After Turkey and Egypt lost stability in the political environment, Greece came in first for Russian tourists. This European country for centuries manages to maintain some special flavor and pleasantly surprise with its originality. It also has a wonderful climate and traditionally good service at fairly reasonable prices. The small budget hotel in Crete, called the Galini Hotel 3 *, fully demonstrates Greek hospitality.
Hersonissos is the largest city closest to this hotel, known to many Greek lovers. For decades, Crete has attracted everyone who loves ancient history, mythology, gorgeous beaches, the cleanest sea, exciting shopping, incendiary night clubs and just a good rest to the sound of the surf and the whisper of olive groves. Accustomed to Egyptian obsession and Turkish lack of interest in the welfare of customers, tourists, arriving at the Galini Hotel 3 *, are faced with genuine hospitality and caring, but not tiring service. Here everyone is treated as the most welcome guest, but they never seek to cash in on a guest, persistently offering unnecessary services. And yet, in spite of all the amenities, for some tourists a vacation in this hotel may not seem quite the way they expected. We bring to your attention the most detailed information about the Galini Hotel in Anissaras (or Anissaras, as you will see on the road signs on the way from the airport).
Please note that the word "Galini" in Greek means peacefulness, a concept very much appreciated by the Greeks. Therefore, hotels with the same name are several dozen. In this article we will introduce you only to the 3-star Galini Hotel (Anissaras). To avoid mistakes, the village where it is located is indicated in brackets, since even in Hersonissos, the nearest village, there is also a small Galini hotel.
Location
On the legendary and most extraordinary Greek island of Crete, on its northern side between the cities of Hersonissos and Malia, there is a charming Galini Hotel (Anissaras) 3 *, pleasing with a homely atmosphere.
Crete is not only larger than any other island in the country, but also the most distinctive. We can say that this is a separate small state. There is even a special talk, different from what they say in other regions of Greece. And here are their own customs, especially pronounced in the mountain villages, their traditional dishes, their drinks. And, of course, there are many cities and small settlements, which are real open-air museums. But there are also small villages, the whole value of which lies in peace and silence. Anissaras is just that. There you will not find nightclubs, noisy parties, exciting shopping. Tourists in Anissaras are waiting for a quiet pastime, a measured life without haste and fuss. But this does not mean that the Galini Hotel 3 * (Crete) will seem boring and uninteresting to guests.
Heraklion - the capital and center of all that the entertainment soul desires, lies just 24 km or 20-30 minutes by bus. And Hersonissos, famous for its vibrant tourist life, is only 1000 meters from Anissaras, which can be easily overcome even on foot.
Close enough, just some 12 km from the village, is also the town of Malia, rich in unique attractions. Please note that the Galini Hotel (Anissaras) 3 * is not located on the coast itself, but on the second line, that is, those who choose this hotel will have to walk to the beach, though not for long, no more than 7-15 minutes (depending on speed of movement and from the selected beach). The road to the beach leads past other hotels, shops and small restaurants in which tables are set right on the street.
How to get there
Since most of our tourists who took a tour at the Galini Hotel 3 * arrive from Russia immediately to Crete, the main way to transfer there by plane. In the summer, there are flights to Heraklion Airport from Moscow, Yekaterinburg, St. Petersburg, Perm, Kaliningrad, Nizhny Novgorod, Kazan, Rostov-on-Don and Volgograd, as well as from Ukraine, Kazakhstan and almost all European countries. Out of season airplanes fly to Heraklion only from Athens, Thessaloniki and some Greek islands. The second way to transfer to Crete is by sea on a comfortable ferry. This path is suitable for those who decide to visit Athens first, and only then go to the Galini Hotel 3 *.
Crete from the Greek capital lies about 340 km, which a high-speed ferry that does not call at the ports of other islands overcomes in about 5 hours. Traveling by sea (if there is no storm) will seem very pleasant and leave an unforgettable experience. From the airport and port, Galini Hotel in Anissaras can be reached by bus. Ticket price does not exceed a few euros. It is more convenient to get by taxi, which is always easy to find in Greece. A ticket to Anissaras will cost about 30-40 euros. But most often organized tourists at the airport are greeted by the transfer of the travel agency where the ticket was purchased.
Hotel Description
For some tourists, the landscapes of the Greek islands may seem a little monotonous, in the presence of greenery and flowers inferior to our Crimean. Of the trees there are mainly gray-gray olives and oranges, and the slopes of low mountains and plains at their feet are covered with bushes and thorns. Only in some places does one glance at huge gray cacti resembling aloe. Diversify these beauty wilderness farmland claptics. Such a landscape prevails in the area where the Galini Hotel (Anissaras) 3 * is located.
