Hera Village Aparthotel

Can’t believe this place is still taking bookings as it has given up and looks like its closing down.
Our dingy room was dirty, just bleach all over the floor. Didn’t realise this until we came to put our trousers back on to go home and they are ruined.
Staff limited and ignorant, sunbeds 70% broken, pool no longer being cleaned and plastic beakers for drinks, very smelly.
All in all very upset, even if you book it very cheap don’t do it.

Have just returned from a fantastic week at Hera Village in Crete. Hera Village does not deserve the bad reviews it has had from others here. It was a fantastic place to stay with fantastic food, amazing views and the staff were all more than helpful.
We were treated brilliantly and the staff could not do anymore to help. Taxis were ordered for us and arrived within minutes - the longest we had to wait was 4 mins!
Our check out time was 12 and we weren't being picked up until 7.30pm for our night flight home so the owner at Hera provided us with a FREE courtesy apartment for the day and extended our all inclusive facilities until we left again for FREE.
Alexandra the rep was great and informative about the trips and helped us with anything we needed to know. She was NOT rude or preoccupied with selling trips. She gave lots of info when it was needed and at no point was rude.
The food was fantastic. Rarely the same dish twice and authentic Greek and Cretan dishes were on offer in abundance. All was of a high standard and delicious. I read somewhere on here that the "pasta was too oily" Crete is a Greek country that is how food is cooked- if you wanted dry pasta and chips you should go to Skegness!
The food was not too oily and we were never disappointed. The dress code is not as strict as implied on some sites and they do allow flip flops to be worn in the restaurant.
The most amazing part of Hera is the breathtaking panoramic views which were truly beautiful. We got a bargain for our holiday but I would pay triple to see those views again.
The beach at the hotel is pebbly and not ideal for sunbathing and is one heck of a climb back up but was worth it! The fish we saw were amazing and the place is ideal for snorkelling. We saw so many fish and beautiful underwater sites - even an octopus that was so close you could touch it! Don’t be put off by some people who say the beach is rubbish, it is gorgeous just not a man made sandy beach plonked there for tourists who would never be satisfied with anything on their holiday and who obviously just love to whinge!
To me some of the reviews seemed petty and do not at all reflect our experience. We had a fantastic holiday in a beautiful place and met some great people (you know who you are - 6 second charades bring on the gun show!)
The only thing I would say is that some of the entertainment in the evening left something to be desired but that is not really a problem as you are so near to 2 amazing places (Agios and Elounda) you would be daft to sit around the hotel all the time anyway.
If you are thinking of booking Hera for your holiday - DO IT! You will have a great time and meet some great people you won’t be disappointed. If you have already booked your holiday do not panic about some of the unnecessary negative reviews they are not reflective of what the place is actually like and are unjustified.

Just to help out anyone thinking of going to this resort - go and have a great time.
My family and I stayed there last summer and found it to be superb, but really having read reviews on other sites, we decided that really you need to make up your own mind.
Crete is basic in comparison to UK so don’t compare 3* there for the same rating here!
We found the accommodation and food to be superb. Each apartment has its own terrace area - ours was adjacent to the swimming pool which, by the way was salt water pumped up from the sea and extremely cold too!
The view from the pool area was to die for and the staff, although not locals were extremely helpful. The Restaurant manager Ray should have been on the stage as he was hilarious and everyone liked him!
If you find the place to be too quiet, then a taxi into either Ag Nik or Elounda was I think about 5 Euros either way - each is 4 kilometres away and roads are too narrow, busy, and dark to walk along.
The all inclusive package finished at 10pm, but they still let you pay for more! To be honest, most rooms have fridges in the and you can buy Mykhos beer and spirits in the small shop on site - most people sat outside their apartments and chatted to the passer's by - and enjoyed themselves.
Just remember folks, one man’s meat is another man’s poison, so the only way to find out is to go and enjoy!!

