Stella Palace Resort & SPA

we stayed at the hotel the whole family with sam babyies and young childeren we enjoied our holiday so much every thing was perfect the room very clean the food very good and the stuff and service was very kind and profacional we recomend your hotel to our friends and will return for sure

First time in Crete and we were really looking forward to our stay here at Stella Palace, reception was great and they had done their best to accommodate our request of rooms close to each other we were only a few doors apart. We were underwhelmed by the bedrooms we’d booked garden view with a hot tub and a bit of untended grass doesn’t really constitute a garden view for me but I wasn’t that bothered. The room was large but not really luxurious seeing as this is a 5* hotel, the bathroom was what really let it down for us, the sink is in the main area of the bedroom and there’s a large slippy step up to the bath, which wasn’t ideal for us as my daughter is disabled so it wasn’t the easiest. I knew we didn’t have a walk in shower but a shower over the bath I was expecting this to be a shower you could actually stand under though! There was no where to hang the shower head is you had to hold it whilst you showered so not the best. The rooms were kept clean. We were able to book in to the à la carte restaurants and these were all very good we tried the Greek, Mexican, seafood and steak place - stunning food and service. We didn’t enjoy the main Poseidon restaurant, service in there was poor and you really struggled in a morning to get a coffee, the food in our opinion was not great in there either if we hadn’t been able to book in to the à la carte see would have been really disappointed. The pools were fantastic and we never had a problem getting a sunbed but we weren’t there in school holidays, waiters would bring you drinks and the staff in the pool bars were all lovely. The pool toilets were quite disgusting pools of water in there nearly all day, over in the waterpark they were much cleaner. The waterpark was very good, one afternoon there were no available rings so I don’t know how bad it would get in school holidays! There are some stunning sunsets to be seen and if you walk 5 mins down the road turning left out of the hotel you come across a stream full of little turtles! If it was classed as a 4* hotel I’d be less disappointed but having stayed in 5* hotels in Cyprus and Dubai the Stella Palace just misses the mark for us, some parts are definitely 5* but for what you pay it should all be excellent

Excellent experience. All staff from housekeeping, Bar staff, entertainment, etc were naturally brilliant and very friendly. A special mention to entertainment Mike. He was brilliant and couldn’t do enough for everyone. Always went above and beyond with everything he did. He made waterpolo great fun everyday. A great holiday resort and I’d definitely recommend.

Was an amazing time dr Zulu and Andrea where the best and made the experience so much better

Room 920. We have an amazing time here at Stella Palace. The Staff is very warm and helpful, like María at Poseidon, Mannos, his brother. The Aqua Park is amazing and clean Wich is really important. Here you find everything, beach, market, kid club, quality food, arcade games and more.

we stayed at Stella Palace for a week with our children (3 and 1yo). We’d originally booked 6 nights but I added another night later on. I phoned to add it on as my original booking couldn’t be amended. Everything was fine when I added the night but it did cause some problems when we checked in, namely I couldn’t use the app to make reservations and had to speak to the guest services about this and had to get a new code to access the WiFi after one night. Our stay was lovely, enough sun beds at the pool and we spent a couple of days at the water park too. The buffet restaurant was chaotic at times but everything was well stocked and the staff were nice. Sun bed reservation is not allowed and things are moved which is good. We didn’t try to reserve but ran into problems with another family who had tried to reserve the beds we were on (their things had been moved before we got there). The bar staff dealt with it before there was a confrontation but the family still lingered around the area making me feel quite uncomfortable. The Asian restaurant is really nice. We also ate at the Greek and Veranda. Both were lovely. The main thing that makes my review 4* instead of 5 was a few niggles with the check in and out process as well as we had an issue where one of our children’s toys was taken from the room, presumably when the bed linen was changed it got caught up. We were basically told after chasing a few times that nothing could be done and it’s tough, it happens all the time apparently??? We weren’t asking for the world but for it to be taken from our room and us dismissed in every way doesn’t feel like a very 5* experience.

Thalassa bar is the best Olivia (Even if she gives me regular coke instead of zero 🤣) and Alexis was the best so far nothing more to Said ;-) tips them ! Cocktail perfect ! Rooms too. Perfect hôtel close your eyes and go. 5 stars is just the rules. All is fine

Best Family holiday experience at Stella palace. Hotel is awesome and the waterpark is brilliant. The hotel is clean and feels like a luxury resort, plenty food options for everyone at restaurants and snack bars. Most of all special Thanks to Giannis Stamatis and Estoban at the 900 bar. They were class and made the holiday even more special. YAMAS

This was our first time to crete, is literally 20mins private transfer from airport so perfect with kids to just grt the pool. We travelled with a 6/4/3 year old boys, it had everything, the aqua park monitored all day so safe no stupid behaviour was allowed so we felt safe with the children using the pool and slides, All the a la cartes make this 100 times better than the inclusives around, the food choices was amazing, my fussy eaters tried so much. The breakfast and dinners was lovely and snack bars was amazing choices better than we ever could thought, All the STAFF ARE A CREDIT they work so so hard so friendly and caring, We have booked for next year only small things stella should think about to complete 5 star experience is , Drink service on the beach instead of walking back and forth, Bit more choice for buffet tea meals as if you dont have a reservation its just ok, More staff working for drinks around pools and in the bar the staff dont stop and would be a better service if your not waiting for a drink, Also if you pay more for the private pool areas being able to have space to fit them first. Cleaners done amazing job, The little village isnt big but do try some the cute bars and restaurants there fab, Thanks for everything cant wait to return next year staff are amazing xxx

