Thalassi Hotel

Just returned from a 12 day holiday with my husband Ian at The Thalassi Hotel. I can honestly say I had a tear in my eye upon leaving this family run hotel!! Dimitri, Eva, son Anthony,Maria and all the wonderful staff made our stay so enjoyable.It was like leaving family or old friends! Where to begin. Upon arrival Eva warmly greeted us and couldnt have been more helpful. We had a lovely room with fridge and kettle and she had thoughtfully provided us with bottled water and sandwiches on our late arrival. A lovely buffet breakfast ( which included hot and cold food ) is served as per Covid regulations by the two lovely ladies at the main hotel. The Beach Restaurant where we had our lunch and evening meal is a 5 min walk away and overlooks the sea and has the most amazing views and sunsets!! The hotel provides a minibus if walking is a problem and Anthony is more than happy to drive back and forth. The food at this hotel has to be one of the highlights! So fresh with locally produced meat and fish and fresh veg from Dimitris veg garden. The amazing chefs served uo quality meals at lunch and dinner without exception.It felt more like a wonderful Taverna with its fabulous choices.Dimitri greets all his guests personally and takes such pride and care in his restaurant. If you fancy something different its not a problem ( Although the choice is so good. My personal favourite being the homemade soups every evening and the beef stifado is to die for!!! ) Every mealtime is a wonderful occasion!!! Waitors Anthony,Mike and Stomatis are so attentive and Mike makes amazing cocktails!! ( not free but well worth paying for! Highly recommend the Zombie! ) Most days we spent at the private beach at the restaurant where sunbeds and parasols are free or on the lovely sun deck. ( There is also a nice pool at the hotel which has the added bonus of the pool bar ! ) On days when we wanted to see more of Crete , Eva was extremely helpful with information on tours and we had lovely days in beautiful Elafonissi and Pavelli Palm Beach .There is also a bus stop just outside the restaurant for visits to Panormo or Rethmynon ( 15 mins) on the local buses! ( bus tickets can be purchased at the little supermarket One of the highlights of our holiday has to be when Dimitri and Anthony took us up to the local monastery (beautiful ) followed by coffee, snacks and the obligatory raki. A lovely morning finished off by a tour round Dimitris olive farm giving us an insight into olive oil production and life in Crete outside the tourist season. All of course given with Dimitris great humour and passion . The second highlight was on our last night ( a Thursday ) which is music night. A fabulous singer/guitarist who played all through dinner and on into the evening and which ended with karaoke, greek dancing ( Eva and Mike performed and taught us beautifully!) and to our delight much plate smashing!! A perfect holiday and so looking forward to returning with my family to this little gem of a hotel.Have stayed in many 5*hotels all over the world as cabin crew and can honestly say customer service at this hotel was second to none.

Our room was spacious and comfortable. Breakfast was taken in the hotel, served in covid-safe style by 2 ladies. It included cooked, pastries and yoghurt options. Tea, coffee and juice washed it down nicely. Thalassi restaurant overlooks the hotel’s private beach. Sunbeds and parasols were included in our AI deal. The beach is mainly sand with a small pebbled area to navigate to get into the sea where it soon becomes sandy again. Lunch in the amazingly positioned restaurant, is orchestrated by Dimitri, ‘mine host’. One could write a thousand words about his enthusiasm for his business and heart-felt warmth for his guests but I better not. Each day he will talk you through the menu; including a Greek special which I always sampled, eating several dishes new to me, and was never disappointed. Salad and bread were on tap as was wine and beer. If lunch was good then evening meals were something special. If you did not want Greek food you were catered for (but should have gone to Blackpool); if you visit Greece to enjoy the food, honestly, you are in the best place. Night after night of beautifully cooked meals, served to you, buffet style. Top chef! Music Night is a treat. A guitarist (and sometimes a bouzouki player) play for hours with a great repertoire. Dimitri, Anthony and Mike all sing. When Eva escapes from the hotel and dances, the place goes mad. Plates are smashed. Truly, a night to remember. This is a hotel to return to! See you next year in Thalassi!!!