Phāea Cretan Malia, a Member of Design Hotels

Overall, the hotel was fantastic, and we truly loved our experience there. Extra credit must go to the gardeners and the amazing landscape architect — the beautiful natural surroundings were genuinely what made this stay stand out for us. Also, we loved the idea of the nuts and peanuts as an in-room welcome treat. Such a nice touch! One final and very positive note: our child absolutely loved his stay at the hotel, especially the pool and the kids' areas. All the "teachers" at the kids' area were incredibly friendly, warm and welcoming, and really contributed to his wonderful experience.

I would also like to share two comments that I believe could be useful: Firstly, the shampoo, conditioner and body wash — although Cretan, I assume, and aligned with the hotel's sustainability philosophy — unfortunately did not really work for us. The scent of all three products felt quite unusual and not particularly pleasant (with the exception of the hand bar soap), and we didn't really feel that the products cleaned effectively. Also, at this price point, I would perhaps expect a few more basic amenities to be available, such as toothpaste. Secondly, at checkout, we were told that we could use a dedicated room to shower and change before leaving the hotel, as long as we informed the front desk approximately one hour in advance so they could check availability. We were genuinely and happily surprised by this thoughtful option. However, when we later went to inform the front desk, another member of staff — admittedly not particularly enthusiastic about our request — corrected us and explained that we could not ask for the room in advance and would instead need to return and check availability on the spot at the exact time we wanted to use it. What started as a very positive surprise unfortunately ended up making us feel slightly uncomfortable, almost as though we were disturbing the staff by asking for something we had neither known about nor initially requested. The expectation had simply been created by the initial offer and instructions from the front desk, so the inconsistent communication made the experience more disappointing than it needed to be.

We had originally booked a suite in the main building, but unfortunately did not enjoy it. It was still quite noisy at 10 pm (when we first entered the bedroom, we genuinely thought the television was on). The bathroom felt dated and not very well maintained, which also gave an impression of limited cleanliness. Overall, the room itself was just average and not particularly appealing. We then chose to upgrade (at an additional cost) to a bungalow suite on the first floor with a sea view. This room was excellent—likely recently renovated, spacious, and thoughtfully laid out. It included a small lounge area between the bedroom and the balcony, separated by a partition screen. Our son slept in a crib in the lounge area, and it worked beautifully: we could close the partition in the evening, read, and relax without disturbing him. We truly loved this room and felt very comfortable there. The garden is also very pleasant, with plenty of space for children to move around, play, and run freely. The beach is lovely and extremely close to the rooms—just a two-minute walk, if that. We also really enjoyed the beach bar/restaurant; the staff were consistently warm and welcoming. The cleaning ladies were all adorable and so was the staff in general. Overall, it is a perfect family-friendly hotel while still retaining a somewhat boutique feel. We especially appreciated the friendly, communal atmosphere among families—we met many wonderful, like-minded people. Children shared toys and played together at the beach, which made the stay very relaxed, social, and enjoyable.

The surroundings of the hotel are not particularly attractive. There are several rather uninspiring hotels nearby, and Malia itself does not have much charm. That said, we were perfectly happy spending the entire week within the hotel grounds, which suited us well. The Italian restaurant was somewhat inconsistent. On one occasion I had an excellent pasta dish, but when ordering the same dish two days later, it was quite bland and disappointing.

Earthiness, local food, structure and size; friendliness of staff

Cleanliness; rooms were old and rather small for 5*; would need some renovation imh

Reception on arrival, friendly, prompt check in, lovely drink. The Food at Mezze. Proximity to the Sea. The Design elements, furniture, plants etc.. Staff - some staff were friendly, helpful and gorgeous! In particular the guys around reception :) However this is not a widespread culture throughout the hotel, see below. The air con in the rooms is heavenly! so needed in the hotter days. The beach bar setting is amazing to watch the sunset..

Cleanliness - patio furniture dirty and covered in ants, tables around pool side sunbeds sticky, Daily room clean so appalling my teenage sons took to hiding peanuts to see if they got cleaned up...they didnt :( Attitude of cleaning staff who even scared the pants off my teenage boys shouting 'out' when they arrived in the morning...nice! The 'militarian' attitude of staff at Mezze. Hello..we are on holiday..lighten up..you are a posh pool cafe..!! The inflexibility of hotel restaurants..you just arrived...long day travelling.. you have 2 teenage sons..and everywhere is 'reservation only' or closing early..apart from the expensive restaurant..interestingly. No chilled water on tap for guests (These days a given in most decent hotels), meaning you purchase more plastic bottles..super eco friendly. Staff - some amazing..some miserable and rude, for instance the gentleman at breakfast who not once said 'good morning' and whisked away chairs from my table without asking first if anyone was sitting there. Towels & belongings whisked away off your sunbed should you 'linger' at the Ice cream hut. Teenage areas, outside cinema etc are dead. No kids in sight. Equipment hit and miss. QR codes for EVERYTHING! annoying, some prices I noticed changed (more expensive not less) ..Leave your phone? forget your secret code..? oh dear. Pools - whilst gorgeous in design are not for adults at all. There is no pool for actually swimming in. The lazy river pool is surrounded by empty 'reserved' sun beds whilst guests visiting it put their belongings on the floor. The charge for in room coffee :( Nespresso pods are not such a luxury anymore..surely one per day is not too much to ask. Wine by the glass.I love to support local produce etc..but having in most places only Cretan wines for sale by the glass is not great. That no one was laughing and having a good time..very strained..no buzz, no vibe and no atmosphere.