Caretta Beach Hotel, Kalamaki
Hotel Information
Hotel Class:
Hotel Description:
Caretta Beach Hotel is set in the unspoilt resort of Kalamaki with itsbeautiful beaches. The complex consists of one, two bedroom and studio
apartments suitable for 2-6 persons. They are modern with air-conditioning
and fully equipped kitchen, ensuring a pleasant stay. Facilities are
exceptional for both you and your children, making your holidays relaxing
and carefree. Upon entering the hotel, you will feel the welcoming
atmosphere and Zakynthian hospitality from the friendly, helpful staff.
loading...
Nearby Hotels Viewed by Other Travellers
Caretta Beach Hotel Reviews
" Brilliant "
Submitted By: lilysingledene
Just rtd from 2 wks at the Caretta Beach and we have had a fantastic holiday! The hotel is lovely, nice clean rooms, nice size. We didnt really spend much time at the hotel at night, we preferred to wander about the main strip, or go into Zante town - which is absolutely beautiful, very nice in the evening in the square. Before coming to the hotel I had read some bad reviews about it, but I cant fault it. I emailed b4 hand and asked for a room away from the main bar, and we were put in block J, the furthest away. The staff were very accomodating and tended to my request with no problems. The beach at Kalamaki is a 'good' walk away but the hotel run a free shuttle bus daily. It really is worth a visit bacause its beautiful, so is the waterpark, my kids loved it (a 2 and a 4 year old). Overall, we would definately return to Zante and to the Caretta beach, its a great base for your holiday
Advice: A lovely place for couples or families
Activities: The turtle spotting and blue caves
3 out of
3 readers found this review helpful
- Date of Holiday:Aug 2009
- Board Basis:Self Catering
- Tour Operator:Booked Independently
" Great Time!! "
Submitted By: crees2593
Went to the Caretta Beach at the end of August - We had a fantastic time there. The hotel was fantastic, We only went in the main pool, games pool and jacuzzi but we saw some of the other pools which looked very nice as well! Pools were never too crowded, Never the need to reserve sunbeds although many did, but still managed to find beds together at 1:00.
No longer DJ Ginge or whoever as the entertainer any more, Now Matt and Lousie. They too were fantastic, but with them being new, they're entertainment programme was still small so it was Volleyball everyday, Killer Pool most days then the evening entertainment. Greek Night and Free Pizza Night are a must, even if you only go once! Also, Karl Lewis is a really good singer! He song Daniel Merrieweathers Red one day and I thought it was the actual song as I could not see him at the time.
You can actually see the runway from the hotel (sort of) and you do hear the planes whenever they take off or land, but never does it bother you as it sort of fascinates you. The planes only fly from 6am till 10:30pm so that it doesn't affect the turtles mating
Area itself has enough to survive from, but shops don't seem to be very specific - Every shop is Turtle dominated, but what do you expect. Some shops are better than others, but they are mainly holiday souvernier shops, and nothing which revolves around 1 thing (There is one shop which mainly does Watches but thats about the only one which we went to). Only went on the main street as we did not manage to get onto the street at the very end so you may find some there - DId find it a bit pricey wherever you went, for buiscuits and water and all that, the hotel shop is just as good as elsewhere. You may find some things cheaper but then there is the walk and all that as the hotel is set off the main road quite a bit.
As for restaurants, the best two we went in are Heavens Kitchen which is quite far up from the hotel, but still on the main road and not the furthest, and Artemis which is rather close if you go out the second entrance but the people in there are so friendly. Time Out is another nice one although the menu does seem slightly basic As for Mermaids which most recommend, It is not that good. Big Plates, Adequate food. It was nice, but really nothing special! As for Pandesia which the hotel recomends, its really not that great! Artemis is practically opposite it. Yummy's is nice but we felt the atmosphere was very tense and saw an argument occur. The worst restaurant by far is the Zakinthi/Zakanoh restaurant - It looks nice from the outside but the food is very disapointing. Their meze was more a vegetarian meal where elsewhere its meaty and their "marinated chicken" was just grilled sprinkled with a bit of lemon maybe! Also heard Ambrosia was nice and probably more restaurants are nice just we didnt go to them! For sports fans, Drunks Corner is a must, loads of TV's showing sports and sometimes Soaps!
Watch out, if they give you bread it is NOT free!
Another thing to watch out is the excursions - With the Reps its likely what they say you get, but if you go into town then there are people you can book with - They may be slightly cheaper, and we can not judge them as we didnt book with them, but our Rep said that one advertised a Swimming pool on the boat and not once had he seen a boat in the marina with a swimming pool on, so you may wish to be weary as you may not get what you booked.
