Stelios Stalis Studios & Apartments

I don’t know how anyone could write a bad review about this place!! I checked this website regularly before going on holiday, as we paid so little for it, I was worried it would be pretty bad, but I was gob smacked!!
I walked into our apartment and just said "wow"! I have paid almost double for holidays before and they were not as good as this!! Everything seemed brand new, and so clean, and the maids were great. I can't emphasise enough how clean it is, and I am a clean freak!!
Something I want to point out is that Stelios has two pools, so if all the games and entertainment with Andreas' sound is too much for you, you can just go to the other pool, which is quieter. Andreas seemed like a great manager, but we chose to go out every night, so we didn’t get that involved. and it worked out great for us.
Stalis is such a fab place. close enough to Malia so that you can go out there every night, but far enough away so that you can get some peace. Stalis itself is so nice too. I never go back to the same place.... but I want to go back!
I've been to lots of Greek islands and this was one of my best holidays ever. If you are reading this and thinking "ooh should I book that budget holiday or not?!?" then GO FOR IT!
Beach is super, bars and pubs are great, will suit any needs. young or old. Excellent food and accommodation was perfect!
The lady who wrote the bad review must have been really unlucky with her allocation of room, as there is a busy road nearby, but we never ever noticed it at night! Such a shame... because it really is PARADISE!!

This is probably the worst place that I have ever stayed on holiday. The room was basic in the extreme with the self catering facilities extremely limited. The room was bunker like and inches from a road so that every vehicle or drunk that passed by in the night woke you up and felt like they were going through the middle of the room.
The cleaners barged in whenever they felt like it without knocking and the reception staff just said no to everything so don't bother asking.
They charge extra for everything they can including the air conditioning!
Avoid it like the plague!

We have been back from Stelios Stalis apartments. Paradise for 6 weeks now and are still raving about how fantastic it was. Like many others have commented we would not normally go back to a resort after being there once but cannot wait to book to return the same time next year.
Andreas really is the best manager in the world, he is always around to make sure everyone is having a great time, he organizes games by the pool which are great fun and helps everyone get to know each other which helps contribute to the wonderful family atmosphere you feel there. Young and old people alike mix and get to know each other. The bingo and quiz and karaoke nights are fantastic, usually I would avoid these ideas like the plague but Andreas makes them so much fun we couldn't wait to get back to the apartments/bar after eating out to get involved.
Our 4 year old daughter adored Andreas, he is so brilliant with the children, she still tells us daily that she loves him more than anyone in the world!
The apartments are beautiful, we had 2 balconies and the rooms are the biggest we have ever stayed in. The food is also top quality (especially the Caeser salad and spaghetti bolognese) and great value for money.
Apart from the wonderful Andres the rest of the staff are warm and welcoming also, Nik, Kostas and all the others felt like family after 2 weeks. Also John the Olympic rep. is a top bloke who was always on hand to help and mucked in with the fun nights at the bar. Nicest rep. we've met yet.
We also agree the brochure does not rate paradise highly enough. This was the best holiday we have ever been on.
Thanks Andreas, can't wait to see you all next year.

What can I say that hasn't already been said?
We spent two weeks in the best company. Andréa’s is fantastic nothing is to much trouble, you want it he will get it, Nickos (super Mario) his blue dungarees again he is brilliant bob the builder all rolled into one. Costa’s very friendly all the staff are brilliant. Everyday game by the pool and the evening is so funny from bingo to karaoke, and yes we were there for Bryan singing crying absolutley brilliant never laughed so much.
From the moment you step into stelios Stalis PARADISE it’s like one big family within an hour everybody knows everybody else. We also liked how Andréa’s made a point of getting to know everybody’s name. This was our fourth visit to Crete but our first here we enjoyed it so much we are going back in September for round two.
The apartments have everything you need cooker, kettle, microwave, TV, telephone and air con (all payable extra) but well worth it on those very hot nights, there is something for everybody even the kids well worth having the experience.
Also I must mention John the holiday rep he was brilliant full of local knowledge very helpful and always there not like most company reps you never see them well done to a fantastic team. It’s hard to put in words just go and try it you won’t be disappointed.

Well I have been back 2 days and I wish I was still there with Andreos, Nikos and Costos, and all the other brilliant staff, to anyone going to Greece I definitely recommend these apartments, the staff are brill, they are clean and with plenty of room you can't go wrong. I also recommend the bingo (so funny), karaoke and the quiz.
Andreos is great, he is brilliant!

In Stalis there is a restaurant called Maria’s golden beach, the food there is fantastic, the service is excellent and the staff are great. The kids get to smash plates.
A great holiday all round, I will be going back there again and I never go back to the same place.

