Marmin Bay Hotel

2 readers found this review helpful

Marmin Bay has lovely clean rooms, aircon, wonderful view! My advice is not to go all-inclusive!
3 choices of alcohol between 10am and 10pm: metaxas, ouzo and lager (if they have it!) These are served in plastic cups and after 10pm you have to pay. Food is salad and cold beans, cold wieners and dry bread for breakfast or an assortment of cereal.
Lunch is more salad, cold chips and left over cold meat from the night before meal.
Evening meal was more salad and chips and meats. Not much choice and hot meat generally stone cold!
Worst all inclusive I have ever been on!
Crete is beautiful, but due to 200 steps and numerous ramps to my room and back each day, I would not come back to this hotel!

1 reader found this review helpful

Would like to know how they got a 4 star rating. Food offered was chips for lunch and dinner every day. Fish fingers, burgers, chicken nuggets for dinner. We did not expect an "English breakfast" but never saw any eggs in 2 weeks!
Been to many countries including Malta 3star -fantastic food, Dom Republic etc but have never experienced anything like this. And it was not only the British complaining. The people from Poland had a meeting with management on the Thursday we left.
Half the chairs were broken at the pool. Rooms not cleaned, although bed linen and towels were changed every 3 days. Regular power cuts only at the hotel. Pool bar - no choice of any other drinks except wine, beer, brandy or ouzo even if you were prepared to pay for your drinks. If you were from Poland, you were not allowed brandy or ouzo although if you pay for all-inclusive you had to pay. Children offered ice-cream that had been refrozen many times. Wasps making it difficult to enjoy your meal which was worse at breakfast due to the jam.
The positive: hard working staff working long hours for very little money from Albania and Romania. Lovely views from rooms, but my goodness what a struggle to get there as it is so steep and unsafe. Worse hotel we have been to and will never go back or recommend.

1 reader found this review helpful

The hotel does have spectacular views and it could be a very nice hotel, but there are serious problems with this hotel, plus the food. There were no vegetarian options available until halfway through our second week and there is a problem with wasps there.
The middle of the 2nd week did see an improvement as the food was then situated at the back of reception and there were less wasps around there, but as their food source had been removed they started to locate up the pool area and it meant that you had to drink your drink in one or there would be a number of wasps be in the drink....be prepared to be stung because you will be.

You have to pay for water and depending that is on the costs vary as do a can of coke 2.50 Euros nearly £2.
There are no restaurants here at all, no diving centre, no private beach anyone can go on it and you have to pay for drinks at the beach it is not part of all inclusive.
The hotel is not ALL INC some people say go to Elounda for drink etc but when you book all inc you expect it to be and go to the town occasionally not because you have to.

1 reader found this review helpful

Myself and my boyfriend spent a week at this hotel and really enjoyed it. The hotel was on a steep hill (as is most of Crete), but this meant the view from and balcony and from the pool was breath taking.
The hotel had everything needed for a relaxing break. The room was clean and smart and the staff were really friendly.
The food was limited, but there was always plenty of salad and one or two hot dished to choose from. There was always beer and wine available and some spirits if you wanted them.
We usually made the most of these in the early evening, catching the last of the sun, and then walked into Elounda for a few cocktails. We ate in Elounda a couple of times as the restaurants were great and had some lovely food.
A trip to Spinalonga is worth fitting in as it is an interesting place.
This is a holiday for reasonably fit people (as the hill was fine for us but could be a challenge to people who don't get much exercise) who want to relax and are not too fussy with food.
I would recommend it highly.

1 reader found this review helpful

The Greek version of Fawlty Towers, we agree with all the previous comments in the reviews.
We had to wait for water to come back on to shower one evening. No review has mention the restaurant trip board nailed to the floor to cover a hole.
We had water cooled feet one lunch time as water was in the dining area, quite funny as my flip flop floated away.
Despite all its bad points this has been the funniest holiday we have had thanks to the great folks we met, it gave the English common ground to talk, laugh, and share stories about the latest comical happenings of that day.
The waiting staff are good and helpful. So if you have booked this hotel and don't take life to serious you just might have a good time.
Thanks to the couples we met who made this holiday for us.

