Ostria Resort and Spa

We had a great holiday. The whole estate is built to the highest standard, including the rooms. It’s immaculate. Everything is included in the price except for one beach restaurant which we went to, where the food was outstanding (the service is poor).

The only nitpicking items I would say:

• everyone speaks to you in French (we are English). It gets quite annoying after a while. The kids club was 100% French kids which wasn’t ideal. The entertainment was in French. The signs are in French. Even this review invite was sent to me in French.
• you cannot get a place by the main pool. It’s always reserved with towels
• you have to go to a shop to get towels, which is on the other side of the main pool and beach
• the food is very samey and of average quality
• the snack food was lacking. Mainly pizzas and very low availability
• No milk or snacks in the rooms

We stayed at Ostria Resort & Spa for a special birthday celebration and overall had an absolutely fantastic holiday. There were a few small niggles, particularly when we first arrived, but these were quickly overcome. By the end of our stay, we were genuinely sad to be leaving this beautiful place. It has been outstanding.

Arrival and our room

Before travelling, we had specifically requested a twin room through Jet2 and I had also contacted the hotel directly to confirm this. We had paid for a Deluxe Sea View room, so on checking in I again mentioned that we required twin beds.

Unfortunately, we were told that our allocated room had a double bed and that a twin room would not be available until the following day. The only option that night was for the sofa bed to be made up.

This was disappointing, particularly given that the request had been made in advance and that we had paid a considerable amount for the holiday. An adult having to sleep on a sofa bed was not really what we expected from a five-star hotel.

However, the Reception Manager was extremely helpful and arranged for us to view an alternative twin room the following day.

Our first room was beautiful, with a fabulous direct view over the sea. It was immaculately clean with lovely contemporary décor. We were welcomed with a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc and a plate of fruit, which was a lovely touch.

The layout included a separate shower room and separate toilet, with an open-plan sink area between them. Toiletries were provided in the shower, including shower gel and a combined shampoo/conditioner. The room also had two robes, two pairs of slippers, an iron and ironing board, hairdryer and USB charging sockets.

The following day we viewed the twin room. Although we then only had a small side view of the sea, the room was much more practical for us and was of the same excellent standard, so we accepted it and moved.

The resort

The hotel and grounds are absolutely immaculate. There always seems to be somebody cleaning, maintaining or looking after the resort and it really shows.

There are a vast number of sunbeds around the main pool and also on the beach, and everywhere was spotlessly clean. The beach is shingle rather than sand, but the sea is beautifully clear.

One warning – the main swimming pool is absolutely freezing! It isn’t heated at all and getting into it takes some courage, but once you are in it is lovely, particularly when the weather is so hot.

When we first arrived it was extremely windy, although not cold. After a few days the wind dropped and we actually found ourselves wishing it would come back because it was wonderful for cooling you down! The weather was fantastic, generally around 30°C.

Food – absolutely outstanding

The food deserves a special mention because it was genuinely some of the best food I have ever had at a holiday hotel.

The Orion buffet restaurant was outstanding. The variety and quality were incredible. There were different breads, meats, fish, vegetables and rice dishes, pork souvlaki, chicken, beef stir-fry and even whole salmon, together with an amazing salad selection. The dishes changed daily, so there was always something different to try.

And then there were the desserts!

They were absolutely stunning – not only delicious but visually beautiful and sometimes almost too pretty to eat. The presentation and attention to detail were incredible and there is clearly some serious patisserie expertise behind them. They looked more like desserts from a high-end patisserie than something you would expect to find on an all-inclusive buffet.

The desserts were a genuine highlight of Orion and deserve recognition in their own right.

Breakfast was equally impressive – croissants, waffles, crêpes, eggs, bacon, cereals, Greek yoghurt and fruit, plus the usual continental meats and cheeses. The choice was enormous.

Orion is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, although at lunchtime we tended to eat at the pool restaurant.

Again, the choice was fantastic. Fresh pizzas were being cooked in front of you every day, together with different street-food options including pork and chicken gyros – my personal favourite – fajitas and numerous other dishes.

A special mention must go to Zisis, the Restaurant Manager from Crete. He always seemed to have a smile on his face and, however busy things were, had time to say hello. That warmth and friendliness really added to our experience. Zisis and his team should also be incredibly proud of the standard of food being produced – it was fabulous throughout our stay.

For food, this hotel is unquestionably five-star.

À la carte restaurants

There are two à la carte restaurants included within the all-inclusive package, Aeolus and Maestro, and we visited both.

