Minos Beach Art Hotel

“Stylish Autumn Sunshine”

This gorgeous hotel proved a wonderful place to stay for some Autumn sunshine. It’s styled like a village along a slight hill from the main building to the sea. All about are pretty gardens dotted with artwork and sculptures. Quite a maze and fun to explore. The situation is private and tranquil ye… more

This gorgeous hotel proved a wonderful place to stay for some Autumn sunshine. It’s styled like a village along a slight hill from the main building to the sea. All about are pretty gardens dotted with artwork and sculptures. Quite a maze and fun to explore. The situation is private and tranquil yet within walking distance of the city and we found the hotel stylish and sophisticated. We loved it. Many of the lovely bungalows and suites are built right on the waterfront with a wide walkway around the seafront with jetties for sunbathing and swimming. Our superior garden view bungalow, bathroom and terrace was spotlessly clean and well-equipped. For us the minimalist room styling totally fitted the relaxed boho/arty vibe of the whole hotel. Five star housekeeping service! We had breakfast and dinner in the Bacchus restaurant and they were absolutely excellent. Lots of flavoursome traditional dishes with plenty of choice - all elegantly presented and buffet kept very tidy. The waiting staff throughout the hotel were really attentive, friendly and considerate. Bars were great with exciting Cretan wine selection. A beautiful large pool with lots of sunbeds/beanbags. Two small beach areas and excellent sea swimming options with lovely clear water and a blue flag. We liked the jetties dotted here and there with ladders for quieter sunbathing options as there were quite a lot of young children on the site. Low key and appropriate entertainment on a couple of evenings - we enjoyed Loopia very much. Enjoyable yoga sessions too - though disappointingly indoors. We also used the complimentary blue bikes for local trips.

less

“Beautiful, relaxing hotel”

This was our second visit and we are so pleased we returned. At first we didn’t have the sea view we were promised but the issue was dealt with promptly and we were delighted with the view from our new room. The staff were all very helpful and friendly. Breakfast was of high quality and there wa… more

This was our second visit and we are so pleased we returned. At first we didn’t have the sea view we were promised but the issue was dealt with promptly and we were delighted with the view from our new room. The staff were all very helpful and friendly. Breakfast was of high quality and there was a good selection to choose from. We opted for half-board because we enjoy eating at the many nearby restaurants. The hotel grounds are extensive and beautifully maintained. There were plenty of waterfront beach beds available. We spent ages just looking at the wonderful view. The crystal clear sea was still pleasantly warm in early October. Although the hotel was fully booked on some days during our visit, it never felt busy. We spent a wonderful relaxing ten days and we were sorry to leave. Thank you to all the brilliant staff.

less

“Peaceful seclusion in Cretan paradise.”

My husband stayed at the Minos Beach 55 years ago. It has now expanded but remains one of the best and most restful places that we have been to. We had a room in the main building with a lovely view from our terrace over the hotel grounds and out to sea. The setting is magical because it is in i… more

My husband stayed at the Minos Beach 55 years ago. It has now expanded but remains one of the best and most restful places that we have been to. We had a room in the main building with a lovely view from our terrace over the hotel grounds and out to sea. The setting is magical because it is in its own land being on a promontory with a kilometre of sea frontage. You can swim from the paved areas on the sea or in the hotel pool. The food was good, largely Greek or Cretan cuisine with plenty of variety. We tasted some excellent Cretan wines. Staff were charming and very helpful. The fine dining at the Bouillabaisse restaurant was a slight disappointment although the setting and service were good. Although busy, touristy Agios Nikoleos is nearby the sense of seclusion at the hotel and its atmosphere make it a very special place to stay.

less

“Lovely sea side environment, but...”