1 reader found this review helpful

My mum and I stayed at Marmin Bay for the last week of July. We had a really great time and to be honest if you have read the hotel information you would know what to expect.
You will see that it clearly states not for the elderly, people with children or walking disabilities which tends to imply that there will be a relatively steep slope therefore there is no problem when you expect it, and they serve plenty of chips so the hill helps you burn them off!
Admittedly the food is not up to 4* standard but there was a selection of salads and a hot option and it was all edible and we quite enjoyed it, for the 1st few days there were quite a few wasps but we spoke to the staff and they moved the food inside. So its nothing special but so what!?
The room we stayed in was above the pool and has the most spectacular view we have ever had. The room was clean and our sheets and towels were changed when specified on the room card.
We spent most days by the beach which was lovely and we were quite happy to pay seeing as it meant we definitely had an umbrella, sun beds and the sea was a delight to swim in. The staff are all friendly and very helpful.
If you go into this holiday with and open mind and not trying to pick holes in it you will definitely have a great time.

1 reader found this review helpful

Just got back from a week at Marmin Bay Hotel. Had the best of times. The resort is peaceful, clean, and well designed.
I have never had a room with such a spectacular view. In response to the other reviews shown on this site, the hotel blurb does state that it is built on a steep incline and is not suitable for people with children.
Our room was cleaned daily, the air con worked and the electricity never went off. The food did leave a little to be desired, but then again you don’t have to live there.
I would recommend this hotel highly.

1 reader found this review helpful

I have been to Greece many times and Crete twice. The hotel was the worst place I have ever stayed at.
The hotel was on a very steep hill and was awkward to walk up and down. It had some steps part of the way down and the rest was just down the steep hill. We had to walk very slowly up and down so as not to fall.
The food was terrible, very basic, and unimaginative. The only fresh fruit they had was watermelon which stopped being served after a few days and even that did not taste fresh. Then the fruit was tinned.
There were flies and wasps milling around and on the food. We complained to rep and the hotel did cover up parts of the food but not all. Half the time the drinks cooler didn't work. We had to walk right up the hill to get drinks which were from 10am-10pm.
The only thing that was okay was the room we stayed in. We saw people complaining.
I felt sorry for the staff who worked there. They were friendly and had to put up with the anger that people felt. Nicos, George, catering staff and maids were lovely. It was 45 minutes to the nearest village.
The private beach, we had to pay for the lounge chairs. Might as well gone on holiday to hell.

1 reader found this review helpful

We have just returned from Marmin Bay Hotel, which we booked with Planet holidays.
We were sold (very much miss sold) a 4* AI holiday with private beach and evening entertainment in a beautiful location, and a very small family run hotel.
Sounds like heaven! In reality, yes a very nice position, the views were 4*, 2* hotel ,1* food, the AI a joke.
The hotel started with 32 rooms, what you do not see on the website is the new building work on the top of the mountain, now there are 85 room and still building.
While the accommodation is growing the facilities have stayed the same, not enough sun loungers at the pool (which are screwed to the decking ) or parasols, which they only allow you to use if it is not too windy.
No shade in the bar area, which is the only bar, advertised as open until midnight , closes at 22.00 on the AI (which is beer, wine that is undrinkable, local brandy and Ouzo, water is not included).
The restaurant if you can call it that, needs to be at least twice the size, unable to accommodate the number of guests. The food is very poor covered in flies and wasps, no variety, salad, feta cheese, and one hot dish, chips most days,chocolate mousse every day!
The private beach (stone chippings) is not! You have to pay for sunloungers and the bar is not included in the AI.
If this hotel was as advertised, the climb to the rooms and pool would be acceptable, for able bodied people. Totally unsuitable for anyone with a mobility problem or young children.
On the good side the staff are very good and try to help as much as possible.
There is a excellent restaurant just as you get to Elounda (5 Euros by taxi) opposite the windmill, it had a windmill on the sign outside.
The way this Hotel is at the moment and is being run they are taking the proverbial.
Would not return for free!

1 reader found this review helpful

Completely agree with the comments.
It’s in a lovely area with great views, the rooms are clean and respectable, and the catering staff were friendly and helpful.
As for all inclusive, it’s not the best. There is a small buffet with little choice which is always covered in flies and wasps! The same dessert of cut up melon was on all week.
Health and Safety, in my opinion, is a big issue with getting to and from the rooms at the top of the resort. There are stepping stones that are loose on the hill and steep slippery steps, none of which are lit up at night. Basically still a building site!
Although the rooms were clean and respectable, the air conditioning did not work, which was not helped by the electricity cutting out everyday, meaning the drinks machines did not work leaving no drinks, we were then made to buy bottled water (all inclusive?).
This holiday is definitely not 4* as graded and is not as advertised. Do NOT book this holiday!