Alexander Beach Hotel & Village Resort — Hotel in Municipality of Chersonissos

Overall a disappointing experience, definitely not up to 5 star standard (maybe 30 years ago, when the hotel first opened). Reality is closer to 3 - 4 stars. Staff is very kind and attentive, but it does not make up for the mismatch between the price tag (high) and low quality and cheap feeling (especially food & drinks). If you consider to go, definitely skip the full board option and only go with breakfast or max half board. Personally the biggest "joke" was the cheapest Lipton teabags and Nescafe instant coffee - this is really an insult at this price point. These are really bad decisions of the management and owner, we feel bad for the staff who is really trying hard and doing their best.

We stayed for a family vacation of 2 adults and 1.5 year old child.

Excellent: Genuinely very kind and attentive staff - really this was the highlight. Always with a smile, this was saving the whole experience a bit Own beach with fine sand, crystal clear water, plenty of sunbeds and umbrellas Views from the main restaurant were stunning during breakfast and dinner (lunch is served elsewhere). Fully shaded kids pool Spacious room (we were probably lucky, other rooms are small according to the floor plan)

Good: Relatively close to the airport in Heraklion (

the location is top.

And I think, that is the reason, the hotel doesn’t care about anything else - cause they are kind of in a good location, and people don’t need anything else 🤷‍♀️ They have a very nice garden and the surrounding is very nice.

Must admit, the hotel has one of the best swimming pools I have ever seen. It is even partly in shadow! That is something you need, when you are on vacation. With a small kid.

Anyway, our room 601. Do not take it.

Unbearable smell in the room. I don’t know if that’s bedding sheets or cleaning products they use. But it’s really unbearable. And no matter how long you leave the door and window open - it stays and you are spending your vacation in a second hand store. That’s how it smells.

Minibar fridge - it smells very bad. I understand that it can be old and loud. That is ok. But again the smell is so bad, that we can’t use it . It’s just disgusting to put even closed drinks in it.

Noise. The room is a corner room on the way to other rooms. The cars, they use in hotel constantly pass by this room, so if you are with a small child to have a nap - not an option ☹️ too noisy too loud, your kid will be constantly woken up.

The door to the toilet - it doesn’t fit 😬 so it’s again too loud and don’t close completely. Which doesn’t give you any privacy.

You have only 2 hours to have dinner. An d when you arrive you get a table, assigned to you for the whole stay. So despite the fact, that there are many tables outside with a see view, can happen that you get something inside,not the best one. And you kind of need to live with t the whole vacation ☹️ for me the decision now would be not ornater dinners at all and just go to the restaurants where you can choose your table.

A good thing - they bring you bottled water every day!

The most disappointing thing for me - we noticed this from the first look and went to the reception to ask to change a room. And they even did offer us an option: 100% similar room just the opposite side of the road - so no one of our problems would be sold with the additional pride of 400 euros 💶 a family room - with a balcony. And the balcony faces …. Wait for it .. the waste ground 😏 exactly what you are looking for on your vacation. To fly over to the other land to keep looking at the waste ground.

I found it an unpleasant experience and an unacceptable way for a 5 star hotel. We’ll fit any hotel, which cares not only for the fast money, but for their guests and their reputation.

The reason for me to write this review - to share my experience with potential future guests of this hotel so they can make a good picture of what they are getting for their money. The hotel didn’t meet Our expectations, based on the pictures of the hotel and positive reviews, at all. And that of course doesn’t add to a good vacation. Bit we will still try to make the best of it!

And I wish to all guests, that their expectations would always...

Positives - Very cool pool for the little babies and kids with a playing room and absolutely great care-taking girls who entertain and play with kids. Great views, tolerable distance from the airport, generally good rooms and room service. Most of the staff (particularly waiters and waitresses) are very friendly and keen to help - thank you. Nice lounge area, shop with essentials in the hotel and good restaurants/bars. The beach is ok and with enough sun beds for everyone.

Negatives - too expensive and this is not a 5-start hotel, I am sorry. For us and for several other families that we connected to, this was a surprise. The value for money does not match expectations in many aspects and therefore, it is going to be a harsh review.

Food/drinks - Although, cooked alright, very modest choice of dishes. In general, quite mediocre. The nearby restaurants may be a good option to consider and those are expensive too. The full-board - does not make sense at all. A coffee machine and couple of juices available only for the breakfast. The rest of the time, you must be ready to shell out. Bottle of still water 3.60 - and if you don't want, the staff would take the glasses away from the table. A glass-full of lemonade 4 euros? Cappuccino over 4 euros? That's is ridiculous considering the overall price of staying at this place.

For the family hotel, there are too less shadows. I think umbrellas could have been bigger in the pool area and especially on the beach. Guests have to turn their creativity with towels to protect themselves from the sun. Accessibility also not the greatest if you are with a stroller. We found only one long route for ourselves without stairs from the rooms to the beach. The downhill from the pool area to the beach - is a little too extreme and there is nowhere to park a stroller other than keeping it under the burning sun.

During our stay, we did not notice much service on the beach either serving or cleaning.

Charging your guests 2 euros to play a game of pool - cmon. I think 2 euros could be easily raised by any guest, of course. But charging couple of euros extra for the basic things - leaves a bad taste.

Dress code - sorry, this is an absolute joke. Nevertheless, thanks to the staff who could understand and tolerate our frustration as apparently a very stubborn management does not have a clue what they are imposing. Basically, all men should wear long trousers. If it happens that you have only shorts with you, they will kindly provide a grandpa-style flared blue trousers. In general, this is not a glamorous or posh place, therefore given that the guests are visibly free in their garderobe choice, forcing trousers is foolish. This was the most irritating part of the vacation, wearing what I don't like, what does not fit my style and appear in that on public so that I can enter the dining area.

Thanks for the service, we had still had a good time, but we cannot agree with the...