Irida Apartments

2 readers found this review helpful

me and my wife have just come back from two weeks in the arida and it was one of the most enjoyable holiday we have ever had.
the apartments are large and airy (we stayed in no7) they are bright and clean, yes the bath/shower was in need of possible improvement but hey your in greese and they dont tend to have full sized baths or shower curtains anywere we have stayed.
the maid came in every 3rd day and changed the sheets and towels. the food served at the bar was exellent and the owners makis and cleo were very very friendly and helpful.
costos the bar man was mad, very funny and a great bloke.
there is a bbq every wed and a FREE pasta meal every sunday that are a great time to meet the other holiday makers.
we have never gone back to the same greek island but we are definately returning to the irida next may.
dont let all these negative reviews put you of as they can only be from professional moaners.

2 readers found this review helpful

I read a few reviews about this place but decided to give it the benefit of the doubt. Boy was I wrong. Arrived at 4am to find a not with our room number on it and a totally useless map. The room was so bad that we contacted the holiday company for a transfer. Dont go there...really don't go there!

1 reader found this review helpful

After reading some reviews of the Irida, I was concerned before I arrived.
I was pleasantly surprised. The apartment we had was roomy and had a fantastic peaceful terrace.
The kitchen area was basic but fine for making tea and snacks.
It was situated perfectly, near to Stalis and the secluded Nana Beach. And not too far from the airport.
The best part of the Irida was the stunning swimming pool. Peaceful and inviting in the day time and lit up at night.
There is a bus stop 3 mins walk from the Irida which we used to go to the beautiful harbour town Agios Nicholas and the brilliant aqua park.
The near by town of Hersonissos is similar to Malia - not very pretty unless you like loud clubs and english pubs.
I would definitely recommend the Irida and would be delighted to return.

2 readers found this review helpful

When we read the reveiws of irida apt , my husband and i was quite concerned,but we were gladly surprise, that it wasn't as bad as it sounded. markus and clio r ok people , The bar was abit more expensive then the resturants in stalis and markus charge too much for air conitioning around 120 Euros for two weeks which we thought was abit steep. Are 3 boys had a great time round the pool area and there was always enough sunbeds round the pool aswell. We found the holiday very relaxing and nice round the pool area. The apt were very basic, but was clean . The towels and lining got changed twice aweek which we thought was ok. But the overall comment is that it was worth the money the holiday cost and we all had a good time.

1 reader found this review helpful

My family and I have just returned from a 2 week stay at the Irida and have had a fabulous time! We were initially concerned and apprehensive as this was not our first choice of accommodation but due to our original choice being cancelled we were forced to switch as the last minute. Having read all the other reviews we were very concerned but our concerns were soon squashed. Yes, food and drink at the apartments is expensive compared with taverns and restaurants 10 minutes walk away in the centre of the resort and there is some traffic noise due to the proximity of the road but these are the only criticisms we found. We have 2 teenage daughters who thoroughly enjoyed all aspects of the holiday. We thought the location was perfect - far enough away from the resort centre not to be bothered by too much noise but close enough to walk to the wide selection of eating establishments and supermarkets. Car hire in the resort was expensive so in future we would book beforehand in the UK as a car allowed us to explore the real Crete. Overall, we felt we got what we paid for as did other families we spoke with during our stay - after all you're not going to get 5 star accommodation for this price but we felt we got value for money and a brilliant holiday.

1 reader found this review helpful

when me and my friend 1st turned up to the hotel it wa 3 in the morning
no one as there to greet us, but the ouside of the hotel was very nice
the owner just left us a note syaing that he will meet us in the morning and that he had left our kjeys in he door
the next morning that manager never come an ointrduced himself and when me and my fornd tried to his was arrogant and rude
the locatioon is at the top end of stallis right between heronnisis and stallis but if you are looking to be near malia the location is awful
its locatd near a supermarket and som resturants
the swimming pool may as well be called a bath andthe food served at the hotel is appaulling and expensive
the towels only fopgt changed once while we were there and the linen ponce too. the cleaner cleaned the floors twice. when i asked for some more towels the mamnager wa rude and said we were not allowed none so we had to go buy some
obne night we were kept p all moight by the owner and hius wife arguing all night, an when i looked ot to swee what was going on his wife sat there crying
overalll the hotel was rubbish but had lovely holiday

