This hotel is on the main road, right beside the harbour and there are countless eateries around. Exellent location as the hotel leads out onto the main square in Elounda. Trip boats leave the harbour for Spinalonga Island every 10 minutes or so. Opposite the hotel is a very good Inernet Cafe (as the hotel has NO facilities).
The hotel harks back to the 60's or 70's and decor is very dated. There is no parking anywhere around so if you wish to hire a car, make sure the hirer has their own car park as parking in the harbour/village square beside the hotel is about 6-8 euros per 6 hours. Rooms are very clean, however they are tiny. We had to tie up the shower curtain everytime we went to the 'loo' as the two were on top of each other. Two people could not get in the bathroom together. Our room had 2 electric sockets of which one was for a fridge. The other socket did not work. other guests said they just had one. A very few rooms overlook the seafront, most either face inwards towards a courtyard or overlook the main road into town. On lower floors, these rooms can stink of exhaust fumes on hotter days from the countless trip buses and motor bikes. We were on bread and breakfast basis but only went down 2 days and then gave it a miss as it was very basic- lukewarm tea and coffee, bread, ham, cheese, jam and horrible cheap cornflakes. The dining room is right beside the reception desk. There is no lounge. For evening meals there is a restaurant underneath and to the seaward side of the hotel but we gave it a miss (if you go half-board you will get served in the dining room and NOT in the restaurant). Don't get me wrong - the staff are always busy cleaning, the people in the hotel are lovely and do their best but this place would struggle to be 2 star. I went there in the 1980's and it was much better. This is because this current building has been 2 older hotels combined and I stayed in what was the better one of the 'now' two. We only paid £180 for 2 of us for a week so we can't complain too much. It was cheap, very clean with air-con so fitted our lifestyle. It's fine if you pay very little and want to be in the town centre......Don't go if you want plush dining rooms, good balconies to sit out on, lounges, swimming pools, bars, internet and entertainment cos there aint none! The only facility I saw for kids was a cot left out on a landing !
- Aristea Hotel Elounda
