Hotel Malia Dedalos - Malia
Operator and Date: Thomas Cook - July 2007
Opinion submitted in August 2007 by : Sarah-Jayne - Liverpool 17 x6
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Review:
Been back from Malia for two weeks now and just about got over it.
As our first girls holiday we wanted something lively and certainly got what we asked for in Malia!
We stayed for two weeks and a few people had said, It was too long and we would want to go home after a week/10days but it was definatly not the case, two weeks allowed us to meet so many people, we also found ourselves in a routine of where we went of a night, therefore getting to know the Pr's & Bar Staff which resulted in ridiculous drinks offers, we definalty recommend Big Bens & Exodus before hitting the clubs.
However after talking to alot of the workers over there Malia seems to be getting less busy every year - but as it was our first time there i never would have believed it!
The Hotel was situated in a very good place very close to the strip (about a 2 minute walk) but on a quiet road, it is however probably not the best road to be walking on alone at night! Our room was big with a good balcony, but as we booked B&B we had no kitchen facilities which was a bit of a pain, but the 24 hour bar was close enough to the room if we needed drinks.
Overall our holiday was excellent and i would definatly recommend Th Malia Dedalos.!!
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Hotel Malia Dedalos - Malia
Operator and Date: Sunset - June 2006
Opinion submitted in February 2007 by : Angela, Jonny (24,22)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Review:
We booked a fortnight at the Malia Dedalos.
The accomodation was more than we could have asked for. The room was cleaned nearly every morning. The pool was cleaned regular also. Staff were really helpful, especially Marios. Kuala was lots of fun too. The food at the bar was lovely and just as cheap as elsewhere in the resort. Marios is full of knowledge on Malia and where is best to go (he also gives good tips on drinks)
The resort is lively and caters for all ages. There are loads of clubs, bars and restaurants to choose from.
Go into the Union Jack bar to start your night, the do lovely cocktails and let you play connect 4 for a free drink!!
If you get the chance go into Stalis for a meal we found a lovely little restaurant on the road there that served great traditional food.
If you like mexican food Gringoes is a must. You will never taste Mexican food like you will in here! best meal ever.
We will definately be back here and would recommend to all age groups to stay at the Malia Dedalos!
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Hotel Malia Dedalos - Malia
Operator and Date: (Thomson Holidays
Direct) Thomson Holidays
- June 2006
Opinion submitted in July 2006 by : Gav (32) Sarah (34) Sean (33) Casey (24)
Resort Rating: Average
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
Two of our party had been to Crete last year & stopped at the Dedalos. We went with an open mind as I fully expected to be getting 'past it' in my early 30's!!
The apartments were very clean & tidy, I think the maid came round more or less every day. Koula (day) & Marios (night) were lovely people behind the bar. A quick tip...every now & then offer Marios a drink, you will be more than rewarded with a few free drinks in return! The pool area was also very clean, there was no need to rush down at 8am for a bed as most were unnocupied up to 12ish. The only drawback with the apartments was the various groups of younger lads & lasses there. There were the occasional fall outs between groups & the atmosphere on a couple of days was tense. Also the security guard could lose his rag over next to nothing. He carried an extendable baton with him so beware.
The resort was a bit too lively for us, the touts really get on your nerves, they wont take no for an answer!!
Best restaurant was San Giorgio in the old town, go to the top of the main road and it's behind the church.
Best pub was the Highlander bar, again go to the top of the street & turn left with the church in front of you, keep walking for about 5 mins and it's on your left hand side.
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Hotel Malia Dedalos - Malia
Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook - SEpt 2005
Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : Ben Crawford - York (22, 22, 22, 22, 20, 20)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
Got back from Malia couple of days ago. Absolutely awesome. Hotel was excellent has everything you need if you just need to sleep there. The rooms were clean and spacious. They got cleaned everyday apart from sundays.
The hotel is a stones throw from the main strip but if you do get home before the bars and clubs shut (shame on you) there's hardly any noise at all. George the security makes sure of it. Nice bloke just make sure you get on his good side or he can get a bit menacing.
Quad bikes aren't worth the money one guy in our hotel had 2 pay 1000 euros and the insurance didn't cover anything. u have been warned.
