Minos Hotel — Hotel in Municipality of Rethymnon

Why the conflicting good and bad reviews? That’s because there is a newer and older part to the hotel. So if you stay in main building it’s very dated, rooms have tiny, very tiny bathrooms.

After our long trip, we arrived and we’re kindly offered glass of lemon squash, however we did not get a key until we had to sign into the wifi and then download the hotels app and complete the questionnaire! Not what we wanted to do after a long travel

Then our room was not ready and they said we would have to stay in a suit and change to our room the next day. When we change rooms it was very disappointing as the room was near the lift and was noisy, especially when I could hear the neighbours dropping their toilet seat and talking at 1am. Also, the phone and fridge was broken and my Mrs could not wash her hair because the shower had very little water pressure. So I spoke to the hotel and they kindly moved us to a quieter and slightly more modern room, which had a better bathroom and shower pressure. So it felt like it took 2-3 days before we could start to relax on our 7 day holiday! They did leave us a curtesy ice bucket with what is meant to look like champagne but the label was removed and it was just fizzy grape juice.

The TV only has news stations that are in English.

Breakfast is good, but coffee is instant from self service machines which were very disappointing as I love fresh coffee. However it was not till day 6 that I could see some other guest being offered fresh coffee at there tables but I was never offered this. The bacon is not the kind of bacon we would expect in the UK, it’s more like processed ham. When I went out to eat, I received normal bacon, so I assume the hotel are using cheaper meats. Also breakfast is near the pool, which you think would be nice, until you see the pool maintenance team brushing the green algae off the sides into the water we would swim in.

Going half board was also disappointing and dinner was not served to us, and was a buffet, so you lose that nice dinning experience and the food was just okay. So we decided to eat out most nights, which was 100% the right choice. Also when you go to the buffet a nice lady try’s to talk you into staying for the evening entertainment in the hotel. However, I did not travel to Greece to stay in the hotel and play bingo etc.

Most of the staff were helpful but some looked like they did not want to be there. My Mrs used to work in the Hotel industry so she has a very keen eye for things and informed me that the hotel is dirty. To be honest, all the above almost spoiled the whole holiday, as my Mrs was crying and so upset as this was our one holiday and cost us over £2000 for 7 nights through TUI.

To be honest, we wish we booked a different hotel, but we somehow still managed to enjoy ourselves, not without spending much more than we expected on eating out.

Hope this helps you with your choice on your future accommodation.

PS. the sea is very strong with often large waves and people die there each year we were told,...

Absolutely Wonderful Stay at Minos Hotel Crete (03.06.2025 – 07.06.2025) We had an amazing experience staying at Minos Hotel and would love to share our sincere appreciation. We arrived early in the morning, around 8 AM, due to an early flight. Although the official check-in was later in the day, the reception staff warmly welcomed us, invited us to have breakfast, and kindly gave us our room right after — which was incredibly thoughtful, especially since we were tired and traveling with our 3-year-old son. We stayed in Room 825, which I believe was a Superior Suite Room, located in a separate building. The view in front of our building was overgrown with reeds, but we mostly looked out at the sea, not down. I believe the hotel probably has plans to improve that area in the future. The room was fresh, clean, and had a beautiful sea view. Housekeeping was done daily, and towels were changed every day. We were pleasantly surprised to find a bottle of champagne and a plate of dried fruits in the room upon arrival — such a lovely touch! A special thank you to the wonderful housekeeping ladies — you were truly the best. As for the food — we had breakfast and dinner included. Everything was fresh, varied, and absolutely delicious. I only managed to take pictures of breakfast on the first day — after that we just enjoyed the meals too much to stop for photos! After reading the recent reviews, I also want to share my opinion about the restaurant manager. He actually did his job 100%. All the waiters under his supervision worked excellently. One thing I can say for sure: the plates were always cleared on time, and the staff consistently asked before taking them away. Since we were with a small child, we mostly spent time at the kids’ pool, which was perfect: clean, not crowded, and often we had it all to ourselves. Our son loved swimming and sliding on the mini water slides. The location is also excellent — within walking distance you’ll find the beach, a supermarket, and the old town of Rethymno is just a 15-minute walk away. We enjoyed evening strolls every day. We also truly appreciated the thoughtful gifts from the hotel — thank you! A heartfelt thank you to the entire Minos Hotel team. You have a fantastic hotel, amazing staff, and incredibly tasty food. We will...

Based on our experience, even a 3-star rating would be overly generous. The elevator was outdated, cramped, and lacked air conditioning, making it feel stifling. The hallway carpets were filthy, and the rooms were extremely outdated. The entryway was as narrow as the door itself, and the bathroom was uncomfortably small. We were 'upgraded' from a standard room to a superior one, but the only noticeable difference seemed to be the balcony view of the sea.

The air conditioning was restricted to 21 degrees and would turn off if you stepped onto the balcony. It didn’t restart automatically when the balcony door was closed, requiring manual intervention each time. During our one-week stay, temperatures reached 40 degrees on four days, and the room was unbearably warm when we returned, as large balcony windows turned the room into a greenhouse. We were only provided one key card, which meant we couldn't keep the AC or fridge running while we were out, leaving us with warm beverages upon our return. The fridge itself was old, barely functional, and dirty.

The staff did assist in organizing a surprise in the room with cake and sparkling wine, but even this had issues—the wine wasn't dry, despite being confirmed as such. Since we couldn’t keep the fridge running, the leftover cake was inedible the following days. The breakfast experience was mediocre at best; the waitstaff was unwelcoming, and the buffet was not worth the money. Breakfast service didn’t start until 7:30, which was inconvenient if you wanted an early start to visit beaches on the west side of the island.

Housekeeping was subpar, and despite putting up a ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign, they entered the room when we didn’t need service. Parking in front of the hotel was unavailable, though we were fortunate to find a spot at a nearby car rental location.

Although the hotel is conveniently located near the beach, a supermarket, and a range of restaurants, the overall experience falls short of justifying the cost, particularly when compared to other true 4-star hotels in the area. Having stayed in Rethymno twice before and experienced other nearby 4-star hotels like Minos Hotel, I can confidently say this one doesn't come close to deserving a...