Having read some of these other reviews I think they must have stayed in a different hotel!! we only stayed the one night on our way to Chania, but the hotel was awful, I have stayed in better Greek hotels that charge 30 euros a night, we paid 65 euros for the one night. We were on a room with a side view to the sea, there was no security between balconies so infact someone in what I assumed was a single room because the balcony was so small - could actually get into our room on the first floor if we didnt lock the patio doors....the room smelt so bad sewage that we wanted to spend as long as possible out of it!!! The bathroom was so dark that you could hardly see, and the loo was on a short of step, so you really did feel as if you were sitting on a throne!!! the blankets on the bed were worn and looked as if they could do with a clean. There was no way that you could plug in a hair dryer and see in the mirror in the bedroom. The ceiling - well you felt you were sleeping in a concrete cell. There was so much road noise at night, and I mean all night that my husband thought the patios doors were open!!! When we spoke to one of the waiters in a nearby taverna they said it had been recently renovated!!!! and the swimming pool, which we didnt use as we were only staying one night was so small that it looked more like a footballers bath!! I'm sure there are better places to stay in Rethymnon.

On a general note, I have travlled over the whole of Crete now, and my advice would be not to bother to visit Rethymnon, in the photos it look like a small Chania, with the old port...granted the port area with the tavernas is very pretty, but its tiny...the main drag along the beach is ugly . If you want a holiday where you sit on the beach all day (which is nice) and go to a bar every evening then it may be the place for you, but dont expect a Chania because you will be sadly disappointed, and look for another hotel.

Me and my girlfriend returned a couple days ago from a lovely holiday in Rethymnon, Crete. We stayed at Kriti Beach Hotel. Location of this hotel is as close to the beach as possibly can be. After our late arrival we were pleasantly surprised that our dinner was provided anyway. Hotel staff gave us a very warm welcome and it felt very nice after a long journey from UK.

Our room was a standard room for 3 star hotel - nothing luxurious but functional with 2 single beds, build-in wardrobe, cupboards, bedside tables, small size TV, fan, etc., all necessary bits you expect as standard. Air con unit was hung from the ceiling and manually controlled from the roof, which is always better than centrally controlled one.

While saying OK for the room standard, our bathroom was a bit disappointing - not functionally but purely from aesthetic reasons. Tilled with dark grey tiles looked even smaller than it really was.
What we appreciated most was the fact that our room had a balcony with a fantastic sea view. We specifically asked for it and both our holiday provider Travel Republic and hotel staff made an effort to secure this sea view room for us, we were impressed.

Room service was OK - rooms were cleaned daily, sheets and towels changed every second day.

With regards to food, we had a half-board and we were happy to have it. While breakfast was pretty much the same (but good), dinner was a pleasant surprise with a variety of national Greek cuisine as well as standard continental dishes. Whatever we picked was delicious, salads were amazing, lots of fruit provided too. I was worried we put on some weight but not really because Mediterranean cuisine is delicious and healthy.

Among some other facilities, internet access (cost of 1 euro per 15 minutes), bar open till late night with big TV screen provided for the ongoing football Euro '08, outdoor swimming pool (nice but we did not use it, the sea was just too good to use the pool), Billiard, etc. I mentioned that advantage of this Hotel is the proximity to the beach - it cannot be closer to the sea as it is. This, however, meant that it was right on a busy beach front road and it was quite noisy. That was it's disadvantage. Luckily, after 2 nights we got used to it and later completely forgot that it was our big worry.

I'd like to finish my review with something positive - people. Hotel staff was always very friendly and helpful, really credit to them for being so welcoming. Generally, people of Crete are like this so anywhere you go you can count on friendly locals. I would certainly recommend this hotel to everybody.

Yours Martin and Ivana, Milton Keynes, UK

My boyfriend and I visited Kriti beach last June for our summer holiday and we loved it! It is very modern inside, with a spacious reception area and a very clean look. The reception staff were very friendly and helpful.

Our room was fairly small, but had everything we needed, a hairdryer, fridge, mirror (because us girlies need a place to style ourselves!) comfortable double bed, and a shower room. When you shower the water can flood slightly on to the floor, but this isn't really a problem. There is also maid service every day, with towels and bed linen changed. Our maid was very thorough. The air-con was a bit naff, as it didn't seem to blow out much cold air, which was especially bad for us as we were there during a heatwave - with temperatures way into the 40s.

Make sure you ask for a sea view - not all rooms have one. We asked for one as we like to go back after dinner and have a drink on the balcony with a beautiful view - and we got one!

Breakfast is great, they have bread, jams, honeys, yogurt, fruit, a selection of cooked food (egg, bacon), cereals, tea, coffee, cold water and juice. We couldn't have asked for more for the money.

The location of the hotel is great, you are only a ten minute walk away from Rethymnon harbour which is beautiful. The tavernas around here look beautiful, but we found them to be overpriced and not as good as the food we ate slightly further out - down the lovely winding streets.

Also, the beach is just across the road. Which brings me to one down side... it is a busy road, which does cause some traffic noise and problems when you come to cross it. I wouldn't let this put you off, but its something to bare in mind. The beach is lovely - the sunbeds are about 7euros a day, and there are staff who circulate selling fresh watermellon and doughnuts. Very nice.

Overall, we had a lovely holiday, and would quite happily recommend it to anyone who likes resorts to be lively, but not 'bangin' (you will not find drunken groups of Brits here).

Spent 2 weeks at this 3 star hotel in September.

Position. Great. Just across the road from the beach where loungers and parasols cost 4 euros a day. 10 minuite walk into centre of town where there are numerous restaurants and bars.

Reception. Very helpful and friendly.

Rooms. We were two couples and had 2 rooms. Ours was on the first floor with a picture window overlooking the sea and a side door leading to a small balcony. Our friends had a fourth floor room which was smaller but had a very large terrace with sun beds and overlooked the beach. The airconditioning was always available and very gentle!! Quite a lot of traffic on the road most of the night but with the windows closed this was not a problem at all. The bathrooms were quite small but adequate. The hot water could be a bit hit and miss at peak times. A working fridge at no extra cost.

Cleanliness. Very clean. Sheets changed every 2 days. Towels also changed every 2 days which we found a bit of a problem with wet towels cluttering the bathroom up for a day. All the public areas were well kept, even the swimming pool which was cleraned regularly, but I never saw anyone in it!!

Dining. This is where this hotel looses points dramatically!!! The breakfasts were adequate but no more. The evening meals were less so. Very bland and not at all appetizing. However no one needed to come out of the dining room hungry as there was adequate food available if you wanted it. The sweets left much to be desired. The staff in the dining room were very efficient although sometimes I thought that they weren't all that happy in their work!!

Staff. Most of them very pleasent and helpful.

Would I go back???? Most certainly, but only on a B&B basis. It is an above average 3 star hotel for comfort but not for food.