"We stayed at the Aquila Porto in July 2026 for a 10 day break booked through TUI. We wanted something fairly luxurious, a decent sea view, reasonably quiet, with good food and walking distance to Rethymno centre. And in all of these respects the Aquila Port didn't disappoint. The hotel is spotlessly clean, spacious , with a refreshingly chilled out atmosphere (i.e no screaming children or loud entertainment), and the service is excellent.
We booked a 'deluxe' seafront room (Room 411), because we like spacious accommodation and wanted an uninterrupted sea view, and again, we weren't disappointed. There is some road noise at the front of the hotel, but the double glazing is very good, and t some noise has to be expected in a city centre hotel with a seafront aspect. The room was clean and comfortable with a huge bed, a decent coffee machine, large balcony, marble bathroom with a jetted tub and fabulous views over to Rethymno, the harbour and out to sea, giving us a fantastic view of both sunrise and sunset every day.
We opted for half board, and found the food at the Hotel to be excellent, there is an extensive buffet selection at breakfast and dinner, with some delicious mediterranean food on offer. Staying in a deluxe/Mythica room we apparently had the option of dining in the al a carte restaurant in the evening, but we never felt the need. We enjoyed all of the meals that we had in the buffet restaurant and had no complaints about the service which is friendly and efficient.
Although we didn't use the sports facilities at the Hotel, we did treat ourselves to a massage treatment at the Spa, which was also excellent - notable mention to Kostos who provided an amazing Cretan massage.
Given all of the above, it is difficult to criticise the Aquila Porto, but we did feel that it fell slightly short of the billed 5 stars. Some of the decor, in both the public spaces and in our room, felt a little dated, and not quite conveying the feeling of luxury that is typically associated with 5 stars. Whilst we didn't spend a huge amount of time in the room, it would have been nice to have a decent high-res Smart TV where we could watch content from our own devices - this is now pretty standard. The service in the hotel was great in terms of promptness and efficiency, but it didn't seem as personal and friendly as we've experienced elsewhere. We were also put off by the drinks prices in the restaurant - 5 Euros for a mini bottle of diet coke?!
In the greater scheme of things, these are all fairly minor and in every other respect we really didn't have any complaints, but the hotel didn't 'feel' quite as luxurious as we'd hoped. However, from the hours and days of searching that I did beforehand, this is reflected in the price. The Aquila Porto does offer great value, being notably cheaper than other 5 star places in the area. The location is excellent and if you're a couple looking for a decent, high quality hotel, close to the old town, offering good accommodation and great food, I can highly recommend. It may not be fully excellent and flawless, but its better than very good"
