Apollonia Beach Hotel

My wife, 4 year old daughter and I have just returned from 2 weeks in the Apollonia Beach Hotel and the previous negative reviews need some qualification:- The power station is about 500 metres away and can only be seen from one side of the hotel (25% of the rooms)or from the beach, so in my opinion the power station is not an issue! The food is...well.. Greek, if you want burger, pizza or chicken nuggets with everything go to Blackpool. Considering they cater for 900+ guests the food is pretty good. Plenty of variety. The staff are not surly, maybe they just give what they get. The TV (TV on holiday?) has mostly Greek stations - about 3 German language, 1 French, some music channels and BBC World. Go to any 4 star hotel in most foreign countries and you could easily get the same mix. Too many Germans and French staying there?; they have to go somewhere (don't they?) - to me it was a blessed relief! Who wants to go to a British enclave where you are expected to wear an England football shirt to dinner and Union Jack swim shorts around the pool and then listen to bigoted comments about the foreign staff and guests? Yes the Germans (and French and Dutch and Russians and Italians and even the few Brits) reserved their sunbeds at 07.30 every morning. Who knows who started it, but once one crowd does it everybody has to. Maybe we could learn something from the multinational guests since the whole time we were there, with free drinks being served from 10.00hrs until 24.00hrs we did not meet, hear or see one single drunk. I really don't think that would apply in a hotel dominated by the British. Regarding the announcement languages. Fewer than 5% of the guests are British, approx 40%- 45% German, 40% French and the rest a mix of Dutch, Greek, British, American etc. So they have to cater for the masses. All the poolside announcements are in 3 languages - English, French and German - some of the entertainment team speak better English, some favour German - it depends. Bottom line is you can understand what's happening. Our 4 year old ended up playing with French, German, British and Russian children and loved it! The swimming pools are good - salt water one is relatively empty and where the sun worshippers lie. The fresh water one is a wee bit too deep for small children - but the slides are free to AI guests and the whole area is busy and good for families. The notice boards are in foreign languages true. They are aimed at the travel company's own guests. Any communal notices are in English. The evening entertainment is aimed at children between 20.30 and 21.30 then adults and children after that. It's a bit amatuerish, but there is something every night. The Greek Taverna meal is a set menu - where were we promised A la Carte? - but perfectly edible. The horse is pefectly OK for children to get a taste of horse riding on the beach. By the way, it only costs 5 Euro for 30 minutes - so get real and get a life everybody! Watersports were available, but due to the occasionally strong winds couldn't be taken advantage of every day. So, all those earlier reviewers who were so negative about this hotel should perhaps rethink their holiday choices for the future and stick to the burger and chips "magic" British resorts. There are some things which need attention though, to make this an excellent hotel for open minded British holiday makers; The kids club is only foreign language, so they could split it and have some English sessions - every 3 days for eg? The beach bar should stay open through the evening, not just on a Sunday, since it's a very nice location and certainly better than the main bar. They need about 3 more bar staff in the main bar in the evening - service is way too slow - be warned! Alternatively always go to the outdoor disco bar, which is very fast service but you can't hear yourself think. And they need to add about 25% more sunbeds. Do all the above and they would have a really good All Inclusive family hotel One final word (sorry) - all the British people we spoke to were critical of the rooms which are a bit small - so when booking try to get a DeLuxe poolside room, they are adequate for a family of 3

