Alai Crete

We traveled as a couple having booked this holiday through Jet2. This was our first stay in Stalis, which is 5mins from Malia and chose this hotel as it was identical to the Tribute Portfolio we stayed at in Ibiza in recent years.

The Hotel has 2 seperate blocks, the main block has the reception with the secondary block about 15metres adjacent to the main area. Upon our evening arrival at the hotel, we were warmly greeted by. the reception staff and asked to pay the City Tax prior to going to our room. Additionally, there was an option to pay €200 deposit for anything you may wish to order from the pool that would be charged. to your room. This was optional, as you could pay by card at the time of purchasing food/drinks if you did not wish to pay a deposit up front.

Our bags were carried to our room in the secondary block, where all room numbers begin with a 7. The room is consistent in look and feel of our Ibiza stay, so that was a positive and there was a handwritten welcome message. and sweets left on the pillow. Nice touch! we had a small balcony that looked out towards the pool and Sea.

The room had very Good Air Conditioning and a Ceiling fan.
An annoying issue is with the power card switch in the room, the issue being you were unable to turn off the green light and it would shine right through the night. There is a fridge filled with complimentary. water, but no Mini. Bar. This was good for us as it mean't you could stock more drinks in the fridge of. your own choice, that you purchased from the supermarket.

The bathroom was ideal size with complimentary toiletries,Shower gel,Shampoo, Conditioner, Moisturiser. all other appliances such. as Iron, Hair dryer, Desk, pen paper, Bible, book of Mormon and combination Safe. Housekeeping is executed everyday, and as you should not flush. toilet paper waste , the toilet bin is cleared twice a day. The only downside of the room was lack of drawer space and that to reach the Combination Safe you had to bend down to floor level to access it. However this is not really an issue. There is a decent gym, which we used a few times, with towels, Fruit and Water.

Breakfast is served in a large indoor and outdoor area. where. you are again warmly greeted by some great staff. There is a self service European buffet, where you can also grab pastries, fruit, yoghurt. etc. The staff. will cook your eggs, omelette fresh in any way you like to order, in addition to serving you teas, coffee, fruit juices. Nadia one of the Hostess' will help you with choosing the places to visit around the local area. There are 2 pools on the complex, each area has a bar and restaurant where you can order food/drinks. There are a number of Bali beds, Sunbeds by each pool, but it did look like people made a great effort to get those beds early before then going tto breakfast. We stayed mostly by the beach which is steps away from the pool. The sea is calm and the sand is a delight, as shingle beach is quite annoying. The only concerns I have about the beach are the Smokers, There should either be a Smokers section at the beach or No Smoking at all. Its frustrating to have persistent smokers by the beds in addition to a lot of cigarette butts all over the sand. Constantly smelling cigarettes and vapes is not a pleasant experience, especially where there are children and if you dont smoke, like us. The beach Sunbeds are good, they are free and accessible, although you will notice some mattresses are thicker than others which adds to the comfort. These should be consistently all the same as the thin sunbeds felt like laying on a slice of bread.

Those with disabilities or wheelchair users will find the complex accessible with lifts and ramps servicing all the area's.........with exception of the beach itself, there is no ramp to the beach.

As our return flight was in the evening , we got access to a room to clean and freshen up before getting our transfer. Upon checking out, the hotel gave us a small box of Raki and a charm. A very nice touch.

I would definitely visit again, I recommend visiting the Malia Old Town for the restaurants, then go further afield to Aghios Niklaos which is accessible by bus and about 45mins away.

What a pleasant surprise of my Greece trip, really enjoyed the pretty new hotel, the vibe and friendly service. Quite a no. of good dinner spots around, too.

I really enjoyed the beach service. Irini is great! She's energetic, friendly and attentive, but importantly, never intrusive. I think that balance is really difficult to get right at a resort, especially when you are there to relax. She made me feel so welcome and special, big thanks for remembering my favorite ginger-beetroot smoothie! Smoothies were delicious, and the Greek coffee was properly done. Nadia from Guest Experience was also wonderful, I could tell she checks in with each guest and tries to tailor make and ensure we are all having the best time possible! Dimitri, the hotel manager, was kind enough to provide pre-arrival advice and frontdesk is professional. Many other workers from housekeeping to dining (the lady with the long ponytail, sorry didn't catch your name) were all great! Seems to me the whole team works hard to maintain a good standard.

Alai hotel recognizes Marriott status and that was very nice :) Really enjoyed my upgrade, and yes, being an Ambassador helps, but it also shows what the quality is like, because I've been in so many hotels around the world it can be hard to please! Alai is a stay I will remember with a smile.

Lastly, the hotel itself is very well maintained. There are so many cute little spots in the lobby, where you could sit and enjoy coffee. Housekeeping came twice a day, and I liked the separate indoor and outdoor towels — a small detail, but it keeps things clean and is also a nice environmentally conscious touch. The hotel airport pickup was also seamless, and as I had an early morning excursion one day, Alai kindly prepared a small packed breakfast for me. That was cool. I also liked its dinner spot, good grilled fish.

It was a stylish and relaxing stay. I recommend it if you want somewhere more peaceful and well-run rather than a busy tourist joint. Well done!