At each restaurant we were served around four sharing starters followed by a choice of approximately four main courses.

Personally, I didn’t particularly enjoy the starters at Aeolus, although food is obviously very subjective.

Maestro was my favourite of the two by far and we thoroughly enjoyed our evening there.

There are also two restaurants that carry an additional charge: Thalassa, the fish restaurant situated by the beach, and Vathypetro, the steak restaurant located within the resort’s lovely little village area.

My birthday

Before arriving I had been in contact with Fabian from Guest Services regarding our twin-room request. He had also arranged our reservation at Aeolus for my birthday and organised a surprise birthday cake for me, which was a lovely touch and very much appreciated.

Thank you, Fabian – Σε ευχαριστώ πολύ! 🇬🇷

Entertainment, Gala Night and evening dress themes

Initially we struggled to find out what was happening because we couldn’t get the hotel app to work.

When we spoke to Fabian at Guest Services, he explained that the app wasn’t working and that the daily programme could be found on Channel 1 on the television. As we hadn’t switched the TV on, we had no idea!

We subsequently discovered that the programme was also displayed on the large theatre screen next to the pool bar.

There are various activities throughout the day and most of the main evening entertainment starts at around 9.30pm.

The daily programme also usually provides a suggested dress theme for the evening, which was a nice touch. During our stay we had themes including blue and white, black, and white, and the Gala Dinner was described as elegant.

It was fun to join in and added to the atmosphere, but not everyone follows the suggested dress code, so there is absolutely no pressure to dress accordingly if you don’t want to.

We particularly enjoyed the Cretan Night and the Moonlight Party. There were some amazing dancers and the Moonlight Party included superb fireworks.

Another real highlight was the Gala Night. We had a lovely Gala Dinner followed by the Moulin Rouge show, which was excellent. The dancers were fantastic and it felt like a proper special evening rather than simply another night of hotel entertainment.

A special mention has to go to Livia, who danced exceptionally during “Roxanne”. She was absolutely brilliant and it was one of the standout performances of the evening.

The standard of some of the entertainment here genuinely impressed us.

Discos generally followed the main entertainment. My only little criticism would be that the music playlist seemed very similar most nights!

There is a very large French clientele at Ostria and the entertainment team generally make announcements in both French and English.

Drinks, cocktails and the best iced lattes!

The drinks were generally good, although I would say the cocktails were probably one of the weaker areas for us.

They are pre-mixed and we found that several of them tasted quite similar. They were perfectly drinkable, but given the exceptionally high standard of the food throughout the resort, freshly made cocktails would have elevated the drinks offering.

The coffees, however, were lovely.

We had some of the best iced lattes at the pool bar and they became a firm favourite during our holiday.

A very special thank you here to George at the pool bar, who really looked after us throughout our stay. Not only did he keep us supplied with those fabulous iced lattes, he also took the time to talk to us about Crete and tell us some of its history. Those conversations were such a lovely personal touch and exactly the sort of thing you remember from a holiday.

Σε ευχαριστώ πολύ, George! 🇬🇷

It is also worth knowing that after midnight drinks are no longer included in the all-inclusive package and have to be paid for. This wasn’t really an issue for us because, after drinking throughout the day, we rarely wanted to stay out much beyond midnight anyway!

Jet2 All Inclusive Plus

We booked through Jet2, where our holiday was described as All Inclusive Plus.

It is worth mentioning that at the resort itself there did not appear to be a separate All Inclusive Plus level or different package for us compared with other all-inclusive guests. As far as we could see, the all-inclusive offering was the same.

This wasn’t a problem for us at all, particularly given the fantastic food and overall standard, but it is useful to know when comparing Jet2 packages and prices.

The staff really make this hotel

One of the biggest things that stood out throughout our stay was just how friendly the staff were.

Whether we were dealing with Guest Services, reception, restaurants, bars, the spa or the entertainment team, we were consistently greeted with smiles and made to feel welcome.

A very special mention must go to Camille from France. She was wonderful throughout our holiday and continued to look out for us and stop for a chat whenever she saw us. Those little interactions make such a difference, particularly at a large resort. She made us feel genuinely welcome rather than simply being another couple of hotel guests.

Merci beaucoup, Camille – tu as été adorable avec nous ! 🇫🇷

Another very special thank you to Livia from Brazil, who we regularly spoke to throughout the holiday. She always stopped to say hello and have a chat whenever she saw us, and she is also an exceptionally talented dancer. Her performance to “Roxanne” during the Moulin Rouge show was absolutely superb.

