SOLIMAR TURQUOISE

On arrival the hotel had maintenance issues, so we were relocated to a sister hotel for the first night. When we returned, our room still wasn’t ready and we couldn’t check in until around 4.30pm, which meant a full day of disruption at the start of our holiday. After raising concerns with Thomas Cook, we were offered a 10% refund, a drinks upgrade and late checkout, which were handled quickly and professionally. The drinks upgrade was difficult to use as bar staff repeatedly tried to charge us despite reception confirming it was included, which made the experience uncomfortable at times. Allergen information was a key concern throughout our stay. My partner has a nut allergy, which was declared both directly to the hotel and via Thomas Cook at the time of booking, and we were advised that the hotel could cater for this. However, in practice, allergen information was inconsistent throughout the stay. As a result, we ate out on four evenings for safety reasons. Snack bar options were also very limited and had no allergen information displayed. Sunbeds around the pool were limited and some were broken. The main restaurant food was also disappointing. It was very greasy and lacked variety, meaning if you didn’t enjoy the options one evening, there was little chance of finding something different the next night. Entertainment was minimal, with only a singer once during the week, and the hotel and pool areas felt smaller than advertised. The all-inclusive package was also misleading, as Silver and Gold bands were not explained at booking and affected access to facilities and sunbeds. Room cleaning was very good throughout our stay and could not be faulted. Staff experience was mixed: the reception team were consistently friendly, helpful and professional, as were the younger bar staff. However, one older male bar staff member working in the evenings was often quite grumpy, which affected the atmosphere at the bar. He is the one that caused the issues with the upgraded drinks. On a positive note, Thomas Cook customer service was very responsive and supportive throughout, communicating clearly and helping to resolve issues quickly. The location was excellent, with a nearby port for boat trips, good transport links, plenty of restaurants, and Chania Town about 30 minutes away—beautiful especially at sunset. Overall, while there were significant issues, both the hotel reception team and Thomas Cook worked hard to resolve problems and improve the rest of our stay.

Overall experience 2-3 stars with several negative aspects. Breakfast buffet was good, but lunch and dinner just average greek food, nothing super but at least it varied a little from day to day. One of the breakfast and lunch time waitresses was rude and arrogant to many guests during our week. Room cleanliness okay, nice cleaning ladies who spoke 0 english. The shower was in the same space as the toilet and the floor flooded always after showering. Note that in this hotel you get only a small water bottle/person, and re-filling of them was not allowed in the restaurant (the arrogant waitress followed many of the guests and stalked them in this matter). The drinks at the bars at the seaside were excellent and the young albanian bartender was the nicest guy ever and really knew his stuff!! On the other side at the big pool there was a newly hired bartender who didn’t know anything about the drinks, although he had the menu in front of him. The drinks tasted bad and many times the guests informed him about the right contents. We are a Finnish couple and stayed at the Rhodos Horizon adults hotel last year in Rhodos. If you know this fantastic hotel be aware that Solimar is nothing in comparison. No luggage room with a locked door here. Shower after check out at the bar toilet downstairs. All inclusive valid until you leave the hotel. Bus stop in front of the hotel, 2,40€/person to Chania, and the busses go irregularly once/twice per hour. Nobody helped us with our luggage, no welcoming drinks or snacks upon (late) arrival. No program at the hotel (nothing!!), all inclusive drinks until 23. By the way, if you like really great moussaka, go to Mitsos at seaside next to Solimar hotel. If you want value for your money with a pleasant experience, I would not recommend this hotel. We will not come back again.

The chef made us amazing vegan food especially for us each night. Every meal was delish and the chef was really lovely! Make sure to advise receptionist on arrival that vegan options are needed. Clean, attentive staff and a variety of feline friends! 😊