The island of Crete, located in the Mediterranean Sea between Europe, Asia and Africa, possesses perhaps the best resort infrastructure among the islands of Greece. The famous island of Zeus and the Minotaur is simultaneously one of the leading cultural and economic regions of modern Greece. He certainly has his own face: the immediately clear crystal clear beauty of the sea, picturesque cliffs overgrown with pine trees, golden sandy beaches, heady air, incomprehensible hospitality and kindness of local residents, delicious local cuisine.
Many small cozy economy hotels on this island make vacation on it affordable for budget travelers.
Climate and seasonality
When is the best time to go to the Land of Zeus and the Minotaur? The answer to this question depends on the climatic preferences of tourists. Generally speaking, the first tourists begin to arrive on the island in April, and the latter leave the island in late October. The Mediterranean subtropical climate is characterized by dry and hot summers and mild windy winters.
High tourist season occurs in the summer months. It was then that a stream of vacationers from Western Europe sent to the Mediterranean countries. The air temperature, on average, is 28 - 30 0 C. You should buy tours for this time ahead of time, for four to five months, including the hotel - the subject of this article. The low season is in the winter months. At this time, lovers of excursions indifferent to a beach holiday go to Crete. At this time, the air temperature is set at 15 - 16 0 C. The weather is well suited for excursions.
Hotel location
Located on the northern coast of the island, in the small resort town of Hersonissos, the Kassavetis Hotel Aparts 3 * hotel (island of Crete) was built in 1990 on the first line (at the end of the last century, the near coast was built up with hotels.) It was completely modernized in 2009, and judging by the reviews, successfully. Now it is a spacious private four-story hotel complex with housing stock of 164 rooms.
Transfer from the airport in Heraklion (the capital of the island) to the hotel is short, it takes only a quarter of an hour. The location of the hotel is exceptionally good. Near it there is a bus stop, a supermarket, many inexpensive restaurants. Heraklion, the capital of the island, can be reached by bus in half an hour, paying 3.5 €.
Very close to the hotel begins the golden sandy beach belonging to him.
About hotel
The first impression of tourists at the sight of the hotel can perhaps be expressed by the words: “A hospitable snow-white building, stretched out along a comfortable terrace with relaxation areas by five well-kept swimming pools against the backdrop of the Cypriot blue sky”.
Might budget hotel has established itself in the tourist community Kassavetis Hotel Aparts 3 * (Crete). Reviews about staying in it emphasize the adequacy of the price / quality ratio. The latest modernization introduced an original corporate identity into the design of the hotel complex, turning the rooms into studio apartments by introducing newfangled functional zoning into them, furniture in harmony in size with the dimensions of the living quarters. Also, household appliances, communications, including Wi-Fi, were updated.
The territory of the city hotel is relatively small, but it is equipped conveniently and effectively, according to the canons of modern resort infrastructure. When designing the lounge area by the pool, terrace, bar, restaurants, the designers harmoniously and appropriately used the classic color combination (the dominant color is snow-white and the complementary color is bright blue).
As practice shows, in advance, for 4-5 months, tours to the Kassavetis Hotel Aparts are bought up. Prices for using the housing stock in it are quite affordable (for a stay of 7 nights, the fee per person is only 135 €.)
Rooms
Aparthotel Kassavetis offers its guests accommodation similar to their usual home style. The studios have a living area, a kitchen area, a lounge area. They also have a separate bedroom, a bathroom and a balcony.
The suites of Kassavetis Hotel Aparts 3 * have a full living room instead of zoning. The equipment of hotel apartments (this is their feature) is more thorough than that of similar rooms. In addition to air conditioning, satellite TV, refrigerator, hairdryer in the bathroom, telephone, there is also the necessary equipment for the kitchen area: electric stove, microwave, electric kettle.
Hotels with comfort apartments are as close as possible to apartments. Unlike hotel rooms, it is more comfortable to live in them for a long time. However, the prices of tours to such hotel complexes are lower than in hotels with classic rooms.
Infrastructure
The beach starts 10 meters from Kassavetis Hotel Aparts 3 *. This is very convenient: you just have to think about the sea, and here it is ... Besides the sea, hotel guests often relax in lounge areas, arranged near five outdoor hotel pools. By the way, two of them have heating, which was appreciated by guests resting in April and October. The use of umbrellas and sun loungers both on the beach and in the recreation areas is paid.
The food of the guests is established by the main restaurant, two restaurants by appointment and three bars working by the pools. However, some tourists first acquire tours without meals, and then pay extra for their chosen method.
The reception is open 24 hours a day (communication in English). When it has a tour desk, safe, luggage storage, rental. The hotel rents cars and bicycles and contains free parking for vehicles. At the reception, photocopying is possible, you can send a fax.
