Seaside A Lifestyle Resort - Adults Only

A wonderful 6-night stay at the Seaside resort! I found myself largely confused by a lot of the critiques left in the reviews of this hotel that we read before our trip. The hotel is perfectly situated in a beautiful position 30 minute drive from Heraklion. Its staggered setting on the cliff side lends a feeling of a small - but luxe - village. We found exploring the different routes really enjoyable and helped us clock up our step count for the day! We were happy to receive two nights at the a la carte: the Japanese fusion was great but Oceano was simply beautiful - both of a quality far superior to even standalone restaurants found in cities. The food was of great quality in the buffet with evening variations enough to not feel repetitive for nearly a week stay, and the all inclusive drinks never left us feeling like we were exhausting the menu. Our room (355) was not one of the rustic-chic rooms the hotel uses to advertise the hotel, but our room was still smart and exceptionally clean and had an incredible balcony view of the sunrise. The main hotel reception and bar is stunningly modern and perfectly styled. There are early-worm sunbed-savers as you would expect, but there are so many areas for you to sunbathe we never felt disappointed with our spot. Our favourite spot was on the lowest level a staircase down from the pool, on decking right on the cliff edge. The bar and restaurant staff were all absolutely wonderful and welcoming - Elena and Stavros very much standing out for their personality and service. We decided to break our trip up with a trip to Heraklion city, easily accessible by bus from the hotel. I would happily stay here again, a perfect little oasis to escape and enjoy.

Thank you to Seaside for the best holiday my Fiancée and I have ever had. We stayed in room 45 that was a swim up room with a sea view and it was absolutely stunning. From the room we had a view of the sea which is a crystal clear emerald and the cliffs. Just outside the room was a shared balcony area with a shared infinity pool overlooking the beach and the pictures the hotel use are not edited or made to seem better than they actually are. What you see is genuinely what you get. There are 3 a la carte restaurants on site and I would recommend booking these on the day of arrival for your best chance to visit all 3, and they are all worth a visit. The customer relations staff were brilliant in getting us booked in for these, we had to go on a waiting list for Umi but managed to get in the same day. We were planning on heading into Heraklion for a couple of nights rather than eating at the buffet restaurant but after our first time eating there decided it wasn't worth heading out! The food at the buffet in my opinion was restaurant standard and there was a huge variety. Even though it was self serve the restaurant still presented each dish very nicely. The desserts here are also incredible and so photogenic. We had a couples massage whilst we were here and the masseuses were brilliant , the massages are on the expensive side however I would expect this at a 5* resort and you get what you pay for here. We were unsure whether to get our first massage but after experiencing that decided to book back in for another before we flew home. We did make use of the on-site gym which has enough things to get by but not loads of equipment etc. We also attended a yoga session which was really nice and relaxing and the yoga instructor was friendly and patient. There is also a padel court and tennis court free to book, we played a bit of padel one of the evenings which was great. All in all the views are the huge selling point of this resort and we would come back purely for that reason, however the food and facilities are truly top tier as well. The final cherry on top is that the staff here are truly wonderful and really make this hotel what it is. There are so many staff members we would love to name as they deserve recognition but unfortunately we have forgotten a lot of the names; however special mention to Giorgios who went out of his way to help and speak to us; the night staff Leonidas who showed us around once we arrived and really set the standard for the staff, Mario at the bars and the girls at Pelagos pool bar. The maid service here is also amazing and they are so friendly, always have a huge smile on their face! Whilst not necessary due to the staff knowing multiple languages, I would really recommend learning some small Greek phrases, it really puts a smile on the staffs face and we are visiting their country after all! Absolutely superb holiday and we can't wait to visit again!

What a beautiful hotel with every attention to detail. The setting is lovely with lots of sun beds and umbrellas. Two beautiful pools with a bar each. The bedroom we had was lovely and no passing traffic as we were at the end of the row. The bed was comfortable and lovely toiletries in the shower. The food was amazing with so much choice, even the buffet restaurant was different every night.

We have had a wonderful holiday here at the hotel and spa. The staff have been excellent, very friendly and helpful. The food in all the restaurants has been exceptional, particularly the Minoan Greek Taverna which we both enjoyed very much. The whole resort is very clean and looked after well. We enjoyed the saltwater pools during the day and the snacks by the pool. I attended the spa twice for treatments provided by Poppi. It was a truly amazing experience on both occasions. All of the staff at the spa were friendly and helpful and Poppi gave me the best massages I’ve ever had. Would highly recommend. There was various entertainment available in the evening including watching football games from Euros. We particularly like the DJ who played at the pool one evening, the three tenors and the group of young male singers who were brilliant. The Greek dancing was also very entertaining. Our room although beautifully decorated, clean with good facilities had no privacy in the patio area with many people passing our glass doors throughout the day and evening. Maintenance also took place outside of the room and caused quite a noise during the night. However, after a message to reception, who apologised, this did not happen again. We used the air con almost the whole time we were there and the flat screen tv had some films on in the evening which was nice. The views across the sea are stunning and there was always plenty of sun loungers and places in the shade to relax. We will definitely come back

Wow, we have just spent a lovely week in this hotel. The room was spotless. The food was very varied and as my readers will know I'm a very fussy eater. I never struggled to find something to eat. The 3 Al a carte restaurants were some of the best we have been to. Have to say a big thank you to all the staff, especially Stella and Mara in the main dining room. They always had a big smile and made our day. The hotel is built into the side of the mountain, and the views are stunning, a bit hilly, but there are lifts to get you about. Plenty of pools to choose from and always sun loungers available.

We stayed at the resort for 9 nights during our honeymoon and honestly was pretty much perfect. ROOMS: The room was more or less as described by pictures when we booked it. We booked a sunset view room with the sharing pool and we shared the pool with around 9 other rooms however we found it extremely peaceful and only one or two rooms would usually be in at the same time. The only criticism is the drainage smell which was prevalent however maintenance came and fixed it with one quick call to reception. 5/5 FOOD AND DRINK: We were originally very sceptical about food poisoning with the many reviews stating they were victims of food poisoning however all food was fresh and delicious with no evidence of anything undercooked or off. In the main restaurant most of the food was the same as the previous days however there was a themed night each week and even though the food was typically the same it was still delicious. Choices of gyros meat usually every day, pita bread and freshly cooked pizza in the pizza oven. The a la cartes which were included were beautiful and a true elegance of fine dining which during our honeymoon was perfect as we could get dressed up and feel posh. Staff were impeccable. There was also a snack bar at both pools serving crepes waffles croffles sandwiches and crisps. Moving on the drink you can view the drinks menu online for the bar and some complained that you had to pay for certain drinks but we were pleasantly surprised that brands such as Absolut vodka were included as standard and with a lot of AI resorts it would be the cheap country equivalent. Cocktails were fresh and not pre packaged and the coffee was fresh bean to cup. 4.5/5 SERVICE: Staff were impeccable and offered true excellent customer service. We’d like to thank specifically Mara from Breakfast, Giannis from Snack Bar and Chars from the night time. Our housekeeper in room 531 was also extremely friendly. 5/5 Overall a perfect stay and we would happily recommend to a friend.