Maritimo Beach Hotel

I’ve waited almost a year to write this review because I held off while my complaint with Jet2 was being investigated. Unfortunately, that process dragged on for months and left me thoroughly exhausted, but I still feel other families should know what our experience was actually like.

The hotel describes itself as a beach hotel, but the nearest beach is tiny and isn’t part of the hotel at all. Anyone booking because they’re expecting a proper hotel beach should look into this carefully before travelling.

The first room we were allocated was dark, dated and generally tired. The bedding was worn, the bathroom was in a poor state and one of the lights wasn’t working. Even the use of paper cups in the room added to the feeling that basic attention to detail was missing. These things might each appear relatively minor in isolation, but collectively they weren’t what I’d expect from a hotel marketed as four-star.

The room was also materially different in appearance and condition from the photographs shown on Jet2’s website. The hotel manager maintained that it was the same room apart from the view, but having booked partly on the strength of those photographs, I strongly disagreed.

We were eventually moved to a second room, which was marginally better. However, the shower leaked badly and flooded the bathroom floor every day. Our young son slipped on the wet floor, turning what might otherwise have been dismissed as an inconvenience into a genuine safety concern.

We were also uncomfortable with the room-door security. Every night, we moved furniture in front of the door so we would hear if our toddler woke and attempted to leave the room. That isn’t something any parent should feel they need to do while staying in a supposed four-star family hotel.

The hotel offered to move us for a second time, but we were only there for seven nights and, with a toddler, packing everything up and moving rooms yet again simply wasn’t practical. They also offered us a complimentary lunch at the pool bar in an effort to make amends, which I do acknowledge.

The buffet food was another major disappointment. It was poor quality, repetitive and lacked the variety I’d expect from a four-star hotel. I was particularly surprised by how little Greek-style food appeared to be available. I appreciate that catering for large numbers of guests is difficult, but that’s part of operating a large four-star hotel, and the food should still have been of a much better standard. We ended up eating elsewhere at our own expense despite having booked half board.

There were some positives. The pool areas and gardens were immaculate, and we never struggled to find a sunbed. Most of the restaurant staff were also lovely. Staff service was inconsistent, though, and one man on reception was particularly rude and aloof at a time when we were already trying to resolve problems with our accommodation.

Most concerningly, we were told by hotel staff that guests booking through Jet2 weren’t allocated the rooms shown on Jet2’s website. I can’t independently verify whether that is the hotel’s general policy, but it certainly reflected our experience and raised serious questions about how the accommodation was being presented and allocated.

Jet2 eventually offered £200, which I accepted purely to bring the prolonged complaint process to an end. It didn’t change my view that the substantive issues had never been properly addressed.

I understand that hotel rooms can differ slightly in décor, view and layout. This went far beyond a minor variation. The tired condition of the accommodation, safety concerns, disappointing food and difference between the advertising and what we received meant that this simply didn’t feel like a four-star experience.

The immaculate grounds and pools showed that the hotel is capable of maintaining high standards. Unfortunately, that same care and attention wasn’t reflected consistently across the rooms, food or service. I wish I’d read a review setting all of this out before we booked.

First time in Crete, Beautiful town! Picture perfect! Great stay at the hotel, the staff were all so kind and welcoming. We also visited the spa during our stay, and Sofia and Kallia were especially lovely, Julia the therapist was great too! Thank you for making our stay so enjoyable!