Check this before going....as this hotel is not as advertised.. My boyfriend and I have just returned 4 days early from a 7 day holiday. I have just done a search on TripAdvisor to add in our thoughts.... Oh how I wish I had checked this before booking our holiday. Three reviews I have just read are so true I am glad it’s not just us that feel so disappointed with the Apollonia. On the approach to the hotel you are met with a very large power station its smoking chimneys on full view throughout your stay. Why would you build a holiday resort in this location I will never know! We arrived at the hotel at 20.30 in the evening being shown to a small double room which was most definitely not a 4*. Bathroom was much to be desired. Satellite TV showed only local, German or French with one BBC news channel or subtitled films. Balcony view of the trees and delivery road, if we were on a higher floor we would have had the PowerStation! Before I go on being completely negative about this holiday, I will say that the hotel and its grounds are well kept. Everywhere is clean and staff although not happy people are efficient. This hotel has no atmosphere and is catered for children, Germans and French. The two outdoor pools are clean and ok, but if you think you are going to relax by the pool on a sunlounger then think again. We were advised by other UK holidaymakers you need to get up by 7am! As beds are taken by our fellow Europeans and not only do they reserve their beds early so you don't get one they never actually use them. We had to sit on the grass, looking at reserved empty beds for a couple of hours; this is the same on the beach. FOOD; bought back memories of school dinners or feeding time at the zoo! Food ok and plenty of it but needs more variations then pasta, salad and chips. There were a few different dishes but they tasted the same! (Not that good). The big group of entertainment staff (one person we saw!) was focused on entertaining the German or French children and not adults day time or evenings. There were supposed to be Water sports available but no one was around. Horse riding was advertised but never saw anyone riding the poor old horse and the one and only horse had seen better days, should be retired! Football pitch was accident waiting to happen. Mini\Crazy golf had seen better days. Anything advertised in the hotel lobby was aimed at children or in their words youngsters. The main bar is only open until 12am and is very busy with families and no atmosphere basically very boring! The second bar was shut on our arrival. Beach bar available but nothing in the evening, whilst listening to music from there you got the drowning of the kids’ pool music. Nightclub never open. This is not a holiday for those looking for everything in one place as an All inclusive should be. There is nothing within close vicinity to do unless you a willing to pay for taxis or buses. The local village had a few bars\restaurants, all though there are trips at extortionate prices. This could be a good resort even though next to a power station and in wasteland but staff and management need reviewing and managing! And a massive review on the entertainment program! they have the facilities but they are not using to its full potential How I could go on but will leave it at this. You have been warned go at your own risk..... 4*+ this is not I would put a 3 maybe 2+.

We have just returned from the Apollonia Beach Hotel and having read one of your reviews before we left, I have to say I was very aprehensive, However all our fears were unfounded. We found the hotel to be spotlessly clean, the staff extremely friendly and the food to be what I would expect in a Greek Hotel if not better, freshly baked bread and fresh vegtables were the norm. If I had to make a critisism it would be that not enough is made of the pool bar and with a little bit of imagination it could look a lot more inviting instead of just plastic table and chairs, having said that the snack bar was more than adequate and an endless supply of chips was available all afternoon as well as items advertised as being available on the all inclusive package. The bar at the hotel was well stocked and I found the staff more than accommodating including the big waiter behind the bar who was only too happy to give me plates of peanuts and popcorn. Yes there is a power station near by but there was no noise and it certainly did not disturb our holiday, in fact we enjoyed watching the activity around the boats servicing the station as we lay on our sun beds (no charge) drinking our all inclusive drinks from the pool bar I would recommend this hotel to anyone who wants to explore the Island and it is handy to the airport and easy to find if you pick up a hire car like we did. Give it a try.

The staff at the hotel were miserable and catered mainly for the Germans and French.The gardens and location of the beach were the hotels best features the food was above average and varied.The Power station was one big eyesore being so close to the Hotel the description of the facilities at the hotel I found to be inaccurate not everthing was All Inclusive e.g you had to pay to use the water slide going into the Hotel Pool the Taverna meals you had to pay for.The B.B.Q you also had to pay for there was no free drink on arrival there was no candle lit dinner.The Hotel was full of Germans and French all advertising was in German the pool side announcements were only spoke in German my wife and I felt totally out of place there are more problems I could list but I will finish with DO NOT expect luxury rooms they are very basic but clean the TV is in German or Greek there are NO bathroom toiletries except for a soap dispenser Oh yes and the showers are not very good either if you want my opinion don,t waste your money this Hotel should never be 4+ rated hotel it would be lucky to get a decent 3 in my grading looks can be decieving.