1 reader found this review helpful

forget all the bad reviews you have read about irida appartments. just had one of the best holidays in crete. the owners mackis and cleo could not do enough for you.highly recomend. rooms clea and tidy towels and linen changed regular. the food they make on special nights is perfect and good value for money

The Irida Apartments was a one-in-a-lifetime-experience (in a bad way). When we arrived there was no-one to greet us as they were asleep.
The apartments looked nice from the outside however when we got inside room number 9 it was a disgrace. We would describe it as a prison cell. It had dirty walls, there were white blobs on the toilet (don’t ask me what they were). We had a shower (well if you could call a shower!). They had only prepared it for 2 people when there were three of us, so we had two single beds which were very cramped with only two sheets so it was like a tug of war for them. In the morning when the rep was coming in to talk to us, the owner asked us if everything was ok and we told him so we got another room number 13 which was a two storey building it was a little bit better.
But the shower was a disgrace again as it was only 2 and a half foot wide by 3 and a half foot long. There was nowhere to hang your shower and no curtain so water went everywhere and the majority of the water went all over instead of on you! The cooking equipment was terrible so we ate out every night. They only changed our linen once when we were there, so it was a bit disgusting.

This place is fine for the money. The criticisms seem odd to me since the place advertises as cheap accommodation - and that's exactly what it is. If you want room service and clean towels every day then check into the nearby Coco Beach Hotel - it will only cost you treble what you pay in the Irida.
The place is clean, give or take a few ants, and the room was bigger than many I've had in Greece. The bed in particular was firm and comfortable. As always in Greece (unless you stay in a 4 or 5 star hotel) hot water is only available at certain times of the day (usually after 10am and before 7pm). The pool area is great - lots of sun loungers and pretty quiet. Really ideal for sunbathing.
There is Internet access in the reception area but I didn't try it since it was coin-operated and looked expensive. I went online whenever I visited one of the larger towns (where it was very inexpensive).
The best thing about Irida is its location. It's brilliantly located for travelling to lots of lovely nearby towns. We used the bus to go to Heraklion a couple of times (cheap and only 45 minutes away) and we hired a car for three days to visit lots of surrounding areas (such as Vai Beach, Elouda and Hania). I highly recommend you do the same.
Stalis itself is pretty commercial but fine for eating in the evening. We spent one day by the pool and one day on the road touring local places and this produced a great tan and some fine memories of a lovely island.
Ignore the bad comments about this place. It's fine - unless you're the Queen.

Completely disappointed!
We knew that the apartment was basic... but even basic has got a limit! Here is a list of what was wrong...
1. Above the pillows was a plug, a light switch, and a hole with wires sticking out (when complained, we were told to don't worry because are dead wires).
2. The fridge door was collapsed; we used a bottle cap to lift it up at an almost closed position to keep the food.
3. Bathroom taps (sink and shower) were corroded as if someone put acid on them and were green.
4. There was nothing to hang the shower handle on, had to hold it with one hand.
5. The shower hose was damaged.
6. One light bulb needed replacing, but it wasn't.
7. The stove (which we thought at first glance that is a microwave) was corroded and the oven not working.
8. The beds and pillows absolutely STANK of sweat, and I could feel all the springs in the mattress.
9. No safe in room (we were told it has been stolen).
10. No hot water till about 10am.
11. We were in room number 1 which is next to the swimming pool; pool table and bar... don't expect to rest till 3am.
12. We had to pay 15 Euro for a ventilator, as we were on the ground floor and couldn't leave the windows open over night.
It's a shame, as the owners are lovely people... but still... that doesn't make up for the conditions.
As for Libra Holidays... we are still trying to contact them to complain, as they gave us a wrong email address where to complain.
We will ever go back to Irida?
NEVER... as someone else said... you go once, but then you know better for next year.