Creta Maris Beach Resort

As one of the largest resorts in the Hersonissos area, the Creta Maris Beach Resort is sprawling. Nestled on lush grounds with palm, olive, and juniper trees, the resort is housed in a number of white buildings with typical Aegean architecture. It's a quintessentially Greek and Cretan scene, and feels a bit like its own village, with activities like Greek and Cretan dancing, national and local cuisine in the restaurants, a Crete-style market, and sheep shearing. There's even a small and charming Greek Orthodox cathedral made of stone on site. Guests gather in and around the many fresh water swimming pools and on the beach. The hotel largely draws couples and families, who love the seafront location, sun and sand, wealth of fun activities, and wide array of dining options. 

Creta Maris Beach Resort features a beachfront location on the Aegean Sea. For a change of pace from the resort's offerings, there are restaurants, bars, and shops in the village of Limenas Hersonissos, a ten-minute walk from the hotel (two minutes by car). Aquaworld Aquarium & Reptile Rescue Centre is also located in Limenas, a three-minute drive, or 10-minute walk, from the hotel. Acquaplus Water Park is a 10-minute drive southwest and Star Beach Village & Water Park is a 15-minute drive southeast of the resort. The Lychnostatis Open-Air Museum of Cretan history is a 12-minute drive from the hotel for those with an interest in local history. Featuring the Koules Fortress, Historical Museum of Crete, and Heraklion Archaeological Museum, Heraklion is about a 25-minute drive west of the resort. The Knossos Palace is a 30-minute drive west. It takes 20 minutes to reach Creta Maris Beach Resort from the Heraklion Airport.

The Creta Maris Beach Resort has 680 rooms, family rooms, suites, and bungalows. Most rooms are divided between the four-floor main Maris building and two-floor Terra building, with the bungalows in a separate area. As a resort, the focus at the Creta Maris is on activities, so the rooms are rather simple. The color palette is beige and white, with white cotton duvets and simple furnishings in homey shades of white -- they're fairly simple and don't quite live up to the hotel's luxury claims. Rooms start at 290 square feet, so they are all spacious. They're clean and well-maintained and get good natural light, and they're quiet at night when the activities around the pool and grounds have subsided. All rooms have balconies or terraces (some with sea views), air-conditioning, coffee/tea makers, mini-fridges, safes, free Wi-Fi, and flat-screen TVs with satellite channels (but few English channels). The free Wi-Fi provided is basic and occasionally slow, and faster Wi-Fi costs extra. Suites have sitting rooms, and some suites have jetted tubs. Bathrooms are clean, well lighted, and spacious, with ample counter space. Bathrooms feature showers or shower/tub combos along with toiletries and makeup mirrors. Non-smoking rooms are available. 

The huge complex at the Creta Maris offers an outstanding selection of facilities and activities. The 350-meter beach has umbrellas, beach chairs, beach volleyball, and water sports (for a fee). Most of the beach is sandy, but one section is a bit rocky. There are 14 freshwater swimming pools including the 31-meter main pool, as well as several other large outdoor pools, free-form pools, a children's pool, and an indoor pool (use for a fee) with hydro-massage section. There's also a water park with a slide for kids. The full-service spa offers massage and beauty treatments, a fitness center, sauna, and hammam steam room. 

Guests have lots of options for recreation, including two lighted outdoor artificial turf tennis courts, petanque courts, an enclosed artificial turf mini soccer field, archery range, and mini-golf course. Guests enjoy discounted rates at a nearby golf course, or can head indoors for arcade games and billiards tables (both for a fee), table tennis, and darts. The top-notch animation (entertainment) team provides karaoke, games, shows, water polo, beach parties, Greek dancing lessons, and Cretan and Greek cooking lessons. The resort offers some additional Greek and Cretan features with its koures (traditional sheep shearing), threshing wheat, an agora (Cretan open market), and Cretan baking days. For the young ones the resort offers a children's club with entertainment, team games, colorful playground, game room (for teenagers), and children's movie theater. 

Guests can dine at one of six restaurants, including a Greek barbecue buffet restaurant, a traditional Cretan tavern, a poolside restaurant service snacks and light lunch, a poolside theme restaurant serving mezes and tapas, and two restaurants serving Mediterranean and local cuisine. Some restaurants have sea views. Among the six bars are a poolside bar, adult nightclub, and junior dance club. All-inclusive options are available. The hotel also has a public internet corner, helipad, open-air theater, jewelry shop, clothing boutique, mini market, and free parking. Wi-Fi is free throughout the hotel.