Booking the right Hotel on Crete

The top criteria for booking the right hotel on Crete.

Elounda
The luxury hotels of Elounda, on the other side of the bay of Poros in the evening light.

If you have now acquired a taste for a holiday in Crete and don’t yet know exactly which area is best suited to you personally, you can start with a cheap package holiday at any time with relatively little risk. Package holidays include the outward and return flights as well as the hotel. This makes it the easiest and most convenient way to book a holiday.

I also once started with a cheap package holiday to Crete to get to know the country and its people and to explore the surrounding area of my package holiday destination. This gave me a taste for the island and I soon became a permanent ‘Cretan’!
Package holidays are the least expensive, come at a good package price, and you only have to deal with one contact person.

The top criteria for booking the right hotel on Crete

What should you look out for on a package holiday to Crete?

The most important tip is always: Price is not everything!

Although it is easy to find offers and compare prices online and thus save a lot of money, other things should also be taken into account.

For example, the rating and number of stars of a hotel is of course an important point of reference.
How are the rooms or flats equipped?
Are there sports facilities (tennis, jogging, swimming, etc.) in or near the hotel?
Do you need a pool, or would you prefer to spend a sunny day on the beach by the sea?
Is the hotel suitable for children, families or individual travellers?
Do you want to go sightseeing and what attractions are there in the area? Are there cheap cars, scooters, quad bikes or bicycles for hire in the surrounding area?

Another decision concerns the food. All-inclusive is great for those who want to spend their entire holiday by the pool or on the hotel beach. If, on the other hand, you prefer to be out and about, hiking, exploring the island in a hire car or simply spending the whole day on the beach, half board is usually perfectly adequate. For the most part, you won’t be in the hotel during the day anyway.
And for those who prefer to visit local tavernas, restaurants and bars in the evening to get to know people, breakfast at the hotel is enough.

All in all, there are a lot of points to consider when booking the right package holiday to ensure that your holiday in Crete really is a wonderful experience.


To the hotel offers on Booking.com

 


Which hotel in Crete is the right one?

The offers for hotels on Crete are listed according to their popularity with guests. If you don’t yet know your favourite place on the beautiful island, this is a good guide.
Of course, there are also complete package holiday offers including flight, transfer and hotel.

However, if you are only looking for a hotel, you should also think about a cheap flight and transfer (either by hire car, taxi or bus).

Pool area
Pool area of the family-run Corali Studios & Portobello Apartments in Elounda.

Lots of choice – and now?

Hotels of all categories, flats, guest houses and guest rooms can be found practically all over the island of Crete.
When choosing a hotel, not only the rating and price play a role, but also whether you are travelling as a couple, as a family with children or as a single person.

Your interests should also be taken into account. Would you prefer to spend the day in the hotel by the pool, on the beach or especially on a sandy beach – or would you rather explore the many sights and archaeological sites on Crete, go swimming or do other water sports?
There are also numerous opportunities for hiking (but not in the extremely hot summer months of July and August, please) or driving around on a bicycle, convertible, off-road vehicle or quad bike.
Excursions to offshore (Chrissi off Ierapetra) or nearby island groups (e.g. Santorini by speedboat from Heraklion) are also easy to manage in one day from some places.

Heraklion, for example, offers good transport connections, a central location, many shopping facilities and sights, even if the character of a large Greek city is not to everyone’s taste.

Sheltered bays such as Elounda offer good opportunities for daily swimming and other water sports from May to October.

The entire coastal area from Malia to Heraklion offers active nightlife and plenty of entertainment for children.

The hottest places in summer are on the south coast around Ierapetra.

Hikes are best undertaken in the higher mountain regions where it is not so hot, such as on the Lasithi plateau.

If you prefer quieter and less touristy places, you should visit more remote locations such as Sitia or Zakros in the east of Crete.

There is of course also plenty to see in and around Chania and Rethymno, along with many German-speaking tourists.

The top 10 criteria for booking the right hotel

In our modern age, many travellers are also much more air-savvy than in the past. Thanks to today’s budget airlines, many of us can finally afford to travel in comfort and further afield at affordable prices

But choosing the right hotel for our travels is not always so easy. There are many things to consider, and our decisions are usually based on factors such as travel budget, style, needs, location and more.

And just when you thought you’d booked the perfect hotel that meets your criteria, you realise it doesn’t even come close to meeting your expectations – and so you wish you’d done your research better beforehand!

So here’s a list of the ten most important things to consider when booking a hotel:

The exact location of the hotel

Many travellers have unfortunately stayed in a poorly located hotel where it was almost impossible to walk anywhere easily. Many also find themselves in hotels that are far away from the town or city centre.
This means that a lot of valuable holiday time is wasted just commuting every day. Therefore, you should always check the exact location of the hotel of your choice.

Although most hotel booking sites have very brief descriptions of the location of the hotel, many of them provide an online map for easy checking of the exact location.

