Galaxy Iraklio Hotel - Heraklion, Greece     

This hotel is a bit out of the way, but with 30 minutes, is within walking distance of everything in Heraklion (note that Knossos is NOT in Heraklion itself). Because Knossos, the main tourist draw, is further away, a taxi or bus should be taken. But this is the best location to see Knossos from. The hotel was good overall including the pool. The breakfast was outstanding and a Greek feast. The staff, overall were friendly, except for the receptionist. Pros + Pool and Restaurant Scene are Cool + Breakfast is very large and has a good selection. You'll feel like Odysseus on his return from Troy! + Located close to everything and in a hip neighborhood. Great nearby cafes, gelaterias, and restaurants within walking distance. + Clean rooms and bathrooms. Cons - They advertise a sauna but there is none. It's a scam. Still the hotel is worth the stay. - Need to walk to the city center (about 25 minutes away) and then hop a bus (about 45 minutes atleast) to get to a decent beach. But the Greeks love there beach and its a lot of fun. We went to the beach just east of Heraklion - can't remember the name but it was shallow very far out and nice. - The Receptionists are really rude at the main entrance. One of them is also unhelpful. Overall a good place to stay however it's not in the city center. But if you value cleanliness, a decent location, and a hotel which can help you access Knossos this is the one.

I am writing this review as a courtesy to the other members of Tripadvisor who travelled and took the trouble of writing their reviews, which were very helpful in organizing my Greece trip. The Galaxy Hotel might have been once a nice, upscale hotel, but now I would not recommend to anyone to stay there. The hotel is obviously worn out and in great need of upgrading: the room was not very bad (a 2 1/2* rating in Canada), average clean, but the bathroom was in a pretty bad shape, with the shower doors ready to fall, dirty in the corners (mildew). The worst part was the AC, which is old and does not blow cold air, it is more a low flow fan. Given the outdoor temperatures in the 40 degree Celsius range, the temperature in the room was about 37°C. We tried changing rooms, but the AC was the same in the other 4 rooms we visited. Breakfast was not bad, the only complain I have is the Orange juice which was not natural, but some chemical concoction that only resembled the colour of orange juice. All in all, we were extremely disappointed and would never go back to this hotel unless a major upgrade is performed.