Alexander House Hotel is a beachfront hotel located on the seafront, close to the famous Agia Pelagia Beach. The hotel is not very large and rather resembles a guest house or a summer cottage. Nevertheless, it has a fairly decent and high-quality range of services that fully meets the European "four". And the atmosphere here reigns homely, just family. Tourists, including those from Russia, love Alexander House Hotel for good and quality food, interesting entertainment and excursion programs, as well as friendly and friendly staff. The hotel was built in 1993, but in 2004 a complete renovation was carried out and the entire interior was updated. Therefore, the hotel is fully consistent with modern standards.
Agia Pelagia
This resort village, where Alexander House is located, is located not too far from Heraklion, has a well-developed tourist infrastructure. There are bars and authentic taverns, shops and souvenir shops. However, clubs and discos in this village you will not find. It is located on the north coast of Crete. This village is famous for its picturesque bay and sandy beach. The terrain is located so that the coast is protected from the north winds. Therefore, there are almost never big waves here. In the Middle Ages there was a monastery of St. Pelagia (hence the name), but to this day its building has not been preserved. Only the ruins and the foundation remained. And in ancient times, in these places was the ancient city of Apollonia. Therefore, archaeological excavations are often conducted here. In just a few years, the village itself has transformed from a provincial fishing village into a fashionable resort with good infrastructure.
How to get and what's nearby
The hotel is located some thirty kilometers from Heraklion Airport. Therefore, getting here is not so difficult. Fifty meters from the Alexander House Hotel there is a bus stop. It is worth going out of the gate, and you will understand that it is easy enough to get from here to Heraklion or Rethymnon. If you travel on your own, then by bus you can very easily get to the hotel from the airport. Transfer takes less than an hour. A bus ride is about the same time. Not far from the hotel is the iconic Kapsis Hotel for fans of the Eagle and Tails program. Nearby are beautiful interesting beaches and bays, both equipped and wild. Around the hotel there are many supermarkets where you can buy water, fruits and everything that you are missing.
Territory
Since the Alexander House Hotel (Crete) is built on a hillside from where it descends on terraces, there are a lot of stairs. Therefore, it is not very suitable for people with disabilities or mothers with strollers. The territory of the hotel is not very large, even somewhere in the chamber. But if you come with a small child, then at least he will not go anywhere far. Nevertheless, there is a beautiful garden with banana palm trees, araucaria. There are flowers everywhere. Greenery surrounds the enclosure around the perimeter. There is also a courtyard, many flowers here. Some plants have signs with inscriptions, so the hotel park is at the same time a botanical garden. The hotel building has a closed shape and is built like a fort. When you go out of the gate, streets lead to the beach among beautiful old courtyards planted with lemon and pomegranate trees.
Hotel Rooms
As already mentioned, the hotel is not too large. Alexander House Hotel has 110 rooms. Standard rooms have an area of 18 square meters, and family rooms - 28. In the latter - two-room - there is also a living room. In addition to beds, rooms have sofas, satellite TV with Russian channels, and refrigerators. There is no hairdryer in the bathrooms, but it is handed out at the reception upon your request. Individual air conditioners. All rooms have balconies. Use of the safe is paid (18 euros per week). The rooms are clean. Furniture, although not the newest, is very solid and comfortable. Towels are changed daily. However, from the toiletries, only soap is put in the bathroom. As a rule, everything is in order in the room, the air conditioners are powerful, the doors are massive, the windows are plastic. The rooms are clean and beautiful.
Services
In the lobby of the Alexander House Hotel 4 * hotel there is Wi-Fi, but it is paid. The hotel has a laundry room and a room where tourists leave their luggage for late departure or early arrival. The hotel has a gym. You can play darts or table tennis. Billiards - for extra money. Settling tourists immediately upon arrival, you do not need to wait for the specified time. Once every ten days, a “Greek evening” is arranged at the hotel. In addition to a special menu, music and dances of the invited ensemble are also provided. There are many other entertaining entertainments. But participation in this event is paid - they take 20 euros per person.
