Aquila Porto Rethymno

We had a 10 night stay and absolutely loved it. The hotel is very clean our room was spotless. The staff is lovely and we had the best service we ever had. Especially the young men at the reception are very helpful and professional. The food is very good, gets replaced really quickly and is tasty. I loved the desserts especially the chocolate mousse, soups and breakfast was very good too. Couldn’t fault it. We missed our dinner on the first night because of late arrival and were given a voucher for a La carte restaurant, the food was amazing. This was the best hotel we ever stayed at with the best staff. Hope to come back one day.

The location of this hotel is brilliant, right across the street from the beach and an easy walk to Rethymno old town. The best thing, though, is the staff, everyone is so friendly and helpful. The food at the buffet is excellent and the a la carte is outstanding. The buffet restaurant is a little too small which can result in queues, particularly at breakfast. There is lots included as part their all inclusive deal. However, the all inc was not as effortless as it could've been, particularly outside meal times. It can be hard to get a drink/ice cream on the beach. The pools are v small and have very few loungers, but there are plenty on the beach which is lovely. The daytime activities are good. Eleni is fantastic. Evening entertainment is very sedate. Overall the hotel is probably best suited for the older crowd, probably those 60+.

When we arrived there were some steps or a steep ramp to negotiate, leading to the reception. Although we are fit and healthy it was a bit of a struggle getting up with luggage, however you could leave your bags at the bottom and ask for porter assistance. We stayed in a standard twin room with a balcony. This was not a room that has yet been refurbished but it wasn’t worn or tired looking . The room was not what I’d described as spacious but it did have everything you need for a comfortable stay. The beds were comfortable, there was a bath as well as a shower. The toiletries provided were of a good standard. The rooms were spotlessly clean and serviced daily as you’d expect. We had no complaints! The staff were super helpful throughout the hotel. There are two lovely pools but we preferred the beach which is located opposite the hotel. This hotel is a short walk from the old town which is very pretty with lots of shops and tavernas. There is a public bus station about a 25 minute walk away. We used it for a trip to Chania, it was €28 return for two people. Once in Chania you are only a five minute walk from the centre. We were half board, the food was great at breakfast and lunch but dinner for us was rather disappointing. We asked if we could swap dinner for lunch and there was no problem with that. We heard lots of positive comments from other guests about the good, so perhaps it just wasn’t for us. We booked with Tui, on departure we didn’t know where the bus was going to pick up and staff advised we stand on the corner to see which direction the bus approached from. This is more of a criticism for the tour operator, they should have informed us where the pick up point is, so ask the rep if you book a package. There is very little negative to say, this is a lovely hotel in a great location. We had a fabulous stay, it’s most definitely somewhere I would return to and it’s not often I say that. This is not one of the most expensive hotels I’ve stayed in but it’s all round one of the best.