Hi Anne, sorry we never got to meet while we were out there, have read your review and sounds like you enjoyed it as much as we did, already looking for next years hols!!

Hi Shazzie t I didn't realise that there would be so many children about and with the pool area being so large, we could have been walking round in circles looking for each other. Anyway we did have a good time and really enjoyed ourselves and don't really know what the people who knocked the hotel were expecting - I personally thought that it was good value for money. The slides were great, especially the taller ones we had lots of fun on there. Anyone still left to go shouldn't be worried - you'll have a wonderful time. The beach is a bit pebbley but the lovely warm sea is worth the effort.

Anne

Hi everyone. This is my first post.

First things first, me and my fiancee (both 19yrs old) are coming to stay in this hotel for 10 days. We set off on the 6th September. We have no kids (eeek!) but we couldn't turn down the price. 10 days all inclusive for under 600 quid was perfect as we're both students and it would be nice to have a holiday before we return back to University.

We both went online today to check out the feedback from other people regarding the hotel and I'm a bit worried about the negative stuff I've read. It seems to be the same old same old.

Now First Choice have taken over (have they? I've briefly skimmed) is the hotel a lot better? I've read the reviews people have left in the holidays uncovered link that was posted pages back, and they seem to think the food is abysmal and the general hygine is poor. Now, they were written well over a year ago and I expect there have been changes.

We've both been really looking forward to this break for so long now and we've both worked our bottys off over the summer to pay for it. The positive feedback really outnumbers the negative feedback but there is still the worry.

Anyway, we'll have a good time none the less. We always do. I promise to behave myself, too.

Cheers.

Hi Saintrory, If you are prepared to join in the games such as water polo. killer pool and darts, volleyball and boulles then i'm sue that you will enjoy your holiday. there were older teenagers/young adults having a great time and I don't think that you are too old to worry about there being lots of kids about, anyway many of them will be back at school so when you go there may not be so many. The hygeine in the restaurant was good and fresh food was always being brought out. It had not been sitting there for hours. I did hear of a couple of people with tummy bugs, but they had both been out to another restaurant the evening before and both me and my daughter didn;t have any problems, nor did the friends we made there. So you go and have a super time.

Hi Saintrory,would just like to agree with flingtong (although this hotel wasnot to our taste)if you are happy to join in the organized activities that First choice arrange both in the day and at night or just want to laze about the pool area,you will have a good time but the games/entertainment etc are repeated pretty much every day and can get boring after a while.
This is the same with the food it is cooked properly but is not very exciting mainly fish and chicken dishes.As you dont have children i would recommend you go into town and have some meals and drinks there a couple of times although this will increase your spending money it will break up the holiday.
Either way have a great time.

Does anyone know if there is any internet access in the hotel or in the resort somewhere, and if so where and how much ??
thanks
also we are flying out with first choice and coming home with thomas cook has anyone else done this ?? We have been on loads of hols and never had this.

Hiya gillsmad, no there isn't any internet access at the hotel which I must admit suprised me but there is an internet cafe in one of the side streets in the town but I couldn't tell you where exactly or how much it cost as I didn't go in, it looked rather busy.

Shell

Hey all, just wanted to share our holiday experiences at Petra Mare with you all.

