Grecotel Amirandes

Our visit to the Amirandes hotel was absolutely flawless, the most beautiful hotel with fantastic restaurants and the best service - everyone was just so helpful all the time. The hotel was amazingly professional regarding COVID - everyone in the staff wore masks and antiseptic gels/ masks were made available everywhere to the guests. We stayed in the Junior Deluxe Suite where Maria, the villa manager, arranged everything for a perfect stay from booking restaurants and preordering drinks to organising trips and providing advice for site seeing etc. A big thanks as well to Effi, who told us all the best spots to see on the island. It was the most fantastic place to get engaged and we will remember it forever. Regarding activities, this hotel had it all - tennis, football, water sports, multiple pools, table tennis - big thanks to Kostas who even let us win in the football (once). Also a big thanks to Emil, the tennis coach, who was awesome. I wanted to point out that whilst a lot of places had restaurants closed or limited service due to COVID, Amirandes kept all open but managed exposure by having a smart booking system so we didn’t feel that there was any loss to our experience.

We stayed for a week of relaxation at the Amirandes and it truly was a fantastic stay. From the start, the hotel staff were amazing - front desk, cleaning staff, bar staff and everyone we met was courteous, polite and genuinely could not do enough to help. Every need felt like it was catered for in a non-intrusive way. Food on site is outstanding - and we ate at each of the on site restaurants. Each was different but equally as good, and staff in each were highly knowledgeable about the food and drink on offer. Breakfast was served as a platter each day, with more food than we could possibly eat- but again all delicious. Lots of the food served comes from the Grecotel farm in Crete, which is a nice touch. The pool and beach are clean, well kept and when we visited were quiet. The hotel seems to have taken sensible precautions in light of COVID; from sealing and bagging beach towels, all staff wearing masks, serving food at your table instead of buffets and much more - we felt very safe. It was a little unclear how often rooms were cleaned, and know this has been reduced because of COVID, but it might be helpful to highlight this to guests more clearly. Rooms were slightly basic (though we did not pay for an upgrade) but very well-maintained and most fixtures and fittings seem new. We can not recommend this hotel enough, If you want a relaxing stay, good food, friendly staff - this is your place.

We had a great stay and one of the best family vacations at Amirandes with our kids aged 5 and 3. The resort is marvelous, service is really top notch and in general Amirandes is a great option for families. The Sales Manager, Ms. Xevelonaki, provided valuable assistance when we were planning our stay and helped us a lot during booking. Our experience was somewhat affected due to Covid precautions: the Grecoland (activities for kids) was closed, the spa and gym as well, some entertainment options were not available and the characteristic buffet for breakfast and dinner was limited, with some dishes being served at our table and a smaller array of dishes being served buffet-style. That being said, we felt safe as both staff and guests wore face masks, safe distances were kept, there were sanitising stations all over the hotel, sunbeds were sanitized before use etc. Hotel and grounds: great architecture, the presence of water is everywhere (huge salt water pool, beautiful laguna, small pool in the middle of the main restaurant etc.). Nicely groomed gardens with palm trees, cacti and lots of grass make for a really serene environment. A few signs of wear and tear here and there, but I guess 2020 has not been a great year for general maintenance. Beach and pool: The sandy beach is great but was it windy most of the days of our stay, so we didn't really enjoy it. The salt water pool is huge so it never felt crowded. It is designed with nice shading both inside the pool and around it, comfy sunbeds and a nice pool bar. An added convenience was that the kids' lunch was being served in a lunch box which we could order by the pool. There was a nice, relaxed vibe and we generally enjoyed spending several hours in the main pool. Restaurants and food: The main restaurant is beautiful with the small pool in the middle. We enjoyed dining al fresco and most of the time we got a table by the pool, which we really loved. The food is delicious, good variety with different themes every day. Good choice of dishes for breakfast as well, with eggs cooked to order etc. Waiting staff was very polite, greeted us in all occasions, was quick and eager to assist us. We even met with the assistant F&B Manager, Mr. Dimitris Karakonstantakis, who took a keen interest in hearing our comments and helped us make reservations at the a la carte restaurant. He really went above and beyond to please us and even provided us one of our favorite recipes from the chef which we asked him for! Dinner at the a la carte restaurant was a unique experience, as we dined on a deck set inside the laguna and so the setting was truly special. The dishes we tried were delicious, some more so than others but overall we were really happy with our meal. The room: we had a pool suite, which is really worth splurging on. We did not spend a lot of time in our private pool because the main pool was such a good option, but if one prefers privacy, the pool suite is the way to go. It was also great hanging out at the outdoor are of our suite (there is a nice dining table by the pool, along with an umbrella and sunbeds on the grass right by the pool). Sleep quality was great, with a very comfy and fluffy mattress, fluffy pillows and sparkling white bed linen. The furnishings were simple and elegant. Maybe management could consider adding some more modern furniture in the future, but that is a matter of personal preference. The bathroom was spacious and having both a bathtub and a shower was a nice perk. Hotel amenities (shower gel etc.) from the Agreco farm made from locally grown herbs were my favorites. The general area: Amirandes is very close to the city of Heraklion, the airport, as well as several sights that the kids really enjoyed, such as an aquarium, a dino park, a reptiles rescue home, also to a couple of waterparks which we did not visit due to Covid. Our general impression was lovely and we have the fondest of memories from our stay, I would visit again any time and I highly recommend Amirandes for its gorgeous scenery and top service.