Having seen some of the other comments made about the Hera Village after we had already booked, I was a little dubious as to what the quality of the hotel would be.
However, I had absolutely no need to worry as the Hera Village was perfect. It was well catered for, the service was excellent (& very friendly), & above all, the whole atmosphere was very relaxed.
The comments made about whether it should actually be rated 4* accommodation may be considered fair, if rating against UK accommodation, so if you are expecting lavish luxury this may not be for you.
The Hera Village is quite simple (though we did not want for facilities - especially the pool-side massage service) but that is the beauty of it.
We felt very welcome, right from the moment we arrived at about 7am when we were personally shown to our rooms & shown around the hotel, but under no pressure to join in with any of the activities if we didn't want to.
The views from poolside, the restaurant, our balcony, the walkways & even the car park are AMAZING...you could never tire of looking at them.
Overall, I think that the Hera Village is one of the nicest places I have ever stayed because of its location & atmosphere & would not hesitate to stay here again, or to recommend it to anyone.

We stayed at Hera for one week. It was the best week we could have hoped for!
The first thing I have to mention is the hospitality. It is family run, and while staying there, you are treated like family. We made so many friends there!
We were always greeted when entering the restaurant and the waiters made light conversation, so it was not to over powering whilst eating the delicious food!
When entering the hotel bar, you are greeted with such warmth, and friendship, that by the end of the holiday, I actually felt guilty about asking them to refill my glass in mid conversation.
There was Greek dancing. Singing, plate smashing, fun and games. Totally perfect holiday.
And while I have read a lot of reviews about the 4* rating not being English 4* standards, it is very much 4* Greek standards. The best hotel I have stayed at in Greece mainland or its Islands!
If none of the above will make you happy, the friendly K9 residence Beethoven is sure to put a smile on your face. He is big and cuddly and adores children.
I completely recommend this resort. Clean, tidy, friendly, good drinks, good food, amazing people and amazing views!!
Were going again in September!! See you there!

1 reader found this review helpful

If you are thinking of booking this hotel Please DO NOT!!!!!!! It is by far the worst hotel I have ever stayed in.
THE HOTEL
The view is spectacular and there is a fridge in the room but these were the only good points. The beds are concrete but this didn't bother me what did bother me was:
- The room was not clean when we arrived and the sheets on the bed were dirty, the cleaners came daily and tipped bleach on the floor- this was the only cleaning they did!
- The device in which you put your key to make the electricity work was hanging of the wall showing bare wires.
- There is only a shower in which if you are over 6ft (I'm 6,4) you have to crouch down and the water only comes out as a dribble (if your lucky).
- When you get a drink it comes in a plastic beaker which is reused (I never had a clean beaker in two weeks.) Also do not take a drink to your room as they will chase after you and ask for the beaker back.
- The food in the restaurant was disgusting I was hungry for two weeks, the food was also cold and questionable as it is not labelled I think it appeared to be mostly rabbit and pork. The restaurant is small and there were never normally more than three choices a typical menu would be fish, rabbit or pork. The only desserts offered are Cretan water melon- that’s it!!!
- The entertainment was awful and not worth going to typically week-
Monday- Games Night this is charades and they only do three
Tuesday- Animation night off - the best entertainment of the week
Wednesday- Quiz - guess the film the song is from- three questions
Thursday- Pool competition - 2 Euros to play
Friday- Ania (the owner’s daughter and organiser of entertainment) will sing for you except she is out of tune and doesn't know the words- four songs as she managed to remember the words to an extra one.
Saturday- Disco night- three songs played louder than the rest of the songs during the night
Sunday- Bingo 1 line 1 house
- The rep- the med hotels rep Alexandra is without doubt the rudest person I have ever met and is only interested in selling trips. When I complained to her she said "Well what did you expect Greek standards are rubbish this wouldn't even be 2 star in Spain you have to take 2-3 stars of the Greek system."
THE AREA
4km from Agi-nick (which doesn't open during the day or on Sundays at all) Limited amount of shops.
4km from Elounda even fewer shops and no pavements so you risk your life walking through the village.
USEFUL INFORMATION
The bus (which stops outside the hotel) costs 1 Euro 40 cent per person each way to either resort. Greek taxi's do not have meters they have official set prices and it will cost 7 Euros each way to either resort for up to 4 people each way. Air conditioning costs 6 Euros per night.
Conclusion
All-in-all the worst holiday I have ever had.

