Another summer, another all-inclusive resort. Before having Cara, we barely visited one, now it’s three in three years. This time, it was a lovely week at the Euphoria Resort, in Chania, Crete.
Date Visited: 16th – 23rd July 2019
Location: Kolymbari, Chania, Greece
Getting There: Booked a one-week all-inclusive via TUI. We flew from Gatwick, a 3 to 3.5 hour flight in to Chania, Crete. Transfers from Chania airport to Kolymbari arranged by TUI, approximately 40 minutes.
Cost: Depends on when you book, how long you stay and what room you choose. We paid c.£2,400 for the week between 3 of us.
Review:
After an early flight from Gatwick at 6am, it was all excitement as we landed in sunny Crete. It was all going smoothly until a slight 30 minute delay at baggage reclaim even though the plane was a short walk from the terminal. However, as we were in holiday mode, we didn’t mind. A shortish transfer (40 minutes) from the airport to the hotel and we had forgotten about the delays.
The hotel itself is brand new, so has all the modern features. Very open, lots of pools, bars, eateries and water park. Staff are friendly, and upon arrival, we were offered a refreshing drink, cold towel and lunch.
We booked a sea-view family room, which was a 1-bed en-suite, and a bed made up on the large sofa. More than enough room for the three of us. We were fortunate enough to receive an upgrade on our fifth day there to a room which included a swim-up shared pool, which Cara absolutely loved.
However, even without the swim-up pool, the main pools at the hotel were grand enough. I believe the hotel has the longest pool in Crete. If the pools not enough for you, then the beach is accessible is on its doorstep, or the water park is at the front of the hotel.
Are you not entertained?
If being poolside for majority of the day isn’t your thing, then there’s a myriad of other things to do. For kids, the hotel has a standard kids club that seems to keep them occupied. We only visited for a couple of hours but Cara did enjoy the disco each evening after dinner.
For older kids and adults, there’s the water park, which includes four different slides – all great. There’s also a toddler section in the water park which Cara took a few days to get used to, but once she was comfortable with the slides, she kept going on them.
For those that prefer something more active, there’s an on-site gym and most days, they have activities like volleyball, football, tennis etc.
Each evening after dinner, the hotel had performances and music. I think if you stayed for more than a week, it would be repetitive as they had the same acts on a weekly rota, but we enjoyed the entertainment each night. Cara had fun watching the children entertainers and the band the most, while sipping on her drink and munching on crisps.
We did try to head to old-town Chania, Crete on the third day, which is accessible by a 30 minute bus ride. There is a bus stop directly outside the hotel and costs roughly €3 per person. But by the time we stood there waiting for the bus, we decided it was too hot to be walking around and ended up at the water park again.
What’s there to eat and drink?
The hotel has a main buffet restaurant, which is available for breakfast, lunch and dinner. In addition to this, there’s an outdoor Italian-style eatery that is open during the day, a Greek restaurant, a grill and a pool-side snack bar near the water slides. Based on the other all-inclusive hotels we have visited, this one had the best cocktail selections and wines on offer. Although the spirits weren’t the upper-end scale of a Hendricks or Bombay Sapphire, they weren’t the basement bucket qualities either, and each of the cocktails we tried were tasty.
If you’re chilling by the pool, there is also a fresh juice stations and a crepe/pancake station if you’re thirsty or snacky.
Overall
We all had a fantastic break in Chania, Crete, and came back many shades tanner after the week. Although our flight home was delayed by 3 hours, it didn’t sour our trip and we’re starting to look for next year’s holiday.
Tips:
- If you already own any floaties or beach / pool toys, don’t forget to pack them
- Pack the sunscreen!
- Try to book a sea-view room if possible, the sound of the waves at night is very soothing.
Ratings:
Burn Time: 5 out of 5 – Plenty to do at the resort – pools, water park, kids club, activities, beach…
Value: 5 out of 5 – As everything’s already included, at roughly £100 per per per day, it works out cheaper than a day out in London!
Overall: 5 out of 5 – Already starting to plan next year’s summer all-inclusive…
Do you have any suggestions for family getaways? Please share them in the comments below!
