Aulus Chania, Curio Collection by Hilton

Spa is fabulous. Shikha was wonderful. Recommend her

Fabulous from start to finish, highly recommend

We stayed at this hotel for 6 days at the beginning of October 2026. Unfortunately, we encountered extreme weather conditions and were not allowed to go out of the hotel for most of the time we were there. The hotel is lovely but very set up for sun. We ended up in the foyer with most of the other guests playing cards and drinking - for FOUR DAYS. The hotel is lovely, but if you want to go out for a stroll to some nice bars and restaurants, you can't, you'll need to take a taxi. The day we left, the sun came out and we could see what a fabulous hotel this really is. The staff are lovely and, when we were there, were under a great deal of pressure. They set up a temporary bar in the foyer and could not do enough to help us. I would like to give a very special thanks to Dimitris who was constantly in demand and could not do enough for us, he smiled constantly and is a real credit to the hotel. Our week was terrible, but it was not the hotel's fault.

Fantastic experience from start to finish! Lovely and relaxing. Shika is a Fantastic massose with great knowledge. I had a back and shoulder deep tissue and left feeling great.

This is a tough one to score, to be honest. There are so many good things about this hotel, but equally, there are several areas that need improvement. I'm judging it as a five-star, Hilton-branded hotel, so expectations are naturally quite high. On that basis, I'd put it at around 3.5 out of 5 at the moment. That doesn't mean it isn't a lovely hotel. Far from it. The good - Rooms: Lovely and spacious, with great beds and quality furniture. - Balconies: A really nice feature. - Bathrooms: Attractive, although on the small side. - Meze restaurant: Absolutely stunning, right by the water with incredible views. The food is fantastic too. - Main bar: Beautiful setting, again with wonderful views. - Entertainment: Decent, relaxed and not over the top. - Location: Genuinely stunning, although very remote. - Gym: Excellent facilities. - Pool service: Drinks service around the pool was great. The hotel itself has a lot going for it. The setting, the finishings and the overall atmosphere are excellent. The not so good Check-in was disappointing. The weather had been particularly bad that day, and the lobby was mobbed when we arrived. We waited around 45 minutes to get checked in, with no real introduction to the hotel or explanation of the facilities. We had to go and investigate things ourselves. Interestingly, we saw other guests being given guided tours, so I'm not sure what the normal procedure is. Staffing and service seemed inconsistent. Thursday to Saturday was manic, with a packed buffet and several empty food stations. After the weekend, the hotel became noticeably quieter and everything seemed much more under control. It felt like two different hotels. Perhaps the staffing levels weren't sufficient to cope with the busier periods, but either way, the experience was noticeably different. The coffee machines were a constant frustration. For a five-star hotel, having to queue for coffee is disappointing enough. Worse, of the three machines available, on average only one seemed to be working. There's nothing more frustrating than waiting in a queue only for the machine to break down when you reach it. Sunbeds are a real problem. I'd estimate there are around 150 to 175 beds at most, including the rather old and uncomfortable ones by the beach. With potentially several hundred guests at full occupancy, there simply don't appear to be enough. Even at the end of October, beds were taken early, and some guests ended up using the sofas in the bar above the pool. The hotel also didn't seem to enforce its 30-minute towel-removal policy. We'd arrive after breakfast at around 9:15am, only to find beds already reserved by people who wouldn't show up until well after 10am. This really needs to be addressed. Nobody wants to spend their holiday fighting for a sunbed. The location is remote. That's part of its appeal, but it's worth knowing before you book. There is a small shop on site, although it's more geared towards clothing than essentials. If you've forgotten something, your options are limited. There's a daily shuttle into Chania at 11am, but I was told it needs to be booked the night before. Soundproofing could be better. We could literally hear our neighbours using the toilet. Not pleasant! It's perhaps not the easiest issue to fix, but it's worth mentioning. Housekeeping and minibar restocking were hit and miss. We stayed for six nights, but the minibar was restocked only three times, and the coffee supplies were never replenished. These are small details individually, but they're exactly the sort of things you expect to be handled consistently at this level. Food was a little samey. The food was tasty, but there wasn't a huge amount of variety, and the options felt limited after a few days. That's perhaps partly to be expected at an all-inclusive resort, but it's worth bearing in mind. And a minor point: the staff uniforms could do with a rethink! There were a few other frustrations too: limited drinks choices, only one bar operating in the evening, just one member of staff taking drinks orders, being locked out of our room three times, and the TV switching itself on at midnight on two occasions. Our booking had also been complicated by going through Expedia, Hilton and Hilton Honors points, while the Hilton app, or rather website, wouldn't let me make or view bookings properly. Individually, some of these are minor annoyances. Collectively, they point to an operation that isn't quite running as smoothly as it should. The verdict It probably sounds from the above as though the hotel is rubbish. It really isn't. It's a fantastic property in a beautiful setting, with lovely rooms, some excellent facilities and a genuinely special Greek restaurant in Meze. I understand Domes took over the running of the property earlier this year, and I hope the coming off-season gives them time to review and address some of these issues. I also heard that the lobby area was due a makeover, which would certainly be welcome. Ultimately, a lot of the problems come down to basics. Guests should be welcomed properly. Coffee machines should work. There should be enough sunbeds, with the hotel's own policies enforced. Housekeeping should be consistent, and staffing should be able to cope with busy periods. These aren't extravagant expectations. They're the fundamentals of delivering a good five-star experience. One thing I particularly liked was the hotel's use of WhatsApp to communicate with guests. A special mention to Dimitris, the Guest Relations Manager, who was incredibly helpful and generously arranged a very late checkout for us, along with a lovely parting gift. Thank you, Dimitris! That kind of personal service makes a real difference. I'd happily acknowledge the hotel's potential, but I don't think it consistently delivers the five-star experience its branding promises just yet. Get the basics right, build on the excellent setting and facilities, and this could be a cracking hotel. I'll be interested to see how things develop by next season.