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4.0
#3 of 8 special hotels in Malia
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Value
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
As the name suggests the Happy Days Studios is a cheerful complex located within Malia's charming old town, only walking distance from Malia strip and beach. We invite you to experience the fun and friendly atmosphere of our complex which offers our guests a good selection of on-site facilities including two swimming pools and a generous pool terrace with sunbeds and parasols. Studios are clean, bright and airy, each one equipped with all basic self-catering facilities as well as TV and Air-conditioning. If you prefer to take the hassle out of meal times you will find the pool bar offers a large selection of breakfasts, snacks and evening meals, both from greek and international cuisine. Our friendly staff will ensure you have a fantastic time so refresh yourselves with our delicious cocktails and big variety of drinks and join the party! A warm and friendly place to escape, Happy Days Studios is suitable for all ages and all types of holidays. A home away from home!
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Quiet
Budget
Languages Spoken
English, French, German, Greek
Location
18 G Lapidis, Malia, Crete 70007 Greece
Name/address in local language
Happy Days Studios
762 reviews
Getting there
Good for walkers
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travellers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
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Happy Days Studios hotel presents a patchwork of experiences, with its amenities receiving both accolades and criticism. While cleanliness and spacious rooms are commended by some guests, others are disconcerted by the extra charges for what they consider basic provisions.
The hotel's atmosphere offers lively entertainment, yet for a few, it's marred by loud music and an occasionally unwelcoming vibe. Although the family-run service garners praise, the inconsistent application of additional fees and strict noise policies have left several travelers questioning the hotel's value proposition.
Atmosphere
Rowdy
Rooms
Basic
Value
Expensive
Cleanliness
Mixed
Noise level
Mixed
Service
Inconsistent
Amenities
Underwhelming
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I stayed at Happy Days the first week of September. I was welcomed from my transfer bus by Faye at reception who was very friendly, had a nice chat and gave us our room keys. A room deposit (you get this back at checkout) and small tax is payable at the property, as well as air con. I had read mixed reviews about HD and had booked expect something fairly basic (my partner and I don’t spend much time in the hotel)... I was really pleased with our studio room! It was very clean, well equipped enough for a comfortable self catering stay and the room was fresh looking and quite modern. Our balcony had a sea view and a mountain view. The bathroom had beautiful tiling and the shower was great, very powerful. We were provided with towels. The pool is clean, with lots of sunbeds and a bar with friendly staff and a decent sized menu of snacks, cocktails etc. Guests at the hotel varied from teenagers/early twenties groups, families and older couples. We are a 25 year old couple and for us this was a nice mix. The beach is around a 15 minute walk and there is a choice of shops and eateries within a 3 minute walk of the hotel.
For anyone thinking of travelling during the Covid pandemic it certainly can be done safely - staff at the hotel are wearing masks, guests are also asked to do so whilst in public areas of the hotel. The sunbeds and tables at the pool bar can easily be spaced out for social distancing. Masks are required to be worn in shops around Greece at the time of writing this post. Staff in restaurants and bars are also wearing masks but happy for you to remove them for eating/drinking. We went down the main strip of Malia a couple of times and it is quite busy 8pm onward until 12 when the bars are required to shut at the moment. We chose to explore the old town area quite a bit as it’s quieter with beautiful authentic family restaurants and easier to distance from others whilst enjoying your evening.
Overall we had a fantastic short trip in Crete and can not wait to return! Big thanks to staff at Happy Days :)
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Date of stay: September 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Just got back from an amazing week at happy days. I was really worried after reading some reviews but there was absolutely no need to. From the moment we arrived we were greeted with the biggest and warmest of welcomes. Georgia, Faye, Chris and the rest of the family were so lovely. Nothing was too much trouble and they were always able to give recommendations of day trips or places to eat. Georgia also went through the Greek menu that they serve with recommendations that suited our taste. The food was lovely and not overly expensive. Same with the drinks it was all very reasonably priced. On the second day of our holiday me and my boyfriend got engaged. When they found out they all went above and beyond. Considering they had only known us 12 hours they laid a table especially for us with a table cloth, flowers, candles and a complimentary glass of bubbly. It was such a lovely and heart warming gesture and we really appreciated the effort. The pool is great for a swim to cool down during the day and there were plenty of sun loungers around the pool. The whole area was kept clean and tidy. The rooms were basic but kept very clean. I think because we went after the summer holidays it was much quieter and didn’t have to worry about noise at night. We would definitely return and hope to do so next year.
