Arolithos Traditional Cretan Village

We can’t fault the beauty of the place, full of rustic charm but I’m afraid that’s where the good ends. Breakfast buffet? A table with room temperature yogurt, stale bread and slimy cucumbers is what we found. If you like your tea cold this place is perfect. Every morning very limited options with a couple of cold mini frankfurter sausages, a couple of pieces of bacon which has just been shown the pan and eggs look like they had been cooked early in the morning and left for hours going congealed. If you’re booking for an event you seem to get first class service but hotel guests get forgotten. Limited sun beds taken up by party guests, loud music till the early hours so not really the relaxing traditional experience we were looking forward to. The menu in the restaurant is very limited and a very odd tick sheet ordering process. Overall I wouldn’t recommend this place and we certainly wouldn’t be returning.

I had a wonderful time at AROLITHOS TRADITIONAL CRETAN VILLAGE. This isn't a normal hotel! It was designed in the 1980s to look like a village with the rooms resembling houses. There is a village square, a museum, a shop, a large restaurant, a swimming pool and many animals including cats and a Parrot. The hotel village is situated outside Heraklion in the mountains surrounded by sheep and goat farms. Tourists come to look at the village and they often have events including weddings and Christenings. The staff are amazing. They go over and above what is expected in order for you to have a great stay. A special shout out to the Breakfast lady! The rooms are equipped to carry on the feel of an old Village so don't expect modern furniture. It all looked amazing although there were 1 or 2 functional issues! The showers are heated using Solar energy so if it hasn't been sunny for a while the water is luke warm. I tended to have a shower in the evening rather than the morning as this is when it was at its hottest. The hotel is very remote and difficult to walk into the nearest town. There are a few busses a day into town but if you want to explore the Island then a hire car is essential. Overall, I had an amazing experience and would return!

Welcoming, simple comfort but very friendly place. Hearty breakfast. There is even a small refrigerator in the room. Possibility to visit the museum. We only stayed one night otherwise we would have tested the tavern. The manager waited for us even though it was very late on our arrival, which we very much appreciated. We were on the road side so we can hear a bit the few cars passing and the sheep that are nearby.