Minos Beach Art Hotel — Restaurant in Municipality of Agios Nikolaos

This is one of my favourite hotels in the world .the location is fabulous, the views are extraordinary .the staff and service is charming ….especially in the restaurant with the lovely Irini …we have stayed many times but there are some really annoying problems ….even though we really don’t want to …we are now looking to possibly try Elounda Mare or maybe the sister Hotel to Minos Beach Art - Minos Palace as the children Screeching and behaving badly near us was a constant irritation in an otherwise beautiful holiday but hence marred day and each time …and in the restaurant the same …usually only one or two families ruining everything for the other many peace-seeking adults ..we have only stayed in the private pool villas but often there was smoke from other guests nearby drifting up to our terrace , which meant we had to leave our lovely terrace and go inside ….the smoking was also a problem every day at the love,y otherwise little beach restaurant and the screeching (totally un- supervised by parents ) small children irritating guests peace but nobody either parents or staff doing anything to check them …both myself and my fiancé felt worried about small children about to have an accident the whole time, being totally ignored and we are very conscientious so couldn’t ignore it ….for the considerable price of the top level accommodations this fabulous hotel need to ensure adult guests can relax ..they somewhat rest on their laurels of tears if repea r clients ….

My fiancée thinks that there are some rather tired areas on the villas that need addressing, some rusty bits to the poles outside that year on year haven’t been addressed…and bits of damp on a wall …we feel that for over £1000 a night it should be perfect and is rather over-priced.. We would really appreciate a sink area for the tea and coffee area etc ….fruit preparation ..coffee making … they call them villas but there is no kitchen facilities at all …. except a small fridge and a kettle etc But we particularly love that you can have Room Servuce breakfast up until midday I think it is , which makes it a real holiday …it is also the best breakfast we know …a very comprehensive high quality continental with boiled eggs( if you wish …)

We had massage treatments by charming masseuses but this was ruined by a whole interview sitting at a desk regarding what we thought of it afterwards…after a massage you just want to go to rest immediately …im sure anyone will let them know how they feel about it if necessary … The large swimming pool is beautiful but in recent years has been too cold …even in July …we love to swim but ut was really a but uncomfortable to enjoy ..also we think the mini pools with villas should be heated fir the price and enjoyment ….

Beware that this is a vey physical hotel, many rough paths to and from things …not really for anyone wanting to dress up in heels and the paths are very rickety ..you could easily twist and sprain your ankle …unless in the main hotel I presume …paths are dark and some areas unlit. With a massively high step to climb right by the end of the path to the restaurant …these things need to be addressed if they haven’t been … I think you can get a buggy to take you to/from the restaurant but not sure how easy that would be…

We think it should also be adults only, and we couldn’t use the bar area at all before or after dinner because of more smoking everywhere and a horrible smoky fire pit at the far end of the dining room … In our highly discerning opinion the buffet dinner is absolutely fantastic ….stations of chefs cooking all manner of hot dishes with very good quality salads and a prolific display of deserts including excellent choice of Baclava… All the staff are really friendly and this is the wonderful edge this hotel has …. But please please make this lovely hotel the first totally smoke free, child free in Greece ..…for the tiny number of people who would be disappointed it will be total bliss for many …it deserves to...

Just back from a 5 night break here. I relied on previous reviews when booking as I usually do and I am so disappointed. This hotel is expensive so I was expected high class 5 star standard. The service was anything but. Staff were rude especially at breakfast and nothing in the hotel "ran" like one would expect at 5 star. It was quite bizarre at times.

Pros : -Walking distance to town (15 minutes) -Waterfront is beautiful, crystal clear direct water access and sunbeds are the comfiest I've seen. It's really incredible. Everything is very spaced out also and private. Definitely the best part about this hotel! -The design of the hotel is beautiful and really fits in with the surroundings. It's not intrusive and feels natural. The designers did an amazing job with this vision. -Each bungalow has a patio area which is nice for sitting outside though chairs could have been more comfortable. -Guest services phoned the room a couple of times and were pleasant and asked if we needed anything. This is the standard I would expect but it didnt hold true across the rest of the experience. -Our cleaner was chatty and pleasant and obviously worked hard. This was a big contrast to what we saw from other staff.

Cons: -We had a sea view bungalow which is really just a sea glimpse. -I requested twin beds and was assured I would have two separate mattresses. We arrived late (11pm) and we were given a double bed so we paid 400 euro to sleep on the wrong bed. Two single mattress toppers were added the next day (not mattress). -The bungalow is smaller than expected and there is nowhere to store your clothes. There is no point in the beautiful minimalism if its not functional! The bungalow is also missing basic things like a full length mirror and English TV channels (except for news) and a sitting area separate to the bed! -Breakfast was not up to 5 star standards. The selection of food was mediocre and staff were rude. There was also a strange decision where you couldn't get orange juice or water from buffet (there was other juices) so you had to ask staff who acted like they were being inconvenienced. I have to say this wasn't all staff but a few we interacted with. One man was particularly rude and smelt like bo every day. This is just not good enough at this level. We asked him for an item one morning and then again 10 minutes later when it had not arrived and he snapped at my mother. -The grounds and gardens are kept quite rugged and natural but we thought a bit more care could have been given to general maintainance especially at this standard. -When paying we had confusion as we paid balance on arrival but then when checking out another night was added. They had made a mistake when taking balance at start and missed a night. They also added mini bar charges for items we didn't use. No apology and they didn't even ask if we had a nice stay.

At 400 euro a night for a late September stay we expected much...

As a family of 5 we booked 2 rooms for 4 nights. Just a little hour away from the airport (Iraklion) and near Aigos Nikolaos city centre, is a true gem hidden. How the hotel is designed in and around the bay is just amazing. You have loungers spread all over so you can find your own relaxing spot with the fam, even during high season. Too bad for a 5☆ there are still nitwits placing towels in the early morning even if they only arrive in the afternoon. So on some days it was hard for us 5 to find a spot where we could lay down together.

The arrival went smooth. We had a delay with our flight and arrived just before the restaurant would close. They postponed our check in so we could eat something first - which was very kind after such a horror flight. That being said.We had halfboard and didn't get bored of the buffet at all. We like to eat well and different things and the main restaurant met up te expectations. A lot for this kids AND ourselves. With some "bestsellers" available every day but enough variaty in meat and fish every single day. The pasteries during breakfast were just too much (as in good 😏) so I'm happy we didn't stay too long or you could roll me home.

The rooms are big and clean and we all loved the brand they use in the bathroom for soaps / lotion etc.

The art in the hotel is inspiring and everywhere. The main pool is big, gorgeous and clean. The food at the different restaurants was also very nice and not too overpriced.

After all very pleased with the hotel and mainly the beauty and invernoment.

If I may say a few points of improvement: towels at the beach should be monitored by someone and easier to reach. Some spots you need to walk 10 minutes to find a basket with towels. The first day we didn't even find any and had to ask the waitress the service at some point was too slow and many misorders. Ordering food and had to replace the order twice to receive it 90mins later. during diner the large tables sometimes were taken by couples so we had to wait to be seated electricity problems in our rooms. It fell out several times and the plugs next to the bedside didn't work. Charging had to be done in the living room :) but they tried to fix it - without result unfortunately. the gym is obviously no focus point and outdated

That being said. We had a lovely stay. It was the first stop of our 2 week holiday in Crete and we were very happy overall with our stay and would recommend to friends and family. We will also tell them the "basic rooms" are more than fine and you don't need your own garden since the whole hotel is beautiful so just get out and...