Lavris Paradise Complex Hotel

We all loved this hotel and would definitely go back again. Everything was kept really clean and staff were lovely. Food was fine and if you wanted it hotter they had a microwave. We took my Dad who is 76 and known to be a fussy eater and he thought the food was lovely, always something there that he fancied. As it was buffet style he could pick and choose. The only niggle we had was the fact our rooms were not available when we first arrived. However, they had arranged for us to spend the first morning in another hotel. Although we were glad of somewhere to crash out as we had had a three hour flight delay this hotel was not a patch on the Lavris Paradise. When we finally got shown to our rooms the Manager personally thanked us and arranged for fruit and wine to be put in our rooms as a thank you for our patience. A nice touch. No tea and coffee facilities in the rooms but we had expected that and taken a travel kettle with us. Both rooms had hairdryers, fridges and TVs. We had no problems with the all inclusive and we were able to have our lunch on the day of departure without any hassle. Entertainment is minimal but playing bingo in about five or six languages is an experience not to be missed. It is a fair old walk down to the beach and I think a bit longer than quoted in the ads for the hotel, but we didn't find it too much of a problem. Not particularly good for snorkeling in this area. We hired a car and went down south to Matala, which was a bit of a journey but lovely. Also went to Elounta and Agios Nikolaos and the old village of Kritsa. Roads in Crete are a nightmare, no road numbers hardly any signs and the roads change from lovely tarmac to a dirt track in a heartbeat. However, it's well worth getting a car and seeing a bit of this lovely island. Glad we picked the Lavris Paradise and would go back anytime.

First of all let me explain my 'title'. My wife booked the holiday at the last minute as a surprise for me for our fifth wedding anniversary. She booked it on the phone so didn't see any reviews prior to booking. Having booked the holiday she told me about it and we both looked on the Internet at the hotel reviews. Reading the mostly negative reviews on this site my wife was really worried and disappointed, to a point where she phoned the booking company back to try and change holidays. The guy at the agency said that everybody perceived hotels differently and to go with an open mind. We stayed at the 'Lavris Paradise Hotel' Paid about £600 for two adults for one week on an 'All inclusive' basis. Accommodation We arrived at around 5PM and were shown straight to the reception where we were greeted by a very friendly receptionist. She booked us in and ushered a porter to carry our bags to our room. He was also very friendly and chatted all the way. The room was easily big enough, bright, airy and clean. The airconditioning was a god sent as the temperature was in the forties all week! We had a balcony with a sea view, admittedly there was some hotels between us and the sea but they weren't intrusive. The rooms were cleaned every day and the towels changed every other. Pools There are two main pools each accompanied by a 'baby' pool. I found them to be clean and well maintained. They did get quite busy though so don't leave it too late to go to the pool because you may struggle for a spot! Entertainment From reading previous reviews people found the entertainment to be 'non existent'. Well a new 'Animation team' arrived in May. 'Moose' a young French lad and 'Magda' a young polish girl were full of energy and provided an entertainment programme for everybody. They spoke fluent English, German, French, and polish. By the pool during the day they would play games for everybody, pool, darts, boules, and football competitions and on alternating days there would be 'Aqua Aerobics' and 'Water Polo' in the pool. During the early evening there was a nightly 'Kiddy Disco' in which moose and magda would teach the children different dances. This was followed by 'Bingo' in which the numbers would be called out in four languages so to cater for everybody. The evening would end with another 'quiz' type game or a disco. All in all, if you so wished there was pretty much something to take part in all day long. Food The food was another area that many people slated. We ate at the complex all but one of the days in our week, and I found the food to be well prepared and plentiful. I mostly ate salads, this was personal preference as I don't enjoy hot food in such a hot climate and by no mean a reference to the quality of the hot food.The salad bar was always very well stocked and varied. My wife had hot food most days and although commenting that the food could be slightly hotter, she said it was very enjoyable and not once did I notice any food being re used on consecutive days. The restaurant staff were always very friendly and chatty, especially 'George'. There were snacks available for AI residents between meals, these included ham cheese, salad and bread with toasty machines available. There was also coffee,cake and biscuits. There was a 'Greek evening' while we were there. It consisted of a pool side bbq and local Greek dancers. Although the food was really nice, and we enjoyed the dancers we thought it a bit off that as 'All Inclusive' residents we had to pay extra for this evening, which was basically our evening meal. Neither myself of my wife had upset stomachs while we were there, I didn't hear of anybody else complaining of being I'll and even people who complained about the food on previous reviews said they hadn't had upset stomachs, so that must speak for the quality of the food. Pool bar The pool bar is situated next to the main pool and provides drinks from 10am until 1am. Although the official AI was only valid from 11am until 11pm they didn't seem too strict about AI residents having drinks before 11am. They were however very quick to stop AI drinks at 11pm on the dot! There did seem to be a lack of seating around the pool bar in the evening with many people sitting/lying on sunloungers! Personally I think AI should mean AI and not just between certain times! Although on the day we were leaving we were being picked up at 2.30pm and the hotel had no quarms with us carrying on using the bar free of charge and having lunch which was from 1pm. So they're not as strict as people have made out! Local town Gouves town was only a short walk away from the hotel, I was on crutches while I was on holiday and managed the short walk without a problem. There are many bars, restaurants and taverns to suit everybody, traditional, Irish and Karaoke! There are lots of shops selling everything from essentials you may have forgotten to souvenirs to take home. There is a great little bar right next to the hotel 'Mikes'. He cannot do enough for you and makes you feel very welcome! we spent many a night in this bar and highly recommend it. We can highly recommend the first Chinese restaurant you come to on the right hand side as you walk down to the town from the hotel. It was recommended in a review I read before we went and it more than lived up to the recommendation. We had the set menu which was only 8 euros each (just over £5) it was a fantastic 3 course meal and the portions were far more than either of us could eat! The beaches are a little bit further than stated on the hotels web site. It's still walkable though. They are a bit narrow and the beaches we saw tended to be fine shale. You also had to pay for sunloungers which took up most of the beach. In summery, we found the hotel clean, the staff very friendly and helpful, I'm a great believer in 'people will treat you as you treat them'. The food was well prepared and plentiful. I think the AI should run until 1am when the bar shuts and not stop at 11pm. Also water should be included in the AI and it's not. All in all we thoroughly enjoyed our holiday and would defiantly go back. Enjoy your holiday.

