Reviews of Iberostar Creta Panorama Hotel, Rethymnon, Crete

We went to the Creta Panorma as...

Overall Rating:

9/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Jul 2008

Tour Operator:

First Choice

Submitted By:

Mrs D S Greenwood

Comments:

We went to the Creta Panorma as an extended family. My husband, boy (aged 6) and my parents. The complex was split between the hotel and separate bungalow apartments. The overall grounds were lovely, all landscaped with beautiful flowers and trees.



The complex had 6 swimming pools, one large and 5 smaller pools. We stayed around one of the smaller pools and found this a pleasant environment.



The hotel catered for more Europeon countries and people from the UK were in the minority. It was mainly Italians, Belgium and France. However, this did not hinder the holiday in anyway. The Animation Team were extremely bi-lingual and attempted to communicate with everyone at the complex.



We enjoyed water gym, archery and fun games around the pool and got to know a lot of people.



On the accommodation side, we had 2 hotel based rooms which were of a regular size. The cleaning staff were excellent and thoroughly cleaned the rooms every day.



The food was also excellent, plenty to chose from, catering for all tastes. My son loves pasta and such things and he had plenty to keep him happy.



The hotel was in the middle of nowhere, so if you enjoy walking to places, this isn't the place for you. Rethymon, is the nearest large town and is a bus journey away, which after we had taken I wish I hadn't and would recommend taxi instead. The small town of Panormo is lovely and extremely Greek. A small train takes you there regularly from outside the hotel and and cost 1.70 euro each way. Children under 6 go free.



Overall, it was thoroughly an enjoyable holiday.

We found this to be a thoroughly...

Overall Rating:

9/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Jun 2008

Tour Operator:

First Choice

Submitted By:

Mr M Housley

Comments:

We found this to be a thoroughly superb holiday. We spent 1 week here which was enough with our 2 and a half year oold daughter. All 3 of us enjoyed the whole resort. There was always stuff going off around the pool and the show on an evening were always entertaining. On the downs side, be prepared to get up at 6.30am to get a sun lounger as they go really quickly around the pool. Secondly, the food was Ok, could have been a bit more choice for my liking. We would go back again for sure.

four of us had a 2 week stay at...

Overall Rating:

1/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Jul 2006

Tour Operator:

First Choice

Submitted By:

Mr C Alexander

Comments:

four of us had a 2 week stay at this hotel and found the outside bungalows provided dirty and bland tv not working and insects in the bath, food was good however alcohol was terrible i think this is why they have a shop on the premises selling proper branded alcohol, on complaining no joy at the hotel or through first choice, we had a problem with the on site rep as she was never there and also sports described in the brochure and by the travel agent are misleeding as they are actually very poor indead, please beware!

Excellent hotel we really...

Overall Rating:

9/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Oct 2006

Tour Operator:

Booked Independently

Submitted By:

Mr D Evans

Comments:

Excellent hotel we really enjoyed our stay here.



Rooms were spacious and light and always kept clean. Best ones were the bungalows across the front of the site with the beautiful sea views (though the patios were a bit on the small side).

These have a separate small bedroom in addition to the main room - so very handy if you have an older child.



Gardens are immaculate and beautiful - almost Caribbean like. The whole site is well maintained. Lots of swimming pools - just seek out the ones away from the main bar if you want a bit of peace & quiet. Plenty of places & spaces to hang out and chill around the hotel.



Beaches are man-made and small - probably the weak point of the hotel, but the artificial lagoons made for safe swimming and hours of fun with inflatables. There is a bit of sand - but not much! Slightly bigger sandy beach at nearby Panormo, and very large one at Rethymnon.



Position is on a headland so some may find this too remote & quiet (but we loved it). Good transport links to nearby towns - the bus stops right outside the hotel on the main high way. Noddy train to Panormo (small fishing village a couple of miles away). A few shops outside the hotel gates, and one general shop on site.



Food & drinks we to a good standard throughout the day.



Kids clubs - several different age groups catering right up to early teens. Lots of onsite activities organised for them including; banana boat rides (at reduced rates), soccer tournaments, mini golf etc. Evening entertainment - normal 'mini disco ' affair and usual rep. standard shows - not very professional but OK - they worked hard and managed to include all nationalities quite effectively.



Recommend a trip on the Pirate replica ship for all budding young pirates in the family (leaves the Old Port in Rethymnon daily).



Definitely recommend this place if you are not fond of the nightlife type holidays.

