Athena Duboni
Truly Paradise!
From the moment we arrived, we knew we were somewhere special. We were greeted so warmly by Nadia, whose friendliness and kindness set the tone for our entire stay. She went out of her way to surprise my mother with a lovely birthday treat - a gesture we will never forget!
Our room was spacious, modern, and incredibly comfortable. The pools are expansive and beautifully maintained, the buffet food delicious and authentically prepared, and every single staff member we met was so kind and welcoming.
We also enjoyed the hotel’s wonderful spa - my mother and I had our hair done by the supremely talented Irini, while my father had an excellent massage with Marina. Both were exceptionally professional, and the whole spa team made us feel completely pampered.
Next to reception, there’s even a lovely jewellery boutique where we picked out some beautiful gifts, helped by the knowledgeable and kind Diana.
But the true heart and soul of the hotel is Manolis. From our first day, he made our stay extraordinary - giving us a personal tour of our room, sharing great tips about the island, and always greeting us with genuine warmth and a smile. The management is truly lucky to have such a diamond of a person on their team. We’re so grateful to have met him - thank you, Manolis, for making our experience unforgettable!
We already miss this hotel - it’s exceptional in every way and has everything you could dream of for a perfect vacation.
Finally, a special thank you to Eftychios (apologies if we’ve misspelled the name) who drove us to and from the airport. We booked the hotel’s private transfer service and highly recommend it - he was a pleasure to chat with and made the journey so comfortable.
Avra truly is paradise, we can’t wait to return!
Jack Jack
Avra Imperial Hotel, Crete was the perfect choice for our honeymoon and genuinely exceeded every expectation. From the moment we arrived, everything felt calm, luxurious, and incredibly well thought out — exactly what you want for a special trip like this.
We stayed in a Junior Suite with a private pool, and it was absolutely stunning. The room was spacious, modern, and immaculately clean, with a beautiful, minimalist design that felt both luxurious and relaxing. Having our own private pool was a real highlight — peaceful, private, and ideal for slow mornings and relaxing afternoons. The bed was extremely comfortable, and the little touches, from the layout to the lighting, made it feel special without being over the top.
We opted for half board, and the food was consistently excellent throughout our stay. Breakfast offered a huge variety with high-quality ingredients, fresh fruit, pastries, and hot options, while dinner was just as impressive with plenty of choice, beautifully presented dishes, and something for every taste. Nothing ever felt repetitive, and the standard of food was far higher than what you’d expect from a large resort hotel.
The grounds and facilities are incredible. The pools are spacious and beautifully designed, with plenty of loungers and quiet areas, so it never felt overcrowded. The swim-up bars, poolside service, and relaxed atmosphere made it easy to spend entire days by the water. The hotel also has lovely seating areas overlooking the sea, perfect for a coffee during the day or a drink in the evening.
What really stood out was the staff. Everyone was friendly, welcoming, and genuinely attentive without being intrusive. They went out of their way to make our honeymoon feel special, which meant a lot to us. Service throughout the hotel — from reception to restaurants and pool areas — was consistently excellent.
Overall, Avra Imperial is a beautiful, high-end resort that manages to feel relaxed and intimate despite its size. It was the perfect setting for our honeymoon, and we left feeling completely relaxed and already talking about returning. If you’re looking for luxury, great food, stunning pools, and exceptional service in Crete, this hotel is absolutely worth it.
Olle
⭐⭐
Since Avra Imperial already is a 5-star hotel, I'll add these two extra stars to truly reflect how good they are.
We had high expectations getting here, but they managed to surprise us. Everything from the architecture, the food, the pools and the surroundings are just perfect to me. It feels like a modern version of an ancient minoan temple, focused on rest and relaxation. The pools are all spacious, the spa is very zen and calming with everything you need, and the buffet have something for everyone. The architecture is interesting and luxury, all the way from the bathrooms down to the bottom of the pool.
All of this is what you expect from a 5-star hotel, but what really sets Avra above others, and what warrants the extra stars, is the staff. Consistently nice, friendly, and very professional. They are always close by, prepared to help out if you need anything. Their attitude is always professional and solution oriented, and every request is met with an attitude that nothing is too hard or annoying to accommodate.
Avra is simply an incredible place, and we are already looking forward to visit again!
