Orpheas Resort Hotel — Hotel in Municipality of Apokoronas

In contrast to many other hotels nearby, Orpheas Resort does have quite some architectural charm, with its colorful Cretan-style buildings and an extensive garden area near the pool.

On the inside, by contrast, the rooms (or at least ours) look and feel fairly shabby. Our room was a tiny closet with a bit of a youth-hostel feel: worn-out furniture and equipment, dirty walls, and a curtain that did little to keep out any light or heat. Speaking of which, the AC was overwhelmed by the summer temperatures; after arriving in the early evening, 3 hours at full throttle barely reduced the indoor temperature below 30°C. The balcony is spacious, and also an excellent chance to build close relations with your neighbors, and there’s barely any shielding between balconies. The rather antique elevator was broken half the time; once we even got stuck, so better pack lightly. If you’re looking for a very quiet place, this may not be for you. Although the hotel itself is shielded from traffic (at least the rooms facing the garden) and offers only relaxed, low-key entertainment, there are late-night fireworks and loud music from the neighboring hotels virtually every day. Needless to say, the rooms offer only modest noise insulation: In fact, you hear almost every move by your neighbors or on the hallway as if it were in your own room; at night, the room was permeated by a loud humming sound (probably from outside ventilators).

The hotel’s key asset is its location right next to the beautiful beach, Paralia Kourna, where you can also rent deck chairs via the hotel. Be aware that the Kavros beach can be quite stormy at times; we had a few days when swimming was prohibited due to strong winds. Alternatively, Orpheas features two rather cozy pools, which close at 6.30pm.

Other than the beach, the hotel’s surroundings are fairly bleak and consist mostly of beach hotels and small tourist shops. If you’re looking for a pleasant village or town, there are semi-regular buses to Georgioupoli, Rethymno, and Chania. Beyond that, having a car is highly recommended.

As for food: Both breakfast and dinner buffets offer plenty of hearty and overall tasty food, some authentic Greek and some concessions to international (mostly German) tastes – you won’t have to miss out on Schnitzel or breadrolls. The coffee is substandard, though, both free filter coffee and extra espresso. (Speaking of which, it’d be nice to have espresso machines available for self-service.) On a different note, some water dispensers would be welcome, even though there are small supermarkets around the corner to stock up on bottled water.

Last, but not least, the staff was quite friendly, although the reception seemed a bit understaffed and overwhelmed at times. Cleaning service is only every other day, which makes you wonder why they ask you to leave used toilet paper in the baking-hot...

Very nice place, on the beach, with 2 pools and lovely rooms. I slept here for a week and got the room with the jacuzzi, breakfast included. The hotel is kids free, therefore, quiet and calm. The staff is really nice and helps you with every request. The breakfast food is correct, with a large choice of pastries, breads, fruits, and even pancakes they make on the spot. It is not delicious but it is good, the coffee is also good. The two pools are relatively large, one of them with jacuzzi-like bubbles. There are two bars, including a nice pool bar with a good amount of choices for food and cocktails. Sometimes you can enjoy activities at the pool bar, during my stay there was a "jazz night" and a "dj night". The beach is right out the hotel, with lounge chairs (i was told i needed to pay 6 euro a day to use them, but most of the time they were left open...). Outside the hotel, you will find a road with restaurants and shops, a pharmacy and car rentals you first have to cross the high-speed road (be careful, there is no crossing path). There is also a bus stop with buses for Chania or other places. The jacuzzi took a really long time to heat so I'd suggest you pre-heat it before using it, if this is an option in your room. There is impeccable room cleaning services every day, where they clean the room, refill the soaps and change the towels. The room is medium sized, big comfy bed, outlets right next the bed, chairs and table, an italian shower with toilets next to it. The shower is lacking a door to separate it from the rest of the bathroom, so sometimes the bathroom gets drained after a shower. Generally, the stay was very pleasant, I was able to enjoy and relax and I would definitely come back at Orpheas...

I would rate my stay as 3 stars.

The location is beautiful and quiet, with an amazing beach where you really feel immersed in nature. The staff was very friendly and welcoming, and my room overall was fine.

That said, several aspects could be improved. The internet did not work during my stay. Breakfast was honestly very bad – while there was some choice, the quality was poor. Anything not cooked felt as though it came straight from the supermarket, the croissants were simply reheated, and one morning the pancakes were so oily they were inedible. Coffee and fresh orange juice were not included in the breakfast, which was very disappointing. In general, you pay extra for anything not included in the room and breakfast, which makes the stay feel less comfortable.

The biggest issue was the bathroom. It was constantly humid, had a bad smell, and the shower flooded the floor every time because there was no door. The water also didn’t heat up immediately, which was unpleasant. The bathroom was separated from the bedroom by glass doors and walls – they weren’t transparent, so technically private, but still felt uncomfortable and not very practical. The glass door itself also felt unstable. Shampoo and shower gel were only provided in tiny bottles, replaced only the next day.

There were also many mosquitos, so repellent is a must. The “gym” should really not be advertised as such – just a few worn-out mats and no real equipment. Sunbeds at the beach also come with an extra charge.

Overall, the setting and atmosphere are wonderful, but the facilities and services don’t live up to the potential. With improvements, this hotel could be...