Pepper Sea Club Hotel

The Pepper Sea Club exceeded our expectations in all aspects important to us such as prompt and friendly service from all managers and staff; stunning appearance of the inside and outside of the hotel; excellent views and easy access to the Mediterranean very low noise level; tremendous breakfast and dinner menu with a wide variety of delicious food items; cleanliness; and fun entertainment. The only criticism is the very poor access road condition and parking. A good two-lane frontage road and lighted parking lot would greatly enhance the customer experience and security.

We just got back from staying at Pepper Sea Club and had been there for 8 nights. We booked here because of the great reviews on Trip Advisor (thanks!). We paid for a private taxi transfer which is worth it (it is an hour from the Chania airport) and were met upon arrival with friendly staff who explained the check in and all about the hotel. The hotel looks nice, strangely laid out, that the reception is parallel to the rooms, so you can go to your room without going to reception which is unusual in its layout. Our room had a private pool and on the end of a row from where we could see the sea, and hear the sheep next door in the field (the other side of the hotel had a hotel next door which is why people could hear other evening entertainment - we didn't have this problem). The room was nice, but small in comparison to other places we have stayed. The pool was cold and not heated, bear this in mind for when you visit. There were areas that had been plastered but not painted over. The shower heads needed descaling or replacing as it was spraying water everywhere. The other shower attachment was not secure, so it kept slipping down when showering, which wasn't ideal. AC was fine. The bathroom was nice, and had a window that was protected by a mosquito net which we left open, to aerate the room. Some of the fixtures like towel hooks were wobbly and needed tightening down. There were plenty of things on offer, free shampoo, conditioner, handwash, shower gel and body lotion, as well as shower caps, toothbrush, shaving razor, sewing kit, loofah and much more, which was really welcome after finding I had a hole in my top! The control panels for lights etc were touch screen which was really cool, however the left side of the bed one did not work, and therefore one of us only had control the whole holiday - despite reporting it twice to reception - nothing was sorted. It also meant that the overhead fan and bedside lamp wouldn't work because of the control panel being the only access for it. Our key cards also kept stopping working, seemingly due to an electrical fault, so in the end they gave us a key to unlock the room which (this is another annoyance which shouldn't happen given the 5* rating of the hotel). The WiFi reception was patchy in the room - they needed to have boosters for the rooms that are further away from reception. The housekeeping team are great, and cleaned every day, and provided water which was very welcome. We also walked up the road to a shop and bought some things for us to eat and drink which was brilliant and highly recommend as it's far cheaper than the hotel. The restaurant is nicely decorated, and I loved the lighting (nice art sculptures of monkeys and climbers), however with one of us being vegetarian not everything was clearly labelled. Some things had meat in but the description gave no indication at all (other hotels we have been to, have been very clear on what each dish is with a supporting symbol if it is vegetarian, vegan or has any allergic items in). Water costs €4.10 per bottle at dinner, and you cannot bring in drinks from elsewhere, which we found a little stingy for a 5* hotel, when they give you water in the room for free, and you can buy in their own shop for €1.50. It might not sound like much but it is when you have paid a lot to be there. Drinks from the bar are ok, hit and miss for the price they are. The area around the pool was good, plenty of sun loungers, with good depth on the mattresses too. They charge extra for the canopy beds and chairs though. The pool is warmer than the private pool we had, and is graded from shallow to deep. Some areas around the pool were muddy which could have done with some grass repair. There is a quieter patch of sun loungers past the restaurant and shop which seemed to be popular. The second restaurant you are able to use once for free during the stay, but we didn't fancy it due to the menu (there was one 'vegetarian' option which included parmesan which is not vegetarian!). The gym was air conditioned but very limited - 2 treadmills, some bikes, but the heaviest dumbbells were 8kg. They could do with investing in a bit more equipment. The spa was very expensive, and even when we went to enquire, despite them providing us 'offers' they were double or triple the price we would have paid back home for the same thing, so we did not use. This might sound like a rant however, it was a nice stay, and was relaxing and quiet. What I will say is that it is classed as a 5* hotel, but we really did not think it was, it is 4* at best. It is nice enough, but it feels like you pay a premium for Crete and we have had nicer experiences for less money on other Greek islands.

Another fantastic holiday we were welcomed by reception staff the hotel is immaculate great location on the beach food is great the manager is always on hand if you need anything see you next year !!!

Where to begin., The hotel has lovely grounds the food is superb. The staff outstanding . The pool is a good size but somewhat shallow for swimming ., The beach is not a beach just a narrow strip of pebbles. However, there are some sunbeds on a wooden walkway. The sunbeds are low to the ground and for me difficult to get out of. The downside is our room was an expensive “pool suite”. It’s not a suite it is tiny very tiny . We were in room 601 and outlet travelling companions in 602. The rooms were totally different . We had a separate shower then separate toilet leading onto the entrance which had in it the sink . Nowhere for clothes no drawers just shelves . Very disappointing. The space between the bed foot and the glass console table was less than 2’. The photographs show a messy room as nowhere to put anything .

What an absolute treat it was to stay at the Pepper Sea Club hotel in Crete. Very friendly staff, lovely location, beautiful rooms and the food and drinks are amazing. We definitely hope to return to this hotel in the future. Thank you everyone at Pepper Sea Club for our lovely romantic stay.