It was probably the first time in the last few years that a hotel was chosen spontaneously and at the last moment. Since the final decision on the trip was made a week before departure, the desired hotels were either "in the foot" or overcame the "psychological level" in terms of price. But, looking ahead, I confess that the choice was made successfully, and the pleasant aftertaste of an excellent holiday has remained to this day.
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It was probably the first time in the last few years that a hotel was chosen spontaneously and at the last moment. Since the final decision on the trip was made a week before departure, the desired hotels were either "in the foot" or overcame the "psychological level" in terms of price.
But, looking ahead, I confess that the choice was made successfully, and the pleasant aftertaste of an excellent holiday has remained to this day.
The road from Heraklion airport to the village of Adele (Rethymnon district), where the hotel is located, took no more than an hour and a half. Part of the way passed through the mountains, as it should be with turns left and right and elevation changes. But it was not extreme, which was significant for us, since my daughter does not tolerate serpentines. This time the road was easy.
Early arrival to Crete and, accordingly, early arrival at the hotel around 10 am. But, despite this, having filled out the guest cards, all the tourists were immediately sent to their rooms. Thus, the day, which started very early, was fully spent on vacation.
The hotel operates on various food systems. We chose "all inclusive", so we were immediately "ringed" with bracelets.
The meals on offer are quite varied. Thus, the presence of meat and fish, exciting for many, was widely presented in various variations, including grilling in the hall. At each meal, a friendly chef appeared in the hall, which even more disposed the guests to his creations.
Vegetables, fruits, ice cream and sweets were daily and plentiful. In addition to three meals a day, snacks are additionally organized at the pool bar, but this, for me personally, was too much)))
Of the presented drinks for children: fanta-cola, the so-called "juice" from the machine, non-alcoholic cocktails in bars. For adults: a wide range of strong alcoholic drinks, cocktails, pleasant light beer, dry wine. Very good espresso in coffee machines.
The territory of the hotel is well-groomed and cozy, consists of 2-3-storey buildings scattered among palm trees, flowers and numerous communal and private pools. With the choice of rooms with sea views, you can not bother at all because of the distance from the latter and the buildings and trees on the hotel-sea line.
As for animation, it is presented in the hotel in a soft variation. And this, in my opinion, is the only position due to which you can remove an asterisk from the rating. Children's is held in the kids club from 10 am to lunch, occasionally with the preparation of cupcakes and pizza. Adults - during the day by the pool, in the evening - at the pool bar in the form of a few Greek evenings and discos. But, by the way, even these infrequent performances are worthy.
An unexpected bonus at the hotel was certificates for a one-time massage visit for adult guests. My daughter also received a visit to the spa, as a prize from the competition held by the animation of the hotel in the pool.
Initially, the location of the hotel may not seem very good - between two roads, on the second line from the beach. But in fact, these are not significant trifles. The road to the beach takes no more than 5 minutes and passes between the hotels, you can even say on the territory of someone else's hotel. Don't let the gates and signs with the inscription privat scare you, the guides themselves will direct you this way. The beach itself leaves a double impression: in the part where the sun loungers are installed, sand, and closer to the water, pebbles, turning into natural plates. Therefore, for greater comfort, it is better to take care of purchasing beach shoes in advance. But, by the way, all the necessary beach accessories are presented in numerous shops near the hotel and in general in the village of Adele. The cost of 2 sunbeds and an umbrella on the beach varies from 3 to 6 euros, and depends on whether the sunbeds belong to the hotels or the drinks purchased in the bars on the beach. There were cases when no money was collected at all, for reasons known only to local Greeks)))
The entrance to the water causes certain difficulties due to the presence of plates in the sea, and hiking not far to the right and left along the beach did not give the desired good entrance. Perhaps you searched badly)))). Again, shoes help!
To the right of the hotel entrance there is a bus stop, you can get to Rethymnon. The ticket price is 1.20 euros, the child is free. Tickets are sold at a nearby shop. According to the assurances of the hotel guide, tickets can also be purchased from the driver, in fact - it did not work out! The driver pointed to the store, and he kindly waited for us for a couple of minutes.
And finally, a pleasant moment was an early breakfast, which starts at 4 am for early leaving hotel guests, and a late dinner for arrivals. In order to take advantage of the early breakfast, at the last dinner you need to sign up for a journal with your breakfast time.
Once again, Greece turned out to be a hospitable hostess!
But, looking ahead, I confess that the choice was made successfully, and the pleasant aftertaste of an excellent holiday has remained to this day.
The road from Heraklion airport to the village of Adele (Rethymnon district), where the hotel is located, took no more than an hour and a half. Part of the way passed through the mountains, as it should be with turns left and right and elevation changes. But it was not extreme, which was significant for us, since my daughter does not tolerate serpentines. This time the road was easy.
Early arrival to Crete and, accordingly, early arrival at the hotel around 10 am. But, despite this, having filled out the guest cards, all the tourists were immediately sent to their rooms. Thus, the day, which started very early, was fully spent on vacation.
The hotel operates on various food systems. We chose "all inclusive", so we were immediately "ringed" with bracelets.
The meals on offer are quite varied. Thus, the presence of meat and fish, exciting for many, was widely presented in various variations, including grilling in the hall. At each meal, a friendly chef appeared in the hall, which even more disposed the guests to his creations.
Vegetables, fruits, ice cream and sweets were daily and plentiful. In addition to three meals a day, snacks are additionally organized at the pool bar, but this, for me personally, was too much)))
Of the presented drinks for children: fanta-cola, the so-called "juice" from the machine, non-alcoholic cocktails in bars. For adults: a wide range of strong alcoholic drinks, cocktails, pleasant light beer, dry wine. Very good espresso in coffee machines.
The territory of the hotel is well-groomed and cozy, consists of 2-3-storey buildings scattered among palm trees, flowers and numerous communal and private pools. With the choice of rooms with sea views, you can not bother at all because of the distance from the latter and the buildings and trees on the hotel-sea line.
As for animation, it is presented in the hotel in a soft variation. And this, in my opinion, is the only position due to which you can remove an asterisk from the rating. Children's is held in the kids club from 10 am to lunch, occasionally with the preparation of cupcakes and pizza. Adults - during the day by the pool, in the evening - at the pool bar in the form of a few Greek evenings and discos. But, by the way, even these infrequent performances are worthy.
An unexpected bonus at the hotel was certificates for a one-time massage visit for adult guests. My daughter also received a visit to the spa, as a prize from the competition held by the animation of the hotel in the pool.
Initially, the location of the hotel may not seem very good - between two roads, on the second line from the beach. But in fact, these are not significant trifles. The road to the beach takes no more than 5 minutes and passes between the hotels, you can even say on the territory of someone else's hotel. Don't let the gates and signs with the inscription privat scare you, the guides themselves will direct you this way. The beach itself leaves a double impression: in the part where the sun loungers are installed, sand, and closer to the water, pebbles, turning into natural plates. Therefore, for greater comfort, it is better to take care of purchasing beach shoes in advance. But, by the way, all the necessary beach accessories are presented in numerous shops near the hotel and in general in the village of Adele. The cost of 2 sunbeds and an umbrella on the beach varies from 3 to 6 euros, and depends on whether the sunbeds belong to the hotels or the drinks purchased in the bars on the beach. There were cases when no money was collected at all, for reasons known only to local Greeks)))
The entrance to the water causes certain difficulties due to the presence of plates in the sea, and hiking not far to the right and left along the beach did not give the desired good entrance. Perhaps you searched badly)))). Again, shoes help!
To the right of the hotel entrance there is a bus stop, you can get to Rethymnon. The ticket price is 1.20 euros, the child is free. Tickets are sold at a nearby shop. According to the assurances of the hotel guide, tickets can also be purchased from the driver, in fact - it did not work out! The driver pointed to the store, and he kindly waited for us for a couple of minutes.
And finally, a pleasant moment was an early breakfast, which starts at 4 am for early leaving hotel guests, and a late dinner for arrivals. In order to take advantage of the early breakfast, at the last dinner you need to sign up for a journal with your breakfast time.
Once again, Greece turned out to be a hospitable hostess!
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We got to this hotel by accident (those who wanted to Rethymno were on the foot, they had to Adelyanos Kampos (there are still small distances). We arrived early in the morning, of course, we had to wait until the room was prepared, but they gave out the keys a little earlier than the check-in time. We booked a view to the garden, issued - on the road.
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We got to this hotel by accident (those who wanted to Rethymno were on the foot, they had to Adelyanos Kampos (there are still small distances). We arrived early in the morning, of course, we had to wait until the room was prepared, but they gave out the keys a little earlier than the check-in time. We booked a view to the garden, issued - on the road. There was no desire to swear, they were tired. However, they were satisfied with the number - palm trees adjoined the balcony, on which the birds chirped. The hotel opposite - Caramel had already been built, there was no noise. During this time, we had time to have breakfast and walk around the village. It's boring in the village. All the entertainment is the sea, various shops, cafes, restaurants, which smoothly pass into the next village of Platanias and then to Rethymnon. When there was nothing to do, sometimes in the evening they took a walk along this tour. promenade almost to the beginning of Rethymnon (6 km) and back. Sometimes they fell in some restaurant. The locals did not believe.
