Ilios Beach Hotel

Wow! Everything about the Ilios Beach Hotel is absolutely perfect. We loved our stay and cannot wait to return. We chose Ilios Beach Hotel because of how close it is to the beach and the short distance from the town and were not disappointed. The coach transfer from Heraklion airport is quite long but it is absolutely worth it. We were self catering and spent £500pp from start to finish for a week. We ate out every evening with a varying number of courses and drinks, lunches were a mix of sandwiches from the supermarket and the hotel and obviously the obligatory ice creams and cocktails in between. HOTEL: Easy to miss the hotel is tucked between large establishments, the marble entrance leads you to reception. We were warmly greeted by the night attendant and the hotel owner. It's 20 euros to use the safe. We were a couple and our 16 Yr old daughter. We stayed in a studio apartment with a view of the beach. The balcony was shaded so perfect for a warm relaxing space. The kitchen had 2 hob rings, kettle, coffee maker and all the utensils, crockery etc that was needed to cook. The fridge had a freezer tray and stayed on throughout the stay and didn't require the card to input and trigger the electric. The room was spacious enough with seating for the 3 of us. The fold out bed was quite firm and not the most comfortable, the twin beds were great. Lots of wardrobe space and drawers. The sheets were changed once through our week stay and the housekeeper visited daily or as requested. We didn't have breakfast or dinner at the hotel during our stay but we did order food and drink around the pool and beach. We were happy with the pizza, salads and fruit platters that we had, there was a good selection of drinks- the smoothies and cocktails were good. The hotel has a luggage room with a seating area and a fridge next to toilets and a shower so is ideal for that in between time after check out and before being picked up. Throughout our stay all of the staff were lovely and helpful it really enhanced our stay. SWIMMING POOL: Loungers were set up around the pool, it was never crowded and there were 2 stacks of more loungers if needed. The pool was between 1.8-2m deep, it was well maintained and the garden flowers really made the pool area feel relaxed and pretty. There was a good amount of sun all day witj some shaded areas in the morning and late afternoon. All food and drink around the pool must be purchased on site, we ordered drinks and food around the pool but took our own water bottles. RESTAURANTS & SHOPS: The road the hotel sits on has plenty of shops, restaurants and bars to choose from. We took advice from a previous reviewer for a reasonably priced supermarket- right out of the hotel then first right and the supermarket is a short walk up on the left. You can also access easily turning left from the rear of the hotel. We were grateful to be recommended by the hotel night attendant for late night food at 'Thakra'. Close-by restaurants 'Ledome' and 'pagliaccio' were a fab and had a good selection of italian and greek food. Our plan was to eat good quality food and avoid restaurants with big picture menus. On the way to Old Town we ate at 'Nopal' for Mexican and enjoyed greek food at 'Corina'. If you love cakes pay a visit to 'Lagouvardos Patisserie'. BEACH: A simple walk across to the beach and straight onto the beach loungers. You can hire beach towels if needed and order food and drink from the hotel to your lounger. The sea was around waist height for quite a way out, with a few steps of fine stones and then it was all sand. The sea can get rough so there were a couple of days of red flags, the lifeguards opened up small calmer areas on the beach when able to combat the number of people trying to enter the sea and ignoring the signals. RETHYMON: The old town is a pleasant 15 minute walk from the hotel along the seafront. As the beach ends there is a harbour and then lots of restaurants and shops as you get closer to town. The old town has a real venetian feel with narrow streets. Later in the evening the bars become lively with music and there were some very cool modern looking nightclubs which were starting to open past our bedtime! Attractions: The red city tour bus was a really good way to get a feel for the Rethymnon area, there were stops along the route but we just sat back and enjoyed the 90 minute journey on the top deck with some amazing views in the sun with a breeze. The bus is 20 euros per adult for 24hours and has several stops along the way including the Fortezza, Myli Gorge, War Museum a monestry and a village. A 30 minute walk from the hotel is a viewpoint near the Fortezza to watch the sunset, there are some bars and restaurants on the way with some fab sea views as well. We loved Rethymnon but ultimately the location and everything the hotel had to offer really made the whole holiday even more enjoyable.

We are currently at Ilios, going home Friday. We are so pleased to have selected this apartment hotel. It's adults only which is a bonus. Our apartment 321 overlooks the pool. It doesn't get much sun which suits us fine (it may be different in the summer). There's plenty of storage and a well equipped kitchenette. Housekeeping is done every morning by the friendly cleaners. All the staff have been cheerful and welcoming. The location is great. Rethymno has miles long walks in either direction by the sea. We've clocked up so many steps/miles this week. There's a small garden area which leads to a street exit. There's a supermarket a short walk to the left. Good restaurants nearby. The hotel does extensive breakfasts but we chose to do our own thing. Cannot fault this place and would happily return and recommend it to anyone looking for a relaxing place to stay in Rethymno.

This hotel also manages the beach in front of it. This review is about the beach. The beach is clean, well-equipped with beds and umbrellas, with a shower and a changing cabin. You can order food and drinks on the beach and they will be served to you in a few minutes, it is very convenient. I shared a pizza Capriciosa and a large portion of delicious fries with my husband,

Absolutely loved our stay here. When we arrived, TUI airlines had lost my wife's case, and while TUI were worse than useless, the staff here were really kind and helpful. The staff are one of the best things about this hotel actually, they are just so friendly and genuine. The room we had was brilliant with a balcony looking out to see, it was all very clean and well maintained. We used the pool a lot and the food and bar service here was excellent. We also used the bar and food service when we were on the beach, and again you could not fault it. One week was not enough, this was easily the best seaside hotel I have ever stayed in, and I have travelled a lot. PS my wife's case turned up 😀 PPS the extremely enthusiastic lady at breakfast WILL make you smile!

We had a lovely week at the Ilios Beach Hotel Apartments. The staff were great though we didn't use the bar or restaurant facilities, everything looked good and well maintained. The Studio apartment was spacious and well equipped though it was strangely enough missing a toaster but we only used the kitchen for light snacks and made the most of the many restaurants/cafes nearby. The location was the real highlight, with use of the sunbeds on the beach directly opposite, the town and so many restaurants and shops nearby, you're spoiled for choice. I really want to go back one day!