We had a wonderful stay at The Island Hotel in Crete. The atmosphere was peaceful, and everything was exceptionally clean. It was the perfect spot for a relaxing getaway, and we loved every moment. Highly recommended!

Really good wellness instructor

Unpleasant woman on entrance to dining room for breakfast and dinner. Queues to get into the restaurant even though lots of tables were available. Not allowed to keep your restaurant purchased wine for a second night. Really good Pilates, stretching and yoga. But all the classes were in the morning, one after the other. How can a person attend these and have breakfast. So frustrating. The main pool was great until 13:30. But then the DJ started up. As far as I could tell he was the only person enjoying the bizarre selection of music. It would have suited me better to have no DJ!

This is an excellent location for a tranquil break. Good food choices with lots of flavour. There was always space around the pools and the beach was easy to access. It was shallow enough to snorkel and spotted a few fish. I would choose this hotel again when I visited Crete. The bus stop was quite a walk away but the buses are easy to use.

Great time at the Island

We had a great honeymoon here. The food on the property was delicious. While the breakfast buffet didn’t change during our stay the quality and quantity of the food was great. There was a litany of activities on the property each day and we did partake is some of the music events. I think this resort is a great place to stay if you want to relax and have short drives (15 minutes) to other larger towns. One negative was the hot tub and steam bath were not functioning. The sauna was working fine. We paid extra to use them after our massages but only 1/3 was working properly. We should have been alerted of this before paying. Positives: the resort showered us with treats in our room, wine, snacks etc… the store on-site is very fair priced. The pools are immaculate. Rooms are cleaned and mopped very well each day.

Staff incredibly helpful and friendly, fun nights at the hotel bar with dj in the evenings, stunning sunsets on the beach, having a room with a pool was an amazing bonus! Didn’t really leave the hotel much as it had so much for a short, relaxing break

This hotel was all that we expected, and more. The Staff were all very friendly and helpful. We booked bed and breakfast, and were so glad because there is a wonderful selection of great tavernas and restaurants all within 5 minutes walk. The breakfast choices were manyfold and plentiful, we thoroughly enjoyed breakfast in the sunshine, overlooking the sea. We booked a suite with its own pool, and that was simply sublime. We were able to relax on our own double sunbed in our own pool, with complete privacy. The hotel beach is just 2 minutes walk away, well equipped and the sandy beach gives a shallow and easy walk into the sea. We will definitely be visiting this hotel again.

The resort is nice overall but the rooms are small and bathrooms very small. Our bathroom had mold near the ceiling. While the staff was overall nice, the manager Eva was the worst person we've met, and so was the front desk clerk Maria - no compassion for people whatsoever. We paid for a room with pool, but received one with the balcony facing a wall, and when asked for another room, their excuse was that there are full - we were there in September. Not worth the money we paid for. The manager Eva and the receptionist Maria need extensive training as how to treat people regardlesss of where their origin,

The GDM Island Stay for 10 nights, August 2024

Our stay in 303 Cool Room with Private Pool & Sea View The Good: HOUSEKEEPING services were impeccable, looked after by a lovely lady who interpreted our broken Greek Ianguage with guile. I encourage people to always tip them, a hard days work with generally a wage not commensurate with effort. THE BAD: The MAIN POOL music is club genre from the resident DJ, who clearly likes to increase the bass on the tracks, I often wondered if they were practicing sets before auditioning for a club residency in Ibiza (read the room, ALWAYS). The COOL ROOM WITH PRIVATE POOL is only private as there is a perspex partition separating the pool with the next room, the water within is “shared”. The tiles above the water line were yellow/green indicating a lack of cleaning, perhaps this is a seasonal task, but clearly needs to happen more often. Also, the 350 Euros per night does not correlate with the size of room, perhaps pricing needs to be adjusted. GYM: Overall the equipment is satisfactory but with no instruction manuals or QR codes to scan to use it safely. Also, bring your own water, none is offered or supplied. On the morning I discovered this I tried to acquire water from The Kitchen during breakfast service, but was informed that I could fill my water bottle but must consume it before I left or purchase bottled water, so I chose to leave the hotel and walk to the supermarket opposite The Island restaurant (unrelated business) rather than purchase it from The Island. OVERALL: 6.5/10