Fantastic kindness of the staff

Just had the best 10 days at Stella Palace. This a wonderful family resort. The staff go above and beyond to make every moment special from morning til night. The grounds are spotless and so many choices of pools, there is no need to reserve sun beds!. The water park is amazing even for the big kids ! The choice of food is plentiful something for all tastes and dedicated area in main buffet restaurant for the little ones. The Al a carte restaurants are good but make sure you book them on arrival as they get booked straight away. Special shout out to the Animation team Dennis, Mike Clara, Carla, Dr Zeus and the rest of the team who work tirelessly every day for both adults and children, make sure you join in, they all work so hard to make your holiday experience memorable. If you are lucky enough to be there when they have the night pool party (every two weeks) it was so much fun. Our rooms were spacious and spotlessly cleaned everyday thank you Venezuala you were amazing. We were facing the pool opposite the Thalasa Bar and a big shout out to Alexis,Olivia, Ougi, Vibian, Garald and Harold the best team Opa to you all. If you want a fun or relaxing holiday choose Stella Palace you won't regret it. Well done Stella Palace keep doing what you are doing. We booked with easy jet had a private transfer and every thing was seamless from start to finish.

Very clean Hotel extremely nice team. Ana Maria and Jorge were be helpful. Highly recommended. Starios and manos was amazing and very ni your flight nice and helpful all the time. Rooms are clean! Highly recommended for family vacation!! We really enjoy thank you

Absolutely amazing! We stayed at Palace in a family room with shared pool and everything exceeded our expectations. We will definitely be back.

As someone who frequently stays at 5-star establishments, I would personally rate the Stella Aqua Park Resort at the top end of 4 stars rather than a true 5-star luxury experience. While many of my critiques might seem minor individually, they add up when you are paying for and expecting top-tier luxury. Here is a detailed breakdown of our 9-night stay. ​The "5-Star" Standard Shortfalls: The Coffee: You cannot get a decent, fresh barista coffee anywhere in the hotel. The bars and restaurants utilise automatic machines where you simply press a button for a dispensed cup. For a 5-star resort, proper espresso and barista services should be standard. The Water Situation: The room's mini-fridge is only restocked with one 500ml bottle of water per person daily. When we requested more, we were told it wasn't possible and were directed to the resort's refill stations. Unfortunately, the station water tasted like tap water, forcing us to buy our own bottled water from the onsite shop for the rest of the trip. Poolside Bar Service: There were very few waiters working around the pool area. It was incredibly difficult to catch their attention, and once you finally managed to place an order, it took about 20 minutes for the drinks to arrive. Your only other option was to walk up to the bar and queue to get them yourself. In other 5-star hotels I’ve stayed at, they offer self-service drinks fridges by the pool where you can quickly grab a soft drink, bottled lager, or water, but that service was not available here Spa Accessibility: Access to basic spa facilities like the sauna and indoor pool requires a €20 fee per person for a 2-hour slot, unless you book a spa treatment. In most true 5-star resorts, basic thermal suites are included. First Impressions & Lobby: The hotel lobby and reception area could really do with a facelift. When you first walk in, you just don't get that "wow" factor you expect from a premium resort. The furniture looks quite dated, and the whole space just needs a bit of TLC Maintenance & Grounds: We noticed a few unpleasant sights around the property, such as exposed pipes and wires in the ground. Additionally, fire extinguishers that had been knocked off the wall were left lying on the floor, and industrial laundry baskets were left sitting near the stairs for the entirety of our 9-night stay. ​Entertainment & Room Layout Challenges: ​If you are booking a longer stay, be aware that there is very little to do outside the hotel gates. By day 5 of our 9-night stay, we found ourselves getting quite bored as there aren't many local excursions or places to visit nearby. ​The biggest hurdle for our family was the noise layout and sleep disruption: A Warning for Parents: Our first room directly faced the Greek restaurant, which featured incredibly loud live music until 11pm every night (despite the hotel app stating it would end at 10:30 PM). It was impossible to get our 4 year old to sleep. ​On day two, we asked reception to move us. They initially claimed the only option was an upgrade costing an extra €230 per night. It later transpired that a standard room was free, and they did move us near the amphitheater. While the amphitheater music wrapped up nicely around 10:00 PM, the hotel next door played music that was even louder until 11:30 PM. Ultimately, we weren't able to get to sleep before 11:30 PM for our entire holiday. ​The Positives: ​It wasn’t all bad, and the resort does have some really good high points: The Food: The Asian and Mediterranean restaurants were absolutely lovely, and the main buffet offers a variety of tasty food choices every day. The Water Park: The water park itself was fantastic. While my 4 year old didn't enjoy it all that much, I can imagine it would be absolutely brilliant for older kids who can make the most of the big slides. The Drinks: The cocktail menu is highly impressive, featuring a great selection of popular, major brand cocktails that were well-made. ​Final Verdict: ​Would I stay here again or recommend it to friends and family? Probably not. If you are looking for a solid 4-star family holiday with great food, you will likely enjoy it. But if you are booking this expecting a seamless, peaceful, and premium 5-star luxury experience, you may find it falls just short of the mark