The resorts of Crete, the southernmost Greek territory, are always very popular. Thousands of tourists from Europe and Asia come here on vacation annually. Why is this legendary island so attractive?
Lovers of antiquity can find many cultural and historical objects, including monuments of the oldest in the world of the Minoan civilization that originated on this island. But even without attractions, Crete is famous for its unique healing climate and a large number of clean sea beaches.
For a relatively inexpensive family vacation, travel agents often offer to use the services of the hotel complex Eri Beach Village Hotel 4 * (Crete). Reviews of tourists who visited this hotel complex are very different: some are enthusiastic, extremely positive, with thanks to the tour operator and staff, others are sharply negative. However, they both agree that the four-star Erie Beach Hotel is located in a place that is the most successful combination of picturesque Mediterranean landscapes and modern infrastructure. The hotel is an ideal refuge for anyone who plans not only to relax by the sea, but also to get acquainted with the historical sites and attractions of the legendary island of Crete. What is most often told by our compatriots who chose the Eri Beach Hotel 4 * (Crete) as their vacation spot?
Hotel complex, infrastructure
Eri Beach Village Hotel 4 * (Crete) - a hotel complex for budget holidays, includes two cozy four-star hotels, Eri Beach and Eri Hotel, consisting of nine buildings. The hotel buildings were built in the early eighties, but the hotel complex is in good condition, regularly renovated.
The hotel complex is located within walking distance from the center of the village of Hersonissos - a small resort village in the northern part of the island state.
Eri Beach Village Hotel 4 * is located on the first coastline of the sea coast. The fenced area includes a small pebble beach of the hotel complex. Entrance to the beach for hotel guests is free; there is a rental of sun loungers and beach umbrellas.
The infrastructure of the hotel complex includes everything necessary for leisure and recreation for hotel guests. The hotel has two swimming pools with sea water, a children's pool with water slides, a freshwater pool - all pools are equipped with sun loungers and parasols. Sports facilities and a gym provide outdoor activities.
On the territory there is a restaurant, several bars, a sauna, souvenir and grocery outlets, there is a parking lot for private vehicles.
Rooms
The hotel attracts many tourists with affordable prices. For this reason, many guests of Eri Beach Apart Hotel 4 * Greece and the island of Crete were remembered not only for the sights and the mild sea climate, but also for the pleasant prices for accommodation in the hotel complex. What rooms can I rent at this hotel? The hotel complex Eri Beach Village Hotel 4 * offers to accommodate more than seven hundred rooms located in several buildings on the hotel.
The cheapest cost is to stay in Standard rooms with a view of the hotel (garden). One room area of ​​20-22 square meters. m is designed to accommodate from one to three people. The furnishings and equipment of the Standard class include: sleeping places (one double and one single bed), TV, refrigerator, separate bathroom (toilet and shower), telephone in the room, hairdryer, exit to the terrace or balcony, air conditioning.
Room "Standard" with sea view, one room, room area 20-22 sq.m. This room can accommodate from one to three guests. In the standard “Standard” with sea view there is: one double and one single bed, separate bathroom (toilet and shower or bath), telephone, TV, air conditioning, refrigerator, hairdryer. Exit to the balcony or terrace with side views of the sea coast.
The quadruple rooms in the buildings of Eri Beach Apart Hotel 4 * (Crete) are also divided into rooms with sea views and rooms with views of the city and the hotel grounds. This type of room provides guests with four separate beds (single beds), a separate bathroom (toilet and shower or bath), TV, telephone, air conditioning, hairdryer, refrigerator. Exit to the terrace or balcony with a view, depending on the type of room, the sea coast or the hotel garden and the village.
Opinion of hotel guests about the rooms in the "Erie Beach"
From the description of the hotel complex rooms on the official websites of travel agencies, we can conclude that the situation in the rather small rooms of the hotel is done without frills, in the spirit of minimalism. This is also confirmed by tourists staying on vacation at the Erie Beach Hotel. There are a lot of statements that the level of comfort in the rooms is consistent with the cost of living. Of the negative reviews, you can often read the following comments:
- Poor soundproofing.
- Old furniture, presumably of the 70-80s, reminiscent of the interior of the Soviet period. In fairness, it is worth noting that this situation is not in the entire hotel, but only in individual rooms.
- Not always new (beautiful) bedding, although towels and bedding are changed regularly.
Food, restaurant
Eri Beach Apart Hotel 4 features a classic all-inclusive system. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included. All dishes are prepared in the restaurant of the hotel complex. As for the taste of the dishes that are offered in the Eri Beach Hotel 4 * restaurant, the reviews of tourists on this subject are very mixed. Vacationers talk about the hotel restaurant a lot of good, noting:
- Tasty and varied seafood dishes.
- A plentiful amount of dishes and food offered to guests is enough for all visitors to the restaurant.
- Large selection of meat dishes, fruits and fresh vegetables, vegetable dishes.
- The food is always fresh, good quality products.
Negative food reviews in Eri Beach Hotel 4 * are also quite common. What hotel guests complain about:
- Tasty desserts (this most often applies to cream and jelly).
