Iraklis Apartments

Our second long weekend staying here in both April and May and what a great time we had. Maria, Stavros and their family are fab made us so welcome. Our rooms on our first visit were great and our next little trip there was just 2 of us this time and we had a great room at front with a balcony which was an added bonus..was lovely looking out after a day at beach or around the pool just chilling...we had food and drinks most days which we enjoyed and I must admit Stavros made a lovely cup of tea 😁 saving up for my next trip Maria x

The perfect base for a budget holiday, I’ve stayed for a week and it was less than £400 to come here, I paid 10.50€ for the island tax and 15€ for a safety deposit box the day after I arrived, I got to the apartments about 2am and there was a note on the door to tell me my room number(19) and how to find it! It was very basic but clean and the towels were perfectly white and fluffy! A bottle of water in the fridge arriving at that time would have been nice! I’ve enjoyed my stay so much that I’m coming back again in June next year for two weeks….. Travelling solo I felt safe and comfortable here on my own, the menu consists of light snacks and I had eggs on toast a couple of times for breakfast and it was good and just 4.50€….. Really don’t want to go home tomorrow!!

It’s important to note these are apartments not a hotel. We arrived around 3am due to delays and there was a note on the door with directions to our room and the key in the door. Happy to not need to speak to anyone however we had to go on quite a walk to find somewhere that sold water at this time to see us through the night. There are two separate beds pushed together, a single pillow and a single sheet, the beds slip apart all night if you try and sleep together. The next morning at the pool (which is rather small) the lady at the bar didn’t acknowledge us or get off her phone so we could get a drink, when she did she wasn’t very friendly so we had a drink and left for the beach. Upon our return we were asked to pay the tax or whatever it is along with the air con which came to 60 euros. Later we got 2 vodka red bulls round the pool which was 18 euros and we were looked upon with disgust for laughing, we didn’t return to the pool. The room is fine for changing and sleeping but the shower didn’t stay on the wall so we had to hold it. The location is excellent however and a 2 minute walk from the Stalis *****/ beach front. There are lots of restaurants that offer free sunbeds if you buy a drink. The price is likely a lot cheaper than a hotel on the beach front.

My boyfriend and I have just returned from two weeks staying at Iraklis Apartments and although we enjoyed our stay, there are some improvements needed. Downfalls First impressions weren’t great. We arrived around 10:30 at night and no one was there to greet us, instead there were written instructions on the door for people to find their rooms. This wasn’t a big problem but I would have liked to check in when we arrived. I asked to check in the next day and was told to wait as the owner was making breakfast. This was kind of frustrating as we wanted to start the holiday and felt we had to wait. When we had checked in I then had to explain we had breakfast included and asked how this worked as the owner didn’t realise this when checking us in. Breakfast is very simple. There were no options just what we were given which was a lot of bread. Some days we had different spreads, maybe a toastie, ham and cheese on separate plates or fried eggs to accompany a basket of bread. Personally, I don’t think this is worth the extra cost of including breakfast as this isn’t what I expected. We didn’t order from the menu as we were put off by breakfast so not sure what food they offer. Whilst the pool area is nice, there are only three umbrellas on one side which need updating. Each one is falling down or slanting and not very sturdy. The rooms are fine but we had a dirty kettle filled with bits that we couldn’t get rid of and there were a few missing lightbulbs. Also it took a week for our bed sheets to be changed. We knew this because one bed sheet had a rip in it. Positives Despite the not good stuff, Iraklis Apartments aren’t all bad. We stayed in Room 1 and it was basic but had everything we needed and was clean. The WiFi worked in our room which was a bonus. It also had a really lovely view down to the sea and the mountain behind. It’s a good location away from town but a short walk to the restaurants. There is a road to cross but this is easy with two underpasses near or the road is fine to cross when it’s quiet. It can be a little loud around the pool with the cars/bikes going past though. The pool area is clean and there are two pools of good size but we only used the one. There are plenty of sunbeds so no need to save them early. The owners were nice and seemed that they would help if there were any issues. We didn’t feel pressure to stay for food or purchase from Iraklis Apartments. If you’re looking for somewhere to stay just for a room and the pool then Iraklis Apartments are a good choice. I know it is a two star hotel but I did expect some things to be different and we wouldn’t be rushing to stay again. Breakfast let it down for us. It is a nice hotel with everything you need and the owners were good but it depends what you’re looking for.

Location particularly good, accommodation typical of this class of Greek apartments, air conditioning and safe available in addition to holiday fees. Two pools, one nearer for tourists and one for local trade. Inexpensive coach stops (twenty-nine) to Malia, Heraklion, and the rest of the Island outside. Beach, taverna, restaurant, supermarket, and bars close nearby. The locals are very friendly and helpful. Apartments run by Maria, who has fluent English and Greek. Her husband Stavros has some English. You can still get access to your room if you arrive outside hours, go to the reception door to see your welcome notice. Be aware the road outside compares to a UK double carriageway road, cross with care looking left first