Gouves Water Park Holiday

Our first time abroad with all the family.A family friendly hotel.The slides were great fun.Staff were friendly and the place was clean and tidy.Entertainment was ok,could’ve been better.Sunbeds get taken quickly.The rooms were big and spacious.Shop on sight is quite expensive.As not too far from the airport,there’s a lot of planes that fly over but that didn’t bother us

We stayed at this resort recently and, while it has some clear positives, the overall experience was disappointing enough that I would rate it 3 stars at a push. The location does a lot of the heavy lifting here, because without it, the weaknesses of the hotel itself would be far more obvious. Food & Drink One of the biggest letdowns was the food. The meal choices were extremely basic and repetitive, with very little variation from day to day. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner followed almost the same format throughout our stay, which quickly became tiresome. For an all-inclusive resort, the lack of imagination and variety was surprising. While there were a few nice restaurants on site, access felt limited and availability was inconsistent, meaning most guests were pushed back toward the same buffet options repeatedly. Drinks were another major issue. All cocktails and beers were served in cheap plastic glasses, which instantly cheapened the experience. This might be acceptable around the pool, but it was the same everywhere, including evening bars. Worse still, the drinks were heavily watered down, often lacking any real taste. Cocktails in particular were disappointing and felt more like flavored water than proper drinks. Perhaps the most frustrating policy was that all-inclusive ended at 11pm. After that time, everything had to be paid for, which felt unreasonable for guests who had already paid for an all-inclusive package. This policy wasn’t clearly communicated beforehand and left many guests annoyed when trying to relax later in the evening. Pools & Atmosphere The pools were massively overcrowded, especially during peak hours. Finding space to swim or relax was difficult, and there was very little sense of calm or luxury. Sunbeds were taken early, and the general pool environment felt chaotic rather than enjoyable. One of the most misleading aspects was the swim-up rooms. These were advertised as a premium feature, but in reality, the swim-up pools were open to all guests, meaning there was no privacy whatsoever. People constantly walked past or swam directly outside the room, which completely defeated the purpose of booking a swim-up room. To make matters worse, swimming lessons were held outside our swim-up room every day. This meant groups of children, instructors, whistles, and constant noise directly outside our door during what should have been a relaxing experience. There was no warning about this, and it felt incredibly intrusive. Rooms & Maintenance The rooms were in serious need of an upgrade. While they were spacious enough, the condition was poor. Paint was flaking off the walls, fixtures felt tired, and overall the room looked worn and neglected rather than well-maintained. The bathroom was particularly problematic. Every time anyone had a shower, the bathroom flooded, leaving water all over the floor. This wasn’t just an inconvenience—it felt unhygienic and unsafe, especially with slippery tiles. Despite reporting the issue, it never seemed to be properly resolved. Another frustration was the towel service, which allowed only one towel per person per day. This is completely impractical in a beach resort where guests swim multiple times daily. Wet towels were often still damp the next day, and requesting extras felt like a battle rather than a standard service. Service & Value While some staff members were polite and friendly, overall service felt inconsistent. Certain areas were clearly understaffed, which showed in slow bar service, lack of pool supervision, and minimal attention to guest complaints. For the price paid, the experience simply didn’t match expectations. Location – The Saving Grace The location is excellent and easily the best thing about this resort. Being close to shops, bars, and amenities made it easy to escape the hotel when needed. The nearby supermarket was great, offering affordable snacks, drinks, and essentials, which we relied on more than expected. The Wembley Pub deserves a special mention—it was absolutely amazing. Great atmosphere, friendly staff, good drinks, and far better value than what was offered inside the resort. It became one of the highlights of our stay and showed what good hospitality should look like. Final Thoughts This resort has potential, but it is being held back by poor management decisions, outdated facilities, and misleading features. The overcrowding, lack of food variety, watered-down drinks, and tired rooms significantly impact the overall experience. While the location, nearby amenities, and a few decent restaurants help balance things slightly, they are not enough to fully compensate for the hotel’s shortcomings. If major improvements were made—particularly to room maintenance, pool management, food quality, and drink service—this could be a much better resort. As it stands, it falls well short of what most people expect from an all-inclusive holiday.

We had a week stay at this hotel during the October half term. Though busy it did not feel crowded. Rooms Our room was fine. Towels changed everyday. We had two balconies and complimentary safe box. The fridge was stocked with soft drinks and replenished. I felt more cups would have been useful for making tea/ coffee. Balcony overlooked mini splash park. There are 7 or 8 pools dotted about the hotel complex. Some quiet for swimming others for fun and splashing around. A waterpark pool, splash park and two mini splash parks for tots. There were busy periods but there were sunbeds available. There are several bars. The staff were always friendly and welcoming and helpful. The main restaurant was very good with a massive selection of food. The a la carte restaurant was great. We had our two complimentary meals there and the food was excellent. We paid regular prices for our wines. Additionally food snacks were great. Lovely hot pizza slices and gyros, tasty ice cream and excellent coffee too. We used the kids club and though geared more for under 5s our 8 year old enjoyed spending the odd morning there. We also went to the beach which was great. We took a trip on a boat for swimming booking near the beach and to the waterpark too. We had tried to book the pirate boat trip but they had closed for the season. We made our own trip to Knossos which was easy if a bit disappointing. Overall a great stay. Very enjoyable.

Lovely place to stay! Didn’t do too much research in to all the nitty gritty reviews on TA when people pull silly nothings apart. Our room (5014) was lovely, very quiet at the bottom of the resort. The pool within metres of our room was GORGEOUS! The waterpark at the top of the resort was fun for all ages. The bars were very well stocked. Staff were more than friendly, Maria at the Poseidon’s Bar was very chatty and friendly. Food options were very plentiful. Breakfast options are big, same for Lunch. Most dinners were themed, but have options for all types of eaters. Definitely recommend the Asian restaurant, really tasty food! (Expect to pay for any drinks in this restaurant, apart from water). The 3 snack bars open during the middle of the day were brilliant. Highly recommend the Gyros, never had one before and can safely say went most days for one. The burger and pizza stations are also very tasty. Usually one for the entertainment options, didn’t see too many. My one issue was the outside theatre. If you wish to see the shows, GET THERE EARLY! Entertainment in the bar was fun, the band we saw were incredible! The beach is a 5-10 minute walk, very nice views. The aquarium is around a 20-25 minute walk. Would recommend some time there. Have reviewed that too on my page. Get used to climbing the hills at the hotel. The entire resort is on a hill, just take your time moving up and down. Enjoy yourself, you’re on holiday!

Rooms is lively apart from the bed lights as it’s too low and one is broken and it twisting. Swimming pool are nice but a little cold during our visit as it’s in October half term. Chambermaid from Albania was lovely. The bar staff in the swimming pool named Victoria was very rude an moody. No customer service. Never seen her crack a smile. Fiid was very average.