Hera Village Bungalows - Agios Nikolaos, Greece     

Read previous reviews and felt quite keen to go,was not expecting 4 star but a cheap friendly funfilled place!!!!! greeted with an ok attitude but felt we were spoiling his cigarette! our room was depressing dark dingy and the water didnt work, asked to be moved but owner barely looked at me and said no, in the end my hubby and i both complained again, got a frosty reception and had to pay!!! for a better room, felt like going home. I dont know where all the happy staff were but we could not find any apart from pool bar lady. Food was fine, bit repetative but plentiful. Pool was never cleaned things floating in it! we escaped in the end and took the bus to elounda daily but this was not why we wanted all inclusive. Needs a huge overhall.

We asked for a restful holiday and to be looked after. We paid a price which should have guarenteed this would happen. The hotel is in a beautiful position and the description of facilities is fairly accurate. The chef produces very well prepared ,unashamedly Cretan food, but his budget obviuosly restricts him to delivering something more aligned to village taverna , based on cheap cuts of meat and cheaper varieties of fish. Premium cuts of either were rare. deserts were basic and lacked variety, rarely more than fruit and a choice of 3 basic varieties of ice cream. We were prepareed for buffet style food but did not expect to fetch and carry everything, including operating a self clear service for used crockery. This made the restaurant more akin to a works canteen, despite the staff's efforts, there were simply not enough of them to offer any reasonable level of service. You have to like contemporary music to go here. It is played in the pool area from 10-00 to 18-00 and the bar from 21-00 to anything up to 03-00, and is so loud that that it destroys any chance of conversation in the lounge area, which is the only place in the whole hotel where there is anything that approaches a comfortable chair to sit in. The bar staff are efficient but arrogant, when I suggested that they turn the pool music down a little, (not off) I was told to go to the beach if I did not want to listen to it. ( A large part of the man made beach has collapsed into the sea, and there are no services at all offerred at the beach) There is no table service for drinks anywhere in the hotel, and you are expected to clear your own empties. Entertainment was limited to a jazz singer doing a short spell to cd backing music on two night, nothing else materialised. As usual in Crete the cleanliness levels maintained by the maids was excellent. However be aware that the place is likely to close at the end of this season and maintenance seems to be going to the dogs You can now pick up a week here for little more than the cost of the flight, but don't believe that you are getting a bargain. It is about all it will be worrth.