As a regular Thomson Platinum hotel guest this establishment has no ‘WOW’ factor for us and definitely NOT worth its 5* rating!
The few good highlights are location – less than 100yds to local tavernas, shops and bus stop (9km to Rithymna) and lovely beach front situation. Excellent food with large selection of buffet food. Men are required to wear long trousers to the restaurant in the evenings.
The hotel spotlessly clean and surrounding gardens well maintained. ALL the staff are very friendly and helpful.
Unfortunately the following points are not so good:
The air conditioning – or rather the lack of it – is obvious throughout the whole hotel itself and especially the rooms. The units just circulate existing warm air and despite complaints nothing was resolved. It would be appear the air conditioning is old – like some areas of the hotel – and desperately needs replacing if it wishes to continue attracting 5* customers, especially its rich Russian clientele.
You would expect the price of hotel drinks to be expensive but they are extortionate at more than twice the price of those in the local tavernas - for example Hotel cocktails 9 Euros Taverna cocktails 4 Euros.
The rooms are a good size with excellent en-suite facilities but the décor and furnishings are ‘tired’ and needs updating – along with their beach and room towels.
Spotlessly clean pools but be aware only a small area in the large saltwater lagoon pool is less than 1.2 metres deep – consequently this area is full of children. There are two other freshwater pools – one pool starts at 1.4 metres deep so not really child-friendly and the other one starts at 1 metre deep but shelves rapidly to 1.6 metres. Only aware of one toddler pool. Never a shortage of sunbeds.
Entertainment is very limited. A trio play in the external lobby area a couple of nights a week and the main evening entertainment (Greek and Brazilian dancers) happens 3 nights a week in the on-site Taverna. There is an additional charge of 35 Euros each if you wish to eat there (very expensive BBQ!) – something I think the Thomson Rep should have highlighted at their Welcome meeting.
Would not really consider ever returning to this hotel.

Travelled with Thompson in May to the 5 star Rithymna beach.Flights were all good and our coach was found with ease with the help of our Rep.The journey by coach was not for the faint hearted , driver drove very fast around very bendy roads, one handed on his mobile phone. Thompson rep seemed very at home with his driving " skills ". I for one was not....Arrived at hotel after 40mins and walked into reception....Wow was first impression, beautiful marble floors and a quite stunning hotel and grounds.We were handed a much needed glass of fresh orange juice and cases taken to room...Rooms havnt got wow factor but beds were huge and comfy and had everything you needed, lovely sea view too..Restaurant is huge, no shorts for men in evening,they must wear trousers. Food is out of this world and so much of it. There is something for everyone there is so much choice..

Beach is lovely with very well qualified guy running watersports but very expensive. 35 euros to ski 50 for jetski and 60 for parasailing....
Pools are also fab, we never had a problem getting a sunbed. We chose the pool that overlooks the beach, this one is not salt water and is so relaxing...

My 12yr old son could probably of done with a few more things to occupy him. There is a pool table but the room where the team that runs things for the kids was nearly always locked with no staff. I dont know if this gets any better in July /Aug.
Tennis courts and coach is fab, free to hotel guests.
Location was ok bit of a main road that its on and strip of restaurants shops is an ugly looking road.

There is one huge criticism that I do have of this Hotel and that is the air con or lack fo it.The hotel decides when they will put it on and we had 35 deg most days we were there yet the only time it was on was between 2-4pm.The time when no-one is in there room.Many many people complained that it was unbearable at night (which it was) but the hotel just handed out fans and said it was the manager who made the air con decisions.

I think this will be a big problem for this Hotel soon if they dont review this problem and update the very old air-con.When it is on it really isnt very cold.The hotel is full of very wealthy Russians who I think will stop coming if they dont sort this problem out.

This is a 5 star hotel, service,food and suroundings.
But with a no star for its air-conditioning.
We had a great holiday and would go back without doubt if they sorted the air-con out...

The hotel was very clean if a tad faded in bedroom areas and the AC could have been cooler at times. There was a large selection of buffet food which was almost always very good with plenty of vegetarian options. The bread and veg in particular, were very tasty. The hotel was big and dining could be busy but there was always enough to eat if you didn't leave it until the last minute. Do not attempt to come down in your shorts for dinner (if you are male) as we saw some try to do, you won't be allowed into the dining room! The hotel was (for us) in a very good, quite location right on the (half sandy, half small stone) Blue Flag beach. The wind made the sea quite choppy at times but other days it was very calm and it was safe to swim if you were an adult(and also child if you had an adult looking after you). It is stony at the waters edge so quite difficult to get in if you don't have jelly shoes. There is also a choice of 3 good pools, the sea water one being the biggest and very nice. All pools and outside areas kept very clean. Although a big hotel, because of the different pool/beach options and lots of other activities on offer in the hotel, it didn't feel overwhelmingly crowded with guests. The staff were 'professionally' friendly and not in your face which was fine for us. Entertainment was laid back, mainly piano and singer/s. Drinks were very expensive but the room had a decent sized fridge so buy a bottle of wine for the evening and sit on the balcony looking at the sea view (sea view room def advised).The 'high' street outside offers a few supermarket type shops for your drinks etc. The hotel also has it's own shop which is more expensive. All in all if you are looking for a quite, clean place to have a total switch off holiday then this would be for you. If you want to be near more action/shops/historic places or if there are teenagers in your party then perhaps not.

A very large hotel with good facilities. At night it is very relaxing to walk around the expansive hotel grounds, part of which have a small village feel-there is even a small chapel and "village square". Food is excellent and there is no need to up grade your meal for a hefty supplement-politely say no to the pushy lady in the restaurant. Welcoming meeting from the management is very pleasant. Make sure that you pay for a sea view-it is well worth while