Transfer was around 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours from what I can rememer, we were there in first two weeks of July this year, me, my wife and two girls, aged 4 1/2 and 1 1/2. Direct transfer all the time now. Very pleasant greeting on arrival. Don't expect much from the airport, bit of a madhouse. Room was nice and clean, although during the holiday we did hear every door shut in the corridor and an annoying child on the floor above with a bouncy rubber ball most nights till late!! Kids rep got chickenpox 2nd day we were there, but thant wasn't really her fault and didnt seem to spread around hotel. Pool for the kids was fantastic, chutes/slides limited times open, like 1 hour before lunch and 1 hour later afternoonish. Daily kids club for all agaes at different times, swimming lessons for those in need by a qualified instructor, Tully. Evening entertainment was always geared for kids. STRONG advice: don't sit too near the edge of the entertainment seating by complex entrance, we were hit no end of times by flying footballs of kids playing poolside football, a couple of the balls hit my eldest girl on the head, some of the parents just didnt give a damn and were totally not caring, didnt deserve the honour if u ask me, sorry for that rant but anyhow. Food was good although I feel the choice could have been a little less seafood orientated and a little more mixed. Reps great, drinks great, I would totally advise a trip down to "Cafe on the Rocks" as well, even with the kids during the day, hospitality there was fab, great place. We also met a lovely family from about 3 streets away from where w live and their children go to the same scholl as ours, have kept in touch, fab time spendt with them. We would go back and recommend this hotel if all you want to do is laze by the pool and feel that the kids are 110% safe, a relaxing family holiday if there is such a thing!

Hi Cheesypuffs,

glad to read you enjoyed your hols We also had the problem of flying football's around the entertainment whilst we were there Some nights we couldn't get seats inside the entertainment part so had to sit around the outside, it was usually full by 8.pm, we were forever getting drinks knocked over or balls bouncing off us until the one fella had had enough of his little one getting hurt so he complained to the rep and they did announce it each evening after that, that no football was allowed, much to the disgust of some parents who had no respect at all and complained that their children "couldn't even play football now" it wasn't them the ball was bouncing off! One parent complained about it and they were sat at the bar down the far end of the hotel

Oh well, my rant over now

Shell

we were there for a week at end of august / start sept.

Thought it was really good - great kids stuff especially the DVD club from 9pm-11pm!!!!!!!!

Thought the food and choice of food at all meal times was very good - breakfast was not bad considering it was greece and they did attempt to get it close to an english breakfast.

Entertainiment was good at nights and had the other option of bar at the end open till late which was good.

It was very windy when we were there (time of year obviously) and this could be annoying in entertainment area at nights with plastic glasses as they kept getting blown over (although i resolved this by getting normal glasses from bar).

overall i thought it was a quality holiday and well worth the money paid.

Hi Sean, glad you enjoyed your hols. I was there the end of July and it was very windy then too, we had the same trouble with the cups blowing over all the time and in the daytime we had to anchor the lilo's down around the pool! Ierapetra is know for being windy but I think this year it has been extreme. The water sports also had to be cancelled for 5 days during our stay due to rough seas something that rarely happens apparently.

Shell

Hi ya everyone...

Oh how i've missed you all...

So.. my thread is still going strong..

Just think my holiday to crete was a year ago...

Hands up who enjoyed themselves... Ooohhh quite a few.... Will you be going back again??

I've decided to go to Spain next year in a AI Hotel near the Adventure Park in Salou... Any one want to come...????? theres a choice of three hotels...

Whos interested..??????????

Hi Chelle-ann, I'm booked up for next year, s/c in Puerto Pollensa, Majorca

Shell

Hi anyone going to Petra Mare Hotel - Lerapetra on or between 18-26 October?
Never been to Crete before but with four children thought this was a good start (price wise) to try an all inclusive

galaxy girl, with four kids you're bound to have a fab time at the petra mare, read my review on this site, would go back there in a flash, ave a good time
regards shazzie t

I've up-loaded some photo's of Ierapetra and the Petra Mare hotel in the photo's gallery.

Shell

I've added some photo's of the Petra Mare and Ierapetra in the Crete gallery if anyone wants to view them

hi,
we're considering booking this hotel for next september (late) the online price is really good for 5 of us all inclusive but i am a little worried why it's so cheap! obviously many of you would reccomend it as it has some very good reviews on this site but has it started to decline? has anyone come back this month or last who can give any updates?

thanks in advance
K

Hi kleptouk,

My guess would be that it's cheaper because it's out of school hols. I've got friends who arrived there yesterday who were also out there in August, when they get back I'll ask how it compared to August if thats any help to you

Shell