Food wise you can't knock any of the restaurants our local was The Union Jack decent food decent price.
Altogether an absoluetly cracking holiday and looking forward to going back some time.
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Hotel Malia Dedalos - Malia
Operator and Date: (Thomson Holidays
Direct) Thomson Holidays
- June 2005
Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : Lauren 21 and Faye 18
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
I went to Malia with my sister. We had the time of our lifes and didn't want to come home. Malia is definatly a place for young people. The night life is amazing with so many clubs and bars to choose from all closing around 4am and even later at weekends. It doesn't even compare to other clubbing resorts i've been to.
The accomodation was basic but kept in excellent condition. We didn't spend much time around the pool or bar as we loved going to the beach even though is was a 20 minute walk down the strip. Our appartment was cleaned nearly every day. The only time it wasnt was when we were still in bed recovering from the night before. Just a little warning- after about 10pm there is a guy called George who stands at the entrance of the hotel to make sure you don't bring anyone back to the hotel. If you're clever enough it is possible to sneek people in if you distract him, as we found out. The owners were quite strict about noise at night. The group of guys staying in the apartment next to ours received a letter from the owners warning them that they would have to leave if they disturbed anyone else.
One thing i would not recommend doing is renting a quad bike or moped. We saw a girl driving up the stip with two other girls on her bike. The police stoped her staight away and did not say anything to her, they just snatched the keys from her hand and went. We heard from other people that the insurance you pay when you rent a bike hardly covers you for anything. There is a medical centre in the middle of the stip. It's a good job it's there because we saw quite a few accidents.
Everyone was so friendly in Malia and the weather was perfect. We were so tanned just from spending a week there. we are considering going out there for a whole season next year and we can't wait!
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Hotel Malia Dedalos - Malia
Operator and Date: (Thomson Holidays
Direct) Thomson Holidays
- June 2005
Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : Helen & Boyfriend - Bristol (28,31)
Resort Rating: Average
Accommodation Rating: Average
My/Our Holiday Review:
Malia is a resort best suited to 18 to 30 type holidayers, not couples or families. There are loads of 'english' clubs and bars that all cater for that type of holiday.
This is not the place to go to if you want to actually see Greece. We were recommended Malia by the Thompson Travel Agent, and booked from the Thompson Summer Sun Brochure. I told the Travel Agent that we would like to go somewhere relaxed and quiet - this is not what we got! There was loads of noise all through the night from some of the other guests at the Hotel - people shouting, banging doors, smashing bottles, ghetto blasters, etc, especially at about 3am...You can also hear the noise from the clubs and late bars, even though we were in a supposedly quieter part of the hotel. We hired a car and got out to the south of the island, much nicer!!!!!
I wouldn't go back to Malia, but I'm 28, so suppose if you are younger and like a holiday were you party all night and sleep it off all day, then this is the place for you.
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Hotel Malia Dedalos - Malia
Operator and Date: (Sunset Discounts) Sunset --- thomas cook ---june2005
Opinion submitted in June 2005 by : jo julie joanne bianca 30 26 24 19
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Review:
What can i say about this fantastic accomodation other than.
SEE YOU NEXT YEAR
The hotel i will have to say one on the best 3*hotels i have stayed in greece....
The staff were brilliant and they would bend over backwards to help you in any way they could......
Location was fantastic also as you did not here much noice after two...
The resort itself is fantastic because you can mix rustic greek in the old town and giving it large on the beach road with a fast away of bars...
The choice of restraunts were also good in both in the old as well as new part of Maila....
Overall though the holiday was made by the fantastic people who work at this outstanding hotel...
TIPS..get a late check out room sorted early on in the week...ask for a quiet room as the sun dont shine on in the afternoon so you can have a nice snooze...make friends with the manager George and koula who runs the bar...
Anyone going to this accomodation this year will have a great great holiday...
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Hotel Malia Dedalos - Malia
Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook - 2005
Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : Lee, Rudd, Kenzie, Browny, Marc, Cov, Dean, Wardy, Newcastle, All 17
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Review:
Malia Dedalos is a top Hotel, probably the best Hotel in the resort of Malia.
