Great holiday, would go back tomorrow, food was plentiful and a good selection too, Hotel was spotless, 10 mins walk to main town, Staff were very nice to each member of our party, entertainment was brilliant, Andy, Bonnie, Antonia and Alexia really tried their hardest to make sure everyone, young and old had a good time. They really have not got the credit they deserve from others on this site. You must remember they are reps at the end of the day and not west end performers, keep up the good work guys.
Get involved with the evening entertainment and you will enjoy it more.

GO TO THIS HOTEL YOU WILL NOT BE DISSAPOINTED

Well I have to say that we were dreading this holiday going by the earlier reviews this year. After the long 2 hour transfer our opinion soon changed on arrival to the Petra Mare. After a speedy check in at 23.15pm (local time), we were greeted with buffet and drinks laid on. First impressions count and by having a quick brief tour of our complex for the next two weeks we were all equally impressed.

Our room was spacious and very well maintained. We had booked a sea view which was magnificent. Eclipse (thank you) had also left us a complementary bottle of wine. The cleaners did a thorough job of keeping your room and the premises tidy.

The food, yes did get repetitive, but that's to be expected when you go AI. If you are going to complain that there is nothing on the menu that you can eat - simply don't choose All Inclusive!

I lost my appetite but of no fault of the hotel. I was impressed to see the choices available. I felt sorry for the chef cooking over the hot griddle with lamb chops, kebabs and snails cooking. He always wore a smile. Goodness knows how he must feel to have the moaning English to keep satisfied. All I can say is that this hotel has to cater for up to 800 people of different nationalities, not an individual!

If you are that put off by the food make yourself a roll at the snack bar. Oh yes this was the great part about the food - FRESH BREAD! Not the stale rolls that you usually get abroad.

The staff were fine. Reception were helpful not that we had much of a reason to ever have to approach them. The whole team do a great job to make your holiday as comfortable as possible.

The slides were fun. Especially the tube one which was faster than I expected. Our kids got refused on once because they were under 9 but once the seen that they were adequate swimmers they let them on anyway. What I loved about this hotel was that you felt your kids were safe.
The entertainment team, well we are used to First Choice bog standard entertainment year after year, but these guys were actually very good at there job. They involved all the audience which was fun, and their tribute to 'Grease' was a howl.

I miss dancing to Cartoon Heroes. Honestly this bunch deserve a good reference. Even though there were a couple of them that were there obviously for their own benefits, could do with cooling down the mating game at the El Paso's bar.

It's a family hotel remember guys, these kids look up to you lot. It would be more professional to keep your private lives outside your work environment. Just a tip before you get some complaints, as people were talking.
Kids Club team were excellent, again these guys put their heart and soul into giving your kids a great holiday. They certainly did that. How old is bugs bunny now?

Just before I go I would recommend everyone to go on the 14.00hrs 'Banana Express'. You can do some snorkling down at the caves and dive off a cliff if you are brave enough (like Col) to do so.

They will also take pictures and covert them onto CD for you at the cost of a small tip.
Also the water park is a good day away from the hotel, even though it is all the way back near the airport.
Chrissi Island is a must, due to it's golden beach and crystal clear water.

The sea was like swimming in a goldfish bowl. You could see everything beneath you.

But on a whole, we had a cracking time away. We met some wonderful friends, and would definitely return again. Oh and to all you people there now, It's not raining here anymore, I am topping up my tan (lol)

We have this theory: Some people are so engrossed in finding fault with their holiday they do not actually find time to enjoy it. We stayed at the Petra Mare all-inclusive for the last two weeks in July and can honestly say that it was one of the best holidays we have ever been on.

We arrived, after delayed flights and a lengthy (hour and a half) transfer, at 11.30 in the evening to be greeted by very friendly reception staff who processed our booking smoothly and efficiently before providing info about the hotel and pointing out the direction to the dining room where they had laid out a buffet for us (a nice and welcoming touch.

Our room was clean, spacious and suited our needs. We were pleased to find that our room had been upgraded to sea view which was an added bonus. The one thing we did find a bit strange was that the air conditioning unit was placed directly on the balcony floor which meant that we could not sit out on the balcony when the air-conditioning was switched on, without being blasted by blow-torch temperature air. On a positive note however, our swimming stuff dried really quickly! The rooms were cleaned daily by friendly staff who were quite happy to come back later if you were having a lie-in and linen and towels were changed daily. The fridge was a god-send!

