Solimar Turquoise

On arrival the hotel had maintenance issues, so we were relocated to a sister hotel for the first night. When we returned, our room still wasn’t ready and we couldn’t check in until around 4.30pm, which meant a full day of disruption at the start of our holiday.

After raising concerns with Thomas Cook, we were offered a 10% refund, a drinks upgrade and late checkout, which were handled quickly and professionally.

The drinks upgrade was difficult to use as bar staff repeatedly tried to charge us despite reception confirming it was included, which made the experience uncomfortable at times.

Allergen information was a key concern throughout our stay. My partner has a nut allergy, which was declared both directly to the hotel and via Thomas Cook at the time of booking, and we were advised that the hotel could cater for this. However, in practice, allergen information was inconsistent throughout the stay. As a result, we ate out on four evenings for safety reasons. Snack bar options were also very limited and had no allergen information displayed. Sunbeds around the pool were limited and some were broken.

The main restaurant food was also disappointing. It was very greasy and lacked variety, meaning if you didn’t enjoy the options one evening, there was little chance of finding something different the next night.

Entertainment was minimal, with only a singer once during the week, and the hotel and pool areas felt smaller than advertised. The all-inclusive package was also misleading, as Silver and Gold bands were not explained at booking and affected access to facilities and sunbeds.

Room cleaning was very good throughout our stay and could not be faulted.

Staff experience was mixed: the reception team were consistently friendly, helpful and professional, as were the younger bar staff. However, one older male bar staff member working in the evenings was often quite grumpy, which affected the atmosphere at the bar. He is the one that caused the issues with the upgraded drinks.

On a positive note, Thomas Cook customer service was very responsive and supportive throughout, communicating clearly and helping to resolve issues quickly.

The location was excellent, with a nearby port for boat trips, good transport links, plenty of restaurants, and Chania Town about 30 minutes away—beautiful especially at sunset.

Overall, while there were significant issues, both the hotel reception team and Thomas Cook worked hard to resolve problems and improve the rest of our stay.

We would like to share our experience from our stay at your hotel during Weeks 29 and 30 of 2026 (Room 609).

The atmosphere throughout our stay was absolutely wonderful.

We are convinced that this is the result of skilled, proactive management that is actively involved in the daily operations of the hotel.

Every member of the staff seemed genuinely happy, professional, and dedicated. They went above and beyond to ensure that we had a wonderful stay, always with a sincere smile and a positive attitude.

Our highest compliments go to the entire team—and especially to the management, whose leadership creates the foundation for such an exceptional atmosphere.

Thank you for making our holiday so memorable.