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!
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!
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.
Y. M. D.
Far below 5-star standards – very disappointing stay.
Check-in was unhelpful: arriving late with a child, nothing was offered to eat and no information given about the hotel. Staff communication was chaotic, with requests ignored and no one taking responsibility.
The room was dated, cheaply furnished, and nothing like the online photos. Facilities were poor (an old kettle that gave off a burnt smell and left residue in drinks, no daily bottled water, and only the bare minimum of toiletries). Housekeeping was inconsistent and not thorough.
Service was unfriendly and unwelcoming throughout our 9-night stay. Staff rarely greeted us, there was no poolside service, and overall we felt more like a burden than valued guests.
Food was another disappointment: half-board guests are limited to the buffet, while other restaurants come at extra cost despite very high rates.
Overall: this hotel fails on service, comfort, cleanliness, and dining. Absolutely not what you expect from a 5-star property.
Andrea Brenari
We have stayed with the family at Avra Imperial in May/June.
It's a brand new facility: very nice building.
Super clean: both communal areas and rooms were immaculate.
Big swimming pools. The main pool with a bar at the center.
Overall good service: excellent concierge advices and also the luggage handlers were super helpful.
Front Desk could improve the sense of urgency.
The are 3 restaurants: 1 Mediterranean 1 Italian and 1 Asian a la carte plus normal buffet for full board.
Full boards are allowed to free 3 meals per week a la carte. Overall food was good with a combo of traditional and continental. However lunch seemed much lighter
Good spa facilities as well: kids are allowed in the internal pool 10 to 12.
We didn't like the sea side: Kolimbari doesn't offer the best beach in Crete.
However inside the Hotel you can rent cars from a super nice gentleman and drive to different beaches. We drove to Elafonisi, Falassarna, Platnias and Agia Marina with Falassarna being the best at 35 min drive.
My Booking
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