Thalassi

Stylish, modern and very clean room in a high quality and well maintained (small and friendly) family run hotel. Eva, the owner is kind and helpful, a fount of knowledge and useful advice. Special shout outs to the lovely Joanna at breakfast and fun and bubbly Steffi at the bar. Breakfast is excellent with a lovely spread of appetising hot and cold items. Plenty of choice in a light and airy breakfast room. Dinner is also fantastic, served at the Thalassi restaurant on the seafront. Good selection of high quality traditional Greek (and other) dishes every night. Wonderful sea and sunset views. Dimitri the owner is nothing short of a legend. A true Cretan gentleman who made our holiday with his kindness, care and attention. Special thanks also to his able assistant Mikalis for his humour and kindness. All in all, a wonderful holiday. We will return.

We had a wonderful holiday at the Thalassi Hotel. Our room was spotlessly clean with great decor and perfectly situated for the needs of my husband, who struggles with mobility issues. We were right opposite the swimming pool on the ground floor. There was always room around the pool and never a problem getting a sunbed or parasol. Suprisingly, hotel guests followed the no towels on sunbed rule, which meant that there was always space for everyone. All the staff at the hotel were so friendly and helpful, which created a great atmosphere. Eva hadn't seen us for a few days and knowing that my husband has poor health came to see us one morning to make sure we were ok, which was really kind. Breakfast was nice and always plentiful, we enjoyed what we had every morning. We ate at the hotel restaurant the first week and used the minibus, which was brilliant. Pablo the driver was really kind and Dimitri the owner always made sure we got a lift back. We had the buffet the first evening and then the A la carte menu, Dimitri, Michael and the team always made sure we had what we needed and looked after us well. As we had a car we went out and about for dinner the second week. Eva gave us lots of information on places we could visit in our car and we enjoyed travelling around the area. The hotel is situated in a village but there is a good bus service and reasonable trips which can be booked through Eva. Thank you to Eva, Steffi, Dimitri, the breakfast ladies and all the rest of the staff that looked out for us over our 2 weeks stay.

I’m sat by the pool on the last day of our holiday at Thalassi, reflecting on our time here. It’s been a beautiful week of wall to wall sunshine. My wife, son, daughter in law, grandchildren (ages 5 and 3) and me have really enjoyed our stay. The rooms are great, everywhere is clean. It was above 30 degrees every day so we paid 5 euros a day for the air conditioning, it has been so worth it. We had a double room with sea and pool views and they had a sizeable family room for four with pool view. The family who run the hotel work tirelessly and you get to know them all well. You also feel like a community pretty quickly as you get to know many of the friendly guests. Breakfast at the hotel is plentiful and delicious, the breakfast ladies are so welcoming. Our evening meals were at the restaurant a short 5 minute walk or free shuttle away. Half board provided a limited buffet but we all always found something to eat. You can of course pay for Al a carte at the restaurant if you prefer and the food on that menu looked delicious. Our grandchildren loved the play area at the restaurant so we stuck to the buffet. We all enjoyed eating by the sea and relaxing over drinks while taking in the breathtaking sunsets. The hotel pool bar serves drinks from 10.30am and a tasty lunch menu from 12pm to 3pm. We used the local bus service twice, purchasing the tickets at the supermarket (only 2.20 Euros per journey), jumping on the bus by the restaurant, before visiting the old town and harbour, then a day at the beach, using Bora Bora beach club as our base. If you purchase a drink at the club, they’ll give you a free sun bed on the beach with waiter service. It was a fantastic experience. The food at Bora Bora is great too and reasonably priced. (Tip - wear beach shoes as the entrance to the sea is pebbly.) Thanks to the Thalassi team, Eva, Steffi, Michael and Dimitri for looking after us this week. We are grateful for your generosity including our sandwiches in our room after our late arrival, the homemade olive oil gift, the free dish of melt in your mouth lamb and chicken nuggets for the children from the Al a carte menu.

The hotel is very clean and the staff are polite, but that’s about it. Breakfast is good with reasonable options, however the dinner buffet is very poor. Almost no choice and the same few dishes repeated every night. The restaurant does have a nice view, but the owner is unwelcoming and rude unless you eat a la carte. We didn’t feel welcome there at all. The drinks are overpriced and not included in the buffet. Not even water. The beach is a 10 minute walk from the hotel and is lovely and sandy. The location is isolated in a run-down area, full of hotels, with almost nothing around. Only 2 supermarkets, 1 taverna, 2 bakeries and 1 coffee shop. You absolutely need to rent a car, depend on the bus or to pay for excursions. Extra fees: €5 per day for AC, €3 per day for the safe, plus €5 per day tourist tax. Overall: Only suitable for a very quiet stay if you have low expectations about food and service.

We had the best time! We took our older teenage daughters and it was perfect. Dimitri, Eva and the Thalassi family were so welcoming. Nothing was too much trouble, Dimitri and Eva are so kind and genuinely treat you like friends. The hotel was spotless and bedrooms cleaned every day. Air con is extra. The atmosphere was relaxing, quiet and friendly. We thoroughly enjoyed breakfast and the evening meals, especially our chats with Dimitri, who was very kind, generous and really looked after us. One night we had the privilege of listening to Dimitri sing along with a local singer and another night there were Greek dancers. We had so much fun as they get you involved. There is a short walk to the restaurant but if you don’t want to walk they do put on a mini bus that can take you. Bus stops are close by which run regularly and gives you the opportunity to travel to a busier but stunning Rethymno, Heraklion or any of the smaller villages / beaches for more beautiful views. The areas we went felt very safe and laid back. There are a few supermarkets, bakery, ice cream / cake shop and coffee shops which are all worth visiting but the bar at the hotel also caters for a range of lunch food. For us it was great value for money and a nice balance of quiet, stunning sunsets, great food and most importantly the kindest hosts. Everything was greatly appreciated, thank you, we will be returning.