Grecotel Creta Palace — Hotel in Municipality of Rethymnon

Travel dates: 19th – 30th August 2025|Travel provider: Jet2holidays (flights + accommodation)|Family group: 2 adults + 1 child (8 years old)||First Impressions & Arrival||Our summer holiday to Crete was carefully planned with the aim of enjoying a stress-free, all-inclusive 5-star holiday that would keep our eight-year-old entertained while also providing us with the relaxation expected of a premium resort. The Creta Palace, a Grecotel resort near Rethymno, appeared to tick all the boxes: beachfront access, a reputable brand name, family facilities, and a good rating.||The travel arrangements through Jet2holidays were excellent from the outset. The journey to Stansted airport, though in the early hours, went seamlessly. Check-in was smooth, airport staff were efficient, and the flight was handled in the professional and friendly manner Jet2 is known for. The only comment I would make to Jet2 is regarding the seat arm rests on the aircraft, they do not fold and as many of us had very young children on the flight it made it really hard to get the children comfortable and able to rest and sleep especially on a flight that left the departure airport at around midnight. ||Arrival in Chania, was less impressive. Luggage reclaim was drawn-out, and given the early start ( 3:00 am uk time ) and the presence of many young, tired children, it felt unnecessarily draining and luggage took too long to arrive . I appreciate the arrival was around lunchtime in Greece however in my view that should not have been an issue.||Matters were not helped by the long transfer—2.5 hours on a packed coach with multiple hotel stops. The coach was comfortable and of good quality. While the driver - friendly but firm - enforced a strict no food or drink rule, this was unreasonable considering the journey length, children on board, and the time of day. There are no toilet facilities for young children. A poor start to the actual holiday experience.||Hotel Arrival & Welcome||On finally reaching the Creta Palace, we were greeted by a warm and professional hotel representative who guided us through the check-in process. The entrance and reception made a strong first impression: an expansive lobby with elegant seating, high ceilings, and a relaxed yet stylish ambiance. Outdoor seating with views across the pool and beach reinforced the sense of arriving somewhere special. We were offered refreshments on arrival, which was a thoughtful touch after such a long transfer. The representative outlined our stay and package - it seems the all inclusive package was designated a ‘comfort package’ and it soon transpired there were myriad rules - not easily explained or understood- that meant ALL inclusive was not really all inclusion. ||Unfortunately, the positives further began to wane once we were shown to our room.||Accommodation||Our accommodation was located in what appeared to be later-built annex of the resort. While the main hotel retained charm and character, this section resembled a stark, utilitarian “cell block” with little to no decorative effort—bare walkways and corridors devoid of plants, artwork, or any softening details. It may be explained as an attempt at faux Greek authenticity however it fell well short of classic Greek aesthetic, design or rustic look and charm.||Inside, the room was functional but uninspiring. Minimalist décor (non existent )—essentially a white box and a single wall hung mirror - it failed to reflect the supposed five-star standard. Facilities were poorly thought through:||A huge flat screen TV - whilst a great Samsung branded TV, it was outsized and unnecessarily large and dominating for the room.||A coffee machine provided but unusable due to the absence of a nearby socket. The coffee cartridges were generic and no milk or tea making facilities.||A minibar stocked only with a single bottle of water and a bottle of wine ( wasted on guests not wine drinkers ) with no replenishment—no soft drinks or snacks a stark omission for an “all-inclusive” resort.||Storage and furnishings were basic at best - in addition to the large bed, the room contained 1 chair and a sofa bed.||Reasonable side sea view from the balcony ||Given the premium cost of this August high-season stay, the accommodation standard was very disappointing and not in line with expectations of a luxury family resort.||“All-Inclusive” Confusion||Perhaps the greatest frustration of the stay was the complexity of the all-inclusive offering. Unlike other resorts where the limitations are few and clear, Creta Palace’s policy was riddled with exclusions and unclear rules. We and other guests constantly found ourselves asking what was or wasn’t included—hardly the stress-free simplicity promised by all-inclusive packages.||For families, this undermines one of the chief reasons to book such a holiday: predictability and ease of access to food, drinks, and entertainment.||Family & Child Facilities||The resort markets itself as family-friendly, but the facilities fell short compared to competitors in this price bracket:||Kids’ club: Pleasant but limited in scope and activities.|Kids’ pool: Small, with only two slides, insufficient for the number of children staying.||Arcade/games room: Tiny, with a handful of machines—all requiring extra payment. In comparable resorts, these are set to free play as part of the family-friendly offering, making this feel like penny-pinching.||Overall, the beach, pool and children’s pool kept our child entertained but lacked the range and quality expected. Hence we organised external excursions and activities for our stay.||Pool & Beach Experience||The main pool area was perhaps the most problematic aspect of the resort. Simply put, the pool is far too small for the size of the hotel and number of guests. This mismatch is compounded by the extension of accommodation blocks without a corresponding increase in leisure/ additional pool space.