Guest User
October 18, 2024
This is a terrific hotel for adults and older teens (16+). The architectural design of the hotel is subtle and blends in sympathetically with the local landscape. The rooms are comfortable and the amenities are good with two large swimming pools. The hotel food is some of the best I've experienced on a package holiday, with a variety of appetizing Cretan dishes every day. The staff were all friendly and helpful, particularly Dimitri's wonderfully welcoming team in the restaurant. The hotel also features a great – and very affordable – little spa run by two top-notch masseurs, Manos and Sophia. There are lots of beautiful sandy beaches around the ancient port of Agios Nikolaos. So whilst the small pebble beach in front of the hotel may appear a little disappointing at first glance (despite its magnificent mountain backdrop), it unexpectedly offers some of the best snorkelling that we found on the east side of Crete. There are also numerous fascinating attractions within two hours drive (or boat trip) from the hotel, including the Venetian island fortress of Spinalonga, the Palace at Knossos (of course), and the hugely impressive, ruined hilltop city of Lato (the birthplace of Alexander the Great's admiral, Nearchus), which is a mere 20 minutes from the hotel and costs a mere €3 to enter. We spent a very enjoyable week at the Ariadne Beach, enjoying the warm October sunshine, and were sad to leave.