We had a 3 hour delay before we...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

May 2007

Tour Operator:

First Choice

Submitted By:

Mrs W Owen

Comments:

We had a 3 hour delay before we reached our destination but found a comfy leather sofa in the bar at Birmingham airport and didn't let it set the tone for our much needed holiday. We arrived and were transferred by the erratic taxi driver to the hotel but the beautiful sunset, kept us relaxed and looking forward to what turned out to be a fantastic 2 weeks.



On arrival we were very impressed by the elegance of the hotel frontage, we entered the reception who were very efficient and advised us to leave our bags which would be taken to our room, we popped up to the room minus the bags to get a quick once over and were very impressed , comfy clean & welcoming.



We had upgraded for a sea view which we got, but on staying at the hotel for 2 weeks I could see that you would be hard pushed in any room to not get this anyway. Towels were changed every day, bedding at least 2x a week and more if required , just leave bedding in bath and it will be replaced , rooms were cleaned everyday and toiletries replaced as required. I always take an iron with me & don't wash clothes until I return so did not test laundry facility.



Food was fabulous on all occasions, we used the restaurant for breakfast & evening meal, and tended to use the pool side bar for lunch, the quality was always 100% and we would definitely go back.



Beer, wine and soft drinks are on tap so you help yourself, no queues ice cream was available by the poolside bar and again it was help yourself. There was food available pretty much 24/7.



We only went to the scheduled entertainment a few times and it was enjoyable, although I have seen better with First Choice reps. Although it certainly wasn't for the lack of trying on the entertainment teams behalf. Rocky was an absolute star with the children. They must have work 24/7 as they are always around and always smiling.

There is entertainment throughout the day with pool aerobics salsa dancing archery and the rest if you want to par take, ---- I don't I like to laze about and people watch and soak up some rays.



The main pool can be very entertaining but there are plenty of smaller pools if you like somewhere quiet, even a baby splash pool for the little ones that is nice for some quiet 1-2-1. There is also a toddler safe area included within the main pool.



We went in May so the swim up pool wasn't open, it didn't spoil our holiday, and you can use the sister hotel adjoining where their swim up pool was open, we didn't use it so not sure what was available as all inclusive there, there was such a lot of locations within this site we never felt the need to peruse it, although our son used the indoor pool at the (mare) a few times as he said it was warmer , I dipped my foot to check & couldn't feel any difference!



We did go to the Greek night which is an extra at the side of the pool, many people moaned about the cost, as we were all inclusive, but it was worth every penny the food was amazing, the entertainment fantastic, and then finished off with a spectacular fire work display that (those who had moaned about the cost) sat like the poor relations on the steps to watch!



The staff could not do enough for you, upon arriving I asked for extra pillows and they were there within minutes, if you approached the reception staff re any issues (of which there were few) they would get answers with in minutes.



The bar staff were amazing after serving you once you could approach the bar as a regular and they would know what your tipple was.



We went with our 9year old son, he very quickly made friends and only occasionally used the kids facilities, which again I would say I have seen better in First Choice resorts but the facilities (i.e.) pools and the location make it difficult to not enjoy anyway. Our son has always used the kids clubs but, as he is now a little older favoured staying by the pool and just attended a few activities.

If clubbing, burgers & chips and kiss me quick is for you. It probably isn't your kind of place!



You are about 30mins from the town. Bus service is excellent, stopping right outside the complex but I only like to have a look round maybe 2x in the fortnight, I may have done a little more sight seeing if three locations had not been so good!!!!!!!!! If however you want a nice location, nice food and some sun, and want to feel that you would like a touch of class on your holiday, then I would definitely recommend it.



We will defiantly go back!

Duration: 2 weeks from 18th May...

Overall Rating:

8/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

May 2007

Tour Operator:

Thomas Cook

Submitted By:

Mrs S Norman

Comments:

Duration: 2 weeks from 18th May - 2nd June 2007, rained on three days and was cloudy on one, rest of the time it was dry and between 22 degrees and 25 degrees.



Hotel – negatives:



Hotel – All inclusive packages £££ – always remember that in some countries “all inclusive” doesn’t mean all is included, even if you would reasonably expect certain things to be included never assume as we did at this hotel.



The extras we had to pay for which was very disappointing, was the use of a very basic gym which had restricted opening times (some of the machines were broke as well).



We had to pay an extortionate fee to use the safety box to safeguard our passports, tickets, insurance docs and jewellery etc, also, there wasn’t even a simple iron available – you had to pre-book laundry service which was inconvenient and yet another way of making money as an extra cost!



Entertainment wise – children’s entertainment looked very good but the adult entertainment was very basic.



The only entertainers were the animators who although were very friendly and lively, and provided some moderate entertainment, it would have been nice to have some more themed nights whereby they hired professionals such as “Greek Dancers” or a different DJ rather than their resident animator DJ who played the same style of Euro pop on most nights at the disco bar.