Again, Wow, just returned from the most fantastic week away with my 7 year old daughter. Returned home yesterday and just want to be back at Stelios Stalis apartments, Paradise now!
I must say that having traveled to various locations with my daughter in the past, this is the only place I can safely say I will return, hopefully time and time again.
We were made to feel extremely welcome, comfortable and everyone genuinely cared.
A special mention to Andreas who made our holiday. Your talent is exceptional! I don't know anyone else who can maintain his enthusiasm and dedication in ensuring all guests are happy, entertained and safe. Personally greeting us and then seeing us off safely on the coach home. A tear or two in my daughter's eyes.
Evening entertainment, well, I'm not normally into all this bingo, karaoke, etc...but, couldn't help getting involved, not to mention the pool games in the afternoon, and I had a fantastic time! Andreas leading all the entertainment, and bingo, all I can say, being from Scotland, is number 6!
Only down side, was the queuing outside of the airport on the way home for nearly an hour in the afternoon heat, there's got to be a better way? Olympic, please look into this.
Anyway, to summarise, fantastic holiday, will definitely return, excellent weather, apartments - clean, spacious, felt very safe. Andreas - what a host!

Just got back from Stelios Stalis apartments. They are fantastic apartments. Stayed at the same time as the last two reviews (Nikki & Pascal). The manager Andréas was brilliant and made you feel so welcome.
Cant say much more about facilities of these apartments that hasn’t already been said. Andréas played pool games in the afternoons and tried to get everyone involved and within a couple of days everyone knew each other. Evenings were great with the funniest bingo ever, quiz night and with the best karaoke ever. Bryan (crying) was a scream.
We would go for a meal into Stalis and my kids, Ryan and Rebecca would rush it down just so we could rush back for the entertainment. The meals at the apartments are also very good, try the chicken a la crème mmm. We will definitely be back next year. Wouldn’t think of staying anywhere else then Stelios Stalis apartments 'paradise'.

Just got back from Stelios Stalis Apartments. Paradise! :-D and it was the best hotel I’ve ever stayed in! Andreas is a great host and very entertaining!
The entertainment at night was great especially karaoke we had such a great time especially with brain crying! (Any one who was there at the same time as us will know what i mean!)
The food was great especially chicken souvlaki, yum! And it was very cheap too!
All in all my stay in Stelios Stalis Apartments. Paradise! Was great! And one to remember! And I will hopefully be returning soon! And would definitely recommend it to any one who is thinking about visiting Crete!

Just back from a fantastic week at Stelios Stalis Apartments (Paradise!). I was very pleased and impressed with the rooms that are very spacious, comfortable and that include everything you need, from the microwave to the optional safe and air conditioning. Also with the reviews, I was afraid the location would be inland, quite far from the sea, but not at all!
The location of the apartments is on a small hill, adjacent to Stalis town, and more precisely between the sea and the national road, so from our balcony, we had direct view to the sea (the cliff was about 50m away). The nearest beaches were about 10 mins away in both direction alongside the sea coast.
I went with my girlfriend and I think the timing was ideal for us as the whether was excellent (the heat was not suffocating as it is in August), and also as the resort was probably more quiet than in peak season (families, couples, retired people), which increased the comfort and quality of our stay. I was impressed by the kindness of the local people, not only within Stelios Apartments, but also in the touristy shops and restaurants.
Having had bad experiences in other countries where it was obvious that the local people were very unhappy by the presence of tourists, and were only there to try to make the most of their wealthy guests, I was surprised to see how the Greek people that I met were genuinely friendly with the tourists, and also seemed really to enjoy being in contact with the tourists and to be very happy with their job. So it's fair to say that the welcome in Crete is very warm. And then of course, our hosts at Stelios Stalis Apartments (Paradise!) were fantastic!
Andreas the owner of the place is just great, he just loves it, and we had such a great time with him during the karaoke, quiz, games and watching the world cup on the big screen dedicated to the event. Nicholas the "maitre d'hotel" is also very friendly and we also had good fun together: shame he eventually rejected the offer to perform a duet with me on the karaoke! ;-)
As part of the Olympic excursions, we chose the Traditional Cretan Night, (which was a good experience, although probably slightly overpriced), the Knossos/Heraklion Museum visit (the one you have to do when you are in Crete, although to be fair, if you are not passionate about the Minoan history, you will mostly see ruins and items, and despite the excellent guide, it is not really exciting ...), and eventually the water city park (that was absolutely brilliant ! the best water park I have been so far: really worth it !).
Eventually, we had a magnificent time in Stalis, and this is our best package holidays ever! The only negative point I would highlight is not related to Stelios Stalis Apartments, but to the tour operator Olympic rather, and is about the flights schedules: return flight at 4.40am. We are picked up at 1.45am by coach, arrive at around 2.20am at Heraklion airport and then we discover horrified the never ending queues...a bus every 3 minutes arrives full of tourists on their way back home.
We spent at least an hour standing in the queue in front of the airport with all our stuff at 3.00am before being allowed in the airport (which has clearly not the capacity to deal with so many people). Then the 4 hours flight, to finally arrive at around 8.30am in Central London (10.30 Crete time). Apart from that, it was a fantastic time spent there, and I would strongly recommend to everyone!