The Greeks are lazy, if you need to walk 150m - they go by car or motorbike))
The hotel received 4 stars. As for 4k - very mediocre, and for 3k - good (this is considering the cost, because it makes no sense to compare with more expensive 4k). The facade is the same as in the photo - nice palm trees). The territory is small - a small garden inside and a swimming pool with sun loungers on the right side of the entrance to the hotel (facing the entrance). Despite the proximity to the sidewalk - it is quiet, the fence and dense shrubs close the street from the pedestrian zone. Standard room, air cond. , TV, 1 time upon arrival they put small shampoo, soap, shower gel. Towels and bedding changed regularly. Also, in the closet were blue beach towels and light blankets (not used, as well as air conditioning). On the balcony: table, chairs and ashtray. The foyer is small and smoothly turns into a bar (a couple of steps higher). We took half board (breakfast and dinner), as we traveled around Crete and 2 days in Santorini and returned only for dinner
. An appointment for an early breakfast at the reception, something was put out in the evening, otherwise the waiter on duty came and put up something that was not particularly prepared until dawn - 3 types of cheese and sausages, boiled eggs, tomatoes, stewed vegetables, butter, various cereals, various dried fruits, nuts, jam, honey, toast, buns, bread, milk. At 7 in the morning - 7:30, if breakfast is not at 6, they put very tasty cupcakes of 2 varieties and chocolate as a gravy - the top of praise, croissants and healthy buns, yogurt, added olives, black olives, scrambled eggs / scrambled eggs, boiled sausages, fried sausages, something else, baby porridge for those with kids. Dinners were varied - several types of meat, fish, various ready-made salads and such cuts of salads, vegetables where he could pick up ingredients and make a salad for himself. A bunch of different dressings, several vegetable dishes of different types of cooking, different side dishes, local dishes. Each time the menu was different as far as the main dishes are concerned.
Soups - 1 or 2 types, but have not tried. The plov was delicious. From fruits: watermelons, melons, plums, apples, oranges, grapes, bananas, pears. Confectionery: baklava 2-3 types, mousses, ice cream, creams, desserts, jellies, pies. At dinner, wine and all other drinks are paid. For 2 cups of tea - 6 euros. For breakfast - tea, coffee, water, sweet drinks, milk - free of charge. We bought water in the room in large 5-6 l bottles (2.5 euros, I think) in the nearest store (first to the right, if your back is to the hotel). Prices are the same everywhere, and this one is right next to the hotel, carry it nearby. In the same place, white and red homemade wine was sampled, bottled by the owner in plastic bottles of 0.5, 1 and 2 liters. The price is cheap, but oddly enough, the taste turned out to be quite good - I was very surprised, did not expect. In general, for a hotel at this price, the food was very good.
On the right side of the hotel there is a Levantez restaurant - they cook very tasty, grilled octopus with various vegetables and potatoes for garnish - 11 euros, retsina decanter (0.
5-07l) - 5 euros (in the store 1 liter in a bag as juice is packed, 2.80-3.50 in a bottle is more expensive - the cost of packaging). They also came here once in the evening for Mojito 6 euros (tried in two more establishments, in Levantes - the best both in taste and in serving). The cunning, talkative and helpful Syrian Farouk serves visitors. Further on the left side of the hotel on the road to Platanias along the entire road there are pastry shops - delicious, pizzerias and anything else)) We also bought bottled wine in stores on the recommendation of sellers, asked for dry red and white - everything was good. I liked the brut Rhodes, who loves brut (if I remember correctly, only 10 euros). There are a lot of fur shops, but as for me, styles and colors are a boring standard and madams like aunts love)). I didn’t see anything interesting either in the mink or in other types of fur in terms of styles. Prices are ridiculously dray even with a discount. In Kyiv, this is one and a half times cheaper.
For example, from a very simple one: an elongated jacket, alternating leather and silver fox using the strut technique (seemingly more or less out of the woman's standard), lies neatly announced the price of 2400, with a maximum discount of 1350 euros. Jacket for autumn up to -3, although they say - winter))). We have such good - max. 1000 dollars In principle, it all depends on what someone needs and who is looking for what. I didn’t find anything interesting for myself, neither among inexpensive ones, nor among expensive ones ((You have to run around the factories in Kastoria for fur coats.
Beach - there is a passage opposite Levantes or walk about 10 minutes on the left side of the hotel, on the opposite side near some kind of three turn. Sun loungers and umbrellas are paid, you can bring your own or you can buy on the spot (in shops at every turn).
The entertainment program at the hotel - there was some kind of animation, we saw announcements in the lobby, aqua aerobics, like they taught the basics of Greek, if I remember correctly. Went only once for a Cretan evening - nice.
Room cleaning is average.
The bed is washed, but it came across with yellowness or, as it were, some old yellow spots that cannot be completely washed off. Could have already changed for a new time the hotel received 4 stars - fi! ! ! This is what I didn't like very much. WI-FI only used 3 times in the lobby, I don’t know if it worked in the room. I'm not on vacation on Skype, social. networks and so on. , but I rest, go and go everywhere and get impressions)
By the way, having calculated all the options for traveling around the island in terms of time, places visited and amounts, and we both don’t drive a car and we didn’t have a suitable company to share the rental for trips, we immediately bought 4 tours from Spiridon Tours - 3 around the island in different directions and 2 days in Santorini. It's cheaper than wandering around the island on regular buses, knocking down your legs and catching connecting ones or waiting for them. The cost of tours is the same in all agencies for Adelyanos Kampos.
In addition, Spiridon himself serves some Russian-speaking destinations in Crete, at each treat for lunch or a snack with local food (pickled olives from his plantation - they ate on the plantation and dakos - very tasty), wine (Ambrosia - almost non-alcoholic, pleasant. Red, which they give in the evening - natural mash)) On his way - animation, entertains tourists, sings, dances, and so on. The first time you see it, everyone loves it. But the same record plays without changes every day, no matter where you go with them))). I had to switch off, or even brazenly slept when the record turned on, or sat laughing as he speaks one thing in English, and she speaks Russian autotext in a different variation and does not even listen to him in English, and so all 3 days in a row in relation to one and the other same topics. Although they try, we must pay tribute. I recommend Spiridon to those who do not have rights or to share a car rental around the island with whom.
Santorini - agencies buy tickets for ferries at a discount, taking into account the number, and you also need something to get up the serpentine from the port - it's just a local car or taxi, or a tour. bus (I have never seen a flight to the top), knocking out the cost of all transport, excursion expenses and accommodation (and the hotels there are not cheap), it still turned out that it was cheaper through an agency. For example, a ferry - 45 - 54 euros economy (I don’t remember exactly the range of prices), if you buy it yourself, and the agency bought a business class for 25 euros (I looked on the ticket). The views of the Caldera and Oia (Oia) are very beautiful. If you have never seen white-deep or blue cities before (for example, in Tunisia or especially in Morocco) - it will impress. Me - not really, did not fall with delight. I don’t know, maybe I’m partly from the category of “satiated” with a certain kind of impressions. In the photo - it's beautiful, in life - it's nice, but not so much to fall and nothing particularly amazing.
Fira is small, 3 long (as for this size) parallel narrow shopping streets, with transitions from one to another, on which tourists of all stripes trample. They sell everything the same as everywhere else, but more expensive than Crete (mainland Greece is the cheapest). We also traveled on a regular bus around Santorini, this is besides what was in the excursion program. The island is small - 2 days was enough to see all the remarkable towns and sit on the beach in Perissa on the Aegean coast. We took a hotel for an overnight stay in Fira from the category of their local, classic Santorini. Here at least somewhere in the evening you can go out (on the east coast, apart from the beach and sightseeing, there is nothing to do). Having been in a hotel, various shops, restaurants (inside) - everywhere there is a smell of dampness, some kind of poorly ventilated room and mold, although the island has a lot of sun and little rainfall.
Even ordinary red wine (not retsina, which has a specific taste in itself) even has a musty aftertaste. This happens even in old monasteries - such a smell. The locals got used to it, they don't feel it. Briefly about Santorini - the views are beautiful, nice, in some way interesting, but there is nothing to do there for a long time, you can get covered with mold both from boredom and in the literal sense. I would not live there (or if I were paid a lot for it), although the Santorini people are very proud of themselves and do not accept strangers, even if they have lived there half their lives.
We went to Rethymno ourselves by bus, the stop is in front of the hotel.
Of all the Cretan cities, I liked Chania the most (the former capital until 1970, if I remember correctly) - it reminds me of Venice in the waterfront area, narrow old streets twined with greenery, street cafes. We had to find a hotel here. Charming town.
It takes a long time to write a review about all the places in Crete.
Go yourself and make up your own impression depending on what you expect, look for and what you have seen before.
The hotel is good value for money.
