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5.0
#1 of 82 hotels in Malia
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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.
Danelis is a family run apartments complex has been in operation since 2002 and it is in excellent condition. There are one and two roomed apartments which can accommodate from one to four persons. They are equipped with TV set safe box and air condition Our deepest wish and desire is for you to have the time of your life in a really friendly and clean environment, which has literally became ‘home’ to most of our customers.On the north coastline of Heraklion, only 25 km away from Heraklion Airport.
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
Quaint
Languages Spoken
English, Greek
Location
15 Machis Kritis near the main Malia strip, Malia, Crete 700 07 Greece
Name/address in local language
Danelis Studios & Apartments
353 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.
This hotel is fabulous. Family run, spotlessly clean, friendly and chilled out. Stayed here for 2 weeks In July, rooms serviced regularly pool area spotless (cleanest pool I’ve ever seen) Nikos and Makis are very friendly, funny and create a really nice environment to be in #nostress. Also their mum is an amazing cook, breakfasts are banging, not even greasy and we arranged her to cook us a mousakka and that was heavenly. You need to give them a days notice tho cause the ingredients they use are fresh fresh. Good location not too far from everything, short walk to old town and the strip, bit further to the beach but perfectly manageable we will be back here again 100%
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Date of stay: July 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.
My girlfriend and I were seeking a break after an intense exam season. We booked through Jet2 and chose Danelis, we thought it was an ideal price with the option for some home cooking to save money. The pools and rooms looked nice but we thought it would just be a nice place to explore. Our expectations were entirely blown away.
The hospitality and kindness at Danelis is one of a kind. Nikos and Milos run an incredibly kind, efficient and friendly establishment. Do not come here if you are not up for a chat! The rooms are spacious and cleaned incredibly thoroughly every day. Often if we'd been lazy and not done our dishes we would come back to them washed and drying. The cooking appliances are limited but you can make do, a two hob travel hot plate with a pan and cooking pot provided. Pasta and potato dishes are easy to make and allow a bit of money saving. We were initially concerned but on seeing the food prices in restaurants and the portion sizes around Malia we felt no quarrel. A fridge is also provided with a freezer.
The hotel bar, dining room and pool area is exquisite. The small size plays beautifully into there hands providing an intimate and cozy place to relax, with calm songs playing and beautiful views of the mountains behind. The pool is incredibly clean with floats and balls provided for kids to play with. But it's the bar area that we loved the most. Nikos or Makos and his daughter are always up for a chat, about anything, life lessons, jokes, tales. And they want to hear about your day when you return, you feel like you've made two wonderful friends on leaving and like you might hurt them by not coming back. Their mum makes some excellent food, a shockingly good full English, better than many I've had back in blighty, and some delicious drinks, with on tap beer, cocktails, milkshakes, smoothies and more all available.
There prices are incredibly reasonable too, 4 euro for a pint of beer, 3 for a bottle. Around 7 euro for the full English, and you can get Gyros and Souvlaki for between 7 and 9. Home cooked and delicious. We ate out a lot but could always rely on them for a snack or easy bite.
If you can book here I would not miss it. Whether solo or in a group, Danelis is the definition of a hidden gem. Walkable to all points of interest in Malia (a lovely town with a little bit of everything) accommodating, stress free, lovely hosts and a community vibe of fun, relaxation, and breathing space from a world that sometimes pushes you way out. We feel like we've just left an authentic paradise. As long as Danelis is here next time we visit Crete, we will be back.
Thank you so much Danelis!!!
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Date of stay: May 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.
14 of us, all age 20 Came to stay in Danielis For 8 days in August and we couldn’t fault our experience. If you are looking for a pretty Greek holiday with a mix of eating good food and also a side of nightlife this is the perfect location. The family are all Very welcoming and accommodating to people of all ages and group size. The pool area was a lovely and chilled environment with calm music playing all day and comfortable sun loungers. The rooms were clean and comfortable. It’s an amazing location just a 5 minute walk from the shops and restaurants all of which are very nice and cheap. It’s Approx a 10 minute walk to the strip and also Old Malia Town which has some of the best restaurants and cute shops also it’s perfect for photos! We got the bus to a town 15 minutes away, several times, called Hersonnisos which has beautiful beach’s and many beachfront restaurants and bars alongside miles of nice jewellery and Greek souvenir shops, the bus stop was approx 5 min walk from the hotel and the coach was fully air conditioned and comfortable costing only €2.60 for a adult return (cash only), it also came very regularly. It is a very calm and chilled family hotel however we were fortunately put at the back of the hotel on the ground floor which worked well to enable us to all be able to sit together in a group in the evenings and not disrupt any other guests, we were mindful of how much noise we made so don’t come here if you want to blair out huge speakers on full volume but we were able to play music at a moderate-quiet volume which was all we needed really as the liveliness of the strip is not far away. There was 24hour security which also ensured you felt safe and if you forgot or lost your key could be let in however no noise was tolerated by him after midnight. Overall a lovely experience would definitely return and recommend
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Date of stay: August 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled with friends
Room Tip:Be extra careful with your bed sheets and towels as if you get make up on them or stain them you...