Water Park is a must, Went there twice and had so much fun! You can't take food or drink with you, but we managed to take Ice Water in as they did not search anyone, not sure if they would if you went by Taxi or whatever but one the hotel trip we went in without being searched, but you never know, they may do sometimes. We also went on a trip to the Shipwreck which took 2 hours by boat there and a bit longer back as we stopped to take a swim and to have a meal - The boat itself was very packed as there were about 300 people on it so you felt like sardines and some of the chairs were the plastic garden chairs you get which made it feel a bit run down. The shipwreck itself though looked too perfect. It just looked like it was placed there. It wasnt of course, but its been ruined by people vandalising it. However, there was a little beach and you could swim in the sea there which was absolutely brilliant! On the way back you got to see the Blue Caves and we stopped there for a little while, then we stopped elsewhere, got off for an hour and had a meal. LEft hotel at 8:25 and got back around 4:30ish so quite a long day, however if you went on the whole island trip your on the boat for 8 hours!
As for Kalamaki Beach, due to the turtles you can only be 5m or less from the shore as of the nesting areas. There is a free bus from the hotel to the beach and there is a restaurant close to the bus stop but its expensive there (Cup, not a mug of tea, 3 euro) The beach is nice, but as we live close to the sea, it was just a day to visit it, not to sunbathe there.
THe holiday itself was FANTASTIC! Hotel was great, Staff were friendly, Entertainers are a good laugh but entertainment still basic.
Ok I may have gone into too much detail - But there was lots of information so its hard to keep it short. Sorry if you got bored of reading
No longer DJ Ginge or whoever as the entertainer any more, Now Matt and Lousie. They too were fantastic, but with them being new, they're entertainment programme was still small so it was Volleyball everyday, Killer Pool most days then the evening entertainment. Greek Night and Free Pizza Night are a must, even if you only go once! Also, Karl Lewis is a really good singer! He song Daniel Merrieweathers Red one day and I thought it was the actual song as I could not see him at the time.
You can actually see the runway from the hotel (sort of) and you do hear the planes whenever they take off or land, but never does it bother you as it sort of fascinates you. The planes only fly from 6am till 10:30pm so that it doesn't affect the turtles mating
Area itself has enough to survive from, but shops don't seem to be very specific - Every shop is Turtle dominated, but what do you expect. Some shops are better than others, but they are mainly holiday souvernier shops, and nothing which revolves around 1 thing (There is one shop which mainly does Watches but thats about the only one which we went to). Only went on the main street as we did not manage to get onto the street at the very end so you may find some there - DId find it a bit pricey wherever you went, for buiscuits and water and all that, the hotel shop is just as good as elsewhere. You may find some things cheaper but then there is the walk and all that as the hotel is set off the main road quite a bit.
As for restaurants, the best two we went in are Heavens Kitchen which is quite far up from the hotel, but still on the main road and not the furthest, and Artemis which is rather close if you go out the second entrance but the people in there are so friendly. Time Out is another nice one although the menu does seem slightly basic As for Mermaids which most recommend, It is not that good. Big Plates, Adequate food. It was nice, but really nothing special! As for Pandesia which the hotel recomends, its really not that great! Artemis is practically opposite it. Yummy's is nice but we felt the atmosphere was very tense and saw an argument occur. The worst restaurant by far is the Zakinthi/Zakanoh restaurant - It looks nice from the outside but the food is very disapointing. Their meze was more a vegetarian meal where elsewhere its meaty and their "marinated chicken" was just grilled sprinkled with a bit of lemon maybe! Also heard Ambrosia was nice and probably more restaurants are nice just we didnt go to them! For sports fans, Drunks Corner is a must, loads of TV's showing sports and sometimes Soaps!
Watch out, if they give you bread it is NOT free!
Another thing to watch out is the excursions - With the Reps its likely what they say you get, but if you go into town then there are people you can book with - They may be slightly cheaper, and we can not judge them as we didnt book with them, but our Rep said that one advertised a Swimming pool on the boat and not once had he seen a boat in the marina with a swimming pool on, so you may wish to be weary as you may not get what you booked.
Water Park is a must, Went there twice and had so much fun! You can't take food or drink with you, but we managed to take Ice Water in as they did not search anyone, not sure if they would if you went by Taxi or whatever but one the hotel trip we went in without being searched, but you never know, they may do sometimes. We also went on a trip to the Shipwreck which took 2 hours by boat there and a bit longer back as we stopped to take a swim and to have a meal - The boat itself was very packed as there were about 300 people on it so you felt like sardines and some of the chairs were the plastic garden chairs you get which made it feel a bit run down. The shipwreck itself though looked too perfect. It just looked like it was placed there. It wasnt of course, but its been ruined by people vandalising it. However, there was a little beach and you could swim in the sea there which was absolutely brilliant! On the way back you got to see the Blue Caves and we stopped there for a little while, then we stopped elsewhere, got off for an hour and had a meal. LEft hotel at 8:25 and got back around 4:30ish so quite a long day, however if you went on the whole island trip your on the boat for 8 hours!
As for Kalamaki Beach, due to the turtles you can only be 5m or less from the shore as of the nesting areas. There is a free bus from the hotel to the beach and there is a restaurant close to the bus stop but its expensive there (Cup, not a mug of tea, 3 euro) The beach is nice, but as we live close to the sea, it was just a day to visit it, not to sunbathe there.