Muito obrigada, Livia – foi um prazer conhecer você! 🇧🇷

We also had the pleasure of meeting Diego and Bianca, adding another couple of friendly faces to the entertainment team.

And of course Zisis, with his permanent smile and friendly hello, George, who looked after us so well at the pool bar, and Fabian, who helped us both before and during our stay.

It is difficult to single everybody out because, in fairness, every member of staff we encountered was so friendly. That warmth was one of the defining features of this holiday and is a huge credit to the hotel.

Spa

The spa was brilliant.

My son booked a special package of three treatments over three days, while I had a lymphatic massage and a pedicure. The treatments were excellent and the staff were extremely welcoming and friendly.

Before treatments you can use the heated indoor pool, sauna and steam room. There is also an amazing experience shower that you walk through with different water sprays.

It was a lovely, relaxing part of the holiday and we thoroughly enjoyed it.

Diving

My son also booked a two-hour diving taster session for €110, which he really enjoyed.

It was a great opportunity for him to experience diving before committing to a full course. In fact, he enjoyed it so much that he has now decided that he wants to go on and undertake his PADI course, which probably says everything about how much he enjoyed the experience!

It was another activity that added something different and memorable to the holiday.

Shops and facilities

Within the little village area there is a well-stocked shop selling a large selection of souvenirs, clothing, toiletries, sweets and other essentials. This is also where you exchange your pool/beach towels.

There is also a crêperie within the village area, which adds to the lovely atmosphere.

Thalassa Bar

We visited the Thalassa Bar on one evening because some of the entertainment was being held there.

There was a €10 entrance charge per person, which included one drink. After that, additional drinks had to be paid for.

It was the only evening we visited the bar, but it was nice to experience another area of the resort.

Trip into Ierapetra

We also spent a day in Ierapetra, the nearest large town, which made a nice change from a day around the pool.

Fabian arranged a taxi for us, which cost €11 and took around 10 minutes. We were collected in a beautiful Tesla and the driver gave us his number so we could contact him directly when we wanted to return.

In Ierapetra we visited Napoleon’s residence – although apparently he only stayed there for one night, lol! – and the Venetian fortress.

It was an extremely hot day, so afterwards we enjoyed some drinks along the promenade.

There are plenty of bars, restaurants and souvenir shops along the seafront and it was definitely worth spending a few hours there. It was a lovely way to break up the sunbathing and see a little more of the local area.

Overall – genuinely sad to leave

Ostria Resort & Spa gave us an outstanding five-star holiday.

Yes, the initial room situation was disappointing given that we had specifically requested a twin room in advance, and there were a few other little niggles such as the hotel app not working, the pre-mixed cocktails and having to pay for drinks after midnight.

But those really are small points when looking at our holiday as a whole.

The resort is beautiful and immaculately maintained, the food is exceptional, the entertainment included some fantastic shows, the facilities are excellent and, perhaps most importantly, the staff were absolutely wonderful.

The Orion restaurant deserves enormous praise. The quality and variety of the food were outstanding and amongst the best I have experienced at an all-inclusive hotel, while the stunning patisserie-style desserts were on another level.

The Gala Dinner and Moulin Rouge show were another highlight, with Livia’s fantastic performance to “Roxanne” particularly memorable.

Most importantly, this was a special birthday holiday for me and it gave us some wonderful memories.

A final and heartfelt thank you to some of the people who particularly helped make our holiday so special:

Fabian – for your help before and throughout our stay and for helping to make my birthday special. Σε ευχαριστώ πολύ! 🇬🇷

George – for looking after us so well at the pool bar, the best iced lattes and for taking the time to share some of Crete’s history with us. Σε ευχαριστώ πολύ! 🇬🇷

Zisis – for always having a smile and finding the time to say hello, and to you and your team for the fabulous food. Σε ευχαριστώ πολύ! 🇬🇷

Camille – a particularly big thank you for continually looking after us, stopping to chat and making us feel so welcome throughout our holiday. Merci beaucoup! 🇫🇷

Livia – for always stopping to speak to us and being such a friendly face throughout our stay. You are also an amazing dancer and your performance to “Roxanne” was exceptional. Muito obrigada! 🇧🇷

And thank you to Diego and Bianca, who we also had the pleasure of meeting.

Of course, there are many other members of staff whose names we don’t know, and they deserve recognition too. Everyone was so friendly.

We were genuinely sad to leave Ostria. When you reach the end of a holiday and really don’t want to go home, I think that says everything.

Outstanding. I would absolutely recommend Ostria Resort & Spa and would happily return.