Warning: Long review... My husband and I stayed here at the end of a two week trip to Athens and Crete. Our feelings were so mixed, but I'll try to explain. Most of the reviews I read prior to our trip were glowing with very high praises. I can't help but wonder if others who had a similar impre… more

Warning: Long review... My husband and I stayed here at the end of a two week trip to Athens and Crete. Our feelings were so mixed, but I'll try to explain. Most of the reviews I read prior to our trip were glowing with very high praises. I can't help but wonder if others who had a similar impression to ours simply didn't leave a review. Reading a more detailed review prior to our trip would likely have convinced us to make other arrangements. The Good: -The sea front and grounds are very pretty. In most cases you can walk just 40 or so steps and be in the water. -Breakfast is lovely and abundant. Honestly, just about anything you want is available and the outdoor dining area is very peaceful, comfortable and relaxed. -The staff are very efficient, leaving water, towels etc. in the rooms several times during the day. I wouldn't say they're overly friendly, but friendly enough. The Not So Good: -The hotel is located about a 15 minute walk from the touristy, downtown area that everyone seems to gravitate towards...having just come from old town Chania, it was a bit of a let-down. The walk to get to the area is really very dismal; lots of traffic and mostly run-down or abandoned apartments and stores peppered with a few hotels. This isn’t a criticism of the area, but a realistic description and something that anyone staying in this resort should understand prior to booking. The Welcome; I'm not sure what the goal is with their welcome. They're certainly very friendly with greeting you but then you're given an iPad and asked to fill out all of your information. Why? I'm certain they had all of our information prior to arrival and who wants to arrive at the edge of paradise after a long journey and be tasked with entering info on an iPad? It felt very "off" to us. -The Rooms: are private, little bungalows. The interiors are described as "seamless minimalism." Ours was a Seaview Superior bungalow. We had no complaint about the location of the room, but do be aware that seafront does not mean that you’re on the waterfront; it means that there isn’t another room/bungalow between you and the water. Still, all the rooms have lovely locations. The interior was gray concrete with two tiny windows at the front making it extraordinarily dark. While some may prefer this aesthetic, we found it so dreary that we considered leaving on our first night. This is, of course a personal preference issue but truly we both felt a little depressed when inside the room. Aside from the bed, which was very comfortable, there isn't a comfortable place to sit. There is a futon-type couch that I'm certain most would consider unusable. I know this next issue is silly, but I'm including it because it can be significant if you were planning on any mindless downtime watching a movie. The tvs are outdated and don’t allow for even basic streaming nor can you connect from your phone. This is absurd for a 5-star resort. No, of course we don’t need to watch tv while on vacation, but we find a movie at the end of the evening a relaxing indulgence that should be available in a 5-star resort. So, my suggestion would be to bring a laptop if you plan on watching anything other than news and old episodes of Friends. -Lounge chairs: Tons of lounging options around the property, but all of them were very dirty and stained. This seemed like such a departure from the luxury seafront environment they're trying to create. You wouldn’t come close to being comfortable sitting on any of them without putting a towel over them. A game-changer for relaxation by the sea? No, but definitely off-putting While one certainly can’t complain while lounging and relaxing seaside and enjoying the beautiful weather and water, that is really where the 5 stars ended for us. For the cost of staying here, I would expect clean lounge chairs, a tv that is updated to a basic smart tv and a comfortable place to sit while viewing. If you’re just going for a fly & flop holiday to lounge by the sea and enjoy the lovely and temperate water, don’t mind the very expensive restaurant options on the property, aren’t expecting any charm outside the resort, don’t mind very limited tv options and dark room interiors and are armed with a few towels to cover the very dirty chaises, then this would be a fine place to go. If any of those things might bother you I would suggest doing more research. In short, the attempt at luxury didn’t feel authentic to us. It felt a bit contrived. And this particular little area of Crete was a little too gritty to be charming or pleasant. and the town center is VERY touristy. This review isn’t a matter of being a hotel snob; we definitely aren't. This property just seemed to miss the mark on so many levels and I wish there had been more in-depth reviews so I could have made a more informed decision. Having said that, lounging by the the mediterranean for a few days was very relaxing.

less