Nutrition
Food at the Alexander House Hotel 4 * hotel (Greece), tourists call simply gorgeous. Meat, seafood, fish, vegetables, fruits, desserts - there are a lot of them so that their eyes run wide. Muesli, cereal, boiled or fried eggs, scrambled eggs, toasts with jam, honey and chocolate, puff pastry samosa with cheese, croissants are offered for breakfast. They cook perfectly. The meat is very soft and tasty. There is lamb, pork, turkey, chicken, rabbit, baked ribs - everything melts in your mouth. Often make kebab or meat on skewers, gyros. Seafood mainly mussels, squid, scallops. Garnish is served with pasta and various boiled and stewed vegetables, beans, French fries. Various pickles and cheeses - tazaki, fetaki, olives. A lot of sweets. From fruits there are watermelons, melons, oranges, apples and pears, apricots. A lot of different sweets. Of the drinks - wine, beer, ouzo, juices, tea, coffee. Various ice cream (pistachio, banana, strawberry, chocolate) can be taken only from 10 am to 9 pm. The restaurant is located on the terrace, on the second floor. Most tables have amazing sea views. For children, the restaurant has special high chairs.
Staff
The staff of the Alexander House Hotel (Crete) for the most part are friendly and cheerful. So many tourists write in their reviews. The staff is sociable, friendly, but, on the other hand, not at all intrusive. Cleaning, waiters, cooks, head waiter - each of them has a special approach to customers. They will help to solve all issues with food, and with accommodation, and with cleaning. If you rent a car, then at the reception you will be given a map and even draw the desired route. There is no staff turnover at the hotel, people have been working here for many years and are interested in their reputation. Often, tourists part with them almost friends.
Sea holiday
The beach is 150 meters away. It is sandy and pebble, sloping into the water, smooth. True, vacationers say that it is a bit narrow. To get to it, you need to pass several small shops. Since the beaches in Crete are municipal, then umbrellas and sunbeds are paid. They cost about two euros a day, and people collect money in uniform. However, they may not be suitable for payment - it depends on the day of the week and on the number of vacationers. Towels for sunbathing can be borrowed at the hotel. If you come with your umbrella and bedding, then relax on the beach for free. There are always places for sunbathing. The water is very clean, waves are rare. Along the beach there is a promenade, there are many taverns on it. In the evening you can take a walk and listen to live Greek music to the sound of the waves. The Alexander House Hotel (Greece) also has a freshwater pool. The area for children is separated separately. The pool is always clean and does not smell bleach. It is small, but rather deep - more than three meters. Since the beach is municipal, all soft drinks, cocktails and so on are at your disposal only on site. This means that on the beach you will have to buy all this in nearby stores. You can get these services by the pool for free.
Excursions
In the evenings, many guests of the Alexander House Hotel 4 * (Crete) go for a walk around the village. To visit Heraklion, Hersonnisos or Rethymnon, you can use regular buses, the benefit of the local transport connection is branched. Thus, you are quite for little money - if you count only a round trip and a ticket to the museum - you can walk around the world-famous ruins of the Knossos Palace. Well, if you want to travel around the whole island, rent a car. After all, Crete is an incredible place, there are many interesting things here, so you don’t have enough vacation to look at all with at least one eye. And these excursions can be organized on your own. If you still want to visit tours with a guide, then it is better to buy them on the street. It will cost much cheaper, and in terms of quality and safety it will be exactly the same as in a hotel. Quite often, people take long trips - to the island of Santorini, in the Lassithi Valley. But the first trip is very difficult and tiring, especially in the summer. It lasts from six in the morning until ten in the evening.
Shopping
If, while relaxing in the Alexander House Hotel 4 * (Greece, Crete), you want to bring something home, then it is better to buy it in stores. First of all, these places are famous for natural and high-quality olive oil. The best price is 6 euros per liter, and it really is what cannot be found in Russia. Olives of different tastes and pickling methods are also worth taking with you. But first of all, you should choose what is right for you. Cretan olives are not at all like the ones that Russians are used to. They are best taken by weight in large supermarkets. And since we’ve already started talking about olive products, women always like the local soap and cosmetics. The latter is advised to buy in pharmacies. They also bring wonderful thyme honey from here. It is mountainous, never sugared and has excellent healing properties. Men will more like local strong drinks - ouzo, crayfish and, of course, Metax cognac.
Alexander House Hotel 4 * (Crete, Heraklion, Greece): reviews
Most tourists believe that this hotel is designed for a relaxing vacation. Her rooms offer great views, just like on a postcard. The Europeans, mainly Germans, mainly rest in the hotel. The food is solid, tasty, varied and fresh, even with gastronomic delights. The wine is always cool and excellent, just right for relaxation. The tablecloths are clean, and the waiters immediately remove all unnecessary from the tables. The interior is simple, but the services are very high quality. And the nature around is just fabulous! True, there may be mosquitoes in the evenings, so when planning a vacation, you need to take some means with you against these insects. But be that as it may, the Alexander House Hotel 4 * hotel (Crete, Heraklion) is very decent and quite consistent with its stars. This is a great place for lovers of an economical, but quality vacation.