Sol Marina Beach Crete

Lovely family holiday, particularly enjoyed the Spa treatments. Thank you Eva & Jo

We had a fantastic stay and would happily recommend this hotel, particularly to families with young children.

Our room was spacious enough for two adults, one child and a baby, and everything we needed had been prepared for our arrival. There was a small leak from the air conditioning during our stay, but it was very minor and we didn’t report it, so it certainly didn’t affect our experience.

The location is excellent, right next to the beach with a few restaurants nearby. I also went out for a few runs during our stay and the scenery around the hotel was beautiful.

What really stood out for us, though, was the staff. They were incredibly friendly and helpful from start to finish, even before we had travelled. We contacted the hotel several weeks before our holiday because of our baby’s dairy allergy, and they gave us fantastic reassurance. They asked what specific foods our baby ate and whether there was anything they needed to order specifically for him, which gave us a lot of confidence before we even arrived.

A special mention has to go to Manos, the restaurant manager, who was absolutely brilliant with us and our baby throughout the stay. He went out of his way to prepare specific foods for our baby and even found alternative ice cream options for him when we wanted one. His attention to detail and genuine care made such a difference to us as parents and really helped us relax and enjoy our holiday.

The hotel itself was amazing and very clean, and extremely family‑friendly. We particularly appreciated that there were baby changing facilities in the male toilets as well as the female toilets. A small thing, but something that makes a big difference when travelling with a baby.

There were two large outdoor pools, including one with a swim‑up bar, as well as a separate children’s pool. The main pool did have to be closed several times during our stay due to baby accidents, but obviously this is no fault of the hotel and having the other pools available meant it wasn’t a major problem.

There was also plenty going on, with good evening entertainment, pool entertainment and activities throughout the day.

One area we weren’t particularly impressed with was the hotel photography service. A photographer approached us around the pool and sold the service to us, which we were happy to try. However, when we later attended our booked session, we weren’t made aware beforehand how long it would take. Once we were into it, we felt a little trapped into continuing, especially with a hungry baby. The photographer was friendly and professional, but the lack of clarity about the duration made the experience more stressful than enjoyable. Had we known in advance, we may have chosen not to go ahead.

If we had to mention one other minor negative, some of the all‑inclusive food was a little more heavily seasoned with salt than we personally prefer. However, this is obviously down to individual taste, and we certainly wouldn’t mark the hotel down for it as others may prefer it that way.

Overall, we had a brilliant family holiday. The cleanliness, facilities, location and entertainment were all excellent, but it was the genuinely fantastic staff, especially Manos that really made the experience for us. We would definitely consider returning.

We had a wonderful stay at the hotel! The hotel is beautiful, clean, and has a lovely atmosphere. Everything was well organized, and we really enjoyed our time there. Absolutely amazing photo session! I had such a wonderful experience with Andrea! She is incredibly friendly, fun, professional, and made the whole session feel so natural and enjoyable. She really knows how to capture the best moments and make you feel amazing. Thank you, Andrea! I wish you all the best! Thank you, Marina Beach hotel!