Istron Bay Hotel, Agios Nikolaos

Advantages: scenic location, nice staff,
Disadvantages: middle of nowhere

...this is a nice hotel run by a german family. the rooms are a good size and the balconies absolutely massive. However it is a bit out of the way it is between the towns of elounda and agios nikolaos and a taxi is needed to reach either town. there is a shop in the hotel but none other near the hotel, so again a taxi ride would be needed to get to either town. There wasn't any evening enteertainment either. Personally due to the location i found this a bit quiet, however it is a well maintained friendly hotel which would be perfect for older couples looking for total r and r. the only other thing i would advise parents to consider is the road that runs along the front of the hotel, it is a nightmare to cross as you cannot see around the bend and the greek drivers are mental. i booked this with thomas cook, and as it was a last minute... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful

Advantages: Excellent facilities, good food
Disadvantages: Isolated location

...it or give directions or advice. They also had stocks of used books a board games which was quite handy for out by the pool. The only gripe we had really was the location.....it's not near anywhere else in walking distance. If you want to go to the small town of Elounda or the larger Agios Nikolaos then you had to get a taxi which would cost you around 5 euros each way. We weren't at all impressed with Agios Nikolaos....it was really busy, full of shops and bars and awful restaurants. Elounda was a little bit nicer and we ended up having to go to the local doctors there as our son got an ear infection. The service was free although we did have to wait over an hour to be seen but excellent otherwise. One other thing that gets our thumbs up was the fantastic Kids Club. It was hotel run and the staff were absolutely brilliant. They had... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: A bit of everything, easily navigated, Beautiful, Great weather
Disadvantages: ???

...or German...), you can walk into virtually any hotel to use the swimming pool and, should you want a bit of local culture, the bus service is great. Malia's beaches are a bit crowded but if you take a 20 minute bus ride along the coast, Agios Nikolaos is much nicer - plenty of shopping as well. If you're going to the water parks or on other trips around the island, it's well worth finding out how much they cost by bus or taxi as tourist trips are exorbitant, particularly through British tour operators - Thompson are notorious. To give you an idea - Heraklion from Malia costs £1.50 by bus or about £10 on a tour bus. Be careful to research your destination if you are looking for something specific!... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful