My girlfriend and I booked a last minute break as we both needed a break to wind down. Although the hotel was much bigger than we had expected, with a lot of families it was actually a very relaxed atmosphere and quiet. Highlights were the room, which is one of the biggest I have ever stayed with a huge, very comfortable bed to go with it. We had a great room from the terrace and the private pool is a nice touch. .The beach is private to the hotel, cliffs to either side stop anyone else from using it and the bay is great for swimming, although does get deep quite fast which may not be so good for less confident swimmers.
The food was OK. The breakfast was very good, with a huge selection and fresh omelettes but I would have preferred more options and no buffet on an evening. We tried a couple of the special food events that the hotel has every night at extra cost, but they were not worht the money.

Overall we had a great trip and managed to relax so much we never left the hotel for the entire week, which is certainly a first for me.

My husband and I got married at this hotel in August 2011 and cannot recommend it enough. All the staff were fantastic. We were made to feel like we were very special guests from the moment we arrived and we didnt want to leave. We had about 20 guests in all including children and they couldnt praise the hotel and the staff enough. The setting was fantastic and couldnt have been better! The food was lovely and the decoration on the wedding day / evening was just what we wanted. We were tempted to get married at the lakeside and have a meal in town as this would have been much cheaper but so glad we chose this hotel now. At the end of the trip when we added everything up, it cost less than we thought it would and was really good value.

We were upgraded to a room with our own pool within a few days of our arrival and all the formalities were dealt with easily with no intrusion into the holiday. All the planning for the day was stressfree and enjoyable. Our Olympic wedding advisor was also really helpful and went out of her way to assist us with flowers and hairdressers etc. The hotel also offered these facilities, nothing was too much trouble. We were provided with vouchers for a complimentary meal and cocktail in one of the restaurants and complimentary spa treatments. Even in the evenings after the wedding night we returned to the room to candles and flowers and lots of little touches which just really made it special.

The hotel is ideally situated and even though the taxis were on strike for the majority of our stay we managed to walk into the town almost daily with no problem. The buses do finish early but the walk is quite nice in the evening.

The facilities in the hotel were great, the restaurants and drinks are a little pricey but no more than what you would expect from a five star hotel in UK. The pools and the beach area were never too crowded and staff were always on hand for drinks etc. The views are amazing and needless to say we will be saving up to go back for our 5 year anniversary if not before. HIghly recommended.

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LOCATION:
4/5: This depends on what your priorities are on holiday… if you prefer to be in the heart of the action, this may not be for you!
We loved it because it has gorgeous views, very well-kept grounds, and options for sun-bathing (pool-side / terraces cut into the rocks leading down to the sea / small beach area).
The hotel sits on a promontory, about 30-35 minutes walk to the centre of Agios Nikolaos, and we enjoyed a few morning walks into town for a wander round. In the evening, we took a taxi into town as it’s only 6 Euros each way.
There is a supermarket about 10-15 minutes walk away, at the Mirabello Beach (walk round our bay, turn right after the Crystal and Ormos hotels and it’s another 5 mins walk, on the left.)

FACILITIES:
4 ½ /5: Fantastic! Outdoor swimming pool, spa with indoor swimming pool, direct access to beach, water sports on hand…
The layout of the hotel is quite sprawling, with reception areas, a bar and two of the restaurants close to the entrance of the hotel, and then the accommodation leading away from that, in low rise (2/3 storey) villa-type buildings.

SERVICE:
5/5: Management, reception, concierge, housekeeping, bar and restaurant staff were all so welcoming, cheerful, pleasant and helpful. Top notch!

ROOMS:
4/5: This is Greek 5*, but we had everything we needed, and liked the simplicity of the accommodation. We were lucky enough to be upgraded from a room to a junior suite, with patio doors leading onto the terrace, and view of the sea in the distance.
No traffic noise to prevent you from getting to sleep in this hotel, unlike some in the centre of town, I would imagine!
Our split-level suite was freshly decorated, medium-sized and clean, with AC, mini bar, TV, well equipped bathroom with complimentary toiletries, modern fittings and shower over the bath. We had a separate toilet, which is handy, and also a separate small dressing area with wardrobes.
A couple of minor issues were reported to Management and (after a gentle reminder!), they had a couple of tradesmen on the job for us.