- Long lines in the restaurant.
- Not enough dishes at the buffet.
- Poorly sharpened, dumb cutlery.
- Not too neat behavior of other holidaymakers at the buffet, especially children.
There is another feature of the catering, which is described by hotel guests. For those vacationers who are going all day for an excursion or an outing picnic, the hotel complex staff can pack take-away food. To do this, you just need to warn the hotel staff at the reception in advance.
Paid services
Even in spite of the fact that Eri Beach Village Hotel 4 * offers tourists rest and accommodation on an all-inclusive basis, guests will have to pay separately for a number of additional services and some types of entertainment.
- Depending on the season, air conditioners, which are equipped with all rooms in the hotel complex, may be paid. In order to avoid an unpleasant “surprise” in the form of an air conditioning bill when leaving Eri Beach Hotel 4 *, it is better to check with the tour operator or at the reception in advance about the cost of this service.
- In-room safe for valuables. This service is always paid separately, you can refuse it.
- Medical assistance, call a doctor working at the hotel.
- Drinks and food at the beach bar.
- Internet access. According to the observations of tourists, it is impossible to find free Wi-Fi either in the hotel or in the village of Hersonissos. However, connecting and using the Network in a cafe or restaurant located in the village, as a rule, will cost less than Internet access in the hotel lobby.
- Organization of excursions.
- Car rental. On the territory of the hotel complex there are offices that rent bicycles, cars or motor vehicles for tourists who prefer to explore Crete on their own, and not with a guided tour.
- Billiard room.
- Gym and tennis courts.
- Massage services.
- Sauna, hairdresser.
- Hall of computer games, slot machines.
- Baby-sitter (nanny) services for children.
Staff, service, tips
- Courtesy, smile, diligence of staff.
- A regular change of linen and towels in the rooms.
- The habit of knocking before entering the room.
- Free replacement of a room with a similar one in another building, if at the entrance the guests were not satisfied with the living conditions.
- Cleanliness in both the rooms and the hotel.
Especially vacationers noted the tact and unobtrusiveness of the hotel staff, compared with their Turkish counterparts. Tourists who come to rest with children leave good reviews about people who provide animation and service at children's facilities: in the pool and on the playground. Employees not only keep an eye on the kids playing, but also “insure” them, help them to climb the rides.
Of the significant disadvantages of the service at Eri Beach Apart Hotel 4 *, reviews of vacationers from Russia and neighboring countries contain the following comments:
- Despite the sufficient number of guests from Russia, it is very difficult to find an employee who speaks Russian among the hotel staff. The main "foreign" languages ​​for communicating with guests of the Eri Beach Apart Hotel 4 * are English and German.
- The lack of waiters in the hotel restaurant and, with a large influx of tourists, the lack of tables and seats. Because of this, “latecomers” sometimes have to wait in line.
- Missing Do Not Disturb sign. Particularly inventive tourists are advised to bring their own “cardboard”.
- Not always a responsible attitude to cleaning the rooms. Often you can find complaints that the maid cleaned the room only on demand.
As for such a “delicate” topic as tips for employees, the guests of Eri Beach Hotel 4 * note: “thank you” in the form of a small sum of money, of course, the staff accept it with pleasure and gratitude, as in most hotels. But neither the tip nor their size affect the level of service and the attitude of the staff.
Sanitary condition
It is especially worth noting that, despite the relatively good reviews about the cleanliness of the Eri Beach Hotel 4 *, some tourists had to face extremely unpleasant phenomena. For example, several former guests of the hotel complex found insects in their room: a local variety of small ants, cockroaches or mosquitoes. The negative impression was only compensated by the fact that the hotel staff quickly responded to complaints and quickly solved the problem by conducting sanitization.
Other reviews relate to the quality of the water in the saltwater pool. Tourists noted a strong smell of chlorine-containing substances, which disinfected water.
Entertainment, animation
In discussions devoted to leisure at Eri Beach Hotel 4 *, reviews about the entertainment and work of hotel animators are not always positive and enthusiastic. In the brochures of tour operators and on tourist sites, such events are announced for hotel guests as dance lessons, board games, afternoon and evening entertaining interactive show programs. But a lot of guests vacationing in the hotel complex, note that the hotel's animators work quite sluggishly, inactive. Most often, all activities at the Erie Beach Hotel are held in German.
The main entertainment venue is the water park and Star Beach, located next to the hotel. This is one of three entertainment complexes offering water activities for every taste: from aquatic hills to extreme types of entertainment. For adult visitors, there are five swimming pools, slides of various heights and attractions, including the “Lazy River”, beloved by tourists, where you can enjoy a cocktail or soft drink without leaving the water, just by swimming past the bar. For the most active visitors, there is a water sports center at Star Beach. Here you can ride a jet ski or a “banana”, try your hand at surfing, water skiing, experience an unforgettable experience, soaring above the beach with a parachute or making a dizzying jump down on an elastic cable. Also on the territory of Star Beach you can visit the spa, there are several bars, an Internet cafe, a mini-market, a restaurant serving local cuisine and much more. For young visitors there is a playground, a safe children's pool with water slides and fountains. Unlike adult entertainment, all children's attractions in the water park are free.