The only themed “Greek Night with Greek Dancing” was again an extra cost which only happened once in the two weeks we were there.



Hotel – positives:



Food – this was excellent in terms of quality, variety, and availability so you will never go hungry and fab for veggies if you are one! I cannot tell you how beautiful the food was!!!



Staff - all were very friendly and very efficient, you could not fault them, – and it was always 5 stars+! We tipped pretty much everyone before we left. Then there was the special Doris who was a waitress serving at the Mare bar (one of the sister Hotel was called the Crete Mare) who made us feel extremely welcome!



Facilities -The hotel had a broad range of facilities including pools, bars, and gym/s and laundry service (though it is very basic and cost extra) and lots of children’s activities.

Toilets were probably the cleanest I’ve seen on holiday– and the hotel was very beautiful with lots of picturesque views to choose from and plenty of places in the hotel to sunbathe on.



Location - located more like on the edge of Rethymnon rather than in it, but the local transport system was very good so you didn't feel unreasonably miles and miles away from anywhere else so overall the location was ok/good.



I would most definitely recommend this hotel and might go back there in future, but just remember to save a bit more for all those hidden extras! Also, take a traveller’s iron with you if you think you might need to iron a lot!



Thomas Cook:



Welcome by Thomas Cook – they weren’t very flexible in meeting and greeting new arrivals for the following reason; We flew into Heraklion after 4am and by the time we were in the hotel, it was after 6am, we got to bed just after 6:30am, we had no more than 2.5 hours sleep time before we had to get ready to meet the tour Rep at 9am.



There was no one there to meet the Rep except me and my family, but no wonder, everyone had been travelling for hours, they were jet lagged, and were expected to get up a couple of hours later! No wonder. Not very flexible at all.



Excursions – they provided very little information on the excursions they presented to us. We had opted for their “Ancient Greece” excursion at 42 Euros per person to visit Knossos and the ancient ruins of King Minos, and also a trip to Heraklion – neither the leaflet nor the Rep mention that we would later have to pay an extra 6 Euros per person to see these ruins when we got there!



Luckily it fell on a bank holiday Monday so we went for free which even surprised the guide, but then just as we thought we were lucky - talking of lack of information though, the Rep could have also advised us how Bank holidays affected site seeing – so when we were in Heraklion, most of the museums/old public buildings/ monasteries etc which you would normally hope to see on such a trip was also closed – so Heraklion was a rather inefficient trip and waste of money in my opinion.



Having said that, none of the excursions had information of what other “extras” you would have to pay for, and we discovered very quickly that it was better to assume that all you paid for was the coach trip there and back and for a guide in these excursions, as they didn’t necessarily include lunch or entries into any ancient sites or ruins the excursion was intended to visit.



However, perhaps this is how all tour operators work in Crete but this I cannot comment on since I have only been through Thomas Cook.



General Helpfulness – The local rep gave my family the wrong pick up time for the excursion to Santorini, which was 90 Euros per person as not cheap as you might say, so they almost missed this!!



Overall no positives here for Thomas Cook on this occasion I’m afraid. I would advise anyone to ensure they ask what everything does or doesn’t include, any hidden extras to visiting the sites.



Better yet – get acquainted with everything yourself as Crete has excellent local transport services to most places and visiting these places yourself with a rough guide as your guide which may save you up to 50%, you will also have more flexibility with your time (we visited both Magarites, Arcadia, Chania, Rethimon or Rethymnon all via local transports which was much cheaper and much more rewarding).



I would use Thomas Cook in future but only if they were much cheaper than other tour operators rather than for their informativeness.



Crete island – definitely worth re-visiting, love the place. The weather is better in June for moderate weather although peak weather / heat and tourist point (so I've been informed by staff at the hotel and some locals) is normally during end of June, July, and August.



Enjoy!

This was our third time at the...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Oct 2006

Tour Operator:

Sunstar Leisure

Submitted By:

Mr J Westover

Comments:

This was our third time at the Creta Panorama in two years. My wife is a wheelchair user, so we do our research to make sure the hotels we stay at are suitable.



We were very happy with our accommodation which was on the ground floor and a very easy for her to get around. The staff were very helpful at all times and not to be faulted. The food was superb and there was always something that we both liked.



We have stayed at a lot of hotels all over Europe all inclusive and this hotel is by far the best all round. We will go back again for sure.

This hotel in northern Crete is...

Overall Rating:

9/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Sep 2006

Tour Operator:

First Choice

Submitted By:

KylieWoollard

Comments:

This hotel in northern Crete is perfect for a week of complete relaxation. Despite being a fairly large hotel, the 6 swimming pools and many bars and restaurants mean there is the space to make it feel like a much smaller quieter resort if you desire. The main pool area is generally very busy with children and daytime activities but the smaller pools are perfect for peaceful sunbathing.