BREAKFAST RESTAURANT:
4 ½ /5: Breakfast was buffet style - a lovely choice of fresh fruit, cereals, breads, pastries, croissants, cheese, cold meats.
There were also hot servers with the usual cooked breakfast items, and a chef who would make an omelette etc to your taste.
I got into the habit of ordering fresh pancakes (crepe style) every morning, and then adding some of their delish honey and fresh fruit – fabulous!

OTHER HOTEL RESTAURANTS:
Ah, now here’s where we had a bit of an issue (though I’m very reluctant to say anything negative about the hotel!)
We used the pool restaurant on a couple of occasions for lunch. Tasty and well cooked, but overpriced (you may spot a theme here!)
We used the buffet restaurant once. I thought the food was absolutely fine, but nothing spectacular and we certainly didn’t think it was worth the €35 per person price!!
We also ate at the Greek restaurant evening on the night they had a BBQ and Greek dancing. We may have chosen badly (we both took something from the BBQ rather than the a la carte menu) but again we didn’t think the standard was worthy of the €30 price tag.
Sadly, after being stung with the cost versus quality issues on two occasions, we opted not to try the third restaurant, and decided to eat outwith the hotel for the remaining evenings.

There are numerous excellent restaurants in town. Try La Strada for excellent Greek and Italian food at very reasonable prices, or for a splurge night, treat yourself to Migomis overlooking the lagoon – superb!
There are also 4 or 5 restaurants about a 15-20 min walk away from the hotel, on the route into town which are good (can particularly recommend the Avra – try the Meze meal for two at an amazing €20, and a carafe of house wine at €4!)

SUMMARY:
Note to Management – we loved your hotel, but (please treat this as constructive criticism only!) if you were to lower the prices for your food, drinks, spa treatments and watersports, we are convinced that your restaurants, bars, spa and water activities will be busier and more profitable!
However, though we’re don’t tend to re-visit a holiday destination, we have both said that we can definitely see ourselves returning here for a week… so I think that speaks volumes!

We stayed at St Nicolas Bay resort early October 2011. We rented a car and drove from Heraklion. Fairly easy to find providing you dont venture into the one way systems of Agios Nicolaos.

The porter that greats you is excellent. Smiling and ever helpful. Check-in was straightforward and we were quickly put in our rooms. We travelled as 4 adults and a 6 month old.

The rooms are nice. They look out over the sea towards the other side of crete. Very nice. We had buildings in front but the design of the resort is excellent. You never seem to be in another persons view so it feels very private.

Most days started with buffet breakfast and a menu choice of hots. The family struggled a little bit with getting exactly what they wanted. For example, the food was often warm rather than hot. The bacon not cooked enough or similar small problem. We thought it would have been better to let the guests go to the cook where you could instruct to your liking and know the food was hot.... a suggestion.

Days can be spent on site at the pool reading your books overlooking and swimming in the sea. The private beach is about 20 paces long so dont expect romantic walks.

One thing we didnt like was the water sports. The cost was extortionate. We only saw one family use a kayak towards the end of their stay. Shame because they had lots on offer, just silly prices.

Lunch we took outside at a taverna. There are many to choose from and are very reasonable.

Dinner was excellent. A buffet with everything, then again, a choice of hot meal.

My wife struggled a bit with the baby food that was made but by the end of the stay it was working well.

The staff are all very good. The dinnner and breakfast crew were very friendly and really did try their best. Our only complaint would have been about one particular waitress. She was very grumpy and unhelpful. Managing to spill our wine one evening and all we got out of her was "bravo" before she walked off. We did complain. Just make sure you dont sit in her tables!

They gym is adequate for a quick workout but dont expect a full routine.

The spa looked inviting but we didnt use any treatments. Again, the prices were heavy.

Finally, the other guests.
Unfortunately, 50% were quite unfriendly - I think they were german. They do not say hello as you walk past them. Maybe it was me.....
The ones that did want to converse were very nice.