For an all-inclusive resort, the food was excellent with lots of variety which only started to get a bit boring towards the end of the holiday, and that was because of a growing yearning for some plain food after nearly two weeks of rich, well-cooked cuisine. The dining area staff were all friendly, hard-working and helpful despite the, quite frankly, loutish and abusive behaviour of some of our compatriots (thankfully, in the minority). Outside set meal hours, we had access to a snack bar which offered the standard fare of most AI snack bars (Pizza, chips, frankfurters, salad, fruit and bread and butter), which was fine as we were usually too full from our main meals to eat there. Drink was freely available on a help-yourself basis, both in the snack bar and at the pool bar during the day. After 6 the snack bar, hotel bar and el paso bar (a bar at the far end of the complex)offered drinks served by friendly staff with beer and soft drinks still available on a help yourself basis at the snack bar. With all this free availability of booze and soft drinks, we thought the use of small(ish) plastic cups outside the hotel bar was a good idea: little worry about broken glass, and volume of drink tended to be self-regulated by how energetic you were feeling (can I be bothered getting up and going for another drink?)During our stay, we saw little evidence of OTT drunken behaviour which we have unfortunately experienced at other AI hotels in the past.

One word for the pool facilities - Brilliant! The only time our daughter was out of the pool during the day-time was for Kids Club sessions and meals. We never had any problems getting sunbeds despite a number of paranoid early risers armed with stacks of towels. The slides were great and the lazy river was...well... lazy! All pools were kept very clean and were checked several times during the day. Be aware, they are salt water pools and can feel very cold until you get used to them (the sea is warmer).

The Kids Clubs Reps were fantastic. Our daughter (6) attended most sessions and had the time of her life. OK so we had to pay for some of the sessions (the chocolate party, bugs bunny bash, cocktail party and DVD with munchies session), but so what? It gave our daughter opportunity to make friends and play in a safe, supervised environment whilst giving her mum and dad some much-needed quality time together. The Kids Clubs Reps were friendly, hard-working people who gave the impression they enjoyed the sessions as much as the kids. During our stay our daughter also had a block of Swimkids sessions competently supervised by Jenny who encouraged her and supported her to an extent that she managed to achieve her 10m swimming badge by the end of five sessions, which was quite an achievement as she had never swum without armbands before - Well done and thank you Jenny - our daughter is still telling everyone about it.

The First Choice Reps were always around if you needed them (which we didn't) and they worked hard in encouraging participation in day-time activities as well as evening entertainment. OK! If you want five star cabaret then book a trip to Las Vegas. This is a First Choice resort with holiday reps working very hard during the day and then going on to provide energetic and enthusiatic entertainment without any hint of lethargy or tired resentment; and what they provided was entertaining and inclusive. They should be congratulated for what they provided - excellent!

Overall, we greatly enjoyed our stay at the hotel and have no complaints. We just hope that we can afford to stay there again once it has undergone its refurbishment and upgrade after the end of this season.

We are not long home and all I can say is we all wish we were still there now.

Flight out of birmingham and into Heraklion were fine, no problems, airport is small but you are not there for long. Journey to hotel took just under 2 hours, depending on time of day you arrive, then the scenery along the way is beautiful. When you pull up outside hotel it doesnt look much, but when you step inside it is lovely. Check in at hotel again fine no problems.

Rooms were very nice, spacious and clean. Air con fabulous, definately neeeded, it was soooo hot. We were on floor 2 and balcony was large enough. Do wish we had booked sea view as it was breathtaking. Mountain view is sort of a mountain view. with a few buildings in front, not horrible though. There is a safe in the room which we used and had no problems.

Hotel was spotless, along with outside and pool areas. Maids came to room everyday, lots of linen and towel changes, even if not needed.

Enough choice of food at every sitting, even for fussy eaters. Breakfast was cereals, fruit, toast, yoghurts and cooked food. Lunch was salads, soups, fruit, hot food and puddings. Snack bar was bread, rolls, meat, cheese, salad, fruit, pasta, hot meat, pizza and chips. Evening as lunch. Do need air con in restaurant though. Can be hard to get a seat outside. Good choice of drinks, which we found cold.

All hotel staff are pleasant enough and friendly, considering the long hours and heat they are working under. Hotel shop is great and prices are very good.

There is an inside bar (quiet), the El Paso bar at the end of the resort, which at the beginning of the night is where the german entertainment is but all are welcome, this is open until 2-3 o'clock in the morning and it plays british music later on, then there is the stage area where first choice evening entertainment is, in main season though the table and chairs area could do with being bigger. If you get there too late may struggle to get a seat.

First Choice Reps, where do i start, they are all absolutely fabulous. Alexia, Andy, Bonnie and Antonia are they entertainment reps and they kept us happily entertained. My son fell in love with Alexia and she was so sweet with him, as they are all. These guys work 12+ hours a day with a couple of hours break and are still giving it there all at 11 0'clock of a night. Kids mini disco great, even us adults were up dancing. Izzy, cat, jenny, lisa and laura are kids reps and again they are working long hours but never seem to tire of the kids that are still hanging off them late into the night. My daughter took a shining to Izzy and followed her around all night. They are all fantastic. The kids clubs that are run are great, plenty of them, my kids went everyday and to the evening ones (small fee payable), and couldn't get enough. There is also learn to swim with Jenny who is lovely, my daughter is only 5 and learnt to swim in 5 sessions, well worth the money.

We arrived extremley tired after travelling overnight.