The Greeks are lazy, if you need to walk 150m - they go by car or motorbike))
The hotel received 4 stars. As for 4k - very mediocre, and for 3k - good (this is considering the cost, because it makes no sense to compare with more expensive 4k). The facade is the same as in the photo - nice palm trees). The territory is small - a small garden inside and a swimming pool with sun loungers on the right side of the entrance to the hotel (facing the entrance). Despite the proximity to the sidewalk - it is quiet, the fence and dense shrubs close the street from the pedestrian zone. Standard room, air cond. , TV, 1 time upon arrival they put small shampoo, soap, shower gel. Towels and bedding changed regularly. Also, in the closet were blue beach towels and light blankets (not used, as well as air conditioning). On the balcony: table, chairs and ashtray. The foyer is small and smoothly turns into a bar (a couple of steps higher). We took half board (breakfast and dinner), as we traveled around Crete and 2 days in Santorini and returned only for dinner
. An appointment for an early breakfast at the reception, something was put out in the evening, otherwise the waiter on duty came and put up something that was not particularly prepared until dawn - 3 types of cheese and sausages, boiled eggs, tomatoes, stewed vegetables, butter, various cereals, various dried fruits, nuts, jam, honey, toast, buns, bread, milk. At 7 in the morning - 7:30, if breakfast is not at 6, they put very tasty cupcakes of 2 varieties and chocolate as a gravy - the top of praise, croissants and healthy buns, yogurt, added olives, black olives, scrambled eggs / scrambled eggs, boiled sausages, fried sausages, something else, baby porridge for those with kids. Dinners were varied - several types of meat, fish, various ready-made salads and such cuts of salads, vegetables where he could pick up ingredients and make a salad for himself. A bunch of different dressings, several vegetable dishes of different types of cooking, different side dishes, local dishes. Each time the menu was different as far as the main dishes are concerned.
Soups - 1 or 2 types, but have not tried. The plov was delicious. From fruits: watermelons, melons, plums, apples, oranges, grapes, bananas, pears. Confectionery: baklava 2-3 types, mousses, ice cream, creams, desserts, jellies, pies. At dinner, wine and all other drinks are paid. For 2 cups of tea - 6 euros. For breakfast - tea, coffee, water, sweet drinks, milk - free of charge. We bought water in the room in large 5-6 l bottles (2.5 euros, I think) in the nearest store (first to the right, if your back is to the hotel). Prices are the same everywhere, and this one is right next to the hotel, carry it nearby. In the same place, white and red homemade wine was sampled, bottled by the owner in plastic bottles of 0.5, 1 and 2 liters. The price is cheap, but oddly enough, the taste turned out to be quite good - I was very surprised, did not expect. In general, for a hotel at this price, the food was very good.
On the right side of the hotel there is a Levantez restaurant - they cook very tasty, grilled octopus with various vegetables and potatoes for garnish - 11 euros, retsina decanter (0.
5-07l) - 5 euros (in the store 1 liter in a bag as juice is packed, 2.80-3.50 in a bottle is more expensive - the cost of packaging). They also came here once in the evening for Mojito 6 euros (tried in two more establishments, in Levantes - the best both in taste and in serving). The cunning, talkative and helpful Syrian Farouk serves visitors. Further on the left side of the hotel on the road to Platanias along the entire road there are pastry shops - delicious, pizzerias and anything else)) We also bought bottled wine in stores on the recommendation of sellers, asked for dry red and white - everything was good. I liked the brut Rhodes, who loves brut (if I remember correctly, only 10 euros). There are a lot of fur shops, but as for me, styles and colors are a boring standard and madams like aunts love)). I didn’t see anything interesting either in the mink or in other types of fur in terms of styles. Prices are ridiculously dray even with a discount. In Kyiv, this is one and a half times cheaper.
For example, from a very simple one: an elongated jacket, alternating leather and silver fox using the strut technique (seemingly more or less out of the woman's standard), lies neatly announced the price of 2400, with a maximum discount of 1350 euros. Jacket for autumn up to -3, although they say - winter))). We have such good - max. 1000 dollars In principle, it all depends on what someone needs and who is looking for what. I didn’t find anything interesting for myself, neither among inexpensive ones, nor among expensive ones ((You have to run around the factories in Kastoria for fur coats.
Beach - there is a passage opposite Levantes or walk about 10 minutes on the left side of the hotel, on the opposite side near some kind of three turn. Sun loungers and umbrellas are paid, you can bring your own or you can buy on the spot (in shops at every turn).
The entertainment program at the hotel - there was some kind of animation, we saw announcements in the lobby, aqua aerobics, like they taught the basics of Greek, if I remember correctly. Went only once for a Cretan evening - nice.
Room cleaning is average.
The bed is washed, but it came across with yellowness or, as it were, some old yellow spots that cannot be completely washed off. Could have already changed for a new time the hotel received 4 stars - fi! ! ! This is what I didn't like very much. WI-FI only used 3 times in the lobby, I don’t know if it worked in the room. I'm not on vacation on Skype, social. networks and so on. , but I rest, go and go everywhere and get impressions)
By the way, having calculated all the options for traveling around the island in terms of time, places visited and amounts, and we both don’t drive a car and we didn’t have a suitable company to share the rental for trips, we immediately bought 4 tours from Spiridon Tours - 3 around the island in different directions and 2 days in Santorini. It's cheaper than wandering around the island on regular buses, knocking down your legs and catching connecting ones or waiting for them. The cost of tours is the same in all agencies for Adelyanos Kampos.
In addition, Spiridon himself serves some Russian-speaking destinations in Crete, at each treat for lunch or a snack with local food (pickled olives from his plantation - they ate on the plantation and dakos - very tasty), wine (Ambrosia - almost non-alcoholic, pleasant. Red, which they give in the evening - natural mash)) On his way - animation, entertains tourists, sings, dances, and so on. The first time you see it, everyone loves it. But the same record plays without changes every day, no matter where you go with them))). I had to switch off, or even brazenly slept when the record turned on, or sat laughing as he speaks one thing in English, and she speaks Russian autotext in a different variation and does not even listen to him in English, and so all 3 days in a row in relation to one and the other same topics. Although they try, we must pay tribute. I recommend Spiridon to those who do not have rights or to share a car rental around the island with whom.
Santorini - agencies buy tickets for ferries at a discount, taking into account the number, and you also need something to get up the serpentine from the port - it's just a local car or taxi, or a tour. bus (I have never seen a flight to the top), knocking out the cost of all transport, excursion expenses and accommodation (and the hotels there are not cheap), it still turned out that it was cheaper through an agency. For example, a ferry - 45 - 54 euros economy (I don’t remember exactly the range of prices), if you buy it yourself, and the agency bought a business class for 25 euros (I looked on the ticket). The views of the Caldera and Oia (Oia) are very beautiful. If you have never seen white-deep or blue cities before (for example, in Tunisia or especially in Morocco) - it will impress. Me - not really, did not fall with delight. I don’t know, maybe I’m partly from the category of “satiated” with a certain kind of impressions. In the photo - it's beautiful, in life - it's nice, but not so much to fall and nothing particularly amazing.
Fira is small, 3 long (as for this size) parallel narrow shopping streets, with transitions from one to another, on which tourists of all stripes trample. They sell everything the same as everywhere else, but more expensive than Crete (mainland Greece is the cheapest). We also traveled on a regular bus around Santorini, this is besides what was in the excursion program. The island is small - 2 days was enough to see all the remarkable towns and sit on the beach in Perissa on the Aegean coast. We took a hotel for an overnight stay in Fira from the category of their local, classic Santorini. Here at least somewhere in the evening you can go out (on the east coast, apart from the beach and sightseeing, there is nothing to do). Having been in a hotel, various shops, restaurants (inside) - everywhere there is a smell of dampness, some kind of poorly ventilated room and mold, although the island has a lot of sun and little rainfall.
Even ordinary red wine (not retsina, which has a specific taste in itself) even has a musty aftertaste. This happens even in old monasteries - such a smell. The locals got used to it, they don't feel it. Briefly about Santorini - the views are beautiful, nice, in some way interesting, but there is nothing to do there for a long time, you can get covered with mold both from boredom and in the literal sense. I would not live there (or if I were paid a lot for it), although the Santorini people are very proud of themselves and do not accept strangers, even if they have lived there half their lives.
We went to Rethymno ourselves by bus, the stop is in front of the hotel.
Of all the Cretan cities, I liked Chania the most (the former capital until 1970, if I remember correctly) - it reminds me of Venice in the waterfront area, narrow old streets twined with greenery, street cafes. We had to find a hotel here. Charming town.
It takes a long time to write a review about all the places in Crete.
Go yourself and make up your own impression depending on what you expect, look for and what you have seen before.
The hotel is good value for money.
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You like
• 16
• traveled 10 years ago
They don't speak Russian, so without knowledge of English or German it will be difficult. You can’t hear the noise from the road at night, all the equipment in the room is in working condition, although not new, breakfasts are European-style monotonous (muesli-jams-toasts-eggs (I thought I’d cackle on the 5th day)), but you won’t go hungry, dinner worthy, only they don’t know how to cook fish at all.