This hotel is rated as 4* but is more like a2* it is built on the side of a cliff so involves a lot of climbing steps up and down, we were not told when we booked it and as my husband has angina it wasn’t suitable for us, when we asked to be moved they totally refused, we spent the whole week worrying that my husband would have a heart attack.
The rooms are very basic they looked like monastery rooms no chest of drawers to put our clothes away the bed bases were made of concrete with very hard mattresses on top, the bath room was disgusting the worst DIY-er could have tiled the wall better, the shower only had hot water which was too hot and no cold water to call it down so we couldn’t shower the food was passable but was very basic and repetitive.
The restaurant manager was really nice, and the view from the hotel was really beautiful but this is the only good comments I can make.

We stayed at this location for our holiday in August.
The main complaint we would had is that our expectation level had been set differently to what we were met with.
Private beach was not easy access as indicated.
The kitchenette we had, we couldn't see how it could actually be utilised for self-catering at any stage, although Travel Agent indicated that the room/studio would be equipped as such. Presume that a microwave and box with utensils would be supplied if booked for such a stay. Because we were AI, there was no kettle supplied.
The shop on site does not facilitate self-catering residents as it is mainly souvenir, biscuits, sweets, drinks, cigarettes and poolside toys with postcards and tourist guide books.
Laundry service was advertised when we got there on our welcome handout and this is no longer an option.
Safety deposit was available in reception and we took this up as our passports were held in the key cubby holes until we paid the 18 euros for two weeks for the service, this we found to be more secure than on other holidays where the safe has been a hole in the wall of the room and a lock for the rickety door.
So for self-catering and laundry meant we would have to travel 4Km either way to Agios Nikolais or Elounda, both more tourist centred places with some lovely shops, restaurants, harbour, marina, boat trips and museum and bus services.
The entertainment was a little disappointing, lasting on average 20 mins a night and the daytime children activities were on average 15 mins odd days.
Several people we spoke to were unhappy and the majority of them were so because the Travel Agents set expectations very high, in some cases, outright lies! Many said, if someone had just been up front about it, they probably would have still booked, just the picture they had been given didn't match the reality.
So Travel Agents, please learn, be honest and people will know what to expect and not complain so much. Although - they are only human, we guess ;-).
That said, we found that the site was indeed of traditional Cretan style, clean and views are indeed breathtaking.
We had been offered a room with a sea view for extra euros per week when we booked. Quite honestly, we only had to walk out of our room by 2 yards and we had a sea view. It seemed to be achievable from practically any position in the village and they can be spectacular.
ALL the staff are incredibly helpful, friendly and hard working.
The apartment was kept clean (only the first night were we invaded by ants in the bed - moment it was mentioned it was dealt with - you have to expect such things when abroad), bedding and towels changed every other day.
The village is very pretty and the gardens well kept and constantly watered.
The restaurant food, in general, is a reasonable selection of meat, pasta, fish, vegetables and/or salad, no two days exactly the same over a two week period which was no mean feat. The dress code for the restaurant is not rigidly kept to as per the advertising blurb would indicate. The views from the restaurant around the Bay of Mirabella - beautiful.
Other facilities for children and adults alike were the pool table, TV room, table football, table tennis and internet access (3 euros per half hour).
The pool was cleaned daily and, despite the height of the season, we invariably managed to get a sunbed when we wanted to be by the pool, not everyone stays all day sunbathing. We took to going out in the morning and coming back to the pool or vice versa which rang the changes. Buses were 1 euro 20 each either way and cabs ranged from 6-7 euros to/fro the two nearest locations.
One of the evenings we went to Agios and sat by the harbour, another couple we went to Elounda and ate in a restaurant by the sea.
We visited Spinalonga Island, Almiros Beach (wonderful sand and floating trampolines with water sports available) and we took the Happy Train round Elounda. There were other places we could have gone to using the extensive bus services and/or taxis, we took it easy and meandered about in the towns or sat by the pool to enjoy a relaxing holiday. Although we did venture to Agios on a Wednesday to enjoy the market.
Crete is a lovely Island and if you understand that 4 star is 4 star by Cretan standards and not the UK ratings then you should not be disappointed.
Overall, a clean and friendly place to stay, possibly best to hire transport if staying longer than a week.

I stayed at the Hera Village for 2 weeks end of July with my boyfriend and I'd like to express how much we appreciated to stay here! The pretty and typical bungalows, the amazing view on the bay and mainly the great welcome we had there! We loved the human-size of the hotel and its quiet and beautiful relaxing environment. I have been absolutely outraged by some bad reviews I could read on this hotel!
ENVIRONMENT
I'd like to congratulate the management for the big efforts to make the accommodations and facilities so respectful of the environment and so typical. This is exactly what we were looking for and Hera Village really has a great charm contrary to many other big and concrete hotels we could see all along the coast with no respect of the environment!