Our room was large enough for the five of us and was clean although the decor is mids 80's and really does need updating (Curtains were ripped etc)

The hotel in general was kept very clean with cleaners working all day - the pool area was acceptable however the lazy river did not really move and the slides were looking a bit tatty and children under 9 are not allowed to use them - ONE massive plus point is that there are life guards on duty till 7 at night - very rare.

The food at this hotel was very poor - dont be fooled by some people saying that there is nothing wrong with the food - the childrens menu was one item every day - fish fingers / burgers / on a Friday it is snails - how many 6 year olds are going to eat snails.

The adults menu was very limited with 6 or 7 of the hot trays taken up with veg / pasta or rice - the afternoon lunch and evening meal were basically the same.

The snack bar meals were always pizza or sausage with chips.

Using plastic cups around the pool is wise - however having to pay 3 euro's for a kids cocktail is a bit steep.

The wavelength kids club is ok - but be aware that you will need to pay for quite a few of the activities - 13 euro's for the vip party etc - does not say this in the brochure.

Despite the grumbles we did enjoy our stay however I think the hotel needs to update its decor and revap it catering - there are much better all inclusive hotels out there for the money.

This hotel is tired and dated, however the beachfront location makes up for this.

The food is excellent but repetitive and the bar staff are miserable with the exception of Maria who is from Poland.

The lifeguards are not the picture of health that you would expect from a person that should be fit enough to save your life, however they are friendly enough.

The first choice entertainment is utter nonsense and the plump girl BONNIE must be an x-factor reject. The reps don't know enough about the hotel and cannot answer any of your questions.

The pool area in the day time is the best part of the holiday experience especially if you can get yourself near to the bandstand overlooking the sea (That's if the family from hell with hundreds of blow-up toy's haven't already set up camp there).

All in all I would return to this hotel if it became a barcelo hotel and was re-branded without last choice being the tour operator.

Just arrived back on the 30-6-07 ,well what can i say this hotel is in serious need of a face lift and updating , it really is outdated.

The location on the beach front is just about all that is good about the place. This is our 4th A.I. holiday and by far the worse choice of food and drink I have experienced, it is very repatative and the cutlery and plates where filthy!

The stomach bug that was reported on the disscusion thread is still doing the rounds as most of the people we met had it at one time or another.

The slides are ok but if your child is under 9 then they can only use one of the slides as this pretty much ruined it for my littlest and was not mentioned in the broucher.
Entertainment wise, they try very hard with the few shows they do but there are too many quizes to make up for the lack of entertaiment there is and the stage and sound facilates are frankly pathetic.

The bar staff seem to dispise you except for the lady in the snack bar at night who is called Maria.

Kids club reps worked very hard and where good but the clubs do charge for theme days and nights at about 5 euros each, which was a big jump to what we payed for the last year and worked out expensive with three children.

All in all I was not impressed with the hotel one bit but the view from the seafront rooms are stunning and be sure to check out the watersports that are run on the beach.

We totally enjoyed this holiday and I could not fault the hotel one bit. Yes the food can be a little repetative but is very nice and a lot to choose from. My 7 year old daughter enjoyed the kids bugs bunny clubs and was able to meet and make lots of friends, the staff were fantasic ecpecially izzy, laura and cat. A trip to chrissi island is a must.

I would definitely recommend this holiday and would return mtself in the future, most of the people we met there also said the same.

We travelled in June 2007 with another family.

Unfortunately, we have been to two First Choice Holiday Villages beforehand and were expecting much of the same, believe me, this is nothing like it. If you have been to a Holiday Village, you will be very very disappointed, as we were!!!

The hotel was very clean and most of the hotel staff were nice. The food was OK but very repetative, unfortuanly they think we only like pizza, pasta, chips and hot dogs - it would have been better if there was some Greek food to try. The hotel room was tiny and very basic with a small balcony (we paid extra for a sea view room as well). There was no kettle in the room so no cup of tea first thing in the morning.

As most First Choice holidays we have been on consisted mainly of British families we were a bit shocked at the number of Germans and Slovakians staying at the hotel.

The entertainment was well below average, the worst we have ever experienced.

The First Choice staff were always "on a break" when they were needed (one time urgently), when they were to be found they had very little knowledge of the hotel or the surrounding area.

The beach was lovely and the watersports were excellent.

The children loved the water slides and the beach.

We would like to say "Hi 5" to Roy, Sue, Ash, Ellie, John, Genette, Billy and Rosie - if it wasn't for us all getting together we would probably have been on the first plane home - barring more delays!!!

Would we ever go here again - NEVER!

Arrived at hotel early hours in the morning staff at reception where friendly cleared suitcase and went for a walk hotel view was fantastic went for breakfast that was another story it was descusting swimming in oil waiters was arrogent cats walking around the restaurant under your feet waiters expecting you to feed the cats it made me sick the rest of the holiday was just the same entertainers was ok the first night after that it was the same every night,will not be going back.