Thalassi Hotel

This is not a proper hotel it’s more of a guesthouse and I don’t think it should be sold by TUI with the description it is given because it is very misleading . As soon as the coach drew up outside I knew we were in trouble ! We had to carry our suitcases up a couple of flights of stairs to a chalet , it kind of reminded me of old style butlins / a holiday camp . Our room was nice as it had been refurbished but we did have to pay extra for air conditioning which is unacceptable when considering the price paid for the holiday . The best part and the only good thing about this hotel was the shower it was actually the best shower I’ve ever used , a really good power shower. When we arrived there was a kettle in our room which wasn’t much use as there wasn’t any water , other people have said they had sandwiches and water in the fridge on arrival but ours was empty. The pool area is like being in your back garden , it’s very small and close together and didn’t look particularly clean another thing that gave off holiday camp vibes ! We went to find the Hotel restaurant for dinner which is supposed to be over the road , I have no idea how this can be classed as the Hotel restaurant when it is nowhere near the hotel ! The whole surrounding area is a dirty dive , just lots of dirt tracks , rubbish everywhere , abandoned cars and graffiti nothing nice about it and certainly not a little Greek village as you would imagine from the hotel description . You have to go through a dirty underpass which bizarrely cars can go through too?! We reached the restaurant and didn’t get a warm welcome , we were asked where we wanted to sit ( it was completely empty) so I said overlooking the sea please but was told that we couldn’t sit in the row of tables overlooking the see as that was reserved for off the street ala carte diners not hotel guests !! Not hotel guests who had paid a ridiculous amount to come here ! We took our second row seat and ordered a cocktail each , very expensive and neither of us thought they contained any alcohol so didn’t order another one . The dinner buffet opened and we went to see and seriously what a dire selection , I have no idea where these glowing reviews come from but this was like going to school dinners , rice pasta , sauce , some type of chicken in sauce and a fish and some chips . Soup & salad .Dessert was a pot of pink jelly …this was the same every day sometimes with the addition of grapes but that was it for desserts . The restaurant owner is very odd not friendly or welcoming just odd . We went to breakfast and it was like going to your nans dining room and there wasn’t even a table free so we were awkwardly hovering waiting for people to finish and go , the breakfast was not great there wasn’t a huge selection and again I have no idea how these people are giving it a great write up in reviews , it is without a doubt the worst hotel breakfast I’ve ever had , we only tried it one more time and didn’t bother again as it

We stayed in a superior room and it certainly was, we were very impressed, there was a king sized bed, a walk in shower and loads of room. It was like a Wow moment. On the down side there wasn't much room for hanging clothes in the wardrobe,or drawer space for the unmentionables. I was expecting a continental breakfast but was pleasantly surprised to see not only continental but full English too. The evening meals were different every night and they were all excellent. It was a fairish walk to the beach but after stuffing ourselves with all the lovely food the walk helped to lose a few calories. There is not much in the village of Stavromenos but we would certainly return to the Thalassi Hotel highly recommend.

