Stella Palace Aqua Park Resort

# Stella Palace, Analipsi, Crete – A Lovely Holiday, Wonderful Staff, But Room for Improvement! **Our four-day stay | Overall rating: 4/5** We recently spent four days at Stella Palace, booking through On the Beach, and overall we had an enjoyable stay. However, having experienced other hotels in Crete, including Insula Alba and a day pass at Stella Island last year, I feel there are a few areas where Stella Palace could improve to deliver the five-star experience guests might expect. ### Why we chose Stella Palace Initially, I had intended to book Stella Island again after thoroughly enjoying our day pass there last year. However, after comparing the all-inclusive packages, we felt Stella Palace offered considerably more for the same price, so we decided to give it a try. On arrival, we were welcomed by a lovely lady at reception who made the check-in process pleasant and straightforward. The tourist tax was also a nice surprise at just €28, considerably less than I had anticipated. Our porter was equally welcoming, helping us with our luggage and showing us to our room. ### A disappointing start Unfortunately, this is where things became a little disappointing. Despite contacting the hotel before arrival and specifically requesting twin beds, we were allocated a room with a double bed. When I contacted reception, I was informed that housekeeping had gone home and that we would have to sort things out ourselves, although additional bedding would be sent up. Unfortunately, the promised sheets never arrived. Instead, we received two additional duvets and had to make the necessary arrangements ourselves. We had also been advised that food would be waiting in the fridge on arrival. Sadly, there was nothing there. After contacting room service, we eventually received two tubs of cold pasta and three sandwiches, which weren't particularly appealing. Travelling with my 23-year-old son, who is a particularly fussy eater, we ended up downloading the local takeaway app and ordering a burger and chicken gyros with fries. For a five-star all-inclusive resort, I really don't think this is the welcome experience guests should receive, particularly after a long day of travelling. ### Guest Relations and an incredible spa experience I did raise my concerns, and I have to give credit where it is due. Guest Relations contacted me and made an effort to improve our experience. We were initially offered a restaurant reservation, but unfortunately, the restaurant was fully booked. Instead, the hotel offered us two complimentary massages at the spa. And what a fantastic decision that turned out to be! The spa was absolutely amazing. It was beautiful, peaceful and wonderfully relaxing, with a hot tub, jacuzzi, steam room and hot pool. There were very few people there when we visited, which made the experience even more enjoyable. There were lovely beds where you could simply lie back, unwind and enjoy the surroundings. We were also treated to complimentary nuts and water, which was a lovely additional touch. The ladies who carried out our massages were absolutely wonderful, and their treatments were fantastic. By the time we had finished, we both felt completely relaxed and refreshed. It was the perfect way to spend our last day in Crete and genuinely became one of the highlights of our holiday. Sometimes it is the little things that make the biggest difference, and this experience certainly did that. A huge thank you to the spa team and Guest Relations for turning around what had initially been a disappointing experience. ### Accessibility – something the hotel needs to reconsider This is an area I particularly want to highlight because I believe it is important for future guests. There are no lifts serving the upstairs accommodation, which can make accessing certain rooms difficult. I have an invisible disability, and when I raised concerns about accessibility, I was advised that the hotel had wheelchair-accessible rooms for guests who use wheelchairs. However, I had never said I was a wheelchair user. An assumption had been made, and unfortunately, it was the wrong one. Not everybody with a disability uses a wheelchair, and not all disabilities are immediately visible. Invisible disabilities can present their own challenges, including difficulties with mobility and managing stairs. Accessibility is about much more than wheelchair access. I would strongly encourage the hotel to consider the wider needs of guests with disabilities and to ensure that staff understand that everyone's circumstances are different. Guests should feel listened to rather than having assumptions made about their needs. ### Food – room for improvement Having previously stayed at Insula Alba, I perhaps had different expectations. Stella Palace is clearly a more family-oriented resort, and I appreciate that this creates a different atmosphere. However, I found the food selection somewhat limited and, at times, quite budget-conscious. I didn't feel the variety or overall offering reflected what I would expect from a five-star all-inclusive hotel. With my son being a particularly fussy eater, we frequently found ourselves looking for alternatives outside the resort. I would love to see more variety, better food options and perhaps a little more attention to the quality of the dining experience. ### Exploring Analipsi and the surrounding area We didn't spend all our time at the hotel and thoroughly enjoyed exploring the local area. A particular highlight was visiting Crete Aquarium, which was a fantastic experience and well worth doing. We booked our taxis through the Free Now app, and the service was reliable. Our transfers were also very good. There are some lovely shops in the local area, as well as a good supermarket along the main strip. One word of advice: if you're considering travelling towards the end of the season, be aware that quite a few businesses and establishments may already have closed. On the positive side, it is much quieter, which some people will appreciate. ### The little things that made our holiday My absolute favourite part of the room was the hot tub and balcony. Having that little bit of luxury to retreat to was wonderful. Although the weather wasn't particularly kind to us, we did enjoy two beautiful days. Thankfully, a little rain hasn't put me off returning! I also want to recognise the staff who really did make a difference. A special thank you to the lovely lady at the Guest Relations desk, Manos, and all the buggy drivers who took the time to chat with us while taking us around the resort. Those little conversations, smiles and acts of kindness really do matter. You made us feel welcome, and we genuinely appreciated it. ### Would I return? Yes, absolutely! I will be returning to Analipsi within the next two years, God willing. Would I choose Stella Palace again? Possibly, but my next choice will most likely be Stella Island. Having experienced Stella Palace, I would now like to experience the adult-focused luxury of Stella Island and enjoy the five-star experience I originally had in mind. Please don't misunderstand me. We had a good holiday. The staff were wonderful, the spa was exceptional, the room had some lovely features, and there were some genuinely memorable moments. However, I believe there is a difference between having a good holiday and receiving the five-star experience you expect when booking a resort of this standard. There is certainly potential for Stella Palace to improve, particularly with its food offering, accessibility and arrival arrangements. To everyone at Stella Palace, thank you for your hospitality. I hope you all enjoy a well-deserved break before the next season. **Crete, you haven't seen the last of us! ❤️**

Overall this is a beautiful resort with lots of fun for the whole family. The water park is great. The food overall was good. Staff were so friendly and attentive, although drinks service in the restaurant during meal times was sometimes very slow. On the negative side, we found the all-inclusive wine was very acidic and thin, and nothing else was available without paying. Given the high standard of the other drinks, exceptional cocktails and brilliant bar staff, this seems a strange thing for the resort to have cut a corner on. We heard other guests and even staff commenting on this, with staff confirming the wine is barely a month old. The programme for teenagers was much less comprehensive than other places we have been, with all teenage activities being paid for. Note as well that the bigger water slides have a minimum height limit of 1.4 metres which is strictly enforced - understandable for safety, but we hadn't realised this limit when we booked and our younger son was very disappointed to be just under the height limit. Overall the rooms and resort were clean. The waterpark toilets got very messy during the day, but were being used almost non-stop by large volumes of guests. We took the upgraded rooms in the 900s area and would absolutely book these again - the poolside rooms were amazing and in our case, right next to the bar.

Fantastic resort. Really good service and very friendly and helpful staff

Wow. What an amazing hotel. We had the best time. Staff all really friendly. Food was amazing and the restaurants we ate in too were all really nice. Kids loved the water park. Could not fault anything at all. I would love to return one day. If you go you will not be disappointed.

Very nice 5 star hotel. The food excellent, the staff very Kind and helpful, everything very Clean and accessible. I Recommend it and i will go Again for sure.!