We stayed in a room with a private pool overlooking the beach. The pool area itself was like a little mini beach. I was very impressed with the set up. My wife really enjoyed the spa and she received several treatments. It was very enjoyable for her. That’s where our experience differs. Our first sessions at the spa, my wife got her services done by the charming Manager. The employee I got was less than enthusiastic. It could be because my weight or ethnicity, I’m not sure. I like paying quality and so I just stopped the scrub halfway through. The front aren’t necessarily welcoming either. Maybe there’s not a lot of African-Americans that come here. Most of the dinning staff were friendly and attentive. I like the place but I would not go back. If I spend a couple thousand on a room. I don’t want workers of the establishment to make me feel uncomfortable.

Good vacation spot.

Nice room, pool could have been cleaner. Hydromassage pool had not enough water so not all the jets were working. TV in the room had no movie Chanel

Perfect service ,, they make me upgrade, and late check out,, the view is amazing from all the restaurants with beautiful sunset,, the food great and the pool was very clean,, and super nice sandy beach

Adults only peaceful.easy parking.

Location and friendly staff !

Everything about the resort was clean, classy, well maintained and felt luxurious. It is a long way from anything but the beach, although that beach is perfect and there are plenty of bars and reataurants along the coast. Getting to any sights or cities will require an expensive taxi or a car, but the hotel is so luxurious and relaxing you many not want to leave!

We liked the cleanliness and the staff was amazing. We would definitely stay again.

We had a fantastic stay at The Island. The hotel staff were attentive and courteous, going out of their way to ensure our stay was the best it could be. The beach was excellent, as were the different pool areas within the hotel, offering something for everyone. Breakfast was also very good, although we did not eat at the hotel during the evening, due to the various restaurants available close by.

Really helpful and welcoming staff. Great breakfast selection. Very clean and good facilities. Recommend the room with shared private pool. Some good restaurants around the hotel but nice food in the resort restaurants as well. Would recommend

great times in Crete

Beautiful resort, the staff are friendly and make you feel welcome. We got there late after a delay from the ferry and they gave us a bottle of white wine and small dinner. The buffet breakfast is great and so have many choices that way you can satisfy your need. The room is big enough a had a semi-private pool and the beach is just across the road and you can hear the waves from out room.

I am a world traveler. I have stayed in 5 star accomodations all over the world, including many beachfront properties. I have also stayed at 2 star hotels and everything in between. This is the worst resort I have ever been to. There is zero information on the website regarding many things I think people need to be aware of. There were 3 of us traveling and we had to have a larger room because of this. The room is at the back of the property, it takes a good 10 min up and down MANY stairs to get to the room. It was perfectly horrendous. I am disabled but not in a wheelchair, I did ask about this ahead of time and was told it was accessible. I was traveling with my elderly mother and it really was hard on her as well. JUST TO GET TO THE BEACH (which is all the way to the front of the property and THEN across the street) took so much out of us that we only went for 1/2 of one day. And other people, just from the public, were there as well. We had to fight to find a chair. No food or drink for sale except for a guy in a van that was driving up and down the street selling fruit. We stayed in the pool area the following day. I was very disappointed because I have a pool at home. I stayed here to be able to use the beach but it was so much work and effort just to get there and find a chair, much less pack food and drink for the day we just gave up. There was an included breakfast buffet, it was okay. The pool area drinks and food were both good and not overly expensive.

Bellman security and servers best hard working and cooks and housekeeping very nice !

Bad service

At dinner you must pay for any drinks even tap water and when approaching front desk, first thing you hear is always 'no'

Very bad experience

The wifi is very poor all over the resort. The drinks at dinner are paid only (not even free tap water), when you ask something the first answer is 'No'. The pools are not clean. The quality of the food is very low and not lined in 5 star hotels standards. All hotels have pools, all hotel have nice rooms. This hotel dont let you feel welcomed and value for money.

The manager at front of house great eva or Effie. The other front of house staff should be more personable interaction with guest s upon leaving not even a goodbye or smile

Awesome resort that’s caters to all your needs. Great friendly staff.