As a couple we thoroughly enjoyed a 14 day stay at the Thalassi hotel in October on a half board basis. A big contribution to the enjoyment of our holiday came from the welcome and hospitality we received from everyone at Thalassi - the owners Dimitri and Eva, Steffi at the pool bar, the cleaning / breakfast room staff, and Michael and the restaurant staff. Our room was a superior double and was comfortable, very spacious, and had a nice balcony. It was equipped with TV, fridge, kettle and tea/coffee making supplies. The bathroom was great with a lovely walk-in shower. As with everywhere in the hotel everything was kept scrupulously clean. The pool was nice and a decent size for a small hotel. There were sufficient sunbeds that getting one wasn't a problem. The pool bar was a pleasant place to relax and was always staffed either by Eva early on or by Steffi later (Pool bar was cash only but could pay by card at restaurant bar). Breakfast was a buffet at the breakfast room in the hotel. There was always a good selection of hot food such as eggs (fried, omelette, boiled), bacon, sausage, and other items that changed daily. A continental cheese and cold meat alternative was available. Everything was well prepared and presented. The evening meal was at the owner's restaurant overlooking the sea about 5 minutes walk from the hotel (they run a minibus for those with limited mobility). It was a buffet which changed nightly. Over the time we were there we had many classic Greek dishes such as Soutzoukakia, Stifado, Moussaka, Pastitsio, and other nice meat, fish and vegetable dishes. The cuisine was predominantly Greek but there was always spaghetti available with either bolognese or neapolitan sauce. There was also always soup, Greek salad, and a dessert available every night. Once a week there was a "Greek night" consisting of four traditional Greek dancers which was actually rather good. The local area near the hotel wasn't particularly attractive but there was a convenient bus service (ask Eva for details) that went into Rethymnon in one direction and the pretty village of Panormos in the other. We would recommend visiting the Klados winery (google it) a short walk from the bus stop in Panormos. I haven't posted a review on Tripadvisor for many years but on reading some reviews of Thalassi that I think are unfairly negative I want to give my opinion. Specifically addressing some of the gripes: (1) "there are too many stairs" - the common areas and a couple of the rooms can be reached without any steps (go up the side of the hotel). The hotel description states "3 floors, no lifts". (2) "Dimitri is rude and only interested in his returning guests" - this was our first visit and found Dimitri to be charming and had a good laugh with his dry sense of humour" (3) "the evening meal was a buffet" - if you want waiter food service you need to move up several price points. (4) "the food was awful and cold" - surprise, surprise the cuisine was Greek, it is ser

Thalassi Hotel Google review summary 4.4 213 reviews 5 ★ 4 ★ 3 ★ 2 ★ 1 ★ Reviews on other travel sites Reviews Search reviews Fiona Hanna 5/5 3 weeks ago on Google I can not thank Eva and Demetri enough for the wonderful time I spent at their hotel. I was there for 2 weeks in May 2023. I was travelling alone, and the hoteliers looked after me as if I were family. Nothing was too much trouble for them. The staff in the restaurant were fantastic, as was the food. I opted for half-board, and this was perfect. The array of food for breakfast was wonderful. Dinner is served in the restaurant which is at the sea. The choice of food was only surpassed by the beautiful view and the wonderful welcome from the host and staff. There is a bus from the hotel to the restaurant at 7 and one back at 9. I only chose this a few times as I enjoyed the short walk to and from the hotel to the restaurant. On the last Sunday of my stay Demetri and Michael took a bus and a car full of us to a nearby monastery, also to Arkadi Monastery the trip was finished of at restaurant not far from the hotel where we were all offered a selection of local dishes. The hotel is a gem, beautiful large rooms, comfortable bed and beautifully decorated. The bathrooms are large with a choice of a power or rain shower. These are beautifully decorated also. I also wish to thank all the girls who cleaned the rooms and made the breakfasts, also the girls who worked in the pool bar. This hotel gives you everything Crete has to offer, which is wonderful and beautiful.

We arrived to be shown a lovely room by Greek standards, spacious, clean and a great shower. There was a kettle but no tea or coffee but we knew this so took our own. Eva great for giving advice on local buses we got our tickets from the supermarket and went to Rethymnon and panermos. The setting for the evening meal was fabulous, and the homemade soups were lovely, we found the food was good every night with some Greek specialties. We got talking to Dimitri, he really does try hard but not everyone took the time to understand how much work he has put into his business and in his words he feels some have forgotten how to say Thank you! The staff were hard working and nick who drive the bus always had a smile. Michael was a delight. The area outside the hotel did not have alot to offer but local buses were only a five minute walk away! We had a great time and met some lovely people.