THe holiday itself was FANTASTIC! Hotel was great, Staff were friendly, Entertainers are a good laugh but entertainment still basic.
Ok I may have gone into too much detail - But there was lots of information so its hard to keep it short. Sorry if you got bored of reading
Advice: Really Nice place. Nice Restaurants, Decent Shops, Drivers on the road seem a little suicidal at tim
Activities: RESTAURANTS = Artemis and Heavens Kitchen - ACTIVITIES = Water Park
Good for: Beach
4 out of
4 readers found this review helpful
- Date of Holiday:Aug 2009
- Board Basis:Self Catering
- Tour Operator:Booked Independently
" great "
Submitted By: paula taylor
We went to caretta beach hotel family of 4 adults, Stayed in appts J, the peach painted ones! we had a fantastic time the room was great the pool was lovely and quiet, plenty of sunbeds each day, no towel saving there.
There was plenty on in the hotel complex if you wanted to get involved. Would definately go again. One down side my daughter left 2 white t shirt tops out in the appts and the cleaner must've taken them with the towels, and there was nothing we could do about it!!!
But apart from that some good restaurants too in kalamaki
the olive garden, michealos, the mermaid, ambrosia to name a few
paula taylor
There was plenty on in the hotel complex if you wanted to get involved. Would definately go again. One down side my daughter left 2 white t shirt tops out in the appts and the cleaner must've taken them with the towels, and there was nothing we could do about it!!!
But apart from that some good restaurants too in kalamaki
the olive garden, michealos, the mermaid, ambrosia to name a few
paula taylor
Advice: quiet resort ( compared to nearby laganas)
Activities: boat trip around the island, hir a car to tour the island yourself
Good for: Beach
2 out of
2 readers found this review helpful
- Date of Holiday:Aug 2009
- Board Basis:Self Catering
- Tour Operator:Thomson
" great "
Submitted By: Amieerose
I stayed at caretta beach with my family andit was great,
i stayed self catering and the kitchens were quite small but ok and the rooms were ok but we had to get moved as we had a ant problems,
but they moved us to a upgraded room for no cost that was verry modern and we had a seperate pool shared with about 10 other families.
However my kids went down tto the larger pool as it has more kids and entertainment.
the bar staff were friendly as they were wuite young and lively.
the drinks were reasonably cheep cocktails were 4 euros and beer was around 2.50,
we also had a ok dj called d.j ginge and he was friendly and done a good job in entertaining. the night entertainment was good consisting in kareokie bingo quizzes and live singers.
it was close to the main strip they ahd lots of bars and restaurants :)
overall i enjoyed it and so did my kids as lots of kids where there and they had a great time :)
p.s it isnt that close to the beach about a 10 miniute walk to a pebbley beach that you couldnt go on at certain times as the turtles and you cudnt go to a certain limit in the sea either and you dont see nooo turtles at all :(
but it was good :)
i stayed self catering and the kitchens were quite small but ok and the rooms were ok but we had to get moved as we had a ant problems,
but they moved us to a upgraded room for no cost that was verry modern and we had a seperate pool shared with about 10 other families.
However my kids went down tto the larger pool as it has more kids and entertainment.
the bar staff were friendly as they were wuite young and lively.
the drinks were reasonably cheep cocktails were 4 euros and beer was around 2.50,
we also had a ok dj called d.j ginge and he was friendly and done a good job in entertaining. the night entertainment was good consisting in kareokie bingo quizzes and live singers.
it was close to the main strip they ahd lots of bars and restaurants :)
overall i enjoyed it and so did my kids as lots of kids where there and they had a great time :)
p.s it isnt that close to the beach about a 10 miniute walk to a pebbley beach that you couldnt go on at certain times as the turtles and you cudnt go to a certain limit in the sea either and you dont see nooo turtles at all :(
but it was good :)
Advice: it was good but a lil pricey when we went
Activities:
- Date of Holiday:May 2009
- Board Basis:Self Catering
- Tour Operator:Booked Independently
" Dont be the first plane to land in the season "
Submitted By: westonsuperfan
Having been to Rhodes we forgot what going on the first week of the season meant. Hotel not fully ready the resort only half open as the business's suddenly realise hey its that time again where we make money. But were still not open on leaving. Well Kalamaki was the same.
RESORT
A small resort with one main strip and a few bars off of it down towards the dirty beach. Having said that we had a great time and spent our money at places that were curteous enough to be ready for us. Best bar was the Drunken Corner with attentive and friendly staff and a good atmosphere. Best food we found was at the Time Out restaurant 2 doors down and also YoYo,s near Crystal Beach although a little too expensive for our liking.
PRICES
Cigarettes were cheap especially if you could get last seasons stock. But for this year most were between 23E and 28E but tobacco was very expensive compared to say Majorca. Lagers were mainly Amstel and the local Mythos and was only 2E but Magners drinkers beware 5E and very expensive. Goods that were good value were gifts like fridge magnets leather goods and ceramics.