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They don't speak Russian, so without knowledge of English or German it will be difficult. You can’t hear the noise from the road at night, all the equipment in the room is in working condition, although not new, breakfasts are European-style monotonous (muesli-jams-toasts-eggs (I thought I’d cackle on the 5th day)), but you won’t go hungry, dinner worthy, only they don’t know how to cook fish at all. 4 chlorinated (but everything is disinfected) pools on the territory, although one of them was occupied around the clock by the ever-drunk German-Polish horde worse than any "tagil". WiFi in the room. From the animation in the evening: a magician in a paper top hat, a disco of the 70s with a tape recorder, melancholy Cretan tunes to the accompaniment of "minus one", and belly dances of blonde Slavs who have nothing to do with the East. I consider the location of the hotel a huge plus: Adelianos has everything you need: shops, taverns, car rental offices, tour companies - everything is relatively inexpensive, the availability of transport (a bus to the city of Rethymnon stops opposite the hotel every half an hour), To Rethymnon (I managed to fall in love with this beautiful, original town) 6 km. To the beach 5 min. vegetable gardens, but in front of the hotel it’s bad to swim - stone slabs, so it’s better to go 200-300 m to the left and opposite Aquilla to choose from: sand, small pebbles. The beaches, as elsewhere in Crete, are municipal, if you come with your mat and don’t want to take sunbeds (6-8 euros - 2 sunbeds + umbrella), no one will mind, even if you sunbathe at a super star hotel. To see Crete in all its glory, you need to take a car 100% (Nissan Micra 1 year -35 euros / day. It was quite suitable both in the mountains with serpentine and on the highway - they took it from Yana - they were satisfied) - do not visit Balos Bay and Elafonisi I consider it a crime. Will we return to this hotel? I totally admit it. Do not hesitate to recommend to friends. Clean, green, cleaned regularly, the furniture is a little old, but does not fall apart, the refrigerator in the room is small, but cools, the air conditioner worked perfectly, nice and comfortable for evening and night gatherings with his beloved wife, there is a balcony with wine, hotel workers with their own rules to your soul they don't climb, the service is unobtrusive. In general, a hotel in Crete is needed only for spending the night and having breakfast, because everything is the best in mountain villages and small towns, on beaches and in mountain valleys, in caves with mythological heroes and in olive, lemon, orange groves. Have a good rest.
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• 5
• traveled 11 years ago
I myself have been choosing hotels for many years based on the reviews of those who have visited them. Therefore, I considered it necessary to add my review about this hotel. Moreover, a week has passed after the arrival, all emotions have already subsided, and only the most objective information remains: ) Which I hasten to bring to all those who are interested.
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I myself have been choosing hotels for many years based on the reviews of those who have visited them. Therefore, I considered it necessary to add my review about this hotel. Moreover, a week has passed after the arrival, all emotions have already subsided, and only the most objective information remains: ) Which I hasten to bring to all those who are interested.
I will say right away: if you take the GENERAL - then there is still a little more good in this hotel, but I can not describe all the points. I am sure that this will save many in the future from disappointment, and possibly from a spoiled vacation.
So, I'll start.
We rested with my family from May 21 to May 30.2013. It was the first time in Crete. We fell in love with the island...Upon arrival, my little daughter immediately asked: "Daddy, when will we go to Crete next time? " another hotel.
However, in order.
We are me, wife, 12 year old son and 4 daughter.
5 years - they took vouchers through the Join-Up tour operator (from Ukraine this is one of the largest tour operators in Crete). The entire plane in which we flew from Zhulyan to Heraklion was filled with tourists flying through this tour operator. Vouchers from Join-Up are cheaper than from other operators, but the service, of course, is also cheaper. One couple we met and became friends with during our vacation experienced this to the fullest.
At the airport we were met by a lady from the host - Le Grand Travel. I was immediately surprised that the host party was another company (usually the tour operator has its own representatives in the country, this was the case with Tez-tour, TUI, Pegas, etc. ). As it turned out later, it was the WORST option, which could only be chosen. The company was absolutely not interested in either tourists or their problems. After excursions were offered at unrealistically high prices (about excursions - a little later), interest in tourists fell to zero.
We were dropped off the bus near the hotel - and the bus drove on, the guide did not even bother to go with us to the reception and make sure that we were settled.
I saw HOW EXCELLENT the accompanying guides from other tour operators worked - and it was a shame that I contacted Join-Up and their partners Le Grand Travel.
Upon arrival, we were accommodated in a 2-room suite 110 on the second floor overlooking the road. I have no complaints about the number, I knew that I was going to the "troika", even though they were given a 4th star a couple of years ago, which proudly flaunts everywhere. But this is a "troika" ...in the truest sense of the word.
The couple I mentioned above were less fortunate. They were not given a voucher. To the question of the guide "How to settle in a hotel? " They received the answer: "You will be accommodated according to your passports. " And at the hotel, the first question to them was "Your voucher, please! " The guys, who hardly spoke English, were really confused. I had to intervene and explain that the guide from the host side said so.
What they promised to settle according to their passports. The woman from the reception said only "Ah, Grand Travel ... " and made such an expression on her face that I realized that I should not contact this company anymore. Eventually they were settled.
Two more words about the host company to finish. Usually, before departure, the night before, they post the time of departure and the names of those departing on a board in the lobby. It's like an unwritten law. So. Le Grand Travel didn't even bother to do it on time. The guys described above called the guide from the hotel several times with a request to clarify when the departure was, and at what time they would be picked up from the hotel. They eventually received a fax with information. And they picked me up from the hotel almost an hour later than the indicated time (fortunately, as I found out later, they were not late for the plane). When we left, we were not very nervous, because several families left the hotel with us (I thought that they would not forget everyone for sure).
But a fax with information came to the hotel at 23:30, about which I was kindly called from the reception and offered to come, pick it up and hang it on the bulletin board ourselves : ) Thank you for going to bed late, at least they didn’t wake me up ...
Now about the hotel itself. For which I gave them a "troika" for both placement and service.
I will simply enumerate those moments that took place, and you, dear fellow tourists, will judge how objective I am.
1. Non-working air conditioner.
Almost all hotel rooms have a common air conditioning system. I wrote "practically" because our friends had a personal air conditioner in their room.
So. On the day of our arrival (May 21) this air conditioner was not working. At all. I figured it out the second morning, waking up on a sweat-soaked pillow. The children that night, despite being tired from the flight, practically did not sleep - it was very stuffy.
By the way, for information - the rooms overlooking the road (103-110) are not as noisy as they say here - there is almost no traffic on the road at night - but they are very hot, because they face the sunny side.
The next morning I went to the reception and, smiling sweetly, explained that the air conditioner was not working. The woman wrote down the room number, the problem (A/C doesn't work) and promised that everything would be fine. A couple of hours later a smiling Greek guy (a local repairman-carpenter-groom-carpenter, as I understood later) came in), twisted the knobs of the air conditioner and said that everything would be fine (what he actually said, I don’t know, not a word of English he did not understand, and I had not yet had time to learn Greek).
By the evening of the second day, I realized that nothing was "OK", it was stuffy in the room, the air conditioner generally drove warm air instead of cold, and I turned it off. The next night was a total nightmare - sticky heat, sweat and all. By the morning of the third day, I was already serious.
Going to the reception, I tried to add steel to my voice and said that the children didn’t sleep the second night, it’s impossible any longer, and I don’t intend to endure it. I was again promised to sort it out, again the same guy came with a partner (for help, or something).
I, who already know a few Greek words (life will force me), managed to explain that this is not a problem of our room, but of the entire block (and most likely, of the rest of the hotel too).
He understood and informed the receptionist. They said, attention! "Tomorrow a master from the city will arrive (meaning Rethymnon, 6 km from us). That is, I was offered to sleep one more night in unbearable stuffiness. It was already too much. I demanded a manager (by the way, the owner manages the hotel, his name is Giorgos Maravel (pronounced Gyorgos, emphasis on the first O). They answered that the owner was not there, he had left for Chania. I specifically waited for him at the reception in the evening and when I saw him getting out of the car, I approached and complained about the problem.
I have to give credit - I did not expect such a reaction. The owner, smiling back, said: "OK, now everything will be done. " And going to the reception, he gave a short command in Greek. It was 20:00 pm. The repairman who was promised the next morning arrived half an hour later. And the problem was solved.
Therefore, I advise everyone: if anything - contact the owner directly. He often sits at the reception, he was often described here - a very large young man. He has a separate office - on the right, how to go to the restaurant. All issues of relocation to another room or any problems are solved ONLY by HE, at the reception - smiling "dolls" who do not have any authority.
2. Restaurant.
I want to clarify right away: I had no questions about nutrition. I went to the "troika" and did not expect food there, as in the "five". The food was completely satisfying for me. The only thing I put a minus for is the complete lack of baby food. No porridge.
