Phãea Cretan Malia

It really is a stunning place, I'm gutted I can't come back here purely based on how absolutely overrun with small children it is. Brilliant for families, especially those with babies and toddlers as under 3s seem to be the main age group, but absolutely no good for a couple just wanting to relax. I booked KNOWING this was not adults only, but I can't lie I didn't expect it to be THIS heavy with children, and with absolutely no adults area at all. We were forced to go around the hotels beach due to the pool literally being like a nursery. It ruined it for me, and I think the hotel need to re-jig how they do things. We stayed at St Nicholas Bay in Ag Nik which is family friend but had dedicated adults pool/area for eating etc and it works great.. So, beware if you want a luxury, quiet break.. this isn't it. I feel like I'm on the set of Jurassic Park with the amount of screeching going off.

We chose this hotel for a family vacation with my pregnant wife, our young son, and the grandparents, and it turned out to be a perfect choice for us. The hotel is beautiful, stylish, and very well maintained. Everything was clean, and the atmosphere was genuinely family-friendly. There were plenty of food options, and we especially loved the traditional cuisine. The Italian restaurant was also excellent. The drinks and wine selection were fantastic as well. The staff were generally very kind, welcoming, and friendly, with the exception of one older lady working in the dinner service, whose attitude was unfortunately not as pleasant as the rest of the team. Our room was spacious, comfortable, and spotlessly clean. The only real downside for us was the gym, which was quite small and lacked proper equipment. Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed our stay and would happily come back. It was a wonderful experience for the whole family, and we appreciated how comfortable and well looked after we felt throughout our vacation.

We had a great holiday at this hotel. The rooms, facilities, food, and service were excellent and we would like to come back. We rarely had a problem with finding a lounger. At times the hotel pool was dominated by children, at these times we used the private beach instead. Each restaurant closes on one day of the week, so plan your meals ahead so don't miss out.

We had a great family vacation at Phaea. We've stayed at two garden bungalow suites in the all inclusive regime (which I strongly recommend). Positives: + Super friendly and welcoming staff + Not too big and not too small - it never felt crowded + Three high-quality restaurants à lá carte: Almyra (Italian), Mezze (Greek), Mouries (Cretan) + Mediterraneo buffet restaurant for breakfast and dinner with a lot of options + Two bars (including one by the beatch where they would bring drinks to your sunbed) + The Crush bar with assorted offering of ice-creams, crepes, coffees.. + Modern rooms, maintained very clean + Modern, easy to use app to view all amenities and manage your reservations + Beautiful well-maintained gardens + Nice beaches (there are some rocks at the edges, but in the center it's fine) + Close to touristic places such as the Knossos palace and Heraklion Negatives: - In one of the pools (the river pool), the sunbeds are reserved for some rooms which makes it virtually unacessible for most of the guests Overall it was a great experience that I highly recommend.

The flora was wonderful and lush. The room spacious. Great restaurant choices. Staff sometimes not too friendly (with a few being very kind and professional). The beach could ve been cleaned better and more often.