Mare Blue Crete

Just arrived home from a weeks stay a the Mare Blue Crete. Booked with Jet2. Had a private transfer with them which took 1 1/2 hours. On first impressions the hotel looks great, it's exceptionally clean and reception had us booked in quickly. Sadly our first impressions didn't last long. There are some good points the beach is right on your doorstep (unwalkable on as its stones) with the children' pool next door and a small swing park. That's as far as it goes for entertaining children. There is literally no other facilities for children, no evening entertainment, one night of mini disco but only in French and German, no English translation at all. If you took the children's pool away this would be an adults only hotel. The top quieter pool is very nice but has limited sunbeds and only gentle swimming allowed no playing in the pool. Drinks are very limited, Rum, Gin, Whisky, Vodka and Brandy with your chosen mixer, a few cocktails limited to the above drinks with blue or orange syrup to jazz it up. Everything else you have to pay for. Only one bar open in the evening, no entertainment here either for adults or kids, unless you want to watch the football. The hotel does have a beach bar but only for the above same drinks. No food at all. I think a few very limited mid afternoon snacks a the quiet pool ( can't comment as we didn't use this). As a family we ended up eating out in the local taverna's 5 out of 7 nights because the food and ambience at the hotels canteen (sorry I cant call this a restaurant) no outside dining at all. So its Breakfast lunch and dinner in one place. School dinners, free for all come's to mind. Repetitive and Bland sums it up. There is an Italian a la carte but we didn't use this as the food is the same as the canteen but served to the table! Sorry Jet2 but this hotel is not offering a great holiday experience to your uk customers, we ended up using the hotel as a base, so although we made the most of our break we would definitely not return.

We had a wonderful family holiday at Mare Blue Hotel in Crete and would happily return. The hotel itself is in a beautiful location right by the sea, with lovely pools, a relaxing atmosphere and amazing views. What really made our stay special, though, was the fantastic team. A big thank you to Nikos, the restaurant manager, who was always warm, professional and made every mealtime feel welcoming and well organised. Special thanks as well to Yanis,The hotel managers, for being so helpful and approachable throughout our stay. It was clear he genuinely cared that guests were having a great experience. At reception, Fotis was excellent — friendly, efficient and always ready to help with any questions. He made everything easy from the moment we arrived. At the bar, Maria was brilliant — always smiling, kind and making great drinks. She added such a lovely atmosphere around the pool and bar area. And a big thank you to Kostas the lifeguard, who was attentive, professional and reassuring around the pool, especially for families with children. Overall, Mare Blue gave us a memorable holiday in Crete. Great hospitality, a beautiful beachfront setting, and a team who work hard to make guests feel welcome. Thank you all — we hope to visit again soon!

Here is the translation of the review into English, maintaining its sharp, critical tone and formatting it for clarity. Hotel Review: A 5-Star Fiction Even by the specific standards of Greek properties, this hotel absolutely does not deserve its 5-star rating. It is an aging property that has only been superficially renovated and "powdered over." During our stay, not all bars were open. The water slides (I refuse to call it a water park) were also closed, despite being listed as available in the TUI offer – much like the closed bars. Dining & All-Inclusive Reality There is only one cafeteria operating on-site – and I deliberately won’t call this place a restaurant. Food Quality: The food is of poor quality, bland, and monotonous, with the same mid-tier menu served every day. Traditional, themed Greek dishes were virtually non-existent. Service Cut-offs: The cafeteria itself closed as early as 30 minutes before the official end of meal times – live cooking stations were shut down, and food was no longer replenished. Staffing: Wait service is practically non-existent. When I asked for wine to be brought to my table, I was informed that the drink and service would be charged extra, despite having paid for the All-Inclusive option. Beverages: Drinks in the cafeteria consist of cheap, local imitations of juices and sodas like "cola." The coffee was the biggest disaster – only instant coffee was available anywhere, with no normal coffee in sight. Snacks: There were virtually no daytime snacks, unless you count shortbread cookies, which were available for less time than stated in the TUI offer anyway. The second cafeteria, promoted by TUI as an Italian à la carte restaurant, was another disappointment. I definitely do not recommend it – the food was of the same caliber as the main cafeteria and had nothing to do with Italy. The pinnacle of it all was the music: they played Greek radio with commercials as ambient music, which perfectly "complemented" this allegedly Italian vibe. Facilities, Beach & Location During our stay, I had to change my approach. Despite the All-Inclusive option, the hotel became merely a base camp for us after we rented a car (there is absolutely nothing in the immediate vicinity). Pools & Beach: The pools are very modest. The beach is pebbles/shingle, and the sunbeds were a bit dirty, though manageable. Be careful with the deep drop-off into the water right past the shoreline. Beach Bar: The beach bar was alright. They served original/branded alcohols, but mixed them with counterfeit sodas. Rooms: We managed to get a room in the renovated part of the complex, and I actually have no complaints about that. The hotel is rather modest. Its second section remains closed – TUI sells a cheaper version in its catalog, but once on-site, everyone ends up in the same building anyway, because the cheaper rooms are decommissioned and neglected. Entertainment & TUI Offer Accuracy Animations? Or rather, the lack thereof. The hotel has a fixed contract with two travel agencies: a French one and a German one. As a result, the entertainment takes place exclusively in French and is organized by that specific agency. The quality of the entertainment is very poor, done with minimal effort and resources (a simple walk, one person in a costume, etc.). It is not an attraction for children, nor for people looking for themed evenings, as those simply do not exist there. To top it off, the French animators demonstratively ignore guests wearing wristbands other than silver ones. Summary To sum up: for a May last-minute getaway, the trip was okay, though if this were meant to be my main holiday, I would never choose this hotel. The property deserves 3 stars at most. The TUI offer is a fiction and completely fails to align with reality.

Had the funniest time here - the animation team absolutely made the trip. Big shout outs to Samantha, Ebo and my boy Marcus

We have struggled a bit with the cleaning service coming when our children had their afternoon sleep. But other than that we have had a great time. Food was delicious, every day there was something we liked. It is a bit visible the hotel is older, but things were clean and stuff was always willing to help. Lots of activities for children, every day animation programs from various travel agencies who never asked if you have travelled with them or someone else. French agency would have their events in French, but when they saw someone does not speak French they would translate to English too. I definitely recommend staying at this hotel. Big slides were opened only for s short time every day and only for older children.