No normal soups (what was served there under the guise of soup, the children refused to eat at all, I ate a couple of times myself, because I love it very much and need liquid). My daughter, 4.5 years old, ate only fried potatoes, pasta and rice there (she even remembered their rice at home - "It was delicious, dad! "). So if your child does not eat everything in a row, there will be difficulties, I warn you. And so - the food was all right.
We arrived on May 21, when the hotel was still half empty (but they didn’t agree to change the room even when it was half empty, this was when I swore about the air conditioner).
But the hotel was full by 26-27. And even, as it seemed to me, it overflowed. And then another unpleasant moment came into play, which, it seems to me, simply did not give them the right to ask for a fourth "star". The restaurant was absolutely not designed for such a large number of visitors. They didn't fit in it.
And so the waiters did the following: they closed the front door, gathered under it those who came later and asked to wait until the seats were free. My family and I went as soon as we opened (for breakfast at 8, for lunch at 12:30, for dinner at 19), but when we left, we often saw people waiting.
I'm sorry, but it's too much to make a small restaurant and keep people waiting outside the door! I think those who waited for their turn for half an hour, it was not very pleasant.
3. Animation. I read fresh reviews here - as if they were written by people from another hotel : )
For 7 days there were only 2 shows - on Tuesdays "belly dancing" (an excellent show by the way, I advise everyone to watch it, I got 2 times), on Wednesdays - a "magician" (also very interesting, also watched 2 times). And that's it. It might have been better later, but for the 9 nights we were there, that was all we saw. From Thursday to Monday all evenings were not filled. Obviously, the owner saved on artists, but it was weak to organize something themselves.
At the same time, I want to warmly note the children's animators who work with children in the Dolphino kids club. From 10 to 13:40 you can BOLDLY (I'm not afraid of this word) leave children from 4 to 8-9 years old there - and they will not be bored. The animators play, draw with them, they watch cartoons - and then they all go to dinner together at a restaurant (at 13:00), from where their parents can pick them up at 13:40. Yes, they don't speak Russian, but believe me - everyone will be happy and everything will be clear : )
If anyone will have a rest there in the near future - a big hello to Virginia (Virginia) and her cousin from Vasily from Poltava. By the way, Virginia offers everyone who wants to study the Greek language. Believe me, it is very interesting and useful.
A few Greek words - "Kalimera" (good morning), "Kalispera" (good evening), "EucharistO" (thank you) will be simply necessary for you ...Accents - where the capital letter is ...
4. Housekeeping. Here is a separate issue. I assume that the hotel has several maids.
And everyone cleans differently. We had no luck with the maid. We, instead of changing towels (which must be thrown on the floor, as is customary), were lifted from the floor and the dirty ones were hung (put) in place. Seriously, I'm not kidding! After I complained to the reception, a disgruntled maid came, and, repeating something (I was not there, and my wife does not speak English), literally threw a few clean towels and took the old ones. Then we really made up : ) 2 euros on the table and a note in English with a couple of Greek words did their job.
To leave or not to leave a tip - believe me, this is your business. And, as I understand it, communicating with different people, this absolutely does not affect the quality of cleaning. Some did not leave - but they were cleaned well, we left more than once - and we got such an incident : )
5. Hotel accommodation.
Separately, I want to tell a case that I unwittingly became a witness.
Shortly before our departure, two women arrived with three children from Russia (Siberia). They booked rooms back in January (and it was at the end of May, I remind you). So. They were told that there were no available rooms (the hotel was really full, but this is not the problem of the guests, is it? ) and offered to settle ...in a neighboring hotel, even worse in terms of ours. Naturally, they refused. Then they were offered 2 "windowless" rooms, I didn't even know there were such rooms - yes, there are several such rooms as it turned out! Two of them are in a building overlooking the pool near the road (unfortunately, I forgot the numbers, but in general the numbers in this building start at 5, some 500). They refused again. I have already understood that they want to "put in" illiquid assets, numbers that no one wanted to take, and I advised them to demand and not agree. They - two young women with 3 children from 7 to 12 years old - were kept at the reception from 11 am to 9 pm!
Communicated with those who traveled through "street agencies". Everything was just EXCELLENT, everyone was very satisfied.
By the way, I recommend Spiridon Tour, their representative office is right in front of the hotel (slightly to the left, if you look at the road from the reception). The girl Yana, about whom a lot has been written here, not only rents cars, but also arranges excursions for Spiridon - this is the owner of this company. Everything can be asked, discussed and chosen. Prices are the same throughout Adelianos Kampos. While walking around the village, I specifically looked at the prices written on the billboards exposed. One to one, accurate to 1 euro.
That couple of guys, about which I wrote above, went on two excursions from Spiridon - they got a lot of pleasure. Who prefers organized excursions - I advise! You will not regret.
We and another family that we met already at the hotel (our countrymen, from Cherkasy) rented 2 cars from Yana for 3 days.
And during this time we saw a lot more than from the bus window : ) Here I will stop in a little more detail.
In general, having a license, driving experience and not renting a car in Crete is a crime against your holiday! Especially when you know where to take and what to take.
Further it will be interesting to read only for those who drive, as well as for their families : )
So, Yana was heard (read) from the reviews of this hotel. In general, in Crete (and in Adelianos Kampos) there are few people who speak Russian, but you still can’t express everything in English. Therefore, Yana and her agency (I suspect that she is a co-owner, although I don’t know for sure) are just a godsend for those who want to rent a car cheaply and successfully.
Taking the opportunity, who will take a car from her, send a big hello from Vasily from Poltava (say "Renault Clio", she will understand who it is).
We seriously approached the issue of choosing a car.
We were very lucky - we met Jura from Tallinn (if you read Jura, thank you very much again! ), a great guy who has been vacationing in this place for several years. He told which cars in this company are worth taking and which ones are not. Therefore, we were already prepared : ) And this provided us with an excellent choice and rest in the end. I took a Renault Clio (number IHT 7886, whoever is lucky, take this particular car), a friend - a Fiat Pandu. Both have a 1.2 engine, but just believe me, I, accustomed to powerful cars (I myself have a Hyundai Tucson 2.0), did not feel a weak engine. Perhaps because of the wonderful gasoline, which cannot be compared with the Ukrainian "donkey urine". "Reno" is much "alive" than "Panda", ran around the track. Believe it or not, only numerous signs limited the speed and the fact that almost the entire route passed through the towns, where the speed had to be reduced to 50-60 km. And so ...along the serpentine, up ...the car easily accelerated to 100 km (I didn’t try it again, because
it was simply impossible), very maneuverable, and carried four people inside, as if it were empty.
Yana gave us Renault Clio for 3 days for 75 euros. "Fiat Pandu" to friends - for 70 euros.
We both refueled for 50 euros and drove 550 km.
The first day - to the west, Marathi beach (I highly advise those who will travel by car, this is an unforgettable sight, the elder did not want to leave from there), the monasteries of the "Holy Trinity" and the second, mountainous, did not remember the name, buses are not allowed to enter there, the road along a terrible serpentine (Crimea is resting, believe me), but ...it's worth it : ) If I find a name, I'll put it in a review. Then from there - to Chania, a very beautiful old city, a stunning bay, you must see it with your own eyes and walk with your own feet. By the way, in Chania - a great market for tourists, with very cheap prices.
Our friends bought the famous Greek sandals there (there is a huge selection), I looked for leather gloves for myself, but did not find the right size for me, unfortunately.
The second day is to the east. Heraklion, Palace of Knossos. Then - still to the east, the Aquapark and the famous Aquarium. Here, despite the navigators in both cars (we took them with us), we had to get lost, especially when we were looking for the Aquarium. But trust me, it was worth it. It will be especially interesting for children, and it was interesting for me to see a big sleepy shark a meter in front of me ...
Third day - south. The road goes through the small, but quite famous, town of Armeni (Armenoi). Further - the Kurtaleotiko gorge (if you are going towards Preveli, the road goes through it). Everyone stops there and takes pictures. Beauty is breathtaking...
Then - to the monastery of Preveli.
It contains a miraculous cross with a particle of the cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified, many excursions go there, but believe me, getting there by car is very quick and easy. In addition, in the monastery of Preveli there is a spring, the water of which, according to legend, cures eye diseases. And...the famous Plakias palm beach : ) I warn you right away - going down the steep path to the beach is quite difficult, and going up is even more difficult. Therefore, with small children - just do not recommend. You will go down, but it will be very difficult to go up.
The beach itself, after everything that was heard about it, was a little disappointing. Pebbles, not sand, the cold Libyan Sea (we were at the end of May, in June everything was already warm there, probably)
True, this was compensated by a beautiful river with palm trees growing on the banks (everyone unanimously said "little Nile"), flowing into the sea right on the beach, as well as stunning grottoes, which you can swim right from the sea near the beach.
I can honestly say that I fell in love with this wonderful island, with stunning nature and generally friendly people (why "in general" - a little later), and leaving, I probably left a piece of my heart there. That's why I'm drawn there again : )
Finally, a few words about the shops in the village and the people working in them. I will say right away - both shops and people ...are different : ) If you leave the hotel and go to the right - there are two neighboring shops right next to it. In the first (near) one, a girl, Lyudmila, from Moldova, works, she speaks Russian, and even though she does not know English, she will help and tell everything.
