. Breakfast had the widest selection I've experienced, with some items changed daily and a chef cooking to order, like eggs. The coffee, though, was terrible even by hotel breakfast standards. Getting around inside takes some getting used to. The hotel sits on a hillside, so reaching higher floors involves moving sideways as you climb, switching between several elevators and walking between them. We got used to it and started using the stairs, but it was unusual. The rooms are fairly modern, and many things are kept well, but there were rusty taps and toilet brushes, mouldy showers, and wobbly bathroom door handles. The safe was on the bottom shelf, so using it meant getting down on our bellies, which could be impossible for some people. Those details don't feel acceptable for a 4-star hotel. There's also a so-called fitness room near reception, about the size of a bathroom, with one treadmill, one exercise bike, and two yoga mats. It was the worst I've seen, so we didn't use it. Overall, we enjoyed the stay and would probably come back, but the hotel should pay more attention to details. I'd rate it closer to 3 stars than 4.