Me and my husband,Daughter son in law and 10wk old Grandaughter stayed at the apollonia beach during the first 2wks in sept 04 and having read reviews on the Hotel we were very anxious to say the least. This was our first trip to Greece having only been All inlcusive before in the Caribbean so we wern't expecting much at all but we were pleasantly surprised.Yes we did ahve a good view of the oil plant but also of the beach and mountains and its not the most beautiful sight but if you can look beyond that to the natural beauty then you do not have a problem.The food was actually very good in the main restraunt and quite varied.The food in the pool snack bar wasnt very hot at the best of times but mostly quite pallatable. The ala carte is not what it seems either there is no choice, you have to have what youre given which was nice but not a true description of ala carte.The pool areas were nice too,plenty of shade if you want it,the beach is also quite nice.Rooms kept very clean with maid service every day and clean towels etc although the t.v channels are mainly directed at Germans and French.Entertainment the usual european stuff good some nights not so good on others most of the staff were very friendly,the guy at the main bar did seem quite aloof at times but to be fair he worked his socks off and served who he thought to be next which would be difficult at times with several drunken Germans constantly propping up the bar.All in all we had quite a pleasant stay met some lovely people and apart from an 8 hour delay on the way home we had a good holiday.I personally would give this hotel a General 3* plus rating. It is only a 10 min walk into Amoudara where there are plenty of shops pubs and restraunts if you fancy a walk out,also just out side the Hotel are a couple of shops and a Phone which is much cheaper than the hotel if you buy phone cards from the shop close by. Hotel phone 12 euros for 5 mins shop phone 3 euros 8 mins.

What can I say? From the approach that brings the massive electricity generating station into view, to the un helpful and rude staff, to the joke 'A La Carte' Greek evening the place is one to avoid at all costs. We were sold the hotel as a 4*+ HOTEL which would lead you to expect a certain standard.The food is mass produced pap and we gave up waiting to be served in the Greek taverna and decided to fly home 3 days days early into a 7 day holiday! We had to pay extra to be up graded into a room that was only ok (you can imagine what the first one was like)and on a night time trip to Heraklion to get away from this awful place we could still see the power station from the harbour which is about 8 miles away!! At least you can always find your way back to the hotel!! In English terms probably 3* but considering the location (industrial wasteland) and the staff attitude to your problems or concerns most people would rate it 2*+.From the beach the power station is towering above you, if you wish to keep your eyes closed on a holiday which a previous reviewer suggested then this is the place for you...just keep your nostrils closed too! You have been warned.

Yes we stopped at the Apollonia at the end of July for a week. It was great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The guy from Pinner covered much of the ground about a few of the poor staff. I guess the really bad guy in the main bar. He was one of two , the other guy, with long curly hair was great, i tipped him 10euros at the beginning of the week and never had a problem being served!!!! It was nice to breakfast on the veranda at the far end of the main resteraunt. My wifes favourite area both day & night was the long 'gazebo type' stucture covered with vines. Yes i agree the disco bar at the main gates was the best open air bar to get served. The food was really OK , although what they did with the liver was not to this unsofisticated northern boys taste, i need it with gravy & onions, not vinegar, seriously though there was loads to go at . The fish was mmmmmmmmmmmm! Hey there is a cocktail menu and if you ask free peanuts, crisps & popcorn. The beach is untidy and yes ther is a power plant next door but if you dont look you dont see. We stopped in one of the 'caves' not the hotel proper. These are apartments built to resemble typical Greek/Cretian dwellings but have Northern European bathrooms. Hey there fine. Down side , a smaller double bed, but then again i am 6'1" and portly and got bitten by the ''mossi's" because of the lovely gardens surrounding the hotel. Do not be like me use the spray. Yes there was a majority of Krauts & Frogs ect but there were some Brits & 'clog makers' who were really OK. We are over 40 and would go back , if the the price is ok ;and there is not the blare of disco music around the pool and yes the Germans do still get up early and grab the best spots for the beds but there was still penty of spare beds. God i could go on & on. But for £700 total budget it was great. Get some Cretian Sun & forgive my grammar.

