King Minos Retreat Resort and Spa

Great rooms, food, atmosphere, setting. All the staff are really friendly and accomodating. Its beautifully kept clean. A great variety of food and drinks. The all inclusive drinks have a great choice with most drinks included and only a few exceptions. The pool isnt too busy with loads of comfortable sun beds which are nicely spaced out, and no early morning rush with the towels. You can turn up at 10 and still get one. Chilled music plays all day in the background with occasional live musicians too. Food is served in the restaurant to a very high standard and great choices evey day, you can sit in the lovely air conditioned restaurant or outside terrace with beautiful sea view and evening sunset. Lovely cuttlery and attentive staff attend to all your needs. The rooms are superbly clean modern and spacious with selective lighting modes and the high point of individual private terrace with seating area, sunbeds and private pool. Ok so here's the down sides. Location is not beach front as I selected on my filters with Jet2 who I booked with. Its a short walk to the beach which is downhill and you have to cross the main road or go through a very low tunnel where you have to crouch down. Its only short but maybe not so easy for elderly or less able. Also there are no bars and restaurants in the immediate vicinity of the hotel, its 10 to 20 minute walk to civilisation, but some may view that as a good thing. My main bug bare with the hotel, which may be a deal breaker for some is in this hotel which accommodates 500 guests, there is only one bar which is at the pool. To add to this there is only one member of staff which makes the drinks and only 2 or 3 waiters. For this reason we found in the daytime time, its hard work getting a drink. You can order drinks from the waiters, but it can take ages for your drinks to come, sometimes you only get one drink when you've ordered 3 and sometimes they dont come at all. This has really been disappointing and spoilt things for us a little. This place is premium in every way and is really not cheap, but this just let's the whole thing down. Funny as I read another review before we came that said he same thing, but disregarded it. I can understand they don't want to encourage excessive drinking but we're not big drinkers, but its nice to have a cocktail or two by the pool. There's so much attention to everything here but to make it a perfect 5 please get some more staff in the bar in the daytime.

We had an amazing stay at King Minos Retreat Resort & Spa, and it exceeded our expectations in every way. From the moment we arrived until the day we left, every member of the staff made us feel genuinely welcome. The atmosphere throughout the hotel is warm, professional and relaxing.

Rooms & Facilities The entire hotel feels brand new. The design is modern, elegant and very comfortable, with great attention to detail. Every facility is well maintained, making it a wonderful place to relax and enjoy your holiday.

Cleanliness Everything was spotless throughout our stay. The rooms, public areas, restaurants, pools and spa were exceptionally clean and well cared for.

Food & Restaurants The buffet offers a fantastic variety of fresh and delicious food every day. The restaurant has a beautiful view, making every meal even more enjoyable. Although the restaurant can be busy during peak hours, it never feels crowded or noisy. The staff are incredibly professional, friendly and attentive. Plates are cleared quickly and efficiently, creating a very pleasant dining experience. We also really enjoyed the food at the Pool Bar—it was fresh, tasty and perfect for lunch by the pool.

Spa Experience The spa is beautiful, peaceful, exceptionally clean and highly professional. My husband and I both had massages with Dina, and she was absolutely fantastic. Her technique was excellent, with just the right amount of pressure, leaving us both completely relaxed. It was one of the best massage experiences we’ve had during our travels.

Perfect for Families with Children This hotel is also an excellent choice for families. Every member of the staff was incredibly kind and patient with our children, making them feel welcome wherever we went. The Kids Playroom is beautiful, clean and thoughtfully designed. We especially appreciated the safety details, such as the protective corner padding on the walls, as well as the child-sized toilets specially designed for young guests. These little details really show how much the hotel cares about families. Every day there were also plenty of food options suitable for children, which made dining very easy.

Reception & Service The reception team deserves special recognition. Everyone was professional, welcoming and genuinely eager to help. Every question or request was handled quickly and efficiently. The teamwork among the staff is impressive—they each know their responsibilities, work seamlessly together and truly seem to enjoy what they do. The positive atmosphere is something you can feel throughout the hotel.

Overall, we cannot recommend King Minos Retreat Resort & Spa highly enough. Whether you’re traveling as a couple, with family, or on your own, this hotel offers an exceptional experience with outstanding service, beautiful facilities and genuine hospitality. We would happily return and highly recommend it to anyone visiting Crete.