STAFF
Every member of the staff at the Hera Village was really really nice and helpful every time with us : Ray, the Head Waiter, and his nice team at the restaurant; John, Chris and Alex at both pool bar and main bar, Georges & Manolis, the Directors, for their useful advise i.e. on what to visit in the area (we won't forget the beautiful Panagia Keria) and where to have a good Greek diner with live music, etc. Every one of them is really striving to make every guest happy and it looks like guests are part of their family. It's so rare and that's why we really felt so good in this hotel, like if we were at home!
I can't understand some slanderous comments written on this site... Unfortunately, for having travelled a lot, I know that most of English people on holidays are often unsatisfied if they can't drink English beer and eat English foods and if they can have available sun beds all day longs and if they can drink as much as they want... Why doing such a trip if it's to stay here and just look for the same thing they have by them? They'd better stay in England. I can't understand this point of view...
It's absolutely not the way we, French people, see things when travelling abroad: as far as we are concerned, we were just looking for a typical place with typical foods and always plan visits to meet local people and visit the area.
RESTAURANT
I read some bad comments about food at the restaurant. As far as I am concerned, I appreciated it. We could always find Greek plates, everything to make a Cretan salad and so on. Staff at the restaurant was always attentive and reactive and the buffet was never empty. I can understand that you could easily find food a little bit repetitive if you stay there 2 weeks but as if you were always eating in the same canteen or restaurant every day 3 times a day! Food in Crete is not expensive at all so why don't you go outside for diner sometimes in order to change if you find it borrowing and taste other of the many delicious Greek specialties in some typical taverna?
ACCOMODATION
I read critical comments about the accommodations too. In France the Hera Village is classified as a 3* and there is nothing to complain about. Some of you complained about basic furniture in the bungalows and concrete base beds... first of all, if they have had a look on internet before booking their trip, they could have easily found photos of the hotel and accommodations (as far as we are concerned, we didn't have any surprise). Second point, whitewashed walls and facilities, this is precisely what makes all the charm of the site, this typically Greek architecture!!! We found our bungalow pretty nice and well-equipped and had an amazing view on the bay from our terrace.
AREA
For sure, the hotel could seem a little bit "isolated" for people who don't have any transportation facilities. I'd strongly recommend to rent a car at least for a few days to go and meet local people in small villages in the area but again the hotel is only 4 kms from both Agios Nikolaos and Elounda so you can easily take a taxi to town. Moreover Crete has efficient public transport too. So no way you stay all day long on sun beds around the swimming-pool, you'd better go and visit the island, there is so many nice places to see there!
CONCLUSION
As a conclusion, we really appreciated this human-sized and typical village and the staff 's hospitality and gentleness and we would strongly recommend this hotel for people looking for a typical and quiet, relaxing family place with breath taking view on the bay. The Hera Village is really a place where it's so good to leave! I wish I was there again at the moment.
Crete is a beautiful island with very friendly people, a peaceful rhythm of life and of course delicious food and ouzo and Greek hospitality is unbelievable!
We will definitely keep in mind wonderful memories of our holidays in Crete at the Hera Village and will strongly recommend this hotel to everyone of our friends.
We are now looking forward to going there soon.

I can honestly say we had a wonderful time at the Hera Village. We stayed for a week in the middle of July with some friends. The rooms were fantastic, the staff were fantastic (especially Beethoven the family dog!)
You will see that there is a differant report on this site. But I think are seriously unjustified. Yes the rooms are rustic and yes the pool is salt water and no the sausages are not English, but a holiday is what you make it and if you are prepared to meet people and explore a bit then you will have a fantastic time.
It may not be a strictly 4 star hotel, but then most people had not paid 4 star prices, so you can't really complain.
We found the facilities, rooms and food to be of a good standard and we had a really good time.
Praise in particular to Ray the Restaurant Manager for a thoroughly enjoyable week at meal times. This guy should be on stage doing stand up!
Give it a go and be prepared for the most fantastic views of the Mediterranean!