Everyone in the hotel are up for a laugh and are so friendly, Koula and Mario the pool bar workers are extremely friendly and help make your stay enjoyable. George the security guard AKA Terminator reckons he is the man. He stops you from bringing people back which arn't from the hotel, he makes you stay quiet from 12 til 9, well he tries, just ignore him and take the mick out of him, he is harmless.
The maids work 6 days of the week, they keep the rooms spotless, but they tend to waffle on in greek to you and expect you to know what they are on about. John the security guard at another hotel next to the NEwcastle bar is a legend, you got to meet him, he is so laid back and really funny. I advise not getting a quad bike as i paid 100 euros to hire it for 5 days, then when I took it back I had to pay another 365 euros for a bit of plastic which was missing from it.
The best bars are the Newcastle bar, Flares, Corkers and Zig Zag. Club UK and the Castle Club are amazing also. Have a shot at the penalty shoot outs, you score 3 in row and you win champagne, the slogan the PR uses is "1 F*****g Euro". My holiday was amazing and im devastated about being home now. Enjoy your hol as much as mine and you can't go wrong!
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Hotel Malia Dedalos - Malia
Operator and Date: (Direct Holidays) Direct Holidays- Aug 2004
Opinion submitted in Sept 2004 by : 20,20
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
Highly recommend this hotel. It is in a perfect location, minutes from spar and the main beach road. Would recommend going self catering as if you are bed and breakfast you dont usually get a fridge. Only small complaint I would say is that the maids were a bit slack with changing your sheets. The owners are really friendly though, and will do everything to make you feel at home.
Malia itself is a great resort, doesn't get busy till around 12.30am, and most people go home around 5/5.30am. The best bars we thought were help! for the amazing fishbowl called the head f**ker, which really gets you going for the night. We also liked roadhouse, malibu, corkers, babylon and especially zigzags. The music is all rnb, which we loved, but if you don't like it it's hard to find other kinds of music!
Beach road is highly dangerous. Be on your guard for mopeds, quad bikes etc- they come speeding up behind you at top speeds.The PR's will always try to drag you into places, the best thing to say is that you are going for some food and will probably be back later.
All in all an excellent holiday, great value for money. Been back a few hours and miss the buzzing nightlife already!
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Hotel Malia Dedalos - Malia
Operator and Date: (Thomson Holidays
Direct) Thomson Holidays
- July 2004
Opinion submitted in Mar 2005 by : Lisa & Christine 22,21
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
First time in Malia and we really enjoyed it, the Dedalos was really clean, spacious and it even had a bath with a shower complete with shower curtain and shower hook (Not very often you see that in Greece).
The hotel is near to everything, you just have to walk down a narrow road (about 5 mins) and this takes you to the start of the nightlife. It is a bit scary down the road if there isn't that many of you, one night some Greek lads followed us and grabbed us but they let go when we shouted and hit them. The good thing is that there is a security guard (who we nick named hitler) so if anything was to happen he would have heard us!
The pool was a decent ish size, snack bar was nice everything was nice and fresh and happy hour on the cocktails was also good of a night. The only main problem we had in the hotel was our toilet, it would not flush all the time. The owner used to attempt to fix it within minutes of us asking but it still wouldn't work properly and he got a bit snotty after coming up to our room about 10 times. We didn't even flush the paper!!
Just a quick word of warning about the above mentioned, we caught him hitting some lads with his big stick because he thought they were playing up, so be careful, he is massive!
Also there is no chance you'll get anyone back to your room after hours, we brought our mate back and the security guard came banging on our door screaming at us and he unlocked the door and literally threw our mate down the stairs and then he started laying into him, I'm not joking. However he has got an eye for the ladies and he'll give you free drinks at the bar when you come in from your night out.
Hope we haven't put anyone off because it was a nice hotel and resort but not good for kids, too busy
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Hotel Malia Dedalos - Malia
Operator and Date: Just - June 2004
Opinion submitted in Sept 2004 by : Lisa - North Yorks (18,18)
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Review:
When we arrived at Heraklion airport we got our bags quickly and was out of the airport within half an hour, finding the coach was a nightmare as there were about 50 buses all the same waiting to pick people up.