HOTEL
The hotel is perfectly placed 5 minutes from the airport and the aircraft noise was not obtrusive at all. The person who obviously had a bad time saying she could see all of the pilots faces must be supermans wife because they were close but not that close. It has 7 pools and a new block is planned later this year but is for Scandinavians and Dutch people only but looks nice.The hotel seems to change the rules prices etc daily so dont go by the entertainment sheet on offer but it made for a good laugh. DJ Ginge or DJ Minge as we called him was excellent at looking after you even with all the mistakes it kept a group of us in stitches. Thank you from both of us- The Scottish manager actually spoke more to us as we were leaving that at the whole time we were there so we reckon he was making sure we left hehe but again a nice fellow. All staff were curteous and helpful and the appartments were excellent worth the extra £50. B Block being in the best position in our opinion.
HOLIDAY
The holiday was brilliant as we met some lovely people and the fact things were not ready just gave us something to laugh about. We will definately go back for a week next year but not on the first week because we want to see how the resort looks when it is fully up and running.
ALTERNATIVE DAILY SHEET (Those who were there will understand this)
7AM MAINTENANCE LESSONS Come and join our maintenance team as we varnish the play area and see if we can get some children stuck to the railings in the heat. Prizes on offer if you can guess which kid gets caught first.
8AM HOW FAR CAN YOU GET Prizes on offer if you can get to the end of the road without getting stuck in fresh tar that has been laid in strips and ridges either side of the hotel.
9AM WALK WITH A SMILE Come and do a mile walk with DJ Ginge but get there about 8AM to make sure you go on it as he tends to leave whenever he likes to keep you on your toes. During the walk the competition will be to guess which business will be opening for the first time today.
10AM BASIC PLUMBING TECHNIQUES
Join our heating engineers as we show you how to get your toilet flush working properly and also how to get hot water pumped into your bathroom.
11AM GUESS THE EXCUSE Who can say why the jacuzzi is not working today sounds easy but no everyday the reason is different so be careful.
12PM SUPERMARKET SWEEP Make sure you take your wallet as the game is to predict how much your good are going to cost again be careful because we change them daily to confuse you hehe.
1PM PLANE SPOTTING Join us for some plane spotting from B Block see if you can tell the colour of the pilots hair.
2PM CROSSWORD CHALLENGE A real teaser on offer a crossword so difficult even Stephen Hawkins would struggle. But it will keep you quiet for a bit until your head explodes. Dont ask DJ Ginge for a start because even he does not know the answers.
4PM DJ MINGE ON THE RADIO Come and join our very own celebrity on Island Radio for his 2 hour show relax and fall asleep to our very own record spinner. Spell your dedications carefully or he will dedicate them to the wrong person.
4PM UNHAPPY HOUR See if you can guess which drinks are on the happy hour today and which are not also if the price is the same. Join in the daily argument with the manager and see if you can change his mind. Great fun for all.
6PM WATCH THE SILVER SCREEN That is all you will watch as no films will come on so use the time to get to know your fellow guests and just lay back and imagine the film.
8PM SCOOTER DODGING Begin your evening with a game of chicken with the local joyriders come and frustrate the locals as they try and mow you down. Prizes for those of you still alive at the end of the game.
9PM OBNOXIOUS NIGHT Come and abuse the staff and see who can get thrown out of the hotel complex. There is a sweepstake on offer if you can guess the time and name of the daily eviction.
Finally big thank you to the hotel for a great time and for taking our sense of humour in good heart see you again soon
RESORT
A small resort with one main strip and a few bars off of it down towards the dirty beach. Having said that we had a great time and spent our money at places that were curteous enough to be ready for us. Best bar was the Drunken Corner with attentive and friendly staff and a good atmosphere. Best food we found was at the Time Out restaurant 2 doors down and also YoYo,s near Crystal Beach although a little too expensive for our liking.
PRICES
Cigarettes were cheap especially if you could get last seasons stock. But for this year most were between 23E and 28E but tobacco was very expensive compared to say Majorca. Lagers were mainly Amstel and the local Mythos and was only 2E but Magners drinkers beware 5E and very expensive. Goods that were good value were gifts like fridge magnets leather goods and ceramics.
HOTEL
The hotel is perfectly placed 5 minutes from the airport and the aircraft noise was not obtrusive at all. The person who obviously had a bad time saying she could see all of the pilots faces must be supermans wife because they were close but not that close. It has 7 pools and a new block is planned later this year but is for Scandinavians and Dutch people only but looks nice.The hotel seems to change the rules prices etc daily so dont go by the entertainment sheet on offer but it made for a good laugh. DJ Ginge or DJ Minge as we called him was excellent at looking after you even with all the mistakes it kept a group of us in stitches. Thank you from both of us- The Scottish manager actually spoke more to us as we were leaving that at the whole time we were there so we reckon he was making sure we left hehe but again a nice fellow. All staff were curteous and helpful and the appartments were excellent worth the extra £50. B Block being in the best position in our opinion.