We stayed in this hotel in July04 as 2 couples and 2 friends. We went with a fairly open mind as we had emailed ahead and received a nice email back. When we arrived at the hotel in the night we were told we had to pay for our "free arrival drink". we were a little shocked by this but not as much as we were to find that the "all inclusive" bit only ran up until 12am. The hotel was clean to be fair and before I go on with my review I would like to say that the food was excellent, there was a good spread for lunch and dinner, with lots of variety and a nice mix of traditional and less extravagant meals. The restaurant was clean and the staff there were very efficient. When we arrived at the room we were unfortunate enough not to have a sea view but we did have an excellent view of the large industrial power plant. When we opened the balcony door we were also greeted by the aroma of blocked drains. When we approached the reception about this problem we were treated to a shrug of the shoulders and a "not my problem" response. This started our holiday off on the wrong foot. The facilities at this hotel are poor to say the least, with the exception of the 2 pools (1 salt water, 1 chlorine) the tennis courts were worn and full of holes, the football pitch was full of weeds and barely resembled a pitch in any description. The mini golf was a terribly worn out selection of tarmac. There was horse riding on the beach, that is if you want to kill the tatty starving old mule that was kept in a field proudly displaying its ribs and not much else. The 4 pools that are described on the website/brochure etc need some further clarity. One nice salt water pool, one nice fresh water pool, the third outdoor pool is a channel of water about 1ft wide by 10ft long and full of algae, how it can be described as a pool is beyond me, the final pool is an unfinished indoor pool with cracked tiles and a plentiful supply of algae. The main bar was run in the morning by a very friendly woman - no problems there. In the evening it was run by a arrogant man to say the least. There was no rules as to who would be served when, it was simply when he felt like it and on most nights where he ambled around getting the drinks (occasionally the one you asked for) letting the queue build up to 3 people deep waiting, missing you out time and time again, until you realized it was better off going somewhere else. It was by doing this that we found a complete contrast to the aforementioned bar. There is a bar at this hotel at the very front by the entrance and it was superb. The staff were excellent and remembered your drinks and poured them before you even asked, large measures and a very nice manner (needless to say we used this bar from then on) My next moan is about the night at a "traditional taverna" we particularly looked forward to this and prebooked so as not to be disappointed. The "traditional" meal consisted of pork chops or fish - plain! If you did not like this choice it was tough and was greeted with the now familiar shrug and "its not my problem" however the best bit of all was if you were vegetarian!! Carrots, cauliflower, chips and rice!! Unbelievable. The final point about the hotel is that I believe it is intended for German or French families. There were very few English or American people. Another point for people looking for nightlife is "don't go here" it is about 15mins from Heraklion but there is very little to do there. You could take a taxi to Malia but it would take about 45minutes. There is no ironing facility here, if you need any done and haven't brought an iron do not ask the reception, they do offer a service where you leave the clothes you want ironed on the end of the bed and the maids do them....but they don't. The main reason I am writing such a negative review is because of the rudeness of the majority of the staff, they could not care less whether you were comfortable with any aspect of your stay. It is difficult as the there were some good aspects, the food was excellent (apart from the taverna) the front bar was very nice and the rooms were cleaned very regularly. Our main problems were that it was not all inclusive, the staff were very rude and the facilities were blatantly exaggerated. Needless to say I will never be going here again and I now know a few other people that will also not visit here again. I would NOT recommend it.

We were very lucky with our choice of hotels as we took a chance and booked it through Lastminute.com. Having been through various hotels we kept going back to this particular one as we liked the look of it and the write up on it. Although no-one had put any details on trip advisor, we took a chance. The food was excellent and the rooms were very clean and above average size. The swimming pools were fantastic and the entertainment great. What more can we say. We had nothing to fault with this hotel. We will definitely be going back again next year.

Stayed 7/04 for three days. The on-site facilities are top shelf. (we stayed in a bungalow which I'd recommend....most have a nice sea view) Two pools, one seawater. Nice flowered grounds. Beach was right on the oceanfront and had a pretty strong prevailing wind with resulting high surf. Food was about 2-3 star level however. My package included breakfast and dinner. You could upgrade to all inclusive for $16 euros/day which added lunch and all beverages. (beverages were included with the meals). As a measuring stick: Beer was 3.50 euros/glass at the pool. Proximity to towns was reasonable with a bus stop right outside the gate. Busses to Iraklion and the local town (armoudoro) were 0.90 euros one way. Busses about every 20 mins and very clean. MANY rental car companies in town who were willing to barter. We got an air conditioned vehicle with FULL insurance and unlimited mileage for 56 euros for two days. If you want to see the rest of the island of Crete, I'd highly recommend it. Western end of the island is very touristy, eastern and South eastern part not as touristy but just as scenic. Roads are well marked and not too crazy by european standards, a bit nuts by North American standards. Downside: No english language newscasts on the TV but I think this is because this property has previously catered mostly to Greek and German clientele. I'm sure this will evolve as they cater more to english speaking guests. Second downside: They charged you 2 euros/day for a pool lounge chair. There was a pool nazi who constantly bothered you about it.