I have just returned with my wife and two young children 4 and 6. First impressions of Crete were not very good, on route to hotel we seemed to pass nothing but half built houses and hotels, but were relieved when we arrived at the Royal Belvedere. We were placed in a bungalow at the rear of the hotel, but after a couple of days were put nearer the pool at our request this made the holiday a much better stay. The room was basic but had everything you needed, at the end of the day we only slept and got changed there (if you want to spend your time watching English TV-stay at home). The room was air conditioned, had a fridge, safety box and plenty of wardrobes. The room service was tip top and she earned her 100 euro tip. The resort is made up of 2 hotels and boasts 6 outdoor pools and 1 indoor (all salt water), the Olympic pool is just that 50m long 25m wide and 4m deep with a diving board. We only discovered in the second week we had free roam around the Imperial hotel which pool was by far the best for adults. We spent most of the holiday around the clown pool which suited us because of the 0.4m depth; the children could order their own food and drinks. we were given a green wristband which meant we could get any local drinks except cocktails (we were promised gold bands by sunescapes and despite phoning them from the hotel on arrival didn’t get them) The food by the pool was basic but good for the children chips toasties and pizzas as well as ice cream and popcorn. The staffs were very friendly and seemed to master most of the languages. The food in the hotel was at 7.30-9.30, 1300-14.30 and 1900 to 2030 and was of the highest standard, choice of fish, pork, lamb, chicken and veal almost every night as well as pasta, salad, fresh fruit and Calvary. At dinner there were 2 choices of soup. Only drawback there was not enough choice for the young ones who seemed to eat snacks by the pool, on the upside was the deserts so much choice and so nice. Considering they were catering for over 300 people of 5/6 different nationalities I doubt very much you will get better in England. The town center was very nice but the traffic was a nightmare, Star beach is for young adults who want to party and I would recommend staying away. The village at the back of the resort was nice, but expensive. The hotel shop was impressive but dearer than the supermarket at the entrance of the hotel, the 2 kiddie’s parks, tennis courts, mini golf and pools were well maintained. The entertainment during the day seemed to be run by Jet air (the German Thompson) and my kids didn’t seem interested as they didn’t understand what was going on, but there was English kids participating in the minority. The evening entertainment was pretty good and considering these guys was at it all day from 10am I’m surprised they were still smiling at night time let alone performing. Stay away from Barbecue night (rubbish) a waste of 32 euros. And if you are serious about bingo then don’t bother, but at 1 euro a go its quite funny listening to 4 and 7….. 74. If you want a sun bed by the pool, set your alarm clock for 6.30am and get down with your towels for the best spots, otherwise make sure you are there before eight, because those pesky Germans do it in style. And the same goes for the evening get down early, straight after tea. I would without hesitation recommend this resort and for around £100 per night for a family of four it represents impressive value for money. Positives: Room, food, family entertainment, all in package, resort, service, cleanliness, 7 pools, location , drinks all day long and location. Negatives: Germans and Dutch (I know there are ignorant and arrogant people from everywhere, but it seems to be second nature to these two). Enforcement of common rules i.e. no towels on sun beds till 9am and no swimming after 7pm. A gym on holiday (so the posers can have there moment… bless em). It’s on the side of a mountain, steps and inclines everywhere no good for wheelchair users or old folk. The journey home. Top tips. Don’t hire a car (your in the best place). Don’t trust Greek drivers. Ask for a price before you get in a taxi. Don’t buy gold or 2.50e perfume. Don’t eat or drink out Don’t feel obliged to tip. Do take plenty of sun factor 50. Don’t sit in the sun all day long on your first couple of days. Hope this helps.

This hotel is definitely worth the stay, would go back anytime, the only problem was the walk up the hill everyday if you fancied the beach, but u could always ask the security guard to call reception and get the golf cart to pick you up if you were tired :-). The food was very good in the evenings, breakfast was to a German taste(not good) but the bar/snack by the pool was A*** the best burgers I have ever tasted, there was no limit to the amount of drink you had and the views from the room were FANTASTIC, on a clear day if you were lucky you could see the coast of Greece( one advantage of being on a hill I suppose) nightly entertainment was good and they even spoke in 4 languages so everyone could join in. all in all this is a brilliant holiday for everyone! Adults, elderly, children, couples. Also extremely clean and staff very very friendly.

The Hotel room istself was good, the aircon was noisey, if you wanted a lie in forget it as the maids called and kept coming back, food was basic but plentiful but a bit of a free for all. The pools were great, Hersonissos was close by only a 10min walk but going back up the hill by the end of the week was a killer, the entertainment on site was pityfull I have never seen such drivel passed out as entertainment but thankfully it finished early, beer was good etc but very expensive if you bought a non-local drink. I enjoyed the holiday for the company I was with not for the Hotel as it caters for the German travellers more than any other country.