HOLIDAY
The holiday was brilliant as we met some lovely people and the fact things were not ready just gave us something to laugh about. We will definately go back for a week next year but not on the first week because we want to see how the resort looks when it is fully up and running.
ALTERNATIVE DAILY SHEET (Those who were there will understand this)
7AM MAINTENANCE LESSONS Come and join our maintenance team as we varnish the play area and see if we can get some children stuck to the railings in the heat. Prizes on offer if you can guess which kid gets caught first.
8AM HOW FAR CAN YOU GET Prizes on offer if you can get to the end of the road without getting stuck in fresh tar that has been laid in strips and ridges either side of the hotel.
9AM WALK WITH A SMILE Come and do a mile walk with DJ Ginge but get there about 8AM to make sure you go on it as he tends to leave whenever he likes to keep you on your toes. During the walk the competition will be to guess which business will be opening for the first time today.
10AM BASIC PLUMBING TECHNIQUES
Join our heating engineers as we show you how to get your toilet flush working properly and also how to get hot water pumped into your bathroom.
11AM GUESS THE EXCUSE Who can say why the jacuzzi is not working today sounds easy but no everyday the reason is different so be careful.
12PM SUPERMARKET SWEEP Make sure you take your wallet as the game is to predict how much your good are going to cost again be careful because we change them daily to confuse you hehe.
1PM PLANE SPOTTING Join us for some plane spotting from B Block see if you can tell the colour of the pilots hair.
2PM CROSSWORD CHALLENGE A real teaser on offer a crossword so difficult even Stephen Hawkins would struggle. But it will keep you quiet for a bit until your head explodes. Dont ask DJ Ginge for a start because even he does not know the answers.
4PM DJ MINGE ON THE RADIO Come and join our very own celebrity on Island Radio for his 2 hour show relax and fall asleep to our very own record spinner. Spell your dedications carefully or he will dedicate them to the wrong person.
4PM UNHAPPY HOUR See if you can guess which drinks are on the happy hour today and which are not also if the price is the same. Join in the daily argument with the manager and see if you can change his mind. Great fun for all.
6PM WATCH THE SILVER SCREEN That is all you will watch as no films will come on so use the time to get to know your fellow guests and just lay back and imagine the film.
8PM SCOOTER DODGING Begin your evening with a game of chicken with the local joyriders come and frustrate the locals as they try and mow you down. Prizes for those of you still alive at the end of the game.
9PM OBNOXIOUS NIGHT Come and abuse the staff and see who can get thrown out of the hotel complex. There is a sweepstake on offer if you can guess the time and name of the daily eviction.
Finally big thank you to the hotel for a great time and for taking our sense of humour in good heart see you again soon
- Date of Holiday:May 2009
- Board Basis:Self Catering
- Tour Operator:Thomson
" Caretta hotel is lovely "
Submitted By: Becky1978
I stopped ther last month with 3 other friends and we had a great time. Even though the season was dying down and the hotel wasn't very busy.
It was clean the food was good and it has 5 clean swimming pools and plenty to do in the resort its self.
The best thing about this place is the staff their a mix between Greek and Scottish and are always pleasant and friendly. We loved the bar staff as they always made every evening fun if you didn't want to leave the hotel (which we rarely did) Geaoge was the most fun and everyone loved him. I'm also a firm believer in its not where you are its who your with that makes it a good time.
I've booked to go back with my kids next September and I'm counting down the days
One very happy guest ;-)
It was clean the food was good and it has 5 clean swimming pools and plenty to do in the resort its self.
The best thing about this place is the staff their a mix between Greek and Scottish and are always pleasant and friendly. We loved the bar staff as they always made every evening fun if you didn't want to leave the hotel (which we rarely did) Geaoge was the most fun and everyone loved him. I'm also a firm believer in its not where you are its who your with that makes it a good time.
I've booked to go back with my kids next September and I'm counting down the days
One very happy guest ;-)
- Date of Holiday:Sep 2008
- Board Basis:Self Catering
- Tour Operator:Thomas Cook
" Stayed in Caretta Beach. From word... "
Submitted By: Mrs L Sharpe
Stayed in Caretta Beach. From word go had a friendly reception. Find most people who complain are generally not very pleasant themselves. Rooms were clean and adequate, although a little dodgy when the bathroom floor gets wet (no shower curtain). I do agree that air conditioning should come with the room and not be at an extra price. Everyone tried very hard to make everyones stay a good one. Entertainment was really good, a little loud at times, but you are on holiday, you expect it. While there XL airlines went bust and the hotel made sure there was up to date info displayed. They also helped out a lot of people who had probs with other hotels. We were waved off by the manageress, who said goodbye to everyone personnally. The bar staff remembered how I liked my drink and were very friendly and entertaining, especially, Emma, Katie, George and the rest. Would definately go back again. Remember, if you want things to be like home, then stay there, it is always diff, when abroad. Just enjoy your holiday, we certainly did.
