M K
We stayed at the Kyknos hotel for a week with 2 other families. We enjoyed our stay and would go back.
Pros:
1) Staff: Majority of the staff are amazing and they all work really hard. We were impressed with their dedication. Stella in the dining hall always had a smile on her face and the staff at the pool bar was very friendly. Rooms were cleaned daily.
2) Kids Club: BIG hit for my kids and we enjoyed some quiet time at the pool while they were entertained with fun activities by very friendly staff. Especially given the heat in Creta having this Kids Club for the little one is like an oasis – what a great idea!
3) Rooms: updated, including bathrooms, and comfortable.
4) Entertainment nights: we had a good time at each of these.
5) A la carte night: we enjoyed the food and the presentation.
6) Surroundings: the resort is well kept and the plants (flowers, trees, ornamental grasses) are well kept.
Cons:
1) Water in the main pool was cloudy – needs a little balance of the chemicals.
2) Some rooms are small. We were 4 and kids had a sofa bed to share which was uncomfortable. However, we ask for another room and they were each given a small bed, much more comfortable.
3) Spa area needs a remodel and needs to be cleaner. The massage was ok, the space was dirty.
Other:
Food: plenty and everybody can find something to eat.
Beach: small beach 5 minutes away; larger, gorgeous beach 10 min walk.
Malia: 20 min walk to downtown --- worth doing this one evening.
Overall, good memories and would go back!
lucy winfield
Another mis advertised room as per the previous review (timo s) booked a superior garden bungalow garden view open plan...we got a double room with ensuit with a view of apartments from a tiny balcony in a block of 3 on middle story! Pics attached. We didn't complain as I should have got the correct room in the first place and on looking at the plan I couldn't imagine there was one as none would have had views of anything.
It's also not a beach hotel and is quite a walk away down a path over a road.
We arrived to a very welcome snack and coffee but upon receiving it it was a soggy ham and cheese sandwich which was not nice. Not a good first impression of the food.
First breakfast was OK but was exactly the same all week. Hot dog sausages not 4 star, hardly any choice of breads and same ham n cheese that's out for breakfast, lunch and dinner. We really are not fussy eaters at all and welcome any cuisine but the food was repetitive and boring and not labelled most of the time. We were invited to the restaurant a la carte night which was the same offering as the AI food but the pumpkin soup was nice, cheese and ham wrap is not a la carte! Yes that was the 3rd course! You had to pay extra for bbq night which was cooked and eaten around the pool...I will come back to this 🤬 I don't think this should be an extra charge.
The drinks are terrible, no fresh orange juice, no Pepsi or 7up...its all machine pop and tastes like chemicals. They also don't sell any or have vending machines. No milkshakes, ice creams, snacks for sale. On the 1st night we had drinks by the pool watching dancers, I asked for a Bailey 's to which they were going to charge me 5 euro, I asked if we could pay to access the branded drinks as my partner also prefers smirnoff and was told no its pay extra for every drink. No point in AI at all. The wine was ok with food but they sell no bar snacks and won't even allow you to purchase you own and eat by the pool. I was told it's so children don't throw food in the pool! This is extremely contradictory as bbq night is held next to the pool and the staff were throwing allsorts around (pics attached) and at 3pm they put a very poor offering of cake, doughnuts and (yes you've probably guessed!!) Ham and cheese wraps. This pretty much spoilt our holiday as the food, drinks and room were not as we expected or a 4 star quality. We have been abroad 3 times this year and this was the most expensive holiday and definitely the worst.
The pool area was nice but pool was freezing, sadly though without nice drinks and snacks it lacked atmosphere. It states they are moving to adult only which is going to be tricky as children like cheap orange, cold pool and chips for lunch and dinner but adults going all inclusive 4 star will expect much more! Definitely wouldn't go back. A long review I know but if I had read this I wouldn't have booked here. I think the reviews I read were possibly half boarders who go out in the evenings and pay per drink. The Cactus resort a little down the road is far better. Stalis is a lovely place but closes in October so very quiet.
Jacek Łukaszewicz
Today is my last day here, and as I lie by the pool enjoying the beautiful sun, I have mixed feelings about my stay. The infrastructure is nice, and the rooms are decent. The surroundings, with lovely plants, palms, and fruit trees, create a pleasant atmosphere. The staff were also very helpful and friendly. However, the biggest disappointment was the food and drinks. Overall, while the place looks lovely, I would not recommend visiting until they seriously improve the kitchen and café. I checked the reviews and was quite shocked by the positive comments about the food. I spoke with a nearby café owner, and she mentioned that everyone from Kyknos says the same thing: lovely place, horrible food.
Another issue was the smell from the toilets, likely due to poor plumbing. This odor was sometimes noticeable outdoors, from the small pool area to the end of the smaller group of buildings. It might be a temporary issue, but it persisted throughout our entire stay.
Radka Ketnerová
Very nice accommodation in a modern bungalow surrounded by a well-kept garden. Regular daily cleaning and change of towels. Helpful and friendly staff (the maitre d'hotel does a really professional job). Perfect food, rich breakfasts, a large selection of various dishes at lunch and dinner (Greek and international cuisine). The bars at the reception and by the pool offer a wide range of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, cocktails, and an afternoon snack. A visit to the a la carte restaurant was also a great experience for us. There is a children's pool and a pool for swimmers, sunbeds and umbrellas available by the pools and in the gardens. Clean everywhere, I really appreciate the use of returnable drinking cups.
Eddie Swan
The hotel is very nice, the staff seems friendly.
Coffee is the worst i've seen in the last 15 years in any hotel, whatever number of stars or part of the world. It's Jacobs instant coffee here although the staff says otherwise. It pulls an "espresso" shot in 2 seconds😅 just dumps it into your cup as soon as you press the button. It's an abomination taste wise. I'm not too picky about coffee. A Lavazza would be fine. It's such a shame that a hotel like this decided not to bother with coffee. How???
Food is made just good enough so you don't die from hunger. The water comes only from the tap, the juices are severely artificial, knock-off fanta and cola are available for your refreshment.
Most of the recliners around the pool don't have umbrellas for a shade. There are only 8 umbrellas for like about 30 recliners. No beach towels are provided.
As for me, it's not worth paying for your meals at the hotel. Go out, enjoy good food, it's Crete. And enjoy the hotel without food, it's nice apart from what I said about food and drinks.
My Booking
