Emerald Hotel by Azul

When we arrived, the room was full of midges. The receptionist gave us some repellent spray and assured us that if the situation didn't resolve, they'd change our room, but that never happened. The housekeeping service is rather disappointing: even when you leave a card to have your room cleaned, they simply make the beds without cleaning the bathroom or dusting the furniture. (With a dust allergy, I can't tell you what it was like for six days), and every afternoon I returned to the room, we found bees (my boyfriend goes into anaphylactic shock if he gets stung). The location isn't the best: once you've seen Rethymno, there's not much else to do in the surrounding area, and you often travel to other areas or the capital. For this reason, the all-inclusive package isn't very convenient, because you end up spending the day out and only returning for dinner. Water in your room is only provided on the day of arrival; on other days, you'll have to buy it elsewhere. That said, the food is truly exceptional—especially the meat, which is excellent and high-quality: I'd give it ten stars for the cooking alone. Furthermore, the staff was always very kind and friendly, helpful in every situation. I sincerely thank all the girls at reception and the waiters in the dining room, and especially the chef, who was truly excellent. It's a shame that the building and cleanliness aren't up to par with the standard of the restaurant and dining room service.

Charming little hotel on a human scale, just like the smiling staff who make the effort to speak a little French (thank you to them). The setting is peaceful, there are enough deckchairs around the pool, and the beach is just a stone's throw away on the other side of the road, very pleasant. Shops and car rentals are a 10-minute walk away, and there's a bus stop right in front of the hotel to go to Rethymno town center (20-minute bus ride). As for the food, I think everyone can find something to their liking, even if the older guests say they've lost quality, but we still ate well (Cretan specialties regularly, vine leaves, tzatziki, feta, grilled meats, etc.). Small drawback for the bar, perhaps due to the time of year we were there, but the wait for a server in the afternoon was a bit long, and in the evening for aperitifs as well, and it was often served by staff who weren't professional. Otherwise, I highly recommend this hotel.

The hotel is intimate, beautiful, the food is great, the rooms are clean, the service is nice, the receptionist Maria is irreplaceable, nice and helpful, she gave us a map on how to get there.