Star Beach hosts visitors throughout the swimming season, from April to October. In the hottest months for tourists daily discos and parties are organized in the water park. The beach "Star Beach" is considered the most comfortable and marked with a "blue flag".
But we have to admit that it is with the close proximity of the water park that one of the most common complaints from guests of the Eri Beach Village Hotel 4 * is associated. Reviews of loud music playing late at night in a disco in Star Beach, because of which vacationers cannot sleep peacefully, are on almost every tourist forum.
You can have fun not only in the Erie Beach Hotel or water park: a large number of restaurants, places for shopping and nightclubs work in the resort village of Hersonissos. For the most part, entertainment venues are open until the morning, local clubs are quite popular not only with the residents of the village, but also with tourists. Vacationers, talking about the nightlife in Hersonissos, note that it is quite possible to find an institution with reasonable prices for food and drinks, the atmosphere of many night clubs is quite comfortable and modern. The only complaint, perhaps, relates to periods when there is a large influx of holidaymakers in the village. The tourist forums often complain about the fullness of the clubs at this time. The situation is aggravated by the fact that in most Cretan clubs there is no ban on smoking.
Sports, outdoor games
On the territory of Eri Beach Village Hotel 4 * (Greece), quite good conditions for active recreation and sports are created. Daily, the hotel’s animators spend morning exercises and aqua aerobics in the pool with vacationers, and aerobics classes can be attended if desired. In addition to paid sports facilities, courts, a fitness and fitness room, hotel guests can use free access sports fields for playing darts, table tennis, basketball, football and volleyball. And, of course, the hotel on the coast and in the village of Hersonissos has many opportunities to try water sports and entertainment. Actively operate instructor centers and rental offices for surfing equipment, windsurfing, diving, sea fishing and more.
Vacation with children
What about entertainment and animations for children who live with their parents at Eri Beach Hotel 4 * (Crete)? Reviews of parents coming to rest in this hotel complex are mostly positive:
- The room provides free conditions for living with small children, a playpen and cot are provided, and the area is equipped with ramps for walking with a stroller.
- The children's pool of the hotel, there are water slides.
- For leisure of little tourists there is a mini club and a playground is equipped.
- Children's parties and discos are regularly held.
Excursions, sights
In the small village of Hersonissos there are practically no historical sites or memorial sites. This settlement cannot be called an interesting place for excursions; there are reviews that the village is too modern, it does not have "Greek flavor" and "spirit of antiquity" - all that for which tourists come to Crete. Therefore, all excursions include trips to Heraklion and other cities of the Greek island. What excursions can tourists who choose to relax Eri Beach Hotel 4 * (Crete) visit? Heraklion is the largest city and the "capital" of this historic area. It is not for nothing called the "gate" of the island of Crete: all roads converge here, there is an airport and the main seaport. The hotel complex is located approximately 30 km from the main island city, trips are organized mostly day trips.
What might interest tourists in the island capital? The cultural program of almost any excursion in this city includes a visit to the Historical and Archaeological Museums. The Heraklion Historical Museum has an invaluable collection of originals of ancient icons by El Greco, Mikhail Damaskinos and other legendary painters. The exposition of the Archaeological Museum includes priceless archaeological artifacts and ancient documents - evidence of the Minoan culture, discovered at different times during excavations on the island of Crete.
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Many interesting objects are located in the vicinity of the island capital. Most of them are monuments of the richest ancient culture discovered during archaeological research: the Agia-Triad palace complex, the Malian and Phaistos palaces, the remains of the ancient Greek cities Amninossos and Gortin, and much more. Lovers of ancient Greek myths and legends will surely enjoy an excursion to the legendary Knossos Palace, where the labyrinth of the Minotaur is located .
A visit to Heraklion will be interesting for those who are not interested in Greek history. The capital of Crete is the main shopping center on the island, known far beyond the borders of the country for its incredible number of retail outlets and lower prices for all goods compared to other European cities. In addition to the island capital, excursion trips to Rethymnon and Chania, small towns with a large number of ancient buildings, are very popular among the guests of Crete.
For guests of the "Eri Beach Hotel" all excursions are organized in the representations of travel agencies located directly on the territory of the hotel complex. And for those who want to explore the island on their own and enjoy the Cretan landscapes, “experienced” tourists are advised to purchase a guide and rent a car. According to vacationers, such a trip can be much more fun than an organized tour. In addition, any movement on the roads of Crete is quite safe: the island is known for relatively good roads, and the inhabitants of Crete - for their friendly attitude towards tourists and cordiality.
Contacts
Hotel complex Eri Beach Hotel 4 *, Greece, Crete, Hersonissos village.
Phones for information and room reservations: + 302-89-702-11-80, + 302-89-702-11-83 (fax).
Hotel Email: info@erihotels.gr