The hotel has an ATM, a laundry service and a hairdresser.
Beach vacation
Guests of Kassavetis Hotel Aparts 3 * devote a significant part of their reviews to beach vacations. We already wrote about the nearest beach. However, it would be inaccurate to confine ourselves only to its description, because the principle is good for vacationers in Crete: pay minimal attention to the beach, which is nearby. In every local health resort, the spirit of the researcher lives, and rightly so.
The fact is that right next to the hotel there is a promenade that actually connects three resort towns located right next to each other. Their infrastructures are intertwined to such an extent that it is purely visually invisible where one ends and the other begins (we are talking about Chersonissos, Malia and Stalis). So the tourist of the hotel in question is relatively easy (distance - 2 km) can, using a bus or bicycle (they are unusually popular here), get to the beach of "another city".
And yet, which beaches are most popular among visitors to Crete? Regarding beach vacations, guests of the Kassavetis Aparthotel recommend:
- Star Beach (Chersonesos), near which there is a water park of the same name;
- Malia's main city beach and Potamos beach (calmer, awarded the “blue flag”);
- city beach of Stalis.
All these beaches are equipped with showers, toilets, changing cabins. They have playgrounds. Paid attractions operate on the water, we list the current prices for them:
- banana - 10 €;
- sofa - 15 €;
- catamaran four-seater 15 € per hour;
- jet ski - 40 €.
Nutrition
As we already mentioned, tourists most often buy a tour without meals at Kassavetis Hotel Aparts 3 *. The reviews, however, indicate that then most of them pay extra by choosing the “breakfast” or “breakfast and dinner” food options. Indeed, why not do this if soon after arrival the spa people are convinced: the hotel restaurant is one of the best in the district by the criterion of “price / quality”. Although it should be recognized, the cafes, which are saturated with the coast of the beach, render him a very worthy competition. (The average price of a meat dish is 8 - 10 €, a portion of shrimp, mussels - 12 - 18 €, crab salad or pasta with mussels - 6 €.)
Breakfast in the hotel restaurant is quite full: several types of sausages, cheeses, scrambled eggs, cereal-cereal with milk, yogurt, coffee, tea, fruit, pastries; and all this in sufficient quantity. Tourists speak of him as "tasty and satisfying." For dinner, a team of chefs cooks several types of main course (both fish and meat), three side dishes, several salads. Hotel guests mention the recollected from the hotel menu: phasolakia (vegetable side dish), psitos (roast), kakavya (fish casserole).
Excursions
A rich sightseeing program for guests is guaranteed due to the convenient location of the Kassavetis Hotel Aparts 3 * hotel (island of Crete). Prices for tours are traditionally 40% higher when purchased from tour operators than at numerous resort tour agencies. The following excursions are traditionally in demand among the guests of Crete:
- Zeus cave (the place where, according to legend, the Thunderer was born);
- the ruins of the palace of Knossis (a place associated with the legend of the Minotaur);
- old city in Heraklion;
- Hersonissos Aquarium;
- Vidianis Monastery;
- fortress erected by the Venetians.
Crete is an island with a rich antique history. However, most of the ancient structures have not survived to our time. Unfortunately, during the stay of Crete in the Ottoman Empire, its inhabitants were doomed to poverty. During this period, many architectural ancient monuments were banally and barbarously dismantled by local residents on building materials.
Shopping
Like any tourists, guests of Kassavetis Hotel Aparts 3 * want to make memorable and original purchases. They firmly recognized that the signs "Εκπτωσει," appearing in stores in July - September mean the well-known magic word "action". That's just pay for the goods in Greece is better in cash. (ATMs there are not very respected and can even increase the price for cashless by 5%).
What can you recommend to tourists? In Hersonissos, as in the rest of the Heraklion region, leather and fur company stores selling Alessandro bosso shop, Luxurious Furs, Voss brands are very common. They are solid and in demand.
Also in Hersonissos there are boutiques and shops selling Greek (fairly high-quality) designer clothes. Buying it meets the best price / quality criteria.
What about Cretan souvenirs? Regarding products made originally in the national tradition, it’s cheaper to buy them in the village markets (even in the cheapest stores the price is 30% higher). Cretan ceramics is original and appreciated by tourists.
Conclusion
A good budget vacation promises guests a tour to Kassavetis Hotel Aparts 3 * (Crete). The hotel is located in a noisy beach area with an interesting resort infrastructure. It is ideal for relaxing young people, but comfortable for other categories of vacationers.
It is positive that Crete is a very picturesque open island, inhabited by friendly people, and excursions around it bring real pleasure. The funds paid by tourists for car rental to explore the sights of the island, as a rule, pay off many times.