I advise everyone to take everything from them - believe me, they have the best prices and a good selection. Who will buy something more expensive - keep in mind, you can bargain : ) The Greeks themselves give a 10% discount on the price, do not count more, although you can try, but 10% is very even.
By the way, in the markets (Chania, Rethymnon) you can bargain even more, but they themselves will tell you how much they can throw off the maximum). Just for non-Russian speakers, say "Discount", they will understand what you want.
But in the second shop on the right near the hotel (it says in Russian, English and French "Low prices" there), the harmful old Greek Vasilis (the namesake, by the way) works, he deceived us and acted very ugly. I do not advise you to go to them at all, especially since their prices are higher).
Still, if you go to the right of the hotel - across the road, behind the Voss store and car rental - there is a very good shop for beach goods and souvenirs, as well as a grocery store. I had to change their beach slippers for my daughter several times (they didn’t take the child with them, they stomp far), they allowed me with a smile. Such an attitude deserves respect and gratitude. There they took drinking water to the hotel, and acquaintances bought beer, wine and various products.
I recommend this cute shop - prices are good, the staff is very friendly.
If you go left from the hotel - then behind the hotel "Aquila Rethymnon Beach" (it is on the right side of the road leading to Rethymnon), to the left of the road, there is an excellent KALOSTOUS store (I saved the receipt to rewrite the name). It sells amazing handmade chess. I brought one set as a gift to my father-in-law. The girl Miroslava, from Lviv, works in it, she will show and tell everything. A discount is made in the amount of 10% of the amount, more - no.
I tried to describe everything to the maximum. If anyone has any questions - write, I will try to answer.
ATTENTION QUESTIONERS! As it turned out, comments here do not appear immediately after writing. The moderators of the resource answered me that moderation is possible UP TO THREE DAYS! I try to answer questions as quickly as possible - but I wrote answers yesterday, a day has passed, they have not yet appeared.
Perhaps, if this continues further, I will simply add answers to questions in the review, below, although it will be inconvenient to read ...
ANSWERS TO THE MOST FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS.
1. About renting a car. Don't be afraid to rent : ) It's not scary at all. Greeks drive normally when they see "non-natives", they often give way on turns, give way and all that. I didn’t see ANY accident (pah-pah), while in Kyiv on the way from the airport to the railway station I saw 2 at once in 10 minutes.
Rights - what you have, such will go. Except, of course, the very old "Soviet" ones, but hardly anyone still has them. And so - plastic, laminate and so on - everything will pass. It is better if it is of an international standard, but ...they are very critical of this there. If only the name and surname were written in Latin letters.
When you take a car, you MUST inspect it for scratches, dents, chips, bumps, and so on.
It is desirable to photograph all the discovered places. Although I have not heard that someone was run over for "other" sins, but it's better to do it.
Gasoline in the tank - you also initially fix how much it was, return AS MUCH as it was. If you return more - it's your business, but less - you can't, they will calculate the difference from you at a VERY disadvantageous tax for you.
As for the cars - I already wrote in the review. Do not take too LOW cars (with low ground clearance), otherwise any exit from the asphalt to the primer will be a problem. The ideal choice - "Renault Clio" (took himself), "Fiat Panda" (took a friend), "Toyota Yaris" (Toyota Yaris) - was taken by several people at once, but Toyota will be a little more expensive.
If you take more than 1-2 days - bargain, initially they call the maximum price : )
Yana's insurance is really complete. And ...believe me, if you don't drive "under the closet" - everything will be fine. There are NO wheel nails on the side of the road - drove off the road dozens of times ...
There are no holes and nodules on the asphalt - I saw one hole only high in the mountains on the road from Preveli to Argyropolis (where there are artificial waterfalls).
The main thing - God forbid, get drunk behind the wheel. Caught - it will be very bad. I warn you right now.
About the GPS navigator. I took it with me, before that, a month before, I was "filled" with fresh maps of Greece. We went everywhere, in the mountains, never failed anywhere. The main thing is that the cards are fresh. They catch a satellite there for a long time (in Ukraine - it took 2 minutes to connect, there - 5-7 minutes, sometimes up to 10 minutes), but having caught it, they keep it well.
As for paying for insurance. You pay NOTHING ADDITIONAL upon registration - the lease agreement that they give you in your hands - it also spells out the terms of insurance. Now, if God forbid WHAT ...then yes, you will have to pay up to 100 euros, the rest is covered by this insurance. If everything is fine - your expenses are only for renting a car. All.
2. About the food in the restaurant.
Families with small children - take cereals with you, instant or instant, perhaps they are in stores there, but it is better to stock up on what little ones eat for sure. Because there is no SIMILAR food in the restaurant.
About food for adults. Just believe - it is BETTER to go there on All Inclusive, because by paying extra for drinks (even water - for money) you will actually spend more. I was specifically interested in the difference in prices in agencies on AI, FB, HB - the difference is not significant. And on the spot you will block it instantly, paying for drinks.
Yes, in a restaurant, the waiters first come to the table, ask, "what will you drink? ", write down the order and the room number (I asked: "Why? We have All Inclusive, " they said "For statistics"). Who does not have AI - then they bring a bill for drinks. In general, it is surprising that even those who have breakfast and dinner still have drinks for a CHARGE. Keep this in mind.
ABOUT PANTS for dinner for men. It is not joke.
There is a DVD player in the room, but I personally have never used it. Is it possible to insert USB flash drives into it - honestly I don’t know : )
5. Wi-Fi works at the reception, but I didn't like it there. In our room (110) it worked much better : ) Whoever gets this number will be with fast Internet. The rooms are FURTHER from the reception - I suspect that I did not get there, although I did not check.
6. About payment. Greeks prefer cash. Moreover, giving change even with a large bill is not a problem anywhere. That is, you should not strive to take small bills with you, this is not critical here.
I took a card in euros with me - I never even took it out of my wallet. "Didn't come in handy... " : )
I will say right away: if you take the GENERAL - then there is still a little more good in this hotel, but I can not describe all the points. I am sure that this will save many in the future from disappointment, and possibly from a spoiled vacation.
So, I'll start.
We rested with my family from May 21 to May 30.2013. It was the first time in Crete. We fell in love with the island...Upon arrival, my little daughter immediately asked: "Daddy, when will we go to Crete next time? " another hotel.
However, in order.
We are me, wife, 12 year old son and 4 daughter.
5 years - they took vouchers through the Join-Up tour operator (from Ukraine this is one of the largest tour operators in Crete). The entire plane in which we flew from Zhulyan to Heraklion was filled with tourists flying through this tour operator. Vouchers from Join-Up are cheaper than from other operators, but the service, of course, is also cheaper. One couple we met and became friends with during our vacation experienced this to the fullest.
At the airport we were met by a lady from the host - Le Grand Travel. I was immediately surprised that the host party was another company (usually the tour operator has its own representatives in the country, this was the case with Tez-tour, TUI, Pegas, etc. ). As it turned out later, it was the WORST option, which could only be chosen. The company was absolutely not interested in either tourists or their problems. After excursions were offered at unrealistically high prices (about excursions - a little later), interest in tourists fell to zero.
We were dropped off the bus near the hotel - and the bus drove on, the guide did not even bother to go with us to the reception and make sure that we were settled.
I saw HOW EXCELLENT the accompanying guides from other tour operators worked - and it was a shame that I contacted Join-Up and their partners Le Grand Travel.
Upon arrival, we were accommodated in a 2-room suite 110 on the second floor overlooking the road. I have no complaints about the number, I knew that I was going to the "troika", even though they were given a 4th star a couple of years ago, which proudly flaunts everywhere. But this is a "troika" ...in the truest sense of the word.
The couple I mentioned above were less fortunate. They were not given a voucher. To the question of the guide "How to settle in a hotel? " They received the answer: "You will be accommodated according to your passports. " And at the hotel, the first question to them was "Your voucher, please! " The guys, who hardly spoke English, were really confused. I had to intervene and explain that the guide from the host side said so.
What they promised to settle according to their passports. The woman from the reception said only "Ah, Grand Travel ... " and made such an expression on her face that I realized that I should not contact this company anymore. Eventually they were settled.
Two more words about the host company to finish. Usually, before departure, the night before, they post the time of departure and the names of those departing on a board in the lobby. It's like an unwritten law. So. Le Grand Travel didn't even bother to do it on time. The guys described above called the guide from the hotel several times with a request to clarify when the departure was, and at what time they would be picked up from the hotel. They eventually received a fax with information. And they picked me up from the hotel almost an hour later than the indicated time (fortunately, as I found out later, they were not late for the plane). When we left, we were not very nervous, because several families left the hotel with us (I thought that they would not forget everyone for sure).
But a fax with information came to the hotel at 23:30, about which I was kindly called from the reception and offered to come, pick it up and hang it on the bulletin board ourselves : ) Thank you for going to bed late, at least they didn’t wake me up ...
Now about the hotel itself. For which I gave them a "troika" for both placement and service.
