Heronissos Hotel

Honestly, this was one of the worst hotel experiences we’ve ever had. The photos online bear absolutely no resemblance to the reality of this hotel and, in our opinion, appear to be heavily AI-generated or completely misleading. From the moment we arrived, we were disappointed. The hotel was dirty, tired and generally very unkempt. There were bags of dirty laundry left along the corridors, and the lifts looked like they belonged in the 1950s. We were put into a tiny room where there was barely enough space to move around, and then told we had to pay an additional €120 for it because it was supposedly a “superior room”. There was absolutely nothing superior about it. The dining room was tiny and the food choice was extremely limited. The pool was small and dirty, with cheap plastic sunbeds, and again looked absolutely nothing like the beautiful pool shown in the online photos. The staff were also incredibly rude and unhelpful, which made the whole experience even worse. We lasted one night before deciding enough was enough and leaving to stay at a completely different hotel. We have never done that before, but this place was genuinely that bad. Do not rely on the photos when booking this hotel. What you see online is not what you get. We would never recommend this hotel and would strongly advise anyone considering staying here to look elsewhere. Save yourself the money, stress and disappointment.

We read reviews before we came, and as always, took them with a pinch of salt. We spent 9 nights here, and whilst our stay wasn’t absolutely unbearable, it also wasn’t the 4* experience it is labelled to be. This is a long review, but it covers everything honestly… 1️⃣Rooms: The rooms were the talking point of the pool area. Luckily, we upgraded to a superior room prior to our arrival as we saw the reviews on how bad the standard rooms were, so we didn’t have an issue with ours (apart from the shower flooding if you stayed in there longer than a couple of minutes - room 106). We had to pay €180 for an upgrade (though, seen varying rates for this) this was a cash payment only. 🛏️ the bed was 2 singles pushed together which was absolutely fine for us, the mattresses were incredibly firm and you only get 1 pillow. 🔌 amenities in the room were decent. We had a mini fridge, kettle, air con etc. there were also enough plugs in the room for devices. There is a safe that you have to pay a non-refundable deposit for - which we did - but again, another money maker as they charged us €20, which I challenged as it says €10 on the website, but what they don’t tell you is that €10 is for 7 days, then it goes up! Of course, this was cash only, too. The walls were also paper thin, so if you could hear next door and people out on the corridors. Most mornings, we’d come out of our hotel room to dirty towels on the floor because apparently people use them once then throw them outside their rooms?! 2️⃣ Food and drinks 🍽️ The food started off alright, we quite enjoyed our meals. As the days went on, the food declined - we took to eating out for the final few days. The food choices were limited, (Spaghetti bolognese everyday?! Chips at breakfast?!) there were hardly any labels on dishes and the restaurant area is absolutely not big enough for a hotel of this size. The cooking station was clearly just there for show, this could be utilised as extra food space. The best and most consistent part of the buffet were the salads, they were always lovely! They only had breakfast, lunch and dinner, no snack bar during the day (apart from cakes), which meant if you wanted to eat around lunch time, you had to go to the hotel restaurant. 🍸 the drinks were incredibly limited, for a 4* hotel, this wasn’t good enough. A choice of about 5 cocktails, house beer and wine. The cocktails were premixed and came from a machine, which I also found strange. If you wanted anything other than the ones on the all inclusive list, you had to pay. 3️⃣ staff 🛎️ the reception staff were good, and we checked in quickly on arrival, the lady (I didn’t get her name) was absolutely brilliant throughout our stay. 🍷 bar staff depended on who you got, one of them was amazing and telling me loads of recommendations when I went for an iced coffee, the other wasn’t great and never gave the bigger cups out for drinks, even when asked. 🍴wait staff were polite and friendly, no issues at all. 🧼 the cleaners work tirelessly, everyday. Especially the ones in a morning round the pool! They’re really friendly despite what they have to deal with. 4️⃣ other 🏊🏼 pool area - the sunbeds are absolutely AWFUL. Just plastic beds with no cover and incredibly uncomfortable. The pool is cleaned every morning and the staff maintaining the building work hard to do so. Pool hours are between 10 and 6. There are no sunbed wars and people come down as and when to get their beds, always some available, unless it’s the height of the day when everyone is down. 🎭 entertainment is limited. Music played during the day and night but not much else, especially at night. We tended to go out most nights for a walk, because the pool bar area at night was always busy (again, not enough seating/big enough area for a hotel this size and the queue for the bar was always ridiculous!) 🚽 the toilets used during the day were always clean but the doors had no locks (?!) so sometimes people would just open the doors. 🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒 other guests - whilst we appreciate it is an incredibly busy time and the clientele is something the hotel have no control over, some of the other guests also ruined our experience with their lack of regard and respect for others at the hotel, especially during the day; not everybody wants beach balls launched at their heads 🙃. 📍 the location was right next to the strip, this area isn’t nice, especially during the morning when everyone is falling out of the bars. The beach is nearby and 100% recommend a day there through the ammos bar. There are a couple of nice restaurants in the opposite direction to the strip. Overall, not the relaxing time in Crete we’d hoped for, but I suppose that’s on us and research is key. We absolutely would not return here, and I do think the rating and website details need reviewing and updating.

Breakfast was a treat, the pool kept us cool all afternoon and dinner never disappointed. Topped off by staff who genuinely love what they do.

We have just returned from another incredible stay at the Heronissos Hotel in Hersonissos, Crete. Having stayed here before, we were welcomed back with open arms and see both Foteini and Daniella as friends. The hotel’s central location in Hersonissos is unbeatable. It is tucked just far enough back, yet only a brief two-minute stroll from the vibrant seafront, local shops, and the beach. The entire property is well maintained, featuring an outdoor pool area, a perfect spot to relax under the sun with a drink from the adjacent poolside bar. Our room was air-conditioned and kept spotless throughout our entire visit. The buffet restaurant consistently serves a wide variety of fresh Greek and international dishes. WE look forward to our next visit to family in Crete.

Ok, so honest review. We read the mixed reviews on here and other forums, but we had the best time here. For the money we spent we all found it great value. What made it excellent was the staff. They were all amazing abd couldn't do enough for us. Special thanks to Giannis, Mike and George. They helped me learn Greek, as best as I could manage, and always had a smile and a kind word. We met some great people whilst there, in a safe and comfortable environment. The beach is literally round the corner, good amenities, and close enough to the strip for those that want nightlife, but just far enough to be able to not hear the noise lol. We would go back in a heartbeat. I appreciate everyone's experiences are different and personal, but for us it was a really special 10 days. So, thank you for Marie, Chris and the kids... efhalstor file mou! Room 212 😀