||Securing a sunbed by the pool was almost impossible. Despite the hotel’s stated “no reservation” policy, towels were placed on loungers early each morning, and the policy was neither enforced nor managed. This created an unfair and frustrating environment for families seeking to enjoy the pool. There was also a potential for conflict and ill-will resulting from a shortage of sun beds/space around the pool.||The beach offered a more relaxed experience, with a reasonable number of loungers and facilities, though here too an early start was required to guarantee a family space.||There are options to rent private beds or small gazebo but again for a resort at this price bracket this should be real uplift in quality and facility whereas this look like another opportunity to upsell what should have been included in the ALL inclusive package.||Dining & Service||Where the resort excelled was in staff service and quality engagement . Every member of staff—front desk, restaurant, bar, and housekeeping—were warm, attentive, and genuinely eager to help. Smiles were authentic, and the team worked tirelessly to ensure guests felt welcomed. This was the saving grace of our stay and deserves recognition. Special mention to Katrina (house keeping).||Dining was generally good, with variety and freshness, though again, there were attempts at themes for the evening meals but nothing very good engaging or exciting- we ate out at local restaurants for some of the evenings. Some additional paid for dining was on offer at hotel restaurants. One of the benefits of the ‘comfort package’ was one evening at the hotel paid-for restaurant. We booked the Italian restaurant for an evening meal. When we arrived we were greeted by the ever helpful staff and seated . When the menu arrived it was made clear that this was only a limited menu for our ‘level’ of package and not the full menu. The disappointment was compounded when we said we will pay and have a choice from the main menu- this is because the main menu too lacked significant Italian cuisine and choices hence we reverted back to to the short form menu for our dinner. The staff again were commendable and helpful.||Spa facilities :||We both booked a 1 hr massage at the spa facilities. The quality of the service provided was excellent and we both had a very enjoyable experience. The facilities at the Spa and Gym are very good. I did note however that the massage room all be it roomy and well equipped with a shower room was very basic with no attempt at creating a relaxing experience or ambiance typically associated with such facilities - the room had low lighting however it essentially a square room painted brown with a worn brown blind over the window with holes in the fabric ( old and tired). ||Whereas we recognise special session or treatments are chargeable typically access to and use of most spa facilities are included in other resorts - There was a well equipped gym and well equipped and resourced changing rooms including a Jacuzzi and sauna.||Overall Value & Recommendation||A 10-day August stay at a five-star all-inclusive resort is a significant financial commitment. For that investment, one expects a seamless experience, top-quality accommodation, straightforward all-inclusive benefits, and well-scaled facilities.||While the Creta Palace delivers on staff service, setting, and first impressions, it falls short in accommodation quality, pool capacity, clarity of all-inclusive offering, and child-friendly facilities.||Compared with other resorts we have stayed in at a similar price point, this hotel does not deliver sufficient value for money.||Verdict:||Strengths: Exceptional staff, elegant main building and reception, beachfront location.||Weaknesses: Poor accommodation standard, inadequate pool size, confusing all-inclusive policy, disappointing children’s facilities, lack of value compared to other five-star resorts.||Would we recommend or return to this resort ? No |Crete...

My family of 4 (2 adults, 2 kids aged 6 and 2) stayed at Creta Palace 24th to 31st August and honestly I didn’t want to leave! ||Firstly I’d like to say, I’ve read several reviews before and since returning where people clearly have not read their travel company’s information or hotel website on the all inclusive (called comfort) package and to be honest I find it slightly irritating. So I can’t imagine what the management think. Rather than list what’s included and not, I’d recommend consulting the hotel website before booking. ||Prior to our stay I emailed guest relations requesting 2 things; a room in a quiet location and a bed guard for my 2 year old. We received both of these which I was impressed with. ||We stayed in a superior family bungalow having booked a lesser room then deciding afterwards I liked the idea of the kids having their own bedroom. Again I emailed the hotel who were kind enough to invoice me and I payed the difference. Very straightforward and great service from guest relations. ||I also researched the hotel and learned it is a good drive from Heraklion airport so booked a private taxi and was there within the hour unstressed and well air conditioned. ||The arrival greeting was second to none. I do apologise for missing the lady’s name but my husband could not believe we were greeted getting out of the taxi to drinks and a sit at the bar while check in was taken care of and we received verbal information on the hotel and the app. Our luggage was taken to our room and carried up the stairs for us to our bungalow. ||The room was spacious and ample for the 4 of us. Could it have done with a little modernizing, yes. I personally would have liked a touch more storage for clothes but we were there a week and it was sufficient. ||The hotel is absolutely stunning. The staff are CONSTANTLY cleaning and the gardeners do a tremendous job. The plants and flowers are just beautiful. ||Yes there is competition for sun beds but anyone with young kids is up anyway so I made an effort to put towels on at breakfast then we arrived at the pool half an hour later, still well before most people moaning about sunbeds even surfaced. I should point out that the pool managers (ladies in the pink jumpsuits) do an outstanding job of removing towels if sunbeds are unattended and finding beds for everyone. The pool can get a little crowded but it never felt chaotic. My little ones also loved the kids pool and slides. Both pools had lifeguard presence all week. ||Drinks are ordered via the girls who worked around the pool everyday from 10-6 and service is to your sunlounger. There is no hanging around a bar or self serve which again adds to the luxury.