This was the most beautiful resort i have stayed at. The staff are amazing, friendly and cant do enough to make it a proper 5 star feeling. I highly recommend staying here. My review can never do justice to how they treat you and how the experience feels.

We stayed here at the end of our 2 week trip to Crete. Our room had a semi-private plunge pool which was amazing. The main pools are very nice also but hard to get a seat at unless you go early morning to grab a lounger. The buffet breakfast was excellent though I wish it started earlier than 7:30am because we had to forego it our last morning due to our departure time. The room was spacious and we also had a large deck area with loungers. The beach is directly across the road and we could hear the waves from our room. We had the buffet dinner once when we arrived and then we enjoyed dinner at a couple of local tavernas within 5-10 minutes walk. Cute little area and nice resort to stay at if you are looking for this type of vacation. Not particularly Greek but again, you can leave the resort to venture out. It is also only 20 minutes to Knossos which was great!

Great choice of bars, restaurants and pools. Spacious room with a great balcony and view. Easy walking distance to shops, cafes and restaurants outside the hotel. No children!

I'm not much for resorts, but we needed a holiday from our holiday. The area isn't much, but The Island is lovely - low-key, lots of pools, several dining options, a nice beach, and our own semi-private pool. The staff was warm and friendly, and always ready to lend a hand. Even a rainy day was fine, as we hung out and read and ate lunch in one of the secondary dining areas, and walked along the beach when the weather finally cleared.

The Island resort was to be the “piece de resistance” to our European vacation & the one accommodation that we spent a lot of money on … nearly 2 grand (aud) for 1 week, so not cheap!!!!! We booked & paid 6 months in advance, hoping and wishing that we’d get the best of the “Cool Rooms” with the most spectacular Sea View. This was not the case. I don’t know how they allocate rooms, but my room was the “runt of the litter” from a balcony & sea view point. I was bitterly disappointed ☹️ I spoke to Reception, they changed my room after much tooing and frowing. The Island is such a big resort, we were just a number really. F&B staff were always friendly & happy to assist with anything we wanted & Sarah on the front desk was super happy all the time. Breakfast was included and there was such a wonderful amount of options. We ate dinner at the restaurant a couple of nights, it’s good value at Euro 20 per head & again, plenty of options. The pools are beautiful too & having the beach across the road was great. There were a few great restaurants in the surrounding areas for lunch and dinner if you didn’t want to eat at the resort. Not great for shopping in that area of Crete. To summarize, the resort is very quiet, lots of couples & no one (other than us) appeared to be having a wow of a time haha! It’s a great resort for relaxing, swimming.

Loved this property. Great location and great staff. Loved the different amenities and being able to walk to the beach. Walso loved all the places to eat in waking distance. Only bad thing was the wifi rarely worked which is a bummer.

We had a wonderful stay here.

Absolutely stunning

Customer service is horrible. AC was not working in our room and we asked many times to fix it but no one ever came. Cannot give u a glass of water, u have to buy your own bottle everytime. Very disappointing experience overall considering the price paid. We bought 3 rooms together 6 months before the dste but were all separated.

Fantastic hotel

The hotel was lovely. Never a problem getting a sunbed. Food was good quality and choice the only thing that is not the hotels fault is it is in the direct flight path although after a few days you don’t notice so much

Great location. The hotel is right on the beach even though the beach is no the best if Crete. Food quality and range is very good. The staff are excellent and really go out of their way to connect with guests.

June 22

Resort was very busy.. too many people and not enough loungers. Also get to the pool at 10am there is no where to sit. Pictures make it look bigger than it is. Towels were being put out at the pool from 7am would not have been an issue if there was spare.

The outside areas were perfect, loved all the double day beds and hammocks, the decor was lovely would have liked a more luxurious bathroom but it was perfectly adequate and clean. There was nothing we didnt like. the staff were welcoming and so friendly and the on site spa was perfect too.

The staff was very friendly and helpful. They kept the place spotless and ensured the buffet breakfast and dinner offered a huge variety of tasty food.

