Leonidas

Self catering but short walk to all the restaurants and bars, the owner Leonidas also has a bar at the apartments and does lovely cocktails. The beach is only 5 minutes away and the sand is golden! The room is clean and fresh with large fridge and cooking amenities. Great stay

A traditional small Greek family run apartment block. We found this a great base to explore the area and to relax. The location is just a few minutes walk from the beach, and a large range of tavernas and shops. There is a supermarket almost next door and across the road. The family who run the accommodation are very friendly and hospitable without being intrusive. The resort itself, although very developed, is very relaxed, quiet and has a very pretty harbour and river, and a beautiful long sandy beach. There are tour operators where you can book trips further afield, and the local bus is easy to catch to Chania and Rethymno. A land train takes you into the countryside to various places. The apartments themselves appear to be being updated bit by bit. The outside area is modern with a small pool and very comfortable modern sunbeds. This area was usually quiet and at times we had it to ourselves. One apartment obviously has had a complete refurbishment and looks lovely on the website. The bar at the front is new and modern. Our room and bathroom if I'm honest was very old and definitely needed attention, but it was comfortable and similar to others we have stayed in elsewhere for the same price bracket so this wasn't a surprise. It was clean when we arrived, however the bathroom wasn't then cleaned as often as I would have liked, especially as it didn't have any ventilation. Towels were only changed every 4 days which wasn't enough for the heat and I would advise taking a few extra with you. I don't think this is unusual in Greece though. The kitchen area had everything we needed for some basic salad and sandwich making but you could use the little hob if you were feeling more adventurous with a bit of cooking. Be aware though that the supermarket prices compared to England are at least double so it isn't cheap to self cater. My only real niggles were that the mattress didn't have a mattress protector on it and aside from this not being very hygienic, it meant that the sheet which was a bit on the small side anyway, slipped about when I moved in my sleep and I would wake with it no longer covering the mattress and feeling uncomfortable. Also, the pool regularly had a tide mark round it from suncream which built up and didn't look pleasant when swimming. This wasn't cleaned off often enough. The water itself always looked clean though so this didn't stop me from using the pool. All in all, if you want to stay in a lower cost, small, quiet, traditional Greek family run apartment and avoid the tourist hotels with no character, then this is a great place to stay in a lovely resort.

If you want 5 star luxury that could be a hotel box anywhere in the world then Leonidas is not for you. However if you want a typical Greek apartment with personal service and a warm welcome - that's what you get. The rooms are basic but clean and comfortable. if you don't want to move far the pool and cafe are on hand but the delights of Georgioupoli are only a few minutes away. We have been coming for years and will continue to do so as do many returnees - we can't all be wrong! Truly a home from home.