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Date of stay: September 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Our stay at Happy Days was excellent. We wanted a mix of tourism and partying and Happy Days made this very easy - it's close to the Malia strip as well as beaches and supermarkets. Day trip excursions pick up and drop off at the hotel or at the nearby supermarket so it is in an ideal location especially if you are going without a car. The customer service was unmatched - if we wanted reservations at the popular old town restaurants Georgia would be on the phone in seconds to get us a table within the hour. She also recommended all the best activities, both touristic and those of the real Crete, that we wouldn't have even considered without her. The mother works in the kitchen and made the best tzatziki I had eaten on the entire island. As a group of girls we felt very at ease at Happy Days both with the staff and with the other residents as there was a strong community feel around the bar and pool area. We were really quite sad to leave at the end of our holiday and if I were to return to Crete I would only want to stay at Happy Days!
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Date of stay: September 2021
Value
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Not a nice apartments to stop at. Could not take any of your own drinks good to pool area. You also have to pay €7 a day for air con I have never done this in any resorts in years’ just stopped for a week and before we went to room it cost me £80 for safe sitcom and tourist tax. we also only have one bath towel each in the room and had to ask for these to be changed. Would not recommend this accommodation
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Date of stay: July 2020Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The family/staff are amazing at Happy Days! I visited malia at the start of September with two friends, as a group of three young girls who knew little about the area and what Crete had to offer. The family, Georgia in particular, were enthusiastic about giving us the best experience possible every day of our stay! Georgia helped us navigate the best beaches and restaurants in the area which were a very short distance from the hotel (a nice walk) and made sure we only spent money on the best value for money/ most enjoyable excursions around the island. As young girls we did spend nights out drinking and partying in malia and the family made us feel very safe and free to do so! Chris made us some great cocktails at the bar and even gave us a complimentary drink on our last afternoon as we waited for our flight, even after our nightly complimentary raki haha. We couldn’t thank the family enough at the end of our stay for treating us like family, taking care of us and making sure we had the best holiday possible! Thank you Happy Days we will be back soon!
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Date of stay: September 2021
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hotel great very clean, maids very cheerful. Staff made you very welcome, fay greets you when you arrive shown to your room. Chris servn behind the bar, cheeky bugger😂 Georgia is around too nothing to much trouble. Also mam n dad chill out on a nite, family run business. Food at the bar is good. Two swimming pools take your pick😀 it's about 10 mins walk from the main road, then another 5 to the top of the strip where there is as many bars shops restaurants as you wish to choose from. You can get the bus to hersonissos next resort and stallisos for £1 80 worth having a look around. Had a great holiday will be meeting again 🥂2019
2nd time staying in this resort 2022 family run business, food is amazing 😉 Fay and chis are the best and don’t forget Georgia all happy to help the reviews you read are not all what they say groups of lads /lasses need to have respect when staying at apartments not going on like they are in a night club you go Down the strip for that! And not waking other guests up at 5 30 am every time where security has to chase them in their rooms and tell them to be quiet. its not too much to ask to respect the owners wishes. We will be returning to happy days, all the best Fay Chris Georgia and kids. Mam n dad and don’t forget little security demetri😂
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Date of stay: August 2022
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We booked this thinking we were booking a Vibe hotel, but what we got was a hell hole, with rude and disinterested staff, whose only purpose was to get money from you. On arrival we were greeting by a staff member who couldn’t have been more disinterested if she tried, and all she wanted was 60 Euros. We were advised that we couldn’t play music, no noise, and we it was extra was air conditioning. The rooms were very basic, with very suspicious stains on the mattress, and smelt of urine! AVOID AT ALL COSTS
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Review collected in partnership with Jet2holidays
Date of stay: July 2022
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of an individual contributor and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Me and 5 other girls stayed here for 5 nights and had the best time! The staff are friendly and welcoming, the food was excellent and the drinks at the bar were nice too. The rooms were cleaned regularly and the pool area was always clean. The hotel is only a short walk to the old town or the strip and about a 25 minute walk to the beach. However, upon arrival you have to pay €68 for wifi and AC €20 of that was a deposit which you get back if the towels and sheets are left clean. They provide no hand soap, only one roll of toilet paper and no washing up liquid to clean any cups or plates, which I’d expect to be provided. During our stay other guests were charged different amounts up front and this charge should be made clear before you arrive. Overall, we enjoyed our stay here.