My girlfriend and I have just returned from a week long (short) holiday in the Stelios Stalis apartments (paradise - you'll find out!). Most people below have more or less covered everything but I feel obliged to add my own comments as I found those below so useful.
Firstly the apartments - Just under an hour transfer from Heraklion. The apartments are quite spacious, large enough double bedroom and living room. Balcony that overlooked the sea and mountains, just perfect. There was a microwave, TV, Fridge, Phone, Hob - the usual. The place was clean and tidy and it seemed like the maid came almost everyday to change towels/sheets.
The pool area is fairly small but we never had any trouble getting a sun bed. The pool wasn’t deep but was great for splashing about or lounging in. Also by the pool is a pool table, dart board and air hockey game. The bar also serves as restaurant and serves everything you could need. We used the bar for breakfast/lunch and we were never disappointed. Full English breakfast set you back 5.80 euro, 2 sausage, 2 back bacon, 2 eggs, beans, mushrooms, toast, tea/coffee + orange juice. Very nice it is too, as is the tuna salad, oh and the omlettes.
They also serve a variety of traditional Greek dishes and English dishes for evening meals but we always ventured elsewhere for our evening meal, although I am quite sure we would have been happy enough to eat at the restaurant - it opens at 8am and you can order anything at anytime. Drinks are reasonably priced although cheaper in Stalis where competition is a bit more fierce. Cocktail is about 4.50E, pint of Mythos beer is 2.50 I think. Stick around for happy hour at 8 o’clock and all the prices drop. They also have cans of John Smiths and bottles of Stella and Bud. Entertainment was very good, quiz night, karaoke, bingo and every other Sunday is the Greek night which costs 18 euro an adult. The BBQ food at this was great, lots of salads, bread, chicken wings, lamb chops, kebabs etc. Then follows is the Greek dancing which was worth seeing once if anything. There were 60+ people
at our Greek night.
Staff: Staff were great, friendly and helpful in everyway. Andreas is the manager and is constantly on the go. He is always joking, shouting, messing around and is very funny. He is not too in your face, he knows his boundaries and if you go with the flow you will find yourself having a much better time because of him. He holds pool games at 15.00 and 16.00 which are great fun and everyone can take part. He is also very helpful and phoned us a taxi whenever we needed one. Although he is always messing around he takes his job seriously and of course he will chat away with you, and he makes a point of remembering everyone’s name. Kostas the barman is very friendly - as are Nikos the waiter/handyman, and Marianna the receptionist.
Stalis: A gentle 10-15min stroll away from the apartments. Take a left at the front of the apartments and follow the signs down the hill which leads you on to the Beach road, where you will find lots of restaurants and bars, shops and of course the beach and sea! To walk from one end of the beach road to the other end takes about 20 mins, maybe a bit longer.
There are plenty of places to eat/drink though we didn’t find any nightclubs - though the live music in O'Dywers was good. All the restaurants on the beach have their own spaces for sun loungers out on the beach, we went twice to a place called Kostas Tavern, which charged 3Euros for 2 sun beds and an umbrella. He also rented out pedalo boats for 15 euro an hour. O'Dywers pub has 2 beds, umbrella and toasties for 6 euros. The beach was very good quality, sandy - the sea was great, very blue and clear. No rocks or pebbles. There is also a few places that do water sports although we never tried them.
Food: We never had a bad meal. The best place we ate in was Marias Golden Beach which is along the beach road on the right. Waiters were friendly, and the place was always busy. I would suggest eating a bit later around 9 o’clock, the atmosphere seems better and there is dancing and smashing of plates aplenty. We also tried Artemis and Romantic Corner in Stalis which were good also. Meal for 2 people (starter and main) with small carafe of house wine was roughly 35 euros. The house wine is drinkable, wine buffs wont like it but at 4 euros a carafe I wasn’t complaining. Be prepared for a complimentary shot of Raki after your meal, or you can get Ouzo or even schnapps if you’re the delicate type.
Other Places: Hersonissos is nearby to the apartments, 20/25 mins walking on the road that runs alongside the main road. Cost is 6 euros in a taxi, and there is a taxi stand in Hersonissos. I think the bus runs every half hour and you can get the bus at bus stand 25 which is near the apartments. Hersonissos is bigger than Stalis, better for shopping and more bars/clubs. Its a bit more mad at night and one of the main differences is you are bothered more by people trying to get you into their bars etc. We ate in a place called Acropolis which was very nice.
We went to a water park called aqua plus - 10 euros in taxi and 16 euros entrance (the other main one is water city which is further). It was pretty good although the weather was cloudy here so after a while we got a taxi into Hersonissos where we found Star Beach where for some reason the weather was great. I would suggest going to star beach first as its free in, they have some good slides and a lazy river - its 8 euros for a wristband to use these. You could spend a day here as it has everything, shops, food, bars, pools, beach area, grassy places with loungers - and even a free gym! Only if star beach doesn’t satisfy you would I venture to one of the water parks.