Amazingly Relaxing Hotel

We stayed here for a full week and it was a really wonderful trip. Hotel was exceptionally clean and staff were very friendly and welcoming. The beach was fantastic with crystal clear waters and plenty of loungers and parasols. We even got a wee bottle of wine in our room on arrival which was a nice touch. Only minor niggles were the pools were all a bit too cold to use (including the shared pool behind our room) and the service was a bit slow at lunch and for drinks at night. Still would highly recommend staying here and totally loved that it was adults only. We paid a bit extra for a late checkout as we had a very late flight and this was 100% worth it as it basically gave us another full day of relaxing by the pool and on the beach.

Great hotel, relaxing and quiet. Recommend if looking for a relaxing vacation

5* all round, fantastic hotel highly recommend.

Extremely hard to fault this place. Was above expectations. The listing does not do it justice. Superb location, facilities, exceptional food - a vast range at every meal including veggies/vegans. Staff are all lovely and friendly. Rooms are very clean and comfortable. Only negative is the excessive use of plastic - in part not Their fault as they are required to give out plastic gloves for every person every meal (can’t even re use them because I tried)! And a lot of plastic bottle use, plastic straws so they could improve on this. Lovely surrounding cafes and super market too. Easy pick up for longer excursions too.

The beach was the problem. The water was ALWAYS with waves. If you prefer the pool, then, that's your destination. It's very clean and comfortable otherwise.

The pool area was the most enjoyable part of our stay. We booked a half board with our room which meant breakfast and dinner was included, however as this was a buffet we found it quite repetitive as initially when booking online we had seen that the hotel had four restaurants being advertised. Sadly this was not the case, and only two of the four restaurants were operational for dinner ( 1 restaurant that you could only book once at) I had also pre-booked a couples massage at their Spa to celebrate our anniversary which we were so excited for, and to say this was a complete disappointment is putting it lightly. There was so introduction from the therapists when going into the treatment room or explanation of what to keep on or take off - fortunately I have been in the industry for over 10 years and I helped my partner with telling him what he must do as this was his first massage ever. Once the therapists entered the room, they started immediately with the massage, no questions being asked about whether we were comfortable, areas to be focused on or pressure for the massage. Overall leaving me unhappy and. feeling like I have just wasted my money on something that was not worth the value of the service just being given.

Could be better…

The amenities are lovely, however the room is dated and in desperate need of refurbishment. The aircon system and shower are appalling. The reception could be more friendly and helpful. Avoid at all costs going in August, they obviously don’t know how to deal with a busy hotel. The pool towels are something - First that guests are not really allowed to reserve a sun-bed, but a lot of them do and the hotel doesn’t do anything about. As an example, I’ve seen a number of guests that reserved the sun-beds early in the morning, and only came back about 5 hours later. Guests that play by the rules end up without a space by the pool. Second, we once asked if we could get fresh new towels and been told that because we missed the slot to change them (up to midday) - it was 12:34pm, we’d have to pay €10 per towel if we’d like new ones! Overall I would never say this is a 5 star hotel.

I recommend this beautiful hotel !

My stay was very good. Nice room, staff and hotel. Hotel is very nice with a lot of swimming pool and close to the beach.

Great service, clean rooms and beach access. Would definitely go again !

Fabulous property

Amazing stay. Room was at the very far end of the property. So it was crucial that you plan well before leaving the room. Breakfast buffet was OK. Loved the freshly cut fruit every day. Waffles, pancakes were ok. Great selection of juices and smoothies and posched eggs. Coffee unfortunately was not drinkable. Would have loved to get greek frappee for breakfast, but not possible. Bars opened too late in the morning. The Stone unfortunately stopped serving food at 5pm. If you did not book half-board you starve. Did try the evening buffet once, but were not convinced. We tried some of the restsurants and tavernas in the area. Pools are absolutely fantastic. Landscaping is gorgeous. Feels like a tropical garden. Of course there were also a handfull of cats on the property. Never tried the beach, since I am more of a pool person. But it looked nice.