The rooms are excellent and maintained to a very high standard and the food although generally buffet style is very varied and almost constantly available.



The resort is a little isolated but contains everything you require for a relaxing holiday.

I've had a fantastic holiday,...

Overall Rating:

9/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Aug 2006

Tour Operator:

First Choice

Submitted By:

Miss E H

Comments:

I've had a fantastic holiday, the staff were very friendly and we made friends with most of the animation team. The hotel was in a good location. The scenery was beautiful and the coves were nice to swim in.



There was a lot of sports to try and the animation team were very energetic. The shows were funny and great to watch. The food was amazing and the waiters and waitresses collected your plates promptly. They were friendly and polite and so were the bar staff.



The salt water pools weren't as good as I expected. They stung your eyes but were clean. The flight was awful, the plane was very cramped. When the taxi drivers took us to our hotel they weren't being very careful and we didn't feel very safe.



Overall it has been a fantastic holiday! Thank you xxx

Stayed in the Creta Panorama in...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Jul 2005

Tour Operator:

Sunstar Leisure

Submitted By:

Mrs S Sanders

Comments:

Stayed in the Creta Panorama in July '05 for our 10th wedding anniversary. One of the nicest hotels that I have stayed in (and there's been quite a few).



The food was excellent. The room was nice. The hotel is situated in a nice position with 3 private coves shared between Creta Panorama and the hotel next door. There is a little water sports business operating from the pier between the coves where you can water ski, wakeboard, banana, ringo or just hire a day boat yourself to see the coastline.



There are several hotel swimming pools hiding in all crooks and crannies.



The sunsets are amazing from the restaurant's terrace, so ensure you eat outside if only on the 1 night.



Downside - We had an Italian Job experience on the transfer from the airport to the hotel. A taxi picked us up (organised by our Tour Operator), driver didn't speak a word of English and drove erratically through this town of narrow streets with only an inch to spare either side of the car. 1 hour journey approx.

We looked forward to this...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Sep 2004

Tour Operator:

Thomas Cook

Submitted By:

Mrs D Sleigh

Comments:

We looked forward to this holiday for a year in advance, and I must say we were not disappointed. We stayed in a suite, which was large, airy and spotlessly clean. There were plenty of pools from the busy main freeform pool, down to a small quiet pool overlooking the beach.



The food was excellent and not repetitive like you sometimes find on all-inclusive holidays. The kids loved the evening entertainment and haven’t stopped talking about it since.



The private beaches are small coves so perfect for families to swim and there are plenty of sunbeds to go around. We would all definitely visit this hotel again in the future.

I work Hard all year, and when I...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Jun 2004

Tour Operator:

Thomas Cook

Submitted By:

cynide

Comments:

I work Hard all year, and when I go away I must admit I like luxury between 4-5*). This hotel is excellent it was very friendly, clean, and Luxurious.



There is always enough to go round (food and drink wise). You can get a sun bed and there are strict rules that no towels are left by the pool before a certain time. This hotel wants to ensure that there guests are having a good time, and that your ever whim is catered for.


The rooms are as they look in the brochure picture light and airy. There are a few pools some quieter than others the main pool has lots going on not just for the kids, and in the evening they will put shows on or there are places that are a lot quieter to sit and relax. This hotel is a definite one that you return to we would all go back, and it’s very resonable.



Careful though you might think that you have found the gateway to Heaven.

The hotel was clean and well...

Overall Rating:

9/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Sep 2003

Tour Operator:

Not Specified

Submitted By:

joannaabfab

Comments:

The hotel was clean and well cared for always staff cleaning, gardening etc. Friendly Staff!! Great choice of food although at the end of two weeks you may just start to get bored but was a great selection particularly liked the bit where chef cooks the day’s specialities in front of you, loved the Paella! All Inclusive was great alcoholic or soft drinks really were on tap! By the pool it’s plastic cups but I found these small cups sufficient as it doesn’t take long for your drinks to get warm and seeing as it is on tap you can just go get some more nice and chilled!


There is the large main pool where all the activities go on, music booming you know the scene but the smaller pools are great if you want to relax like me. I would definitely go back and felt I had great value for money.



There is also a gym you can use at the sister hotel next door, which is a bit on the small size, but if you are an enthusiast it is fine! It is a little trek to the nearest towns where there are plenty of shops, restaurants etc. There wasn’t much entertainment at the hotel of interest to me which would be the only down side.



All in all I had a great holiday and look forward to my return.