Matthew North
We visited the Avra Imperial Hotel this September 25 for a special anniversary trip, and were thoroughly impressed by this stylish and modern resort. While the surrounding village feels a little tired, the moment you step onto the hotel grounds, you enter a beautifully designed world of contemporary luxury.
The heart of the resort is its enormous, stunning central pool. It's the focal point around which everything is thoughtfully arranged. At either end, you'll find three different restaurants, while a chic pool bar and a lunchtime food spot occupy the centre, ensuring you're never far from a refreshing drink or a bite to eat.
The staff were an absolute highlight of our stay. They were unfailingly lovely, warm, and friendly, and we were amazed by their ability to effortlessly switch between languages to accommodate all the guests. Nothing was ever too much trouble.
We treated ourselves to a deluxe room with a private pool that overlooked the main pool area. The room was fantastic – spacious, modern, and impeccably finished. It featured a large bed (a little hard for our taste), a separate dressing table area, and a small seating area with a table and chairs. The bathroom was equally modern, with a large walk-in wet room and a generous sink area. It's worth noting there wasn't a specific shaver/toothbrush socket, but a normal electrical socket was available. Open the patio doors, to a small patio with table chair and two loungers beside the sparkling outside private pool.
As we were celebrating our anniversary, we mentioned it to the hotel. We were so touched when they sent a complimentary bottle of sparkling wine and a beautiful fruit platter to our room. It was such a kind and thoughtful gesture that made our celebration feel even more special.
Food-wise, we were on a half-board basis and primarily ate at the main buffet restaurant, Basilico. The quality was excellent, with a vast selection of hot and cold dishes that were always fresh and tasty. While some dishes were varied daily, we did find the overall selection a little repetitive after a few days. A small suggestion would be to add signs with recommendations on how to combine different items to create authentic Cretan or Greek meals, which would have been a great touch. We also dined at Al Fresco, the Italian-themed restaurant, one evening. It isn't included in the half-board package but a discount is offered. The views over the pool, which is stunningly lit up at night, were beautiful. We both chose pizzas which were delicious, and we felt the supplemental cost was very reasonable.
Despite its size, the hotel never felt crowded. It’s spread over a large area with plenty of different spaces for guests to relax, whether by the main pool, the seaside pool, or in the comfort of their own private pools. There's even a sister complex across the road that guests can use, so you could easily have a different experience each day. We also noticed a small outdoor cinema area showing family-friendly movies on alternate nights. It wasn't heavily used but was another unique and thoughtful amenity. Evening entertainment was relaxed, usually consisting of a pianist at the bar or a DJ by the pool, both typically finishing by 10 pm.
On our very last day, we stumbled upon the Spa Complex and wished we had found it sooner! It was incredible and would rival any top spa in the UK, complete with an indoor pool, relaxation rooms, an ice room, sauna and steam rooms, massage jets, and jacuzzis. While we didn't book any treatments, access to these facilities was a fantastic discovery and a perfect way to end our trip.
Overall, our stay at the Avra Imperial was wonderful. It’s a modern, well-finished hotel with good food and exceptionally friendly staff. We would love to go back and would recommend it to anyone seeking a relaxing and stylish getaway.
Dumitrita Rodnitchi
Really good hotel , absolutely huge with several pools and a bit of everything for everyone.
Got upgraded for the adults only area and it was great, shout out to the staff for doing this for us , and although the adults only area it’s located across the road from the main hotel it does have a bar, pool and restaurant for breakfast.
The food at the buffet was great, plenty of choices and quite different every day.
There’s also à la carte restaurants with great food also .
Beds on the beach are free of charge which is great considering everywhere is a charge for them.
Beach is with rocks so definitely socks needed.
Mentioning again, extremely big hotel, a really big walk around to get anywhere, if you’re not ready to comit for big walks every day I suggest you think about it , sometimes we would not go for food because we would be too lazy to walk for so long on that heat 😁
Not many things we didn’t like but of them that’s worth mentioning is the tipping, you’d get a docket to fill in with your room number every time you’re getting a drink , either it’s a soft drink or a cocktail , felt a bit pressured by this and was avoiding the bar at one point as I did notice few of the staff members looking at it straight away and making facial expressions if you wouldn’t leave a tip.
Over all great experience, lovely staff and beautiful big clean rooms.
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