- Greece Holidays
- Kokkini Hani
- Mitsis Rinela

This charming resort hotel is set right next to a gorgeous sandy beach in the tiny resort town of Kokkini Hani, halfway between Heraklion and the larger resort town of Chersonissos. The hotel features 441 air-conditioned guest rooms, family rooms and bungalows with warm, cheerful décor, en suite marble bathrooms, mini bar, and satellite television. Guests can wake up to a satisfying breakfast buffet in the main restaurant and dine in the Chinese restaurant, and can find tasty treats and refreshing drinks throughout the day at the café, traditional tavern, and five hotel bars. The hotel also offers an extensive range of facilities and services to meet the needs of even the most discerning guests, including six swimming pools with two waterslides, a kid's club and playground, sports facilities and wellness centre, a wholly luxurious spa centre, and bilingual staff providing 24-hour reception, babysitting services, and an on-call doctor, among other services.
Due to the surrounding area and the number of steps around the hotel, it may not be suitable for those with mobility difficulties.
We have been returning to Mitsis Rinela since 2019, and it remains our absolute "happy place" for a family vacation. Conveniently located just a 20-minute taxi ride from the airport (note: planes do fly over the beach, but it never bothers us), the resort impresses us year after year with its flawless cleanliness and continuous upgrades.
Arrival & Heartwarming Service: The hospitality here is simply breathtaking and truly feels like coming home. The staff—from the seamless reception and concierge team to the Taverna and evening restaurant managers—recognized us immediately and offered the warmest welcomes. They are proactive, deeply caring, and solve any minor issue (like a lost room keycard) instantly with a smile. Even the housekeeping team goes above and beyond to ensure a perfect stay.
Culinary Delights: The dining options are fantastic for the whole family. As adults, we absolutely love the high-quality à la carte restaurants (Greek, Italian, Asian, Steakhouse), while our kids are perfectly happy with a great selection of their favorites. The absolute daily highlight is the exclusive beachfront breakfast at the Taverna. Please note that this premium breakfast is exclusively reserved for guests staying in specific room categories, such as the Seafront Rooms and Shared Pool Suites (we recommend checking the hotel's website for the exact eligible room types). Enjoying that stunning ocean view while being treated like friends by the wonderful staff is the best possible start to the day.
Rooms, Pools & Beach: Our room was spotless, luxurious, and featured incredibly comfortable beds, Netflix, and a regularly restocked minibar. This year, we stayed in a Family Suite Swim Up with a shared pool, which we thoroughly enjoyed! The water was pristine, and the service was exceptionally relaxing, with staff regularly taking our drink orders right at the water's edge. The sandy beach is equally wonderful, and our boys spent countless hours playing in the sea. (A minor tip for families: finding space for four suitcases can be a bit tight, and connecting room TV remotes might overlap, but that is truly complaining at a very high level).
Gym & Entertainment: For fitness enthusiasts, the outdoor CrossFit box introduced last year has been upgraded with even more professional-grade equipment, supported by highly knowledgeable staff. In the evenings, our kids absolutely loved the animation program, particularly the brilliant Disney show.
Conclusion: While the resort's prices have steadily increased over the years, the unmatched service, expanding facilities, and premium quality genuinely reflect this value. It is the perfect environment to completely leave everyday life behind and recharge your energy. Thank you to the entire Mitsis Rinela team—we sincerely hope to return next year!
We stayed 1 week in July as a family. The new kids facilities with splash park are great, nice kids club and teens zone. You can find just everything for the holidays with kids here. We also booked some excursions and a boat trip with concierge, which was very convenient.
The resort is beautiful with amazing and well cared gardens. The rooms are comfortable and modern and cleaning is perfect. The service throughout the resort is attentive and always with a smile. We booked all à la carte restaurants before we arrived and they were all great. The main buffet is also fine. The new kids facilities are great, nice kids club and teens gaming room. And of course the sandy beach and beautiful sunsets that you can enjoy every evening.
A truly incredible place. We had a lovely week here with our Greek friends and enjoyed every minute of our time! The new facilities for families and children are a wonderful addition and my kids were thrilled ! There was never a dull moment for any of them! We even booked a boat trip from the concierge services which was unforgettable! The staff made sure every detail was arranged for us. I hope we can make it and come again next summer.
This hotel is one of the best in Crete and in a great location too! The beach it has is fantastic and the rooms are beautiful and super clean! The food is also great, somehow we kept eating all day ! The best holiday I have had in a while. It was also convenient to take the bus to the city ,very cheap and comfortable and you can find everything you need in the area. The waterpark was also great !