- Date of Holiday:Sep 2008
- Board Basis:Self Catering
- Tour Operator:Kosmar
" I am replying to the last bad review... "
Submitted By: may o sullivan
I am replying to the last bad review given on the Caretta Beach Kalamaki.
I could not believe what i was reading,this IS a family run hotel,the staff are friendly and very helpful,there is nothing you cannot ask for and they do their best to help,
Ok we may not all have the same taste in entertainment,if one does not like the cabaret then we are all free to walk into the main strip where there is so much other entertainment going on for every taste.
We have been to the Caretta 3 times with family and grandchildren,we had no complaints,we were well looked after and we did hear noise sometimes from the bar and i do believe the music now stops around midnight which is expected !!!!,
Just wanted to say that the positive reviews are far more than the negative ones.
We have met families who have been going to the same hotel for years and have always had a lovely time,if this hotel is as bad as the previous reviewer says why would people spend hard earned money to go and keep going back every year???
I could not believe what i was reading,this IS a family run hotel,the staff are friendly and very helpful,there is nothing you cannot ask for and they do their best to help,
Ok we may not all have the same taste in entertainment,if one does not like the cabaret then we are all free to walk into the main strip where there is so much other entertainment going on for every taste.
We have been to the Caretta 3 times with family and grandchildren,we had no complaints,we were well looked after and we did hear noise sometimes from the bar and i do believe the music now stops around midnight which is expected !!!!,
Just wanted to say that the positive reviews are far more than the negative ones.
We have met families who have been going to the same hotel for years and have always had a lovely time,if this hotel is as bad as the previous reviewer says why would people spend hard earned money to go and keep going back every year???
1 out of
1 reader found this review helpful
- Date of Holiday:Sep 2005
- Board Basis:Self Catering
- Tour Operator:Panorama
" Was really looking forward to going... "
Submitted By: Ms K Thomas
Was really looking forward to going to Caretta Beach after reading all the fantastic reviews - what a let down!!! This has got to be the biggest rip off hotel my family have ever stayed in, you had to pay for the air conditioning the price of which went up depending on the month - August being the most expensive, but in a Country where most days the temperature was well over 40 degrees, how can you live without it - you have little choice but to pay the extortionate prices they choose to charge. Internet - twice as much for half an hour as it was for a full hour in every other hotel we have ever stayed - then they let you pay for it and conveniently forget to tell you that 3 out of the 4 computers are broke so you have to wait hours to get on it (needless to say only paid the once) Happy hour - a so called family hotel that only includes alcoholic drinks at Happy hour - which starts daily at 4.10pm and finishes just as your about to buy your last drinks at 5 to 6 - supposedly 4-6pm. The shop - half of what they sell is not priced therefore they charge what they please at reception. Birthday cakes from 16 Euros - we ordered one for our daughters birthday and were charged 30 Euros - they only tell you the price when you collect it.
Food poisoning - we chose to take up the half board option - which was advertised at 60 Euros but had actually gone up to 72 Euros - bad mistake, three days into our 6 myself and my partner had chronic sickness and diaorreah, a couple of days later we were reliably told by a member of staff that both staff and guests had been coming down with this for the past two months, as the days went on needless to say more and more people were complaining of stomach upset - including staff members.
The hotel is managed by a Scottish guy who believe me would never get away with running a hotel this badly in the UK, he would have trading standards and Environmental Health shutting the place down months ago.
The apartments are awful, shower falling to pieces, floods the bathroom and is extremely dangerous for children and none of the electrical sockets work properly.
My parents were placed in a hotel room above the bar and so were subjected to the terrible sound of X Factor reject Karl Lewis 4 times during our 2 week stay singing the same songs in the same order. The entertainment was repetitive and garbage, needless to say the hotel bar was completley empty most nights.
There is a strange security guy strolling round the hotel during the day, but he is nowhere to be seen in the early hours of the morning when rowdy groups of youngsters returning from Laganas are jumping in the pools and screaming and shouting in the corridors.
To end on a slightly more positive note the pools are clean and there are plenty of sun loungers, oh and Dimitris the bar man actually does talk to all guests, not just the groups of young girls like the rest of them.
Believe me please this is not just a spiteful review - I wish I had believed the odd bad review I read before booking this hotel, the good reviews are definately not written by families with children - in my opinion this hotel absolutely does not cater for children and therefore should not be classed as a family hotel.
Food poisoning - we chose to take up the half board option - which was advertised at 60 Euros but had actually gone up to 72 Euros - bad mistake, three days into our 6 myself and my partner had chronic sickness and diaorreah, a couple of days later we were reliably told by a member of staff that both staff and guests had been coming down with this for the past two months, as the days went on needless to say more and more people were complaining of stomach upset - including staff members.
The hotel is managed by a Scottish guy who believe me would never get away with running a hotel this badly in the UK, he would have trading standards and Environmental Health shutting the place down months ago.
The apartments are awful, shower falling to pieces, floods the bathroom and is extremely dangerous for children and none of the electrical sockets work properly.