I don't take many package holidays and this was the first with an unknown web provider, but known ones operate here as well. It was the first during the school summer holidays and I was expecting to pay through the nose. @£1200 for 1 week, 3 adults including 14 year old daughter, on AI basis. I was apprehensive. We arrived by private taxi and were disappointed to find the hotel far from the sea, surrounded by scrubland and half-built houses. Hey, this is Greece! When we finally found the correct reception, it was clean, bright and airy. Good start. This may have been a different experience if we had arrived with a coach-load. We dragged our cases down a good few steps in the blistering heat, tired from travelling. Our "bungalow" was right at the back of the complex by the cess-pits, overlooking a small strip of untended grass and flower beds. The room was dark, dingy and musty, The bed linen appeared clean but everything else was VERY tatty. It was like a cave. There was a small pool up a few steps but this was miles from the main pool/bar and you couldn't bring drinks. The main pool looked a bit tatty. There were not enough loungers/chairs/shade. We spent the first night as we were too tired to complain. We chose this hotel mainly because it was shared with the 4* for dining. This was nowhere near 4* dining. Even though the rep said she often ate there and the manager (Dimitri) obviously ate too much there, it simply was not 4* food or choice. I ate mainly salad, which was mostly lovely. Most soups were tasteless. What is fresh one day, appears, transformed, the next. I didn't get any bugs even with my chronic stomach problem even though the hot food was often not. We complained the next morning and Dimitri made us feel as if we were expecting too much, in a friendly enough, if imposing way. So did the rep. They made a big deal about pretending to get us a great deal on an upgrade. We paid it. There was NO WAY I was staying in that room another night. The bathroom had no ventilation or natural light. The one bulb was gloomy and the tiles, from what we could actually see, had seen much better days. We also booked a hire care. There are some nice restaurants in Gouves and a few souvenir shops, but not much, and they are a fair walk away. The beach is even further, and not at all pretty. A young man in a family party was seriously assaulted nearby. He was on his own, drunk, but not a "bruiser-type". It seems that immigrants prey on tourists. His wallet and passport were stolen, he was taken to hospital with nasty cuts and bruises. The new room was nice, bright and clean, overlooking the pool/bar. The double glazing was adequate. Air con good, although, like most of these types of hotels, the tip is to take the key off the fob to keep the room cool for when you return. It is simply not powerful enough to cool the room quickly enough otherwise, Shower like a dripping tap. The fridge kept drinks nicely warmed. Ate breakfast and evening meals, otherwise out of complex most of each day. I don't like complex-type organized games or entertainment so it didn't bother me that what there was, was woeful. Don't expect any snacks outside of meal times and you won't be disappointed. A broken, encrusted sandwich-toaster, plastic spam and plastic cheese slices, the odd acceptable slice of cake or biscuits. You can, at least, get a decent enough cup of coffee. Local brand spirits very rough. Don't even think, however busy the hotel, that you will get away with even a cup of coffee after exactly 12 midday on your day of departure. There will be no rooms available to freshen up in before a late flight. The highlight of our holiday was an earthquake in the early hours of our day of departure. I left with a feeling of resentment.