I will simply enumerate those moments that took place, and you, dear fellow tourists, will judge how objective I am.
1. Non-working air conditioner.
Almost all hotel rooms have a common air conditioning system. I wrote "practically" because our friends had a personal air conditioner in their room.
So. On the day of our arrival (May 21) this air conditioner was not working. At all. I figured it out the second morning, waking up on a sweat-soaked pillow. The children that night, despite being tired from the flight, practically did not sleep - it was very stuffy.
By the way, for information - the rooms overlooking the road (103-110) are not as noisy as they say here - there is almost no traffic on the road at night - but they are very hot, because they face the sunny side.
The next morning I went to the reception and, smiling sweetly, explained that the air conditioner was not working. The woman wrote down the room number, the problem (A/C doesn't work) and promised that everything would be fine. A couple of hours later a smiling Greek guy (a local repairman-carpenter-groom-carpenter, as I understood later) came in), twisted the knobs of the air conditioner and said that everything would be fine (what he actually said, I don’t know, not a word of English he did not understand, and I had not yet had time to learn Greek).
By the evening of the second day, I realized that nothing was "OK", it was stuffy in the room, the air conditioner generally drove warm air instead of cold, and I turned it off. The next night was a total nightmare - sticky heat, sweat and all. By the morning of the third day, I was already serious.
Going to the reception, I tried to add steel to my voice and said that the children didn’t sleep the second night, it’s impossible any longer, and I don’t intend to endure it. I was again promised to sort it out, again the same guy came with a partner (for help, or something).
I, who already know a few Greek words (life will force me), managed to explain that this is not a problem of our room, but of the entire block (and most likely, of the rest of the hotel too).
He understood and informed the receptionist. They said, attention! "Tomorrow a master from the city will arrive (meaning Rethymnon, 6 km from us). That is, I was offered to sleep one more night in unbearable stuffiness. It was already too much. I demanded a manager (by the way, the owner manages the hotel, his name is Giorgos Maravel (pronounced Gyorgos, emphasis on the first O). They answered that the owner was not there, he had left for Chania. I specifically waited for him at the reception in the evening and when I saw him getting out of the car, I approached and complained about the problem.
I have to give credit - I did not expect such a reaction. The owner, smiling back, said: "OK, now everything will be done. " And going to the reception, he gave a short command in Greek. It was 20:00 pm. The repairman who was promised the next morning arrived half an hour later. And the problem was solved.
Therefore, I advise everyone: if anything - contact the owner directly. He often sits at the reception, he was often described here - a very large young man. He has a separate office - on the right, how to go to the restaurant. All issues of relocation to another room or any problems are solved ONLY by HE, at the reception - smiling "dolls" who do not have any authority.
2. Restaurant.
I want to clarify right away: I had no questions about nutrition. I went to the "troika" and did not expect food there, as in the "five". The food was completely satisfying for me. The only thing I put a minus for is the complete lack of baby food. No porridge.
No normal soups (what was served there under the guise of soup, the children refused to eat at all, I ate a couple of times myself, because I love it very much and need liquid). My daughter, 4.5 years old, ate only fried potatoes, pasta and rice there (she even remembered their rice at home - "It was delicious, dad! "). So if your child does not eat everything in a row, there will be difficulties, I warn you. And so - the food was all right.
We arrived on May 21, when the hotel was still half empty (but they didn’t agree to change the room even when it was half empty, this was when I swore about the air conditioner).
But the hotel was full by 26-27. And even, as it seemed to me, it overflowed. And then another unpleasant moment came into play, which, it seems to me, simply did not give them the right to ask for a fourth "star". The restaurant was absolutely not designed for such a large number of visitors. They didn't fit in it.
And so the waiters did the following: they closed the front door, gathered under it those who came later and asked to wait until the seats were free. My family and I went as soon as we opened (for breakfast at 8, for lunch at 12:30, for dinner at 19), but when we left, we often saw people waiting.
I'm sorry, but it's too much to make a small restaurant and keep people waiting outside the door! I think those who waited for their turn for half an hour, it was not very pleasant.
3. Animation. I read fresh reviews here - as if they were written by people from another hotel : )
For 7 days there were only 2 shows - on Tuesdays "belly dancing" (an excellent show by the way, I advise everyone to watch it, I got 2 times), on Wednesdays - a "magician" (also very interesting, also watched 2 times). And that's it. It might have been better later, but for the 9 nights we were there, that was all we saw. From Thursday to Monday all evenings were not filled. Obviously, the owner saved on artists, but it was weak to organize something themselves.
At the same time, I want to warmly note the children's animators who work with children in the Dolphino kids club. From 10 to 13:40 you can BOLDLY (I'm not afraid of this word) leave children from 4 to 8-9 years old there - and they will not be bored. The animators play, draw with them, they watch cartoons - and then they all go to dinner together at a restaurant (at 13:00), from where their parents can pick them up at 13:40. Yes, they don't speak Russian, but believe me - everyone will be happy and everything will be clear : )
If anyone will have a rest there in the near future - a big hello to Virginia (Virginia) and her cousin from Vasily from Poltava. By the way, Virginia offers everyone who wants to study the Greek language. Believe me, it is very interesting and useful.
A few Greek words - "Kalimera" (good morning), "Kalispera" (good evening), "EucharistO" (thank you) will be simply necessary for you ...Accents - where the capital letter is ...
4. Housekeeping. Here is a separate issue. I assume that the hotel has several maids.
And everyone cleans differently. We had no luck with the maid. We, instead of changing towels (which must be thrown on the floor, as is customary), were lifted from the floor and the dirty ones were hung (put) in place. Seriously, I'm not kidding! After I complained to the reception, a disgruntled maid came, and, repeating something (I was not there, and my wife does not speak English), literally threw a few clean towels and took the old ones. Then we really made up : ) 2 euros on the table and a note in English with a couple of Greek words did their job.
To leave or not to leave a tip - believe me, this is your business. And, as I understand it, communicating with different people, this absolutely does not affect the quality of cleaning. Some did not leave - but they were cleaned well, we left more than once - and we got such an incident : )
5. Hotel accommodation.
Separately, I want to tell a case that I unwittingly became a witness.
Shortly before our departure, two women arrived with three children from Russia (Siberia). They booked rooms back in January (and it was at the end of May, I remind you). So. They were told that there were no available rooms (the hotel was really full, but this is not the problem of the guests, is it? ) and offered to settle ...in a neighboring hotel, even worse in terms of ours. Naturally, they refused. Then they were offered 2 "windowless" rooms, I didn't even know there were such rooms - yes, there are several such rooms as it turned out! Two of them are in a building overlooking the pool near the road (unfortunately, I forgot the numbers, but in general the numbers in this building start at 5, some 500). They refused again. I have already understood that they want to "put in" illiquid assets, numbers that no one wanted to take, and I advised them to demand and not agree. They - two young women with 3 children from 7 to 12 years old - were kept at the reception from 11 am to 9 pm!
Communicated with those who traveled through "street agencies". Everything was just EXCELLENT, everyone was very satisfied.
By the way, I recommend Spiridon Tour, their representative office is right in front of the hotel (slightly to the left, if you look at the road from the reception). The girl Yana, about whom a lot has been written here, not only rents cars, but also arranges excursions for Spiridon - this is the owner of this company. Everything can be asked, discussed and chosen. Prices are the same throughout Adelianos Kampos. While walking around the village, I specifically looked at the prices written on the billboards exposed. One to one, accurate to 1 euro.
That couple of guys, about which I wrote above, went on two excursions from Spiridon - they got a lot of pleasure. Who prefers organized excursions - I advise! You will not regret.
We and another family that we met already at the hotel (our countrymen, from Cherkasy) rented 2 cars from Yana for 3 days.
And during this time we saw a lot more than from the bus window : ) Here I will stop in a little more detail.
In general, having a license, driving experience and not renting a car in Crete is a crime against your holiday! Especially when you know where to take and what to take.
Further it will be interesting to read only for those who drive, as well as for their families : )
So, Yana was heard (read) from the reviews of this hotel. In general, in Crete (and in Adelianos Kampos) there are few people who speak Russian, but you still can’t express everything in English. Therefore, Yana and her agency (I suspect that she is a co-owner, although I don’t know for sure) are just a godsend for those who want to rent a car cheaply and successfully.
Taking the opportunity, who will take a car from her, send a big hello from Vasily from Poltava (say "Renault Clio", she will understand who it is).
We seriously approached the issue of choosing a car.
We were very lucky - we met Jura from Tallinn (if you read Jura, thank you very much again! ), a great guy who has been vacationing in this place for several years. He told which cars in this company are worth taking and which ones are not. Therefore, we were already prepared : ) And this provided us with an excellent choice and rest in the end. I took a Renault Clio (number IHT 7886, whoever is lucky, take this particular car), a friend - a Fiat Pandu. Both have a 1.2 engine, but just believe me, I, accustomed to powerful cars (I myself have a Hyundai Tucson 2.0), did not feel a weak engine. Perhaps because of the wonderful gasoline, which cannot be compared with the Ukrainian "donkey urine". "Reno" is much "alive" than "Panda", ran around the track. Believe it or not, only numerous signs limited the speed and the fact that almost the entire route passed through the towns, where the speed had to be reduced to 50-60 km. And so ...along the serpentine, up ...the car easily accelerated to 100 km (I didn’t try it again, because
it was simply impossible), very maneuverable, and carried four people inside, as if it were empty.
