Kokemuksia The Island -hotellista

Kirjoittanut karen c Cambridge, Yhdistynyt kuningaskunta

No heated pools - Looks good but in poor weather a disappointment as the hotel facilities didn't deliver - May 2023

Whilst the Island Hotel in Heraklion is an Insta picture worthy hotel with Palm trees and stunning blue swimming pools, if you spend time here & look below the Social Media hype, you may find yourself disappointed. As the May sunshine was sadly lacking for us we found the pools are all UNHEATED argh! So my plan to swim everyday was impossible as I don't do freezing cold water. Very few residents ventured in and when anyone brave enough did, we all watched the spectacle laughing. It soon became clear the pools are only to sit beside & take photos of at that time of year for social media. Even the indoor spa pool was FREEZING! The 45 min Private Spa booking is not worth spending extra money on, even though we needed to warm up! The freestanding Jacuzzi is very old (it just pumps cold air as little bubbles) the wood sauna cabin was indeed lovely & hot but the steam room was broken for the week we were there. However the couples massage treatment we also booked was very enjoyable. We booked through Tui & I would suggest you get a picture of the room you have chosen on your paperwork & not just a description as they are all called by a very similar name, ours was a "Sea view, swim up, double with Shower & Bath" - one of the better rooms, however it was not as we expected it, we thought that we would have a large shared pool by 2 suites on the ground floor with a sea view & a terrace (as per the glamorous photo in the online brochure) instead we were put in a similar named room with a very small "dipping" pool shared by 6 rooms on the first floor. As the weather was so bad for us (& the pools all too cold to use) the view of the wildly crashing waves from the 1st floor was so stunning we stayed there. TIP - The rooms are all named similarly so the hotel can move clients around at will, the receptionist told us to "personally contact the hotel directly & check which preferred room you are booking in." So from our personal experience do not only rely on your Tui rep when you initially book, they often don't know. We helped another couple change their room as they had a "Garden Room" which unfortunately overlooked a car park & some bins. We asked the TUI rep (on site to promote the additional paid for tours) to help speak to reception & they agreed to move them because their paperwork stated, "includes both a shower & bath" their first room only had a shower. As a 5 star rated hotel, every other service was good, the food was excellent & varied, the staff are all friendly & the servicing of the bedrooms is very good. Unfortunately you have to go outside to the restaurant as there is no entrance from inside the hotel which is a real issue when it rains as we ourselves experienced. The Spa facilities could do with updating with newer equipment and more all weather outdoor seating areas need to be created. According to a frustrated local bar owner the weather has been poor for the past couple of years in the early season which is probably due to global warming! Many of The Island hotels own restaurant & bar areas were also closed due to the poor weather so we were all crammed into a small indoor space for breakfast & dinner, understandably the only outdoor shelter area was taken by the smokers. Note for the hotel - Perhaps a few cosy blankets & umbrellas would be a good idea for the early months & maybe a few pool heaters installed in at least 1 pool.

Kirjoittanut JohnKline North Elmham, Yhdistynyt kuningaskunta

A superb holiday experience!

Having visited Crete before and liked it, my wife and I came here last year for seven nights and it just wasn’t long enough, so this year we booked a fortnight. We fly home tomorrow and I’m about to book again for next year before we even leave! The area is quiet, but with plenty of small bars and restaurants to keep you going and Hersonissis is just a short bus or taxi ride away if you need more excitement. The beach is lovely and the sunsets are spectacular. Best of all though is the hotel itself. Comfortable rooms with a fridge and coffee making facilities as well as a safe at no extra cost. Great standard of cleanliness and everything you’d expect from a decent quality hotel. The pools are lovely and we’ve never struggled to get bed’s around them, including cabanas with a awning. The food is of a really high standard with lots of choice and something to suit every taste. However, what really sets this place apart is the service. Every member of staff goes out of their way to help make your holiday really special. The restaurant team are really welcoming and helpful and the service is always prompt. A special mention is deserved by Eni and the rest of the team at the main pool bar, who are a real credit to themselves, the hotel and the Greek people in general. To quote Arnie, “I’ll be back!”

Kirjoittanut TroonArmy Petersfield, Yhdistynyt kuningaskunta

Nice hotel, beware of the bathroom

Nice hotel, lovely grounds, 4 swimming pools, but a massive let down was the bathroom, very unsafe, bath was boxed in with a very small opening to step into the bath/shower, which made it difficult and dangerous to get in and out of the bath, bathroom was very small and compact, impossible for two people to use at the same time, only 2 sockets in the bedroom, in the 21st century, when most people have smartphones, smart watches, tablets, iPads etc, 2 sockets is clearly inadequate, Wi-Fi was poor and intermittent, staff were very nice and friendly, but bathroom was a big let down and a potential for injury, really took the shine off our stay at this hotel.

Kirjoittanut Mona j

Great staff

Great staff! Eni and Dora were amazing. View is stunning. Pools and bar lovely. Organise a pickup/ drop off to airport. We loved the live band. Buffet has great selection. Anti was very helpful with organising our lives for us,

Kirjoittanut KatRR93

Holiday 2023

We came here for my 30th Birthday and we actually ended up getting engaged as-well so this really was a special holiday! Beautiful hotel. Food amazing and the staff in the dining area really friendly always recognise you and very welcoming. We stayed in one of the shared swim up rooms, both my partner and I are 6ft, the shower was so tiny, narrow and low ceiling so when washing my hair I kept knocking my hands on the ceiling! So be warned if your tall! We had a power cut in our room on one day and on another day the safe stopped working (with everything inside!) none of the pools were heated, including the inside spa pool which I find strange, so when we had an overcast day we couldn’t even swim in there. On my birthday we thought we would use the spa and I asked if we needed to book to use the facilities, the lady said no you don’t need to book, so we went to the room, got our swimwear and came back. Jumped in the hot tub as the pool was literally freezing. Then they came and told we weren’t supposed to be in there and we needed to book and their attitude was almost rude. Considering I specifically went to ask beforehand. We were only in there for about 20 mins so I can’t see why they made it an issue. There was no one else in there. I then asked if I could book in for a massage and they told me there wasn’t any times. So I asked when the next time was and they spoke between themselves I actually felt like I was being an inconvenience asking for a massage appointment in a spa…. After telling me there was no appointments and making a fuss she then told me to come back half an hour later. Was all a very odd experience. Rooms mostly clean, curtains stank of stale cigarettes and the back door was a bit dodgy when trying to lock. If ever there is any noise in the hallway you hear every movement, most mornings staff seemed to begin cleaning quite early or whatever they were doing woke me up most mornings talking loudly as if it was the middle of the day. Overall regardless of those little moans I would come back again. Really enjoyed this hotel so quiet around the pools and so many choices of sun beds through the days. It’s definitely worth getting one of the private/shared pools and the sea view is beautiful. We ate in the stone restaurant most lunch times and the food and cocktails were really good! Good location few areas to walk to for a drink or something to eat.