My parents were placed in a hotel room above the bar and so were subjected to the terrible sound of X Factor reject Karl Lewis 4 times during our 2 week stay singing the same songs in the same order. The entertainment was repetitive and garbage, needless to say the hotel bar was completley empty most nights.
There is a strange security guy strolling round the hotel during the day, but he is nowhere to be seen in the early hours of the morning when rowdy groups of youngsters returning from Laganas are jumping in the pools and screaming and shouting in the corridors.
To end on a slightly more positive note the pools are clean and there are plenty of sun loungers, oh and Dimitris the bar man actually does talk to all guests, not just the groups of young girls like the rest of them.
Believe me please this is not just a spiteful review - I wish I had believed the odd bad review I read before booking this hotel, the good reviews are definately not written by families with children - in my opinion this hotel absolutely does not cater for children and therefore should not be classed as a family hotel.
1 out of
1 reader found this review helpful
- Date of Holiday:Aug 2008
- Board Basis:Self Catering
- Tour Operator:Kosmar
" Hello,just got back fron... "
Submitted By: KEVANDPERRY
Hello,just got back fron Zante,although the flight was delayed by 8 hours coming home.
All i can say is what a wonderful time we had,myself,wife and 2 boys,the staff were friendly from the time we arrived,they couldn't be more helpful.
Facilities were great,rooms were clean,everything you need for a base,which is all you ask for.
Swimming pools were great, we all enjoyed them,plenty of sunbeds.
Entertainment on site was good, evenings were well catered for,music stopped at midnight.
Happy hours 4-6pm was used greatly by everyone,all in all it was a great atmosphere.
My kid's hardly moaned all holiday,mainly because they were in the pool,which says it all.
Eating out was fine,Mermaids served good food in big portions,Olive Tree was good value,but for value and friendly service plus great food,DIAS had to be our favorite.
Be careful of the mad scooter drivers if you go, waterpark is a must,my 8 year old boy went on all the big slides and loved it,me being 40 even dared the big green shoot,you can't beat it.
We tried the beach which was ok,very small,but you can just paddle and little fish swim around you,we also hired a peddalo to go out further,but alas didn't see the famous turtles,but lovely clear water for a swim with the fish,snorkels a must.
The Euro's rate for us was 1.23 which still gave us plenty of money to spend for the value,although a better rate would have made it a snip of a price.
Whatever reviews you've read,i can honestly say for a family holiday it had everything,we even had all male and all female parties there which added to the fun,temps were hot around 11am-3pm, around 40 degrees at times,we'll be back for more in the future,hopefully 2 weeks as 1 was not enough to explore the island.
As to being close to the airport, it didn't make any difference, my kids loved to see the planes take off and land,no disruption to you holiday at all.
Thank you Caretta Beach
The Burch Family xxx
All i can say is what a wonderful time we had,myself,wife and 2 boys,the staff were friendly from the time we arrived,they couldn't be more helpful.
Facilities were great,rooms were clean,everything you need for a base,which is all you ask for.
Swimming pools were great, we all enjoyed them,plenty of sunbeds.
Entertainment on site was good, evenings were well catered for,music stopped at midnight.
Happy hours 4-6pm was used greatly by everyone,all in all it was a great atmosphere.
My kid's hardly moaned all holiday,mainly because they were in the pool,which says it all.
Eating out was fine,Mermaids served good food in big portions,Olive Tree was good value,but for value and friendly service plus great food,DIAS had to be our favorite.
Be careful of the mad scooter drivers if you go, waterpark is a must,my 8 year old boy went on all the big slides and loved it,me being 40 even dared the big green shoot,you can't beat it.
We tried the beach which was ok,very small,but you can just paddle and little fish swim around you,we also hired a peddalo to go out further,but alas didn't see the famous turtles,but lovely clear water for a swim with the fish,snorkels a must.
The Euro's rate for us was 1.23 which still gave us plenty of money to spend for the value,although a better rate would have made it a snip of a price.
Whatever reviews you've read,i can honestly say for a family holiday it had everything,we even had all male and all female parties there which added to the fun,temps were hot around 11am-3pm, around 40 degrees at times,we'll be back for more in the future,hopefully 2 weeks as 1 was not enough to explore the island.
As to being close to the airport, it didn't make any difference, my kids loved to see the planes take off and land,no disruption to you holiday at all.
Thank you Caretta Beach
The Burch Family xxx
- Date of Holiday:Aug 2008
- Board Basis:Self Catering
- Tour Operator:Thomas Cook
" Hotel was okay not brilliant
I... "
Hotel was okay not brilliant
I dont know why everyone thinks the hotel staff are nice they were not very helpful or freindly to me the barstaff didn't say hello or how are you when you got your drinks one guy looked like cristiano ronaldo and I nearly smacked him!! The pool was fine could be bigger as it got crowded(main pool) It was more geared up for families. Near the airport not really any trouble flights stop at 10.30 pm and start again at 6am in the morning which can be an alarm clock to get your beach towels on the bed. Rooms were adequate, a little small but good enough, the aircon was a rip off aswell!!!!
