Nautilux Rethymno by Mage Hotel

Overall, Nautilux is a nice, modern hotel. It’s generally clean, the property itself is attractive and most of the staff are friendly and helpful. We enjoyed parts of our stay, but unfortunately, for a hotel charging at this level, there are simply too many basics that aren’t quite where they should be yet. Breakfast looks very good at first glance, but we had a recurring issue with the food being extremely oversalted. We raised this several times because for someone with high blood pressure, this isn’t just a matter of taste. Even when we specifically asked for a fresh omelette with no added salt, it still arrived very salty. Shocking that “no added salt” is so difficult to accommodate. The orange juice was another surprising disappointment. For a hotel in this price bracket, I would expect fresh orange juice as standard. We were initially told it was fresh, then on further enquiry we were told it was some kind of mixture of fresh and packaged juice. Either way, it wasn’t what I would expect at this level. The rooms are modern and clean, but the lighting is extremely poor and the lack of storage is honestly baffling. There are virtually no drawers, no proper wardrobe space and very little room to put toiletries or other belongings in the bathroom. For a six-day stay, having nowhere to unpack and fold your clothes becomes very disruptive. The bathroom design is also very impractical from a privacy point of view. It feels almost like a communal bathroom rather than a properly enclosed private space. Because of the positioning of the door and the lighting, if one person needs to use the bathroom during the night, turning the light on effectively illuminates and disturbs the whole room. It’s a strange design choice and not particularly comfortable if you’re sharing the room with someone. The balcony was another missed opportunity. The outdoor chairs are extremely uncomfortable and had no cushions at all — it genuinely feels like sitting on hard steel. We had a lovely view and there was evening entertainment we would have liked to sit outside and enjoy, but there was simply nowhere comfortable to sit for any length of time. Again, it feels like such a basic detail for a hotel in this price category. We also had a jacuzzi, which should have been a lovely feature, but using it became an unnecessary daily exercise. We repeatedly had to call reception to have it switched on, were told it needed several hours to heat, had to specify particular operating hours, and then the next day everything seemed to reset and the process started again. There was also a lot of discussion about needing maintenance to come and switch or reset it. Eventually, we worked out ourselves how to operate the relevant panel, and it really was not complicated. For a hotel at this price point, staff should ideally be trained to handle something this straightforward without the guest having to repeatedly chase it. The gym could also use some attention. Nobody is expecting an enormous fitness centre, but even a few inexpensive additions such as resistance bands or some extra basic equipment would make a noticeable difference. There was also no usable mobile signal or internet connection in the gym. Wi-Fi more generally was patchy at best. There was a power cut during our stay, after which getting the internet working properly again became a real headache. Both my husband and I were working during the trip, so reliable internet was important and the disruption was frustrating. Most of the staff were pleasant, although a small number could be a little abrupt in their manner. Nothing major, but in a hotel at this level, a slightly warmer and more polished approach would make a difference. There were also a couple of smaller things that stood out precisely because of the standard the hotel is aiming for. On one morning, our breakfast table was sticky and clearly had not been cleaned properly. Once we mentioned it, the staff moved us immediately and dealt with it, but I was still surprised that a table in the breakfast area of a hotel of this calibre had been left that way in the first place. The departure experience summed up some of the service issues quite well. We called for someone to help with our bags and waited around 20 minutes, but nobody came, so in the end we took the luggage ourselves. On the way, we happened to run into a member of staff and asked if he had been coming to help us. He said he was actually heading to another room, but offered to help us anyway. At that point we declined, as we were already on our way. This wasn’t his fault at all — if anything, he was helpful — but it felt like another example of the operation being poorly coordinated. For a hotel at this level, luggage assistance should not require the guest to chase it or end up doing it themselves. Finally, there is a €15-per-day environmental fee, which is an unpleasant extra cost on top of an already expensive stay. I appreciate this may be related to local or government charges rather than something entirely within the hotel’s control, but guests should certainly factor it into the overall price. So, in summary: this is a nice looking, modern and generally clean hotel with many friendly staff, and there is plenty to like about it. But at the price being charged, expectations are understandably high. Too many relatively basic details fall short of what I would expect from a hotel in this category. With some attention to these details and better operational consistency, it could be a very good hotel. At the moment, however, it just doesn’t quite justify the price.

Location is a little bit far away from Rethymnon town,but there is a lot of restaurants close to hotel.Atmosphere were relaxed,but breakfast was little bit growded.Rooms were really good, comfortable and clean.The beach facilities were great and the beach was really close to hotel.The level of service varied:the receptionists were not friendly at all,but for example service at bar and restaurant were great.The gym is tiny,could be bigger (only 3 persons at same time).Spa was good.

The hotel should get 5/5 but sadly the lunch food and service lets this place down. Let’s start at the beginning because there is so much that is good about this place. The staff at reception were helpful and friendly throughout the stay, ordering taxis and sorting out queries with no fuss whatsoever. Always polite, always calm and always friendly. The two ladies on the concierge desk were equally great, engaging and friendly. The room was a good size, not enough hangers but a solution with additional hangers was provided within about 5 mins of entering the room. Bathroom area was big enough and everything worked well. Still can’t get over the paper in the bin thing but that’s Crete and not the hotels fault. I found the bed firm, felt like a memory foam mattress but that’s a personal thing, balcony was big and easily enough for two, and was great they had integrated drying rails into the design. Breakfast was vast and very tasty, service at the tables was a bit hit and miss but improved through the holiday. I got the impression that the first couple of days some new people were being trained and it didn’t really affect the breakfast. Kudos to the chef/team who sorted the pots to keep food warm but the pancakes were pretty good considering they were cooked and kept warm, usually they are cold or hard but they managed to keep them moist and warm. There is pretty much everything u could want except strawberries. However really pleased with the breakfast. Lunch was poor, we had three goes at it but each time it got steadily worse both in terms of service (in two out of three we had to go and get our own menus and inform the team we were sitting down) and food which op went from the ok to the ridiculous (the last one was the bao bun which cost €14 for one prawn and a bun that by the time it arrived the mayo had become as runny as water, the buns were sitting in this for so long that when u picked up the bun the fold underneath collapsed and most of the filling fell out. We were asked by two different servers if the food was ok, told them how poor it was and nothing happened. Pools etc were great, clean and good temp. There were loads of sunbeds, plus the hotel has additional beds on the beach which is adjacent to the hotel. The sea was pretty warm but rough due to local winds. The hotel location is 3k outside of the old town. This was not an issue for us as we used cabs, but unless u fancy a 45 min walk either way u need a way to get around. I would happily go back as we would know to avoid the lunch mess and the rest of the experience was excellent.

What a fantastic hotel - both staff and food were incredible, the best we have encountered in years of travel (and I am fussy) So why have I given 4 stars? 1. We on a few occasions were unable to use the balony due to the pungent smell coming from the road (beyond the hotels control I know) room 410 lowish level balcony facing the road 2. No hanging space for long garments (also no drawers) A hanging rail was promply supplied by the hotel ( think this may have been mentionded before) But overall I would highly recommend staying at this hotel

What a lovely resort and so well kept. We had a true 5* experience. Beautifull sea view from the sea view rooms and always free sunbeds by the sea. The gym was small but as you booked ahead there was always enough space to train. The location was good as well as it made the long walks possibly by the sea side. There was also a taxi stand just 50 m away if you did not want to walk to the city center every day. Will recommend and hopefully have the possibility to return someday.