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Date of stay: June 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Went on lads holiday in July, malia itself is a decent place but stay away from happy days.
Upon arrival we were told to pay €56, 20 deposit, and the rest for aircon and safe use, which we later found not everyone who arrives had to pay, we presume they only made us pay because we were young and wouldn’t kick up a fuss.
No fault in any of the facilities, you get what you pay for in a budget hotel, but the staff are unbelievably rude, woman with black hair is cold faced, no emotion, constantly demanding money for this that and the other.
Don’t get me started on the security guard, I get your not allowed to bring anyone back that’s not registered at the hotel but on numerous occasions the old man called dmitri kicked up a fuss because we were sat (making no noise what so ever) on our balcony one night after getting back from the strip at like 4am, every one who stays is on the same girls or lads holiday so it wouldn’t matter either way if we were making noise. So decided to sit inside our friends rooms to chat as we had 4 between 10 of us, he used his master key to bust into the room and basically kick us out and we’re told to “get to bed” as if it was a prison or we were on a school trip, no freedom what so ever. We basically had to smuggle our own mates into our rooms just to have a laugh at night. He also gripped a couple of us numerous times and SWAT raided us another night to find people “hiding in the bathroom”, he is openly rude (swearing at us in Greek) and just not a “security guard” more of a “headteacher”.
The nicest staff there was the cleaner and she didn’t even speak English bless.
We put up with this for the holiday as it is a lads holiday after all but if we was to return to malia we wouldn’t even be payed to stay there.
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Date of stay: July 2022Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I came here for a girls holiday with a group of 6 and Issues occurred as we entered our room to find out that a ‘triple superior appartment’ had a small (3/4) double bed, and a sofa bed that was made for a child not an 18 year old. You were expected to pay out a deposit, money for aircon and safe use upon arrival in cash, which was fine but getting the deposit back is near impossible. The room was dirty (hairs in the bed) and sheets were stained as we arrived and then when it came to us checking out we got charged €30 for a sheet that previously had a small makeup stain on. If you wish to stay here I suggest to take pictures of the room before and anything wrong with it incase when you arrive otherwise you WILL BE CHARGED. Any marks that can be washed out you will also be charged for as they claim they ‘need to buy new ones’, when they haven’t even washed the linen and it has just been used for 5 days. The linen and towels need to look brand new and unused to get your deposit back or expect to lose it!!!! The hotel strips you of money, my friend brought the WIFI that never actually worked so don’t buy it and just use your mobile data (although service is crap) No noise past 11pm aswell so not a good hotel for a lads holiday and someone on the door when you return to make sure you bring no one back and are silent
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Date of stay: August 2024Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
There are more places to choose from in the Malia area.
PRICE RANGE
₹1,847 - ₹3,022 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
happy days studios hotel malia
LOCATION
GreeceCreteHeraklion PrefectureMalia
NUMBER OF ROOMS
60
Prices are provided by our partners, and reflect average nightly room rates, including taxes and fees that are fixed, known to our partners, and due at time of booking. Please see our partners for more details.
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