I could of snipered the night time entertainer Carl lewis, he was an awful singer just a wannabe ronan keating he kept me up for hours, highly annoying. Kalamaki is nice but a little commercialised but the turtles fill the gap. On that basis I would head for Kalamaki but not Caretta Beach!!
I dont know why everyone thinks the hotel staff are nice they were not very helpful or freindly to me the barstaff didn't say hello or how are you when you got your drinks one guy looked like cristiano ronaldo and I nearly smacked him!! The pool was fine could be bigger as it got crowded(main pool) It was more geared up for families. Near the airport not really any trouble flights stop at 10.30 pm and start again at 6am in the morning which can be an alarm clock to get your beach towels on the bed. Rooms were adequate, a little small but good enough, the aircon was a rip off aswell!!!!
I could of snipered the night time entertainer Carl lewis, he was an awful singer just a wannabe ronan keating he kept me up for hours, highly annoying. Kalamaki is nice but a little commercialised but the turtles fill the gap. On that basis I would head for Kalamaki but not Caretta Beach!!
- Date of Holiday:Aug 2008
- Board Basis:Half Board
- Tour Operator:Manos
" the Carreta Beach is a wonderful... "
Submitted By: Mr . JUBB JUBB
the Carreta Beach is a wonderful hotel and we had lotrs of fun especially on the BBQ night which did get out of hand, lovely food and drink and loved sexy George the barman. Happy hour finis at 6 but great while its on Defo go back. Jubb Jubb
- Date of Holiday:Jun 2008
- Board Basis:Room Only
- Tour Operator:Kosmar
" Stayed at Caretta Beach last week in... "
Submitted By: Mr David Langton
Stayed at Caretta Beach last week in July, 2 families with 4 adults & 5 kids between them aged between 6 & 13. Weather very hot!!
The Hotel itself is good, very clean, with the pool area very good, with 3 main pools. Plenty of sun beds available, but prime spots are grabbed early on by the towel brigade. Bar area is good with reasonable prices & decent food available, BOGOF is 4pm till 6pm on alcoholic drinks only. Entertainment at night was OK; a free pizza night was well received!!
Apartments were in several blocks including above the bar!! Which we noticed had babies allocated in!!! Not ideal. The music was generally off by 12-30am. 1 bed apartments are small but have fridge,microwave,toaster & kettle included, balcony is off the shared walkway. 2 bed apartments had 2 private balconies & were on 2 levels.
Although Classed as a family hotel, there were several same sex groups in the hotel, however in fairness to them they were pretty well behaved & seemed to appreciate that the Hotel had plenty of families around. The Airport runway is 500m away & you get a great view of planes landing & beginning take off!!!. However this is not a problem not many flights & only seem to be between 8am & 7pm.
Kalamaki itself is ok, plenty of bars restaurants to it, but not a lot else. We ate at DIAS (very good) AMBROSIA (very good) ESCAPE (excellent) & MILOS (dreadful) did not do MERMAIDS as other guests we spoke to did not rate it at all!!.
Nice but once is enough
The Hotel itself is good, very clean, with the pool area very good, with 3 main pools. Plenty of sun beds available, but prime spots are grabbed early on by the towel brigade. Bar area is good with reasonable prices & decent food available, BOGOF is 4pm till 6pm on alcoholic drinks only. Entertainment at night was OK; a free pizza night was well received!!
Apartments were in several blocks including above the bar!! Which we noticed had babies allocated in!!! Not ideal. The music was generally off by 12-30am. 1 bed apartments are small but have fridge,microwave,toaster & kettle included, balcony is off the shared walkway. 2 bed apartments had 2 private balconies & were on 2 levels.
Although Classed as a family hotel, there were several same sex groups in the hotel, however in fairness to them they were pretty well behaved & seemed to appreciate that the Hotel had plenty of families around. The Airport runway is 500m away & you get a great view of planes landing & beginning take off!!!. However this is not a problem not many flights & only seem to be between 8am & 7pm.
Kalamaki itself is ok, plenty of bars restaurants to it, but not a lot else. We ate at DIAS (very good) AMBROSIA (very good) ESCAPE (excellent) & MILOS (dreadful) did not do MERMAIDS as other guests we spoke to did not rate it at all!!.
Nice but once is enough
- Date of Holiday:Jul 2008
- Board Basis:Self Catering
- Tour Operator:Kosmar
" spent one week in caretta beach,... "
Submitted By: Miss S Wallace
spent one week in caretta beach, could easily have spent another. staff all amazingly friendly - homeys bar, happy hour 4-6 spent most late afternoons in there chilling - relaxed atmosphere. accomidation all you could ask for - air con throughout. entertainment was a great way to either spend a quiet night or to start the night with a couple of drinks - friday greek night - great! there are no complaints what so ever.
- Date of Holiday:Jul 2008
- Board Basis:Self Catering
- Tour Operator:Thomas Cook
loading...
Advice: quiet in october but planning on going back in september
Activities:
Good for: Beach