Blue Bay Resort Hotel

First impressions were excellent. The Blue Bay Resort is a well-maintained hotel, with both the indoor and outdoor areas kept spotlessly clean throughout our stay. Our room was comfortable and enjoyed superb views over Mononaftis Bay. Housekeeping was excellent, with the room serviced to a high standard every day. Even the private Jacuzzi was inspected daily by an engineer, which was reassuring and demonstrated the hotel's attention to detail. The fridge kept drinks properly chilled, the air conditioning coped well with the July heat, and the large walk-in shower had excellent water pressure and was easy to adjust. The staff were undoubtedly one of the hotel's biggest strengths. Every member of the team we encountered was friendly, cheerful and genuinely helpful, always greeting guests with a smile and happily indulging our attempts to speak Greek. The restaurant deserves particular praise. It was extremely well organised, even during busy periods. There were always plenty of staff clearing tables promptly, so finding somewhere to sit was never an issue. Food was clearly labelled, replenished regularly and presented attractively. The variety was excellent, with a good balance of authentic homemade Greek dishes alongside familiar international favourites. We never struggled to find something different to try. The evening entertainment reflected what many other reviewers have said—some acts were very good, others less so, but there was always something happening. We were surprised, however, that the animation team appeared to consist solely of Angela, who understandably spent much of her time running the children's club. As a result, there was very little organised daytime entertainment for teenagers or adults, which felt like a missed opportunity, particularly when the hotel was fully occupied. Speaking of full occupancy, shaded sunbeds around the main pool were in high demand. If we didn't manage to get one, we simply headed to one of the nearby beaches instead. Mononaftis Beach is only around a five-minute walk downhill, although be aware that the return journey is uphill and can be quite steep in the afternoon heat. The hotel operates a complimentary shuttle, but the timetable wasn't frequent enough for us to make much use of it. If the service also included the larger sandy beach at Agia Pelagia, it would be an even greater benefit. One useful tip for anyone planning to explore independently: the public bus to Heraklion stops directly outside the hotel and fares are paid onboard. Don't rely too heavily on the published timetable though, as buses can run noticeably early or late. For the return journey, tickets need to be purchased from the self-service machine at Heraklion bus station. A taxi costs approximately €45 each way if you prefer the convenience. For organised excursions, we found the local travel agency, Status (Victor), near the beach to be excellent. Because of the hotel's hillside location, not every excursion operator collects directly from the hotel, but Victor arranged pickup from reception at no extra charge and transferred us to the main departure point, making everything very straightforward. One area where expectations should be managed is the all-inclusive drinks package. The included cocktails are generally based around local spirits such as raki or ouzo, mixed with fizzy soft drinks and flavoured syrups, resulting in drinks that are much sweeter than many people may expect. The beer and house wine were perfectly acceptable but didn't really showcase the quality of Greek wines or beers available locally. We found ourselves visiting nearby tavernas to enjoy some of the local offerings, which slightly defeated the purpose of having all-inclusive. Whilst it appears to be common practice in this area we found the €20 per week charge for the room safe to be high considering most 4* hotels include it within the package. Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed our stay. The cleanliness, genuinely friendly staff, excellent restaurant and beautiful location easily outweighed the few minor shortcomings. If you're looking for a relaxing resort with stunning sea views, good food and a welcoming atmosphere—and you're happy to explore a little beyond the hotel—you'll have a wonderful holiday here.

Although classified as four-star, the rating reflects the facilities rather than the quality or luxury. The hotel fell below the standard of other four-star hotels we have visited.

The travel agent’s and hotel’s website pictures gave a more favourable impression than we experienced. The exclusions need checking carefully, pool towels cost €2 each, including replacements; the key-operated in-room safe costs €3 per day; and the all-inclusive package covers only local raki and ouzo among spirits, so drinks such as non-branded gin or rum cost extra.

The main positives were the generally friendly, welcoming and helpful staff, and the hotel was really clean.

We booked an Executive Room with a sea view in the main building and requested a quiet room through the travel agent. The room allocated at check-in was extremely small, with space only to walk around the bed. When I requested a change, I was told it was an Executive Room and that our quiet-room request had been considered, although it did not resemble the website pictures nor size stated.

After an initially defensive response, the hotel moved us to a much larger room that staff said had been refurbished and was also classified as Executive. Nothing about it felt executive, for example the décor was soulless, the bedside lights were brighter than the main light, and there was no basket of niceties in the bathroom unlike the website picture.

The food was acceptable but repetitive, with some dishes cooked in a lot of oil. The evening salad area had no cold meats or fish, while breakfast had neither cava nor fresh orange juice. The beer was okay, although the wine was not to my taste. Lunch was available in the restaurant, but the pool bar offered only bland pizza slices, cheese and ham rolls, or cake. Free water was available in both places.

The main hotel has three small pools, used primarily by children during our stay. Space was limited, and the fixed parasols made shade difficult to find.

The gym was in the middle of the main building, had no natural light and did not reflect the website. The air conditioning was unreliable: at least one of the three units was usually switched off, making the room very warm within minutes. The equipment was generally usable, but there were no proper towels or a water station.

The remote location may suit guests seeking an off-beat retreat but is less convenient for evening walks near shops or bars. Coach transport to the Aqua+ waterpark took about one hour and 30 minutes each way, while Agia Pelagia, the nearest village, is approximately a 30-minute walk away.