Crete is famous for the abundance of the sun. Here, about 340 days a year, not a drop of rain falls. Therefore, all the beauty - flowers, trees, evergreen bushes available in a small hotel area - is a merit of the daily efforts of its employees. True, there is no chic garden for walks, tennis courts and sports grounds on the territory of the hotel, but the lawns are broken, flowerbeds and shady corners of rest are decorated, and there are swings for children. The hotel has a good asphalt road ending with a spacious parking lot. Next begins the olive grove, so that guests can not be afraid of the noise of cars and calmly enjoy the clean air and silence.
Like almost all hotels in Crete, Galini Hotel 3 * has children's and adult pools in its infrastructure. Reviews about them are favorable. The children's pool is shallow, absolutely safe, the water in it is always warm, without the smell of bleach. The maximum adult depth is 2 meters. Around the pools there is a landscaped area, paved with tiles, parasols are installed , there are a sufficient number of sun loungers.
Arriving at the hotel, guests find themselves in a spacious lounge with soft chairs, tables, free Wi-Fi. At the reception you can order excursions, hand over things for washing, rent a car or bicycle, exchange currency. Please note - saunas, an indoor pool and a gym are not provided in the hotel.
Accommodation
Three-storey building in classical Greek style is a hotel Galini Hotel (Anissaras) 3 *. Reviews of tourists about his rooms, of which there are exactly 51, are ambiguous. Someone is happy, but someone lacks some amenities. The rooms on the 2nd and 3rd floors have either a balcony or a spacious loggia, where it is fantastically pleasant to spend evenings admiring the sea and sunrise or sunset. The rooms on the ground floor have a small terrace, also furnished with summer furniture, but the view from it opens only to the hotel.
The category of all rooms is one - “Standard”, and the design is fully consistent with the concepts of minimalism. We draw attention to the unusual furniture in the rooms. The beds here are not ordinary wooden, but have a stone base, on which comfortable mattresses are laid. By similar technology, bedside tables and tables were also made. Some tourists do not really like this design, others are delighted with it. Standard room equipment for Greek hotels 3 stars - wardrobe, beds, chairs, table with mirror, telephone for communication with the reception. Air conditioning, a small fridge and a safe are provided for a fee. There is no carpet or any other flooring. The hygiene room is equipped with a shower (no cabin, only a tray and a curtain), a toilet and a washbasin.
Individual hygiene products (shampoo, soap and gel) are provided only upon arrival, then you need to purchase your own. But toilet paper is replenished constantly.
They clean the rooms honestly, change towels on demand or according to the schedule every other day, and sheets, pillowcases for every fourth day from the moment of check-in.
Nutrition
There are three systems by which domestic travel agencies sell tours. This is “AI” or “All Inclusive”, “NV” - “breakfast and dinner” and “BB” - only breakfast. For any of them, you can take a ticket to the Galini Hotel (Anissaras) 3 *. Greece is distinguished by its specific cuisine, the dishes of which are not liked by all Russians. So, here they like to cook okras - vegetables that do not grow in Russia, even in elite restaurants they enjoy serving boiled grass, and octopuses baked on charcoal are offered as beer snacks. Breakfasts in Greek three-star hotels, as a rule, are continental, dinners are more modest than in Turkey, and dinners are similar to dinners, but almost never eat incomprehensible salads and strange casseroles here. On the contrary, food and food are always fresh, so tourists can not worry about their stomachs.
In Galini Hotel 3 * they sacredly follow the traditions and always care about the health of their guests. Tourists are waiting for both local and more familiar European dishes of fish, meat, seafood. The side dish serves fresh and baked vegetables, potatoes, rice, pasta. Meals at the hotel are held in a restaurant, the interior of which is as simple as the interior of the rooms. The highlight is T-shirts hanging on the ceiling with inscriptions of grateful tourists. For breakfast, slices of cheese and sausage, eggs in different forms, milk, granola, butter, jam, honey, coffee, tea, juice are served. For lunch, an assortment of vegetables, salads, fruits, meat and fish dishes. For dinner, evenings are often held when grilled meat is served. For those who do not plan to spend all the time on the beach or in the Galini Hotel, it is wiser to buy a tour on the HB or BB system. So it will be cheaper for money, and you will not be attached to the hotel. A snack or a tight meal in Crete is not a problem. There is a mass of taverns for every taste and wealth.
In addition to the restaurant, you can grab a bite to eat in the bars, which are two here - in the lobby and by the pool. All kinds of drinks of the peoples of the world are offered there for a fee, as well as chips, nuts, cookies, chocolates. Only local wine and some soft drinks are free at the hotel. There is a water cooler in the lobby and in the restaurant, but they are not allowed to bottle it and bring it to the room. You can buy high-quality drinking water in the village in a minimarket located near the hotel or in any supermarket or even in a kiosk with newspapers, cigarettes and all kinds of small things.