Lovely clean hotel the staff are so friendly and make you feel really welcome .Nothings is too much trouble for them .The food is excellent and there is plenty of choice .We will definitely be returning had a lovely break and met some lovely people

Never again the worst hotel & restaurant we have ever been too in Greece. No lifts in hote & no one to help with luggage, so we had to drag our luggage up two flights of stairs. Rooms were okish but only serviced every 3days so bins with toilet tissue in were not emptied & towels not changed. Have to pay extra for air conditioning. Breakfast in the hotel was basic & luke warm. The restaurant for evening meals is not across the road on a beach, its 10-15mins walk away depending on how mobile you are & under a busy underpass used by traffic. There is a mini bus to take you there but if you want to return before 9.30pm you have to make your own way back to the hotel. The food is dire & repetitive. Dimitri the owner doesn't take complaints well & is rude & obnoxious if you do complain. We put up with the dire food for three nights then went for the last 8nights in to the town or the local Taverna. I am sure the supposed good reviews are manufactured as no one in there right minds would return to this place unless they also like Pontins. We would never return. We do have too say that Steffi who runs the bar of an evening is a lovely, cheerful & helpful person.

Honestly, this hotel isn’t THAT bad but quite cliquey and in our opinion, certainly not worthy of the 4.5/5 rating. It was clear from our stay alone that the regular guests are treated differently. It’s not quite on par with other 3 stars but we’ve given it a 3 as a whole as it wasn’t bad enough to ruin our holiday (and we didn’t feel the need to change hotels like a few couples did that week) but it isn’t somewhere we’d return to either. Thought we’d list our key pros and cons to give a balanced view of our experiences: Pros - Our room was really lovely, we paid extra for a superior double and it was a newly refurbished apartment with living area and separate bedroom. - Shower was great and it had a modern bathroom - Steffi at the bar (evening only) is lovely and very helpful - The local area isn’t as rundown as some reviewers have made out - it’s a typical Greek suburb… not a massive amount going on there but has a bar, coffee shop, couple of supermarkets, bakery, pharmacy and other restaurants including those at other hotels…! Would advise a car if you like to see more though which we did! Otherwise, stick to the large towns/resorts! - Pool and surrounding area is kept clean - Breakfast has a standard selection of hot and cold including pastries and cakes. Cons - Room cleaning is too infrequent. We queried why our room hadn’t been cleaned for three days and was simply told ‘this is a 3 star hotel’ by Eva. In our opinion, if you have glasses/cups in the rooms, the room should be cleaned more frequently than every 3rd day, unless they have washing facilities (they don’t!). Also, for sanitary reasons, especially with the Greek toilet system, the toilet bins should be emptied more frequently. - Towels were only changed once in 7 days and heard others complaining about this too. Eva again advised it was because it was a 3 star hotel but these are pretty standard expectations from someone who has stayed in other 2/3 stars in Greece that had more frequent changes and cleaning…! - There isn’t a beach as part of the hotel…! Even when asking Eva for somewhere to sunbathe, she said there was a beach down the stairs on the left of the restaurant (overheard a few people complaining about this after she said the same thing to them) but as you’ll see from my photos, it’s not a beach. TIP - go to hotel Ecavi down past Thalassi restaurant, they are really helpful and allow you to walk down to an actual beach from there. - Air conditioning is an extra €7 per day - Dimitri was quite a character, advised us it was best to eat at his restaurant as everywhere else nearby was awful (can’t use his bad language here!) To be honest, food at the restaurant was just not the great Greek quality we expect at all. Also always cold…? We took the ‘risk’ eating elsewhere and were not disappointed- especially, and most locally, at the Coffee Stop and Souvlaki Masters…! Ended up eating at the hotel once for dinner…! In our opinion, this place has the potential to be so much b

This is a small hotel with a big heart. This was our second visit. it is a family run hotel with owners Dimitri and Eva at the centre of everything. Do they never sleep? We had a suite with balcony which was certainly big enough for the two of us. Rooms were cleaned daily and rest of hotel was spotless. We stayed on a half board basis with dinner being served in their restaurant across the road (OK not quite 'across the road' but probably a 5 minute walk). They do, however, provide a minibus for those with walking problems. Food, although not ostentatious, was typical Greek and well prepared and tasty. We did try a la carte a couple of times and again fish and steaks were very well cooked. All in all a brilliant week.