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.
A group of me and 8 friends were moved into the danelis last min due to our original hotel being closed due to Covid, when we arrived at the hotel we were met by a member of staff who talked us through all the new rules regarding covid and ensured we understood them all before taking us to the rooms.
The rooms were basic but for 9 lads there was nothing else we needed, they were very clean and had a large balcony.
The pool and outside area was really nice with a decent sized pool and lots of sunbeds with good music on (The manager even let us connect our phones to the speakers through the day which was really good)
The bar area was really good with lots of drinks choices, there wasnt any beer on tap at the time of arrival (Due to the hotel being really quiet) but we explained to the manager that we would drink it if there was. The manager was straight on the phone and about 5 min later a van turned up with 2 kegs off beer.
The food was also really nice, we had breakfast and lunch there everyday and we diddnt have a single complaint about any of the food (Probs the best bacon and egg butty ive ever had to be fair)
The reason i have rated danelis 5* is due to the amazing service we got from the staff, they would always take their time to speak to us and get to know us and anything we wanted during our stay they would get for us. They were very patient with us even though we were loud at times.
Although the hotel was great for a group of lads there were family's staying as well and i am sure the hotel would be more than suitable for anyone wanting to travel as a family.
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Date of stay: July 2020
Rooms
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.
Me and my family stayed at Danelis from the 21st-28th July 2020 and it’s been one of the best family holidays I think we’ve ever had. The family are wonderful, always making jokes and are some of the friendliest people I’ve met. The food is amazing, all home made and fresh. My mum said the pizza was the best that she’d ever had. The hotel is in a good location and is within walking distance of the beach/port, strip and the old town where we walked to at night for our dinner. At the beginning of the holiday we weren’t sure about how to get to the old town and so one of the owners took my dad himself on his motorbike to show him all of the restaurants he recommended and how to get there. There are plenty of sunbeds around the pool and you never had to get up early to save one which my dad really loved. There are activities nearby, we went on the Happy Train from the bottom of the strip up to a small village in Krassi, along the way we stopped at an olive press which showed you how olive oil was made before heading up to the village where there were churches and people who wanted to talk, there was an old fountain from the wall which you could still drink out of and the fourth oldest tree in Europe. I really loved my time at Danelis and I didn’t want to leave. I would 100% recommended for anyone to stay here.
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Date of stay: July 2020Trip type: Travelled with family
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.
Arrived to our room and couldn’t stay there due to bugs and cockroaches. The guy was lovely and did move us to a higher room however the quality of the rooms are so shocking . TVs from the 90’s , 5 beds rammed into a one bed apartment and the level of cleanliness is at a all time low . The fridge was dirty and rusty , no shower curtains , wonky plug sockets , and the wardrobes my mum could barely reach . It was so bad I cried and had to move hotels in Wich I was still charged full price for a week at danelis and then I had to pay for another week in a better place . After this ruining our holiday I’m now £519 down on top of the holiday cost . Jet 2 have this down as “ our rating 4*” yet I would give this a 1*
Holiday from hell .
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Date of stay: June 2022Trip type: Travelled with family
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.
Response from nikos danelis, General Manager at Danelis Studios & Apartments
Responded 18 Jul 2022
Dear Mrs Jessyf At my question about the problem you had with us, you replied that you were familiar to have holidays only to 5 stars hotels, and you highlighted that you didn’t had any problem with us or the hotel. Next morning after I helped you with the suitcases and wished you best holidays, you replied that all this happened just in order to receive compensation from the tour operator and make free holidays (witness of this conversation was the taxi driver).