Yana gave us Renault Clio for 3 days for 75 euros. "Fiat Pandu" to friends - for 70 euros.
We both refueled for 50 euros and drove 550 km.
The first day - to the west, Marathi beach (I highly advise those who will travel by car, this is an unforgettable sight, the elder did not want to leave from there), the monasteries of the "Holy Trinity" and the second, mountainous, did not remember the name, buses are not allowed to enter there, the road along a terrible serpentine (Crimea is resting, believe me), but ...it's worth it : ) If I find a name, I'll put it in a review. Then from there - to Chania, a very beautiful old city, a stunning bay, you must see it with your own eyes and walk with your own feet. By the way, in Chania - a great market for tourists, with very cheap prices.
Our friends bought the famous Greek sandals there (there is a huge selection), I looked for leather gloves for myself, but did not find the right size for me, unfortunately.
The second day is to the east. Heraklion, Palace of Knossos. Then - still to the east, the Aquapark and the famous Aquarium. Here, despite the navigators in both cars (we took them with us), we had to get lost, especially when we were looking for the Aquarium. But trust me, it was worth it. It will be especially interesting for children, and it was interesting for me to see a big sleepy shark a meter in front of me ...
Third day - south. The road goes through the small, but quite famous, town of Armeni (Armenoi). Further - the Kurtaleotiko gorge (if you are going towards Preveli, the road goes through it). Everyone stops there and takes pictures. Beauty is breathtaking...
Then - to the monastery of Preveli.
It contains a miraculous cross with a particle of the cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified, many excursions go there, but believe me, getting there by car is very quick and easy. In addition, in the monastery of Preveli there is a spring, the water of which, according to legend, cures eye diseases. And...the famous Plakias palm beach : ) I warn you right away - going down the steep path to the beach is quite difficult, and going up is even more difficult. Therefore, with small children - just do not recommend. You will go down, but it will be very difficult to go up.
The beach itself, after everything that was heard about it, was a little disappointing. Pebbles, not sand, the cold Libyan Sea (we were at the end of May, in June everything was already warm there, probably)
True, this was compensated by a beautiful river with palm trees growing on the banks (everyone unanimously said "little Nile"), flowing into the sea right on the beach, as well as stunning grottoes, which you can swim right from the sea near the beach.
I can honestly say that I fell in love with this wonderful island, with stunning nature and generally friendly people (why "in general" - a little later), and leaving, I probably left a piece of my heart there. That's why I'm drawn there again : )
Finally, a few words about the shops in the village and the people working in them. I will say right away - both shops and people ...are different : ) If you leave the hotel and go to the right - there are two neighboring shops right next to it. In the first (near) one, a girl, Lyudmila, from Moldova, works, she speaks Russian, and even though she does not know English, she will help and tell everything.
I advise everyone to take everything from them - believe me, they have the best prices and a good selection. Who will buy something more expensive - keep in mind, you can bargain : ) The Greeks themselves give a 10% discount on the price, do not count more, although you can try, but 10% is very even.
By the way, in the markets (Chania, Rethymnon) you can bargain even more, but they themselves will tell you how much they can throw off the maximum). Just for non-Russian speakers, say "Discount", they will understand what you want.
But in the second shop on the right near the hotel (it says in Russian, English and French "Low prices" there), the harmful old Greek Vasilis (the namesake, by the way) works, he deceived us and acted very ugly. I do not advise you to go to them at all, especially since their prices are higher).
Still, if you go to the right of the hotel - across the road, behind the Voss store and car rental - there is a very good shop for beach goods and souvenirs, as well as a grocery store. I had to change their beach slippers for my daughter several times (they didn’t take the child with them, they stomp far), they allowed me with a smile. Such an attitude deserves respect and gratitude. There they took drinking water to the hotel, and acquaintances bought beer, wine and various products.
I recommend this cute shop - prices are good, the staff is very friendly.
If you go left from the hotel - then behind the hotel "Aquila Rethymnon Beach" (it is on the right side of the road leading to Rethymnon), to the left of the road, there is an excellent KALOSTOUS store (I saved the receipt to rewrite the name). It sells amazing handmade chess. I brought one set as a gift to my father-in-law. The girl Miroslava, from Lviv, works in it, she will show and tell everything. A discount is made in the amount of 10% of the amount, more - no.
I tried to describe everything to the maximum. If anyone has any questions - write, I will try to answer.
ATTENTION QUESTIONERS! As it turned out, comments here do not appear immediately after writing. The moderators of the resource answered me that moderation is possible UP TO THREE DAYS! I try to answer questions as quickly as possible - but I wrote answers yesterday, a day has passed, they have not yet appeared.
Perhaps, if this continues further, I will simply add answers to questions in the review, below, although it will be inconvenient to read ...
ANSWERS TO THE MOST FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS.
1. About renting a car. Don't be afraid to rent : ) It's not scary at all. Greeks drive normally when they see "non-natives", they often give way on turns, give way and all that. I didn’t see ANY accident (pah-pah), while in Kyiv on the way from the airport to the railway station I saw 2 at once in 10 minutes.
Rights - what you have, such will go. Except, of course, the very old "Soviet" ones, but hardly anyone still has them. And so - plastic, laminate and so on - everything will pass. It is better if it is of an international standard, but ...they are very critical of this there. If only the name and surname were written in Latin letters.
When you take a car, you MUST inspect it for scratches, dents, chips, bumps, and so on.
It is desirable to photograph all the discovered places. Although I have not heard that someone was run over for "other" sins, but it's better to do it.
Gasoline in the tank - you also initially fix how much it was, return AS MUCH as it was. If you return more - it's your business, but less - you can't, they will calculate the difference from you at a VERY disadvantageous tax for you.
As for the cars - I already wrote in the review. Do not take too LOW cars (with low ground clearance), otherwise any exit from the asphalt to the primer will be a problem. The ideal choice - "Renault Clio" (took himself), "Fiat Panda" (took a friend), "Toyota Yaris" (Toyota Yaris) - was taken by several people at once, but Toyota will be a little more expensive.
If you take more than 1-2 days - bargain, initially they call the maximum price : )
Yana's insurance is really complete. And ...believe me, if you don't drive "under the closet" - everything will be fine. There are NO wheel nails on the side of the road - drove off the road dozens of times ...
There are no holes and nodules on the asphalt - I saw one hole only high in the mountains on the road from Preveli to Argyropolis (where there are artificial waterfalls).
The main thing - God forbid, get drunk behind the wheel. Caught - it will be very bad. I warn you right now.
About the GPS navigator. I took it with me, before that, a month before, I was "filled" with fresh maps of Greece. We went everywhere, in the mountains, never failed anywhere. The main thing is that the cards are fresh. They catch a satellite there for a long time (in Ukraine - it took 2 minutes to connect, there - 5-7 minutes, sometimes up to 10 minutes), but having caught it, they keep it well.
As for paying for insurance. You pay NOTHING ADDITIONAL upon registration - the lease agreement that they give you in your hands - it also spells out the terms of insurance. Now, if God forbid WHAT ...then yes, you will have to pay up to 100 euros, the rest is covered by this insurance. If everything is fine - your expenses are only for renting a car. All.
2. About the food in the restaurant.
Families with small children - take cereals with you, instant or instant, perhaps they are in stores there, but it is better to stock up on what little ones eat for sure. Because there is no SIMILAR food in the restaurant.
About food for adults. Just believe - it is BETTER to go there on All Inclusive, because by paying extra for drinks (even water - for money) you will actually spend more. I was specifically interested in the difference in prices in agencies on AI, FB, HB - the difference is not significant. And on the spot you will block it instantly, paying for drinks.
Yes, in a restaurant, the waiters first come to the table, ask, "what will you drink? ", write down the order and the room number (I asked: "Why? We have All Inclusive, " they said "For statistics"). Who does not have AI - then they bring a bill for drinks. In general, it is surprising that even those who have breakfast and dinner still have drinks for a CHARGE. Keep this in mind.
ABOUT PANTS for dinner for men. It is not joke.
There is a DVD player in the room, but I personally have never used it. Is it possible to insert USB flash drives into it - honestly I don’t know : )
5. Wi-Fi works at the reception, but I didn't like it there. In our room (110) it worked much better : ) Whoever gets this number will be with fast Internet. The rooms are FURTHER from the reception - I suspect that I did not get there, although I did not check.
6. About payment. Greeks prefer cash. Moreover, giving change even with a large bill is not a problem anywhere. That is, you should not strive to take small bills with you, this is not critical here.
I took a card in euros with me - I never even took it out of my wallet. "Didn't come in handy... " : )
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