Adult leisure at the hotel
For those who go to Greece for peace and tranquility, who want to live a couple of weeks away from the hustle and bustle of the city, smog and noise, Galini Hotel 3 * is most suitable. Crete, reviews of which are always enthusiastic, provides tourists with many leisure options. For those who want to always be in the thick of things, Hotel Galini is not very suitable, as they do not arrange discos here, do not spend holidays for either children or adults. During the day, guests entertain themselves by swimming in the pool, playing table tennis in the evening, air hockey or billiards, located in a separate room. Near the reception there are several computers that can be used for a fee. You can also spend time at the bar with a glass of good wine, listening to music and having a fascinating conversation with friends. Another feature of Greece - the beaches here do not close and do not open, so you can go swimming at any time of the day.
Services for children
In Galini Hotel 3 * for little tourists there is almost nothing. Most Greek three-star hotels are designed to entertain the adults accompanying the kids. All that caring parents can find for their children is a children's pool, a small playground and a modest games room. Cots are available in rooms, and high chairs are available in the restaurant. There is no special menu for babies, but hotel staff will never refuse to warm up ready-made baby food.
Leisure outside the hotel
Despite the lack of entertainment programs, the most favorable impressions from the rest of the guests of the Galini Hotel (Anissaras) 3 * hotel remain. Greece, about. Crete, its pearls Heraklion, Chania, Malia and dozens of other world-famous tourist centers, hotel guests can visit for excursions. They are offered both at the hotel and at the travel agencies, the closest of which is located from the Galini Hotel, a minute's walk. There is a bus stop and an office for renting vehicles (cars and bikes) very close, so anyone who does not want to spend money on guides can travel around Crete on their own. A few minutes from the hotel (if you use the gate leading to the road to the tavern and turn left from it) there is a wonderful church. Perhaps all tourists will be interested to see how the Greek services go. Believe me, the difference between ours is big, and it lies mainly in the fact that for the Greeks the church is like a second home, such kindness and a sense of celebration always reign there.
Active tourists and youth will also like Galini Hotel 3 *. Crete will not let anyone get bored, because there are a lot of places where the daytime is impressive and the incendiary nightlife is enchanting. The closest town to the hotel is Hersonissos, where there are bars, restaurants, nightclubs with a wide variety of dishes. In addition, those who do not want to spend all the time on the beach can have fun in water parks. The closest is Acqua Plus near Hersonissos, and the second is Water City on the mountain near Heraklion. Please note that two hours before closing, the entrance price in both is two times lower than in the morning and afternoon, and children under 5 are always skipped for free.
Beach
No matter how varied and interesting entertainment outside the hotel, the most beautiful sea in the world and the most convenient but free beaches will be remembered by the guests of the Galini Hotel 3 *, Greece, Crete. Heraklion, as well as Anissaras, are located on the northern coast, washed immediately by three seas - the Mediterranean, its component Aegean and component Aegean Cretan. Beaches are especially popular here. All of them are urban, therefore free, but, despite this, well-maintained. Guests of the Galini Hotel can relax at the nearest, which is about seven minutes away, or go to the right, where they are waiting for pretty bays, and a little further further is a nudist beach. You can choose for yourself a sandy beach or pebble, to whom you like. Each is maintained clean, equipped with toilets, booths, showers, to wash off salt water.
Also, almost every beach has a cafe where you can take a drink or a snack. In many cafes there is a rule - a deck chair is free, subject to the purchase of a drink. Without this, umbrellas and sunbeds should be taken at an additional cost.
We draw the attention of those who choose to relax Galini Hotel 3 *: Crete has some climatic features, as it is an island located quite far from the mainland. Therefore, here in the summer it is slightly fresher than, for example, in Athens, and in the winter it is somewhat warmer. The air warms up to +20 degrees and higher by the end of April, but the water in the sea becomes warm (about +25 degrees) around mid-July. In June, swimming is still cool, and towards the end of August there are often waves at sea. But in the velvet season, including the whole of October, the air temperature in Crete does not fall below +25 degrees during the day, and the water in the sea is below +24 degrees, so this is the most preferred time for a beach holiday.
Galini Hotel (Anissaras) 3 * (Crete): reviews
Most tourists have a very good experience with this hotel. People note the following pluses:
- A good location for those who are looking for silence and love clean air;
- friendliness and helpfulness of staff;
- Russian-speaking workers at the reception;
- in general, the price is fully consistent with the quality of the services provided;
- good, and most importantly, healthy nutrition;
- cleanliness around;
- excellent service in the restaurant;
- wonderful beaches near the hotel.
Marked Cons:
- somewhat unusual furniture in the rooms;
- some inconvenience during showering due to a short curtain;
- new bedding and towels;
- small area;
- lack of animation;
- lack of service for children.