The Island Hotel is a great place to spend a 1 week vacations. I will recommend it to my friends and family. Nice rooms, great amenities, excellent Breakfast, great pools, great staff, few meters from a small and almost private sea-beach. Regarding your question about VIP "treatment" during the Check-in, I must confess, the local staff didn't pay any attention to this issue. It was completely irrelevant for them. I mentioned this fact, but there was no reaction at all. Zero comment or any usual VIP compliment as usual (small, chocolate, bottle of wine, plate of fruits in the room, etc.), not to mention any upgrade offering, or at least a comment about not being able to upgrade because the hotel is full, etc.. Just nothing at all. The hotel was great anyway, but I was glad to get any upgrade as VIP, as I got used too.

Amazing mini-get-a-way in Crete

Vi boede på The Island Hotel fra lørdag aften til onsdag morgen, på et lille værelse (991) i stue etage med dobbeltseng, og adgang til delepool med 2 andre rum - de andre så vi heldigvis ikke - så vi havde poolen for os selv. Det var dejligt :-) Tv kanaler havde dårligt signal, men der var WiFi på værelset. Saftybox var i stykker da vi kom, men det fixede en sød mand fra hotellet. Vores ankomst var fin, og vi fik båret vores bagage af selv samme søde mand - vores hotelrum lå meget langt væk fra receptionen. Hotel havde sørget for at der kom en taxa i lufthavnen og hentede os - så vores første indtryk var meget godt, og alt gik nemt. Vi havde kun morgenmad på hotellet - Andre måltider kunne vi frit vælge på de mange restauranter, der er i området. Vi skulle have mundbind på, og der var en lidt sur dame der sørgede for at vi skulle spritte hænder ved indgang - derfra kom en tjener og tog os rundt i morgenmads buffet, sammen med en masse andre gæster/tjenere - det var meget kaotisk og føltes ikke sikkert. Skulle hellere lade os bestille a'la carte fra bord. Men bortset fra denne ene dame, var alle tjenere på hotellet meget venlige og hjælpsomme - også rengørings folk hilste sødt - og rengøringen var meget god. Min mand fik massage flere gange - og det var også rigtigt godt. Kan anbefale et ophold på dette hotel, hvis man slappe af i solen ved pool og på strand

The communal areas are superb. We booked a standard room which was adequate but not luxurious. Our small terrace overlooked an unattractive gravel area.

Just excellent. The staff was very warm and eager to assist. Wonderful location.

Good place, lot of activities in and around, good food ...

We loved our semi private pool, that was the best.

Simply fantastic! Truly something for everyone. The only downside was the price of Amaretto!

The Island Resort

The Island was a great place to stay. Excellent facilities and friendly staff. The only issue is that apart from the resort the area is quite isolated.

A beautiful property in a lovely location

Overall we enjoyed our stay at The Island with the location being great, the facilities excellent and the room very comfortable. We had a small issue with the smell of cigarette smoke coming into our room from an unknown source but the hotel staff did what they could to help us, offering a change of room and following up with us the following day to see how it was. We only had breakfast included in our deal, but this was preferable to us as it meant we could go and eat at some of the lovely restaurants outside the resort. We used the day spa services and enjoyed it very much. There also seemed to be plenty of day beds/ slum lounges available to use around the pools when we wanted them.

Beautiful beachside resort with all the amenities

From the genuinely friendly hotel staff, to the gorgeous pools, to the complementary breakfast each morning- we truly had a wonderful vacation! They even have yoga/Pilates each morning which was a great start to the day! Also it is close to the Heraklion airport (15 min) which made travel easy.

Short but sweet stay

Our time at The Island was extremely short, but very pleasant. We tried to check in very late (23:00), but found the parking lot full, so we drove to park in the street and transfer our heavy bags. We would have had to walk all the way around, but the clerk who first greeted us was leaving for the night and saw us in the street. She didn't have to, but she went back to let us in the street gate, which saved us walking, and created a great first impression. The valet was very pleasant, and showed us everything about the room. The room was small, but very clean, and the bed and pillows were the best we've had in Greece. The breakfast buffet was by far the best of any place we've ever stayed. The hotel's amenities (pools, bar, restaurant) are beautiful, though our short stay prevented us from using any but the restaurant. The wide, sandy beach is across the street, and local restaurants are nearby. The airport is only 15 minutes away. I wish we had a longer stay here, and if ever in Heraklion again, we'll be staying here

Perfect parent's getaway from kids

We stayed 2 nights, being guests at a local creatan wedding. We very much enjoyed the pool and the spa and their priceless silence, as we are parents of 3 kids and travelling without them. The stuff was super frinedly and helpful and the breakfast buffet of high standards.