||The main buffet restaurant had an ample tasty selection for breakfast, lunch and dinner. We also ate one day at the beach bar for which you do receive a discount on food as part of your comfort package. There was so much food I felt terrible when I couldn’t finish! It was delicious. The beach is just beautiful. I would suggest “pool shoes” for little ones as it is slightly rocky on entering the water. ||We had 2 meals out in Rethymno, we ordered a taxi from reception and got some lovely restaurant recommendations. I would definitely recommend a trip to old Rethymno, it’s busy but lovely. ||The only negative I have is that we booked the Italian a la carte one night via the app. This was so straightforward. Unfortunately the service was really slow, we waited to be seated for around 5 mins, asked 3 times for a high chair and in the end my husband got one himself and waited a long time to order drinks or food. There were only 4 other tables in at the time so this was a little disappointing. We also waited 15 minutes for the bill again despite asking multiple times. In the end I left to take the kids to the mini disco and my husband waited, in the end he had to get up to get anyone’s attention.||The mini disco and entertainment were great for our family dynamic. I particularly enjoyed the synchronized swimmers. Very different and the kids loved it. This is not a rowdy hotel. The entertainment isn’t on all night but there are bars to continue drinking if you wish after it finishes around 10ish.||We also spent our last evening having a drink in the sky bar. Lovely service as always, a nice “bed” where the kids played while we had a drink with a view. A lovely end to our stay. ||The personal touches like an email thanking us for our visit after checkout just make this hotel. I wouldn’t hesitate to...

As returning guest who had always loved this hotel I was extremely disappointed. It appears the creta palace has undergone a cost cutting exercise meaning that whilst the hotel offers 5* facilities the staffing and general management ensure this not a 5* holiday experience. ||||Rooms are tiny and somewhat dated, this has always been the case and is tolerable when the hotel provides an outstanding holiday experience, however of late it does not.||||First it should be noted that rooms are very hit and miss; some are really poor with no real view ( despite being advertised as such) and are claustrophobic. A room on a higher lever nearer the sea proved a better aspect but all are are incredibly small and dark with particularly solid mattresses. The hotel has fixed pump put toiletries for anyone interested and a decent hairdryer.||||The staffing levels in the hotel have enormously reduced over the past years, between last year and this the difference is huge. To find a staff member to order a drink on the terrace bar in the day time is a joke, I waited almost half an hour for anyone to appear. No menus are available and they exist as a scanable QR code on a place mat. For a 5 start resort I would very much like to have the option of a menu and a member of staff to assist. This is an easy way to provide no service. More staff are present here in the evenings however the area is used all day. It feels very neglected. ||||Dining is efficient and orderly however again cost cutting is evident with fewer dishes than previous years on offer. Options are well cooked and tasty though ||The biggest issue, which hugely impacts the quality of this as a breach resort is again down to lack of staffing. ||Despite signs to the contrary a large number of the hotel's ( particularly German ) guests have taken the art of sunbed reservation to an Olympic sport which they undertake with huge aggression and arrogance. To be unable to find a single free lounger on either the huge beach or pool because guests are taking multiple towels and reserving loungers for 4 or 5 hours at a time ( easily observed) meaning other guests have no where to sit other than the paid seating areas, is ridiculous. This hotel has always previously had an enforced policy whereby undivided loungers are cleared and and left behind belongings are looked after by the lifeguard, however a clear lack of staff not being this out means it is unpleasant and not possible to find somewhere to sit at all. On two occasions in just three days, after sitting on an lounger we have been aggressively confronted by fellow guests whose level of arrogance and entitlement is immense. To be verbally attacked because we have been located on loungers for 5 hours on the beach while fellow guests decided they would reserve them from early morning until late afternoon is not acceptable. This hotel drastically needs more staff it needs beach boys and pool boys to maintain order as a culture of space claiming totally removes amenity from other guests. A strict rule of not holding chairs "in case" needs to be enforced and whilst I hate the concept there is a very valid point for some kind of towel cards to be put into operation here so that guests cannot hold loungers in multiple locations at the same time. The behaviours of other guests due to lack of staff has enormously reduced the experience of this hotel to a cheap 3 star type where such behaviour might be more normal. ||||I have always strongly promoted this hotel as one of the best offerings in Greece however it no longer holds this quality. It is l true to say it is ocated on a beautiful beach and had always been somewhere I've really liked forward to visiting, but cutbacks have hugely harmed it as a luxury experience. I do question if resources have been directed to other newer hotels opened by the chain on the island, however whatever the training this hotel will no longer be in my recommended list and I will not choose to return. Such a sad decline due to...