Hotel Sissi Bay And Wellness Club

The buffet has lots to choose from, with some great desserts, though the food is mostly geared toward European tastes. It’s a good hotel with a lovely sea and mountain view, and a good spot if you’re looking for somewhere quiet. Heraklion is half an hour away, so keep that in mind if you want to be near a big city.

We stayed in one of the new rooms after Sissy Bay became part of the larger Hotel Santana Island. Ours had access, was very private and spotless, and was good value. It was neat and quiet, with air conditioning, a fan, TV, Nescafe, tea, kettle, cups, glasses, water, mini fridge, towels, pillows and sheets. The bed was extra comfortable. The room cleaning service couldn’t have been better. What I really want to mention is the AMAZING LUXURY BUFFET. We booked half pension and didn’t want to miss breakfast or dinner. There was a lot of variety, including Asian, Greek, Mediterranean and English food, plus delicious appetizers. The buffet area is big. Go early if you want one of the few terrace tables to watch the sunset. The waiters’ service, on the other hand, was variable. The pool at Sissi Hotel is small, but we could also use another pool from the same chain across the upper street. That one is really nice, with beds over the water, and it’s big enough, not too deep and not too shallow. There’s a restaurant right nearby with nice drinks and food, at the same level as Buffet Santana. The hotel sits on the coast by a rocky beach. For a swim, walk to the right and you’ll find a small, quiet bay, or head to Sissy little harbor before the jungle. To the left there’s a nice bar right on the coast, Jolly Roger if I remember correctly, with good-value drinks and cocktails, live music every night, and a fun but chilled setting. The WiFi worked great throughout all Santana premises. We’ll definitely come back.

The staff are very, very kind, and the restaurant is really good, with loads of choice at breakfast and dinner. The chefs’ specials are a great tip. You can walk to a nearby beach, though it would be great if they made proper paths through the parking lot to get there. There’s an older and a newer part of the hotel. The older one is cheaper, but its rooms are a bit dated. We first got a ground-floor room beside the road, with only a front entrance and a small place next to the road to sit and leave things to dry. We asked to move and got a better room. Both bathrooms were small.

The restaurant is nice and has plenty of food, and the beach is close. The rooms are in a newer building and an older one. The older rooms feel like a 3 out of 5, and the WiFi inside the room is terrible. Sisi village isn’t really for partying, but it’s a place to relax.