Pleasant couples Island

Great service, food, staff and amenities. The neighborhood was right under the flight path for approaching jets and there were a number of barking dogs throughout the day. The Internet connection in the room was poor, we had to go out on the patio to get a good connection.

Nice hotel , lots of amenities available

We only stayed one night to be close to the airport but also still on a Beach. It was a lovely hotel with a lot of amenities. The pools were really nice but very busy.

great hotel

it was a great getaway lovely staff great food we loved it

We loved the sea and beach access, the breakfasts were excellent and enjoyed the local tavernas and friendly helpful staff.

Relaxing break at The Island Hotel

We enjoyed a relaxing week at The Island. We found the staff extremely helpful and friendly and the overall quality of the hotel very good. It was certainly the best hotel in the area. The breakfast buffet was one of the best we've experienced although it would have been nice to have breakfast run a bit later (it ran until 10am and most people seemed to arrive between 9:45 and 10am). The beach and pool were both well set up with good quality equipment and we had no problem getting loungers. We didn't eat at the hotel restaurants other than at breakfasr but there are lots of tavernas nearby - our favourite for food was Mylos and for setting (overlooking the beach) The Island (no link to hotel). I would reccommend this hotel for a relaxing break but if you are after nightlife Kato Gouves isn't really for you.

Beachfront, away from the city

Recently renovated, modern hotel. Lovely pools, restaurant, beach just in front, spectacular sunsets! Our room was small, with a balcony but no view, (but we got a great price through Expedia - surely the rooms with views are much more expensive!) Friendly, helpful staff. No surprises with price or any extra charges.

Great Buffet, great service , everyone very friendly

Schlechter Service vom Personal uvm

O

Super, paradisiaque

Accommodatie was heerlijk en goed verzorgd. Wel heel stil en in de omgeving niks te doen.

Das Hotel hat mich mit gemischten Gefühlen zurückgelassen. Das gilt vor allem in Hinsicht auf die beworbene 5* Kategorie und die gebuchte Zimmerkategorie (teuerste Suite, eig. Pool, Meerblick. Das zimmer war grundsätzlich super schön , hier vor allem die tiolle Terasse mit Pool. Auch das exterieur des Hotels war sehr ansprechend gemacht. Nun kommen die "abers": Das Empfang an der Rezeption ist nicht mal 3* Hotel. Wir wurden erstaml gepart da wir zu früh da waren und es zu voll war duch check out wir sollten uns dann eine Stunde in die Bar setzen. Ich akezptiere ein kommunizierte Zeit zum Einchecken aber den Umgang nicht. Der Pool in der Suite hatte am ersten Tag einen komplett grünen Rand und wurde dann am 2. Tag gereinigt. Da so ein Rand nicht innerhalb eines Tags(auch nicht einer Woche ensteht, war die letzte Reinigung wohl schon etwas her. Auch das geht nicht für diese Kategorie (eigentlich generell nicht). Fazit schönes Zimmer, gutes Essen im buffetrestaurant aber das Gesamtgefühl war eher max. 4* Pauschaltourismuss-massenhotel. Trotz diesen negativen Aspekten hat es uns ansonsten gut gefallen und würden wiederkommen wenn diese Mängel abgestellt wären

Hébergement, très calme. Plage, privée, restaurant aux alentours, très bon. Le buffet du Matin et très copieux.

Schöne Unterkunft, sauber und freundliche Mitarbeiter. Einziges Manko falls ihr Pech habt habt ihr einen etwas längeren Laufweg zum Zimmer, da die schöne Anlage groß ist.

Super schöne und ruhige Anlage. Freundliches, hilfsbereites Personal und leckeres Essen. :)