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
After a bad experience at Eri Studios in Stalis, we moved here for the remaining 10 nights of our holiday. As we are both aged 60, we were reluctant to move to Malia fearing that the hotel may be full of young groups of people doing all the things that most young people do, but that 60 year-olds no longer find acceptable. However I read the existing reviews and they were so good that we decided to take the chance. Thank goodness we did!! The owner gave us the choice of 2 room available and we chose room 305 on the top floor. Our balcony was private with views of the garden to the rear of the property meaning it was also very quiet. Our room was immaculate and ept that way by Stella who seems to work 24/7. The brothers who run the business are very friendly and helpful and nothing is a problem to them. They regularly asked how we were enjoying our stay and if there was anything that they could do for us. At the end of our stay, both brothers came out to see us onto the bus and wished us a happy and safe journey home. The boys' parents were onsite wach day, with mum doing the cooking and dad keeping a watchful eye on the grandkids. We both felt very relaxed and happy during our stay and, I'm pleased to report, there was none of the high jinx that we had feared! An excellent place for a holiday, well placed to walk to Old Malia Town and other attractions of Malia. There's an excellent and fair-priced Pizza takeaway outlet 5 minutes walk from the hotel, a supermarket a further 2 minute's walk and a bus stop to Stalis and beyond 100m from that.
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Date of stay: August 2023Trip 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.
It is easy to see why there are numerous excellent reviews and also why many guests return 2 or 3 times every year. The 2 brothers Makis and Nikos make you feel so welcome that you seem to be part of the family. The hotel has many positives including an excellent swimming pool with plenty of comfortable sunbeds, the rooms are cleaned regularly and fresh towels provided (as well as pool towels.) Stella and Mama do most of the cooking and the full English breakfast is superb. The hotel is 10 minutes walk from Malia centre where you can either head for the old town where there is a choice of a dozen or so beautiful restaurants or venture down the strip and enjoy a cocktail or 2. The beaches are 10-25 minutes walk away depending on which beach you like but all are worth a visit. We had a balcony room (304) at the rear of the hotel with lovely mountain views on one side and the distant sea on the other. Love the Danelis family - thanks for the experience- GEM of a place!!
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Date of stay: May 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:The quieter rooms will be away from the bar which is at the front of the hotel.
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.
Absolutely fantastic. First trip this year was April for Orthadox easter all I can say is WOW what a spectacular event and very moving. Well looked after by Makis, Nikos and the whole Danelis family liked it so much we had another 2 week stay with them in June. The apartments are exactly what you need, clean, tidy and very welcoming. The food is great ranging from snacks to more traditional food all very reasonably priced. The pool is very good Makis takes pride in making sure the the water quality is first class. A nice location in a nice quiet area 200 metres from the old town of Malia with many top class restaurants, far to many to list. we had dinner in several and never had a bad experience, always well looked after. Again booked another 2 week stay September from which we have just returned from and whilst there booked again for next year direct with Makis. I cannot recommend Danelis apartments high enough well done Makis and family you always go above and beyond.
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Date of stay: September 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with family
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 have just returned from Crete and my ten days at the Danelis Studio and Apartments. The whole holiday was relaxed and perfect the location of the Danelis is perfect and quiet but close enough to restaurants and bars if you need to wander. The Danelis itself is clean and a great place to stay, family run with Markis and Nikos being the main hosts who are very good at being there should you need and always have a smile and kind words, also a bonus is the excellent food cooked by mamma, who never seems to stop working. The Danelis is a credit to the whole family who are involved from the bar to the cleaning. The Danelis is the perfect place to relax and unwind by the clean pool, or sit by the bar relaxing and chatting, and close enough to Malia to walk and see the town and beach should you need to The whole experience is excellent, and I will be returning next year.
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Date of stay: September 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.
No the one we were in had two single beds either side at the back of the living area. The kids loved them though as they hate sofa beds. There was still ample space though with a table & chairs.
Not sure if any have sofas I’ve not seen any other than the one with bunk beds.
To be honest I'm not exactly sure, but while I was there a family where there with a little girl with some food intolerance etc and they appeared to do their best to help her. If ypu are on Facebook they have a Facebook page, maybe try messaging that way? Hope that helps x
There are more places to choose from in the Malia area.
PRICE RANGE
₹2,686 - ₹6,800 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
danelis apartments hotel malia, danelis apartments crete, danelis apartments hotel crete
LOCATION
GreeceCreteHeraklion PrefectureMalia
NUMBER OF ROOMS
15
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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