Initially we had booked into the bungalows but were a little disappointed as they were a bit small for 3 adults. You need to remember though the Greek way of life is to live outside in the sunshine. We decided to upgrade into the hotel and it was a little hard to do at first because of misunderstandings. I decided to speak to the manager and when I approached this chap sat in his office it turned out he was the owner (Titos) and he was sat with the manager (Demitris). When I explained my problem in a calm and polite manner they were both very helpful and with one phone call things were sorted. They typified the whole ethos amongst the staff, they were all very polite, very helpful and extremely hard working. The whole place was very clean and comfortable. I had read the reviews regarding the food but I was pleasantly surprised at the quality and selection, there were times when it wasn't as hot as it should have been but the helpful addition of a microwave in the serving area helped. At one point during the holiday Demitris joined us at the dining table and he turned out to be good company and a nice guy, we did discuss the temperature of the food with him and he promised us that if we ever had a a problem all we had to do was find him and he would personally cook us a meal no problem. He even took the time out to write a recipe for my wife that she had lost over 20 years ago. The restaurant staff, Gianni and Nikos and the ladies, were very hard working but always knew who needed an ashtray and how many wine glasses you had on your table. The staff at the pool bar, Dora, Petros and Stephano worked hard to keep us entertained and always had a smile and a "You're welcome" to hand. A 10 minute walk from the hotel led us into "Irish Bar and All Day English breakfast land" with plenty of shops and another 10 minutes from that was the harbour with the beach front taverna's. I suppose the main question is; Would I go again? Definately Yes. All that remains for me to say is "Thank you" to everyone at the Lavris and we may visit again some time. Ron Marion and Betty xxxxxxxxxxxxx

The lavris hotel is a total joke. The staff were miserable all the time (apart from the maid service, who were very freindly). The bungalow appartments can only be discribed as rather small and extremly noisy. The plumbing work on certain occastions (i.e. one flush an hour toilet). You could upgrade for a cost, but unfortunatly you would still be eating the same level of food. Breakfast was the only meal served that had any noutritional value and reseembled anything edible. The shop next door does sell pot noodles (take a spoon). All inclusive guests are required to pay for bottle water (at a discount, but still cheaper and colder in the shop next door). All inclusive finishes at 12 o'clock on the dot of your last day, no exceptions (just try and get a cup of coffee). Managers advises is to get an earlier flight if you don't like it. If you still choose to go to crete please pick a better hotel, staying here will only spoil your holiday.

we have just arrived back on 12/09/06 and could not wait to get home,Gouves itself is nice but very quiet with not much around,the localsare very freindly(apart from in the hotel),i would not recommend this hotel as i found it did not live up to advertised standard,the food was VERY poor and their was no enterainment at all apart from one BBQ night which you had to pay for .This complex is advertised at 3-4 stars i feel it should only have 1,although the hotel was quite clean the views from our balcony were of dumped rubbish on wasteland right behind the hotel and this was with a sea view room(the sea is about half a mile away behind alot of other larger hotels).we talked to many other guests and most were also VERY disapionted.if you do book a holiday here i would not advise AI there is a nice bar next door and good food places in Gouves itself which is about a 10 min walk.

