Milica
The hotel is in an excellent location, very close to the beach. There's a bus stop right in front of the hotel, and you can easily and quickly reach the center of Heraklion by bus.
The hotel itself is large, with plenty of outdoor space where you can relax. The pool is beautiful—big and deep on one side, which is great for swimming, but also has a shallow area where you can play ball or just relax.
What I didn’t like was the food and drinks, which is why I’m lowering my rating. The food simply wasn’t to my taste—some dishes were over-seasoned, while others were completely bland. As for desserts, there were usually a few simple jelly cakes (about 5 types) and occasionally some regular cake, but it was mostly just jelly or whipped cream-based sweets. Chicken dishes were limited to wings or bony parts with very little meat, so it was hard to feel full from them (they never serve something like chicken fillets or breast meat).
The food overall was just okay—we were never hungry, and the vegetables and salads were actually quite good—but the drinks were terrible. All the all-inclusive soft drinks (lemonade, cola, etc.) were undrinkable. They had a weird sour and bitter taste, nothing close to real cola or lemonade. Honestly, I’ve never tasted anything like it. So we often ended up buying drinks at the kiosk in front of the hotel and drank only water at the hotel.
All in all, I would come back here, but I wouldn’t choose the all-inclusive option again. I’d rather eat at the nearby restaurants. But the hotel itself is nice—the pool is a highlight, and the garden area with palm trees is very relaxing and a lovely place to unwind.
Kostas Sfakianakis
A really nice and comfy place to spend your holidays in Crete. Great location with many beautiful beaches around. Stuff was friendly, rooms were clean the food always tasty and with many choices. Highly recommended
Alexandra Gabriela
Unacceptable Conditions, and Aggressive Staff Conduct
To whom it may concern,
I am submitting this formal complaint regarding the unacceptable treatment and serious contractual violations experienced at Hotel Marilena on and after September 16, 2025.
Our group of 14 guests, with a fully paid and confirmed reservation since December 2024, was denied access to the rooms upon arrival, without notice or consent, and relocated to substandard accommodations. Despite having sent seven written complaints via email to both the hotel and the travel agency on the same day, no action was taken to correct the situation.
Upon return to the hotel — as we attempted to salvage part of our vacation — we continued to face deplorable conditions and unacceptable staff behavior:
The so-called “good rooms” were in terrible condition: stained mattresses and towels, unclean surfaces, peeling doors, and overall unsanitary environment.
Activities that were presented as part of our package were charged separately, contrary to what was advertised.
At the bar, we paid for approximately 80% of the drinks, as the so-called “all-inclusive” options were of extremely poor quality and practically undrinkable.
Behind the hotel, there were visible piles of garbage, contributing to an unhygienic and unpleasant atmosphere.
Staff members were untrained, aggressive, and openly hostile. On one occasion, I was publicly confronted by a staff member who demanded I return my beer glass when stepping onto the terrace — which was part of the hotel’s designated relaxation area. This was handled in an unnecessarily aggressive and humiliating manner.
We observed total lack of involvement from the management, no visible accountability, and verbal aggression from several staff members. No basic hospitality standards were respected. Many guests, including our group, were visibly distressed. Some were sleeping in the hallways, and we witnessed an elderly guest collapsing in the lobby, visibly affected by the chaos and stress caused by being left without a room.
We have extensive photo, video, and audio evidence, as well as a documented email trail, proving our claims. Furthermore, our group is now working with legal counsel to address the contractual violations, emotional distress, and financial losses suffered as a result of this experience.
In conclusion, it is absolutely false and misleading to suggest that the hotel handled this situation fairly or respectfully. The only party distorting the reality is the hotel management itself. What we encountered was a severe breach of agreement, lack of professionalism, and clear negligence in both service and communication.
We demand a formal written response, an apology, and financial compensation for the services not rendered and the emotional and material damages caused. Failing this, we reserve the right to take further legal action and escalate the case to:
The travel agency involved
Consumer protection authorities (in Greece and in our home country)
Online platforms where Hotel Marilena continues to mislead future guests.
We stand by all the reviews posted by our group, and we will continue to expose the truth regarding the unacceptable practices at Hotel Marilena.
Ivana Dzekic
“I really enjoyed my stay at this hotel. The atmosphere is pleasant, and the staff are friendly and welcoming. The service is excellent. The beach is just a short walk away, with bus stops and a taxi stand conveniently nearby. There is also a good connection to the city center, which made getting around very easy.”
Nađa Aćimović
The food is awful and its very similar every day. Food is very bland and kind of tasteless. The breakfast is decent. Beverages are water with color. Air conditioning is really old and it takes too much time to get room cold. After few days it started leaking. Except the staff everything is bad. Staff is very friendly and helpful. Room is okay. Its clean but outdated. Connection to the center is good and near the beach. Realistically this hotel is 3 star.