Vasia Sea Retreat

"This is further to Corinne's previous review. Firstly the staff are all lovely. Hmmm, the "mountain view"? Much more accurately described as a junkyard view. We asked ourselves whether we wanted to look at that from our balcony, and swallowed the 450 euro upgrade to a maisonette. It was still cheaper than if we had upgraded via our tour operator. Glad we did it although it probably wouldn't have been an option in high season. It was very clean and spacious. It had a whirlpool which we didn't use as it was a bit overlooked and it was chilly in May. The most important thing was the lovely view across Malia Bay - especially pretty at night when lit up. Breakfast was great. Didn't use the restaurant other than that. We used the pool snackbar once and it was fine. Finally the "wellness" and spa experience facilities that were prominently advertised by our operator. They don't exist. They're supposed to be available from the nearby Vasia Resort and Spa, but it was a building site when we were there (pictured). The alternatives offered were in other resorts, with one being almost a one hour round trip away. This sort of thing honestly makes my blood boil and we're taking it further. I felt sorry for the staff who had to explain this to visitors."

"The hotel is well cared for with lovely very well maintained gardens. Staff are very pleasant, rooms are modern and clean and the views to the west are nice. It felt a little bit like the Marriott group may have added too much of a corporate hospitality approach to the place. It seemed to be missing its true greek filoxenia even though everyone was very pleasant. We could have been in any country. Our first room advertised as an inland view was small and the view looked over piles of rubble, some battered up caravans and an old shed, with a side sea view. We very politely explained we were disappointed and the staff appeared attentive to our thoughts. We were offered a maisonette for an additional 450€ which we paid. I am now really quite cross to read the review below and see someone was given this for free during the same period as our stay. However the maisonette was much better with a lovely view and I’d recommend people make sure they are staying on the western facing side. Slightly odd, was the upstairs shower room which had no door and a large clear glass window into the bedroom. Breakfast was bountiful with lots of good choice. I’d steer clear of the poached eggs cooked to order as they were nice and runny but fridge cold. However other items were very nice. Service is a bit overly attentive, which comes back to my corporate point above. You had barely finished a plate or bowl or cup and someone was quietly whipping it away. Felt a bit like your every mouthful or sip of a cup was being watched ready for staff to spring into clearing action. Finally, we booked specifically for the spa and gym facilities. These were supposed to be 330m away at a sister hotel - though the company we had booked through advertised them as on site. This was closed due to major renovations and the alternatives offered were over 24 minutes drive away which wasn’t practical for a relaxing break."

"What an absolute joy this holiday was. This is a quiet retreat about 15 mins walk to the charming port of Sissi. We were given an upgrade to a VIP townhouse with sea view and jacuzzi. Thank you so much. Every single one of this small team running the hotel were fantastic. So polite and happy but special mention must go to Dimi and Rhena in the restaurant who looked after us so well. The chef must also get a special mention for the incredible Cretan Table menu. We had four courses each night and each course had three dishes, all authentic Greek dishes. So much food!! Superb 👌. I think the only thing I could ask for would be some hooks in the bathroom to hang clothes on. That’s it. All superb and would not hesitate to recommend."