ACCOM We arrived just before midnight and the night porter showed us where we would be staying. It was right down the bottom near the cess-pit. The smell was ABSOLUTELY disgusting. We had to drag our luggage down a good few steps. I felt I had walked into a cave. It was dark and dingy. A bit like a 1960s Butlins chalet.The bathroom had no ventilation and was gloomy and smelt really musty. We had noticed a sign regarding upgrades so I immediately went to enquire about an upgrade. I could NOT stay in that room for two weeks. He was unable to upgrade me at that time but requested to return in the morning and I would be able to upgrade then. First thing next day I went to enquire re upgrade and I was given a key to go and look at the 4 *Paradise room. We immediately said yes and moved straight away. These rooms were bright and airy and a lot bigger POOLS The pools were clean although my son cut his foot on a tile in the baby pool by the bar , I informed Dimitri the manager and he said that he would get it sorted. I expected the pool to be drained that evening and the tile to be replaced but by the end of the holiday and 4 more sliced feet by other children it still had not been repaired. BEWARE ENTERTAINMENT The entertainment on a night was very limited Martina did her best with the occasion quiz. The karioke was broken so I complained again to Dimitri the manager and he asked martina to put on mini disco for the children and he promised to get the karioke fixed still wasnt fixed by the end of the hols. the internet wasnt working so i spoke yet again to Dimitri and suggested that in the unused cards room that he replace that with a cyber cafe for the teenagers and charge 1 euro for 30 mins. he said he would do this. (But dont hold your breath) FOOD Nickos was really lovely as the restaurant manager really friendly. The food is the same in all hotel restaurants only so much choice for large quantities.But not one of our family went down with a tummy bug which was good. POOL BAR Petros, Dagmara and Nora were nice but initially we had problems with Stephanos when that was all sorted out he was fine but they do keep an eye on what your drinking and when 2300 comes around the service seems to get slower. A tip buy them some shots of RAKI and then they will remember what your drinking. It sounds like we didnt enjoy our holiday, we met some really really nice people and all the children got on so the holiday all in all was fine.

The Lavris is, what it is. The hotel is cheap and basic, but offers very nice rooms in the Paradise, good all-inclusive and a friendly service. We stayed in the Lavris paradise (not the older Lavris hotel or Lavris Bungalows...do not get these confussed) and had a lovely week. The room has individual air con, satalite tv, bath and shower, mini fridge, double and single bed and plenty of room. The hotel itself is quite basic, but it does have 3 swimming pools, which is very good for a hotel this size. It only has one small place to eat, which in August did get quite busy as does the pool bar(note only bar) in the evenings. There is entertainment, but it is very limited as it is one women who does it all! The hotel is about a 5 minuite walk away from Gouves shops/bars etc.. and 10 minuites to the beach (head out left from the hotel and follow the road). Overall a very good place to relax for families/couples at a great price!

Hello everyone i'am putting this on the trip advisor site because i want everyone to know what it really is like at the hotel Lavis Paradise and bungalows. My board basis was all inclusive. To start with i'd like to commend the maid service as they always did a great job and left the room fresh and clean. Now on to the bar area. When the hotel is full there is'nt enough chairs for guests to seat down, some people had to sit on the sun loungers. Soft drinks were served in little small plastic cups to young children and adults. The beer was very weak and only served in warm half pint glasses. The beer was called 'their' that even the local bars had'nt heard of. We were lead to believe by the wording on the hotels website(chargeable extras paragraph) that after 23.00,(when the all inclusive finished) we would get a discounted price on the drinks, but this was untrue. The entertainment, thats a laugh! There was a musical quiz every night, no karaoke and no other entertainment apart from one night in the two weeks i was there we played one game of bingo. The food was always cold and always pork on the menu. Most of the time you had the same food offered all day, lunch and dinner. All in all would i go here again, no chance. I hope this helps you when deciding weather you want to stay at this hotel or not.

Myself and my husband spent a week here all inclusive in May 2005 and really enjoyed it. There are two parts to the complex rooms wise, an older 3* part and a newer 4* part. We stayed in the newer with air conditioning, fridge etc and found it very nice, comfortable and clean. The complex is not very big and has two (very cold) pools which are again not very big but we liked the smaller complex and found it friendly and relaxing. The complex is very much suited to couples and seniors looking for somewhere a bit quieter and out of the way. Its definately not a place to take kids or teenagers as there is nothing for them to do except swim. There was a token gesture entertainments programme but this mostly consisted of bingo and a quiz at night. The food was very edible and we found the staff friendly and helpful. One group booked in during our time were rowdy and drunken but these were dealt with very quickly and efficiently by the manager and spent the remainder of their stay mostly off site. The area it's situated in was a bit tatty but this is pretty typical of Greece to be honest. There are loads of shops within easy walking distance and a small beach area about 20 minutes walk away. A regular and very cheap bus service was only about 5 minutes walk away and you are about 20 minutes to Hersonassos and 20 minutes the other way to Heraklion. Both places well worth a visit, particuarly Hersonassos. We booked a last minute deal here and got it for £260 all inclusive. I've seen the full prices charged for this at around £600 per week. It's not worth that and I wouldn't book this if you were looking for somewhere high season as your main holiday. It was quiet and early in the season when we went and was nice like that but in High Season when full, I'd imagine the restaurant and pools would struggle and the place would be cramped and uncomfortable. But to use it as we did as a mid term break just to relax it's very worth it, particuarly if you get a good last minute deal.