Therefore, the exact location of the hotel should be checked first before making a booking. This way, less money is spent on daily journeys – be it by taxi, hire car or bus – and less time is spent on the road.

Internet connection

Many people today need the internet like the air they breathe. If they don’t have constant online access, they feel restless and nervous! It’s pretty much the only thing they can’t go a single day without.
If the connection keeps dropping, this can be very frustrating if the internet is extremely important to you.

Most hotels offer free Wi-Fi, but some charge a small fee. There are also some that allow access for a limited number of devices. There are also hotels where you can only use one Wi-Fi code per device. If there is more than one person in the hotel room, this can then become a problem, or if you have a laptop or notepad with you in addition to your mobile phone.

So if the Internet is very important to you, you should definitely ask the hotel what the situation is before making a reservation.

Laptop on the hotel balcony
Laptop on the hotel balcony.

Hotel breakfast included

It is advisable to book hotels that offer free breakfast. This convenience is usually worth the money, and it also helps to avoid paying extra for breakfast elsewhere.

In some hotels, breakfast can be excluded for a cheaper room rate. But if the room with free breakfast is slightly cheaper than the one without, why not choose the room that conveniently fills your empty stomach in the morning for just a few euros?
After all, it can be much more expensive and time-consuming if you have to have your breakfast in a café outside the hotel.

sunny winter day in a hotel
Breakfast on a sunny winter day in a hotel in Elounda.

Hotel reviews only on trustworthy review sites

Although you shouldn’t always trust everything you find on the internet, most people find themselves browsing for hotel reviews on sites such as travel blogs – simply to read what others have to say about the hotel they’ve stayed at.

The reviews are always helpful, if not always accurate. There will always be a few unhappy travellers who post angry reviews just because they are being difficult and picky. They can make a hotel out to be the worst place in the world, even though its quality isn’t that bad.
Unfortunately, there are always those who expect from a 2-star hotel what they will only find in a 4-star hotel!

But it is precisely on such websites that travellers will be able to find useful resources such as information on bike hire, tours and so on. Sometimes it’s also possible to start a chat thread and ask others about a particular hotel you want to know more about. It is now much easier to get answers to your questions than it used to be.

Hotel toiletries and facilities

It can be a problem if you don’t know in advance that a hotel doesn’t provide toothpaste. For some activities it is also more convenient to have at least a table in the room and such details are usually not mentioned on the booking pages.

Therefore, it is always good to contact the hotel in advance to know what to expect. Don’t be afraid to ask about breakfast, toiletries, facilities and services. This way you’ll have fewer surprises.

At Booking.com you can filter the hotels by stars, prices, popularity and facilities, which makes it easier to compare hotels.

Hotel type

This is very important for most people. For those travelling alone, it’s usually not such a big issue, but if you’re travelling with friends and family, it’s definitely something to think about.

If you are travelling with children, you should always check the family-friendly policies of the hotels. Nowadays there are also many special offers for families. If you find one, don’t miss out!

Families travelling together usually avoid cheap hotels. Because they always want the best for their family holiday. Who doesn’t want that?

Fortunately, Booking.com also has great offers for families.

Size of the hotel room

It is striking that many guests complain about the room size on review portals. However, the size of the hotel room should not be the most important factor when choosing a hotel, it is an extra and makes a difference to the travelling experience.
Whether it is a budget or a 4-star hotel, the size of a hotel room must be taken into consideration.

A hotel should also be comfortable. If it’s not even comfortable, it shouldn’t be called a hotel!
Always prioritise what is most important to you and don’t compromise.

 multi-room flat in a simple hotel
In a fairly large multi-room flat in a simple hotel.

Room type

Different people have different preferences and needs. For example, when checking in, you may be asked at reception if you would like a smoking room. In other hotels, on the other hand, it is pointed out that smoking is not permitted in the room, as all available rooms are non-smoking rooms.

If you are a non-smoker, you do not need a smoker-friendly room. In this case, it is better to get a non-smoking room so that you don’t have to put up with the stench of someone else’s smoke.

Special needs

Some travellers have special hotel requirements. For example, if you are travelling with a pet, you need to look for a pet-friendly hotel. Or if it’s someone with a physical disability, a hotel that offers a lift and a raised toilet seat is needed.

Safety is always important when travelling, so you should look for all the facilities you need when choosing a hotel.
The good thing is that you can find many hotels that offer the facilities you need – even for corporate events and conferences.

dog in hotel
The dog is included in the hotel!

Discounts or loyalty rewards

Most people love discounts – and you probably do too! When booking a hotel, you should therefore always look for the biggest possible savings. Sometimes holidaymakers only stay at a certain hotel to take advantage of the discounts there.

Loyalty cards are also great when you’re travelling. Using hotel vouchers is also a good idea. However, restrictions on their use must be observed.

Do you agree with these 10 criteria?
At the end of the day, it’s all about being clear about what you want from your holiday. If you align your needs and expectations first, you can expect the best hotel stay!

Oval@3x 2

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