The journey from the airport to malia took about an hour and a half as we had to drop everyone else off first.
When we arrived at Malia Dedlos the staff were fantastic and showed us to our room straight away. The room was very clean and quite spacious.
We saw our rep for the welcome meeting on the second day and didnt see her again!!!! We arranged to go on a boat trip to the Island of Dia (bad idea) the coach trip was awful. When we got on the boat it was better, the Island was great. On the way back though the boat broke down in the middle of the sea. waves were coming over the sides of the boat, but the captain showed no concern what so ever.
That was the only bad experience we had. All the bars we went in the staff were polite and friendly. Especially in 'The union jack' where we wnt evry night for a meal. The food was brilliant and the staff couldn't have been any nicer.
The PR's outside the bars on a night got very annoying, if you ignore them they just jump out in front of you and grab hold of you. The best thing to say is that your meeting someone but will come back later. But they do remember faces well!
The maids at the hotel came in every day except sunday to clean and were always very chatty. We had claen sheets twice during the week and clean towels three times.
I would strongly recommend this hotel to any one, and Malia itself, its not just a place for going out and drinking and staying out till 5am, its also a very relaxed place. I will definatley be going back.
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Malia Holidays Hotel - Malia
Operator and Date: first choise- june 2007
Opinion submitted in June 2007 by : emily and grace (16,17)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
This was my first mates holiday away and i loved it! malia is lively and full of young people. the clubs are great and most of the pubs. ones i would recommend are help bar do great fishbowels that are worth the money and get u soo drunk!street bar is also gd as they giv u half pint of vodka n rest of wat eva u like! banana bar and malibu r probly the 2 best clubs der!
good points:
the weather was luvli didnt rain 1z! we was expectin dirty smells and alot of noise bt i cudnt notice ne of da!there were no cokroaches or mosquitos and the hotel was pretty clean. it is very cheap over there and the meals are gd muni and big sizes and yes the red lion is lovely food. the beach is also nice has alot of watersports and a nice beach bar. the waterpark is one not 2 miss eitha bt jst memba if they tel u the coach cums at 11 is doesnt. we w8d ages 4 it.
bad points:
well evry single step u walk there is an anoin pe-r person on the street askin u 2 go into there pub. which gets reliii anoin at the end of the week. so many people try and get u to hire quad bikes and i recommend you dont as my mate went on the bk of 1 and fel off and cut all her arm.
as for the hotel that is sumat diffrent they are veryy fussy bout there money and rules. they say no1 can cum in 2 the hotel bt the security is lafable theres a 100 yr old man in an armchair watchin.my m8z denum shorts ran on the bedsheets and she had 2 pay 3o euros if she cudnt get them cleand. so we ran past the maids trolley and jst niked spare 1z! also at the end of the wk we owed a 4 euro fone bill from the room bt we didnt have the money at the time and the greek recpetionest went mad at me and my m8 swerin at us n hit us n was pushin us but we just lafed at her. so if u dont want abuse while on holiday i recomend do not go here. but i think she may have the sak now as other members of staf had 2 say sorry 4 her!
overall 1st holiday and not 1 2 4 get!there are foam parties. strip cometitions and pole dancin coompetions. evrythin 4 evry 1. the pub crawls are also gd but we only ever made it 2 to 4th pub. if your young and want to get drunk have a laf then malia is the place.
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Malia Holidays Hotel - Malia
Operator and Date: (Thomson Holidays
Direct) Thomson Holidays
- Aug 2006) :
Opinion submitted in March 2007 by : Katie Launch - Coventry (20,20) ) :
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
Well what can i say, first impressions of our room was awfull, we just wanted to go straight home, we was put on bottom floor facing the pool which was goodbut the fact that anyone could off got in our room from outside was a big put off and we didn;t have our own balcony, so we asked to be moved to another room, which we did the next day, we got put on 3rd floor, facing pool, room just seemed much nicer and we we're both happier. Cos it also meant we could hang our towles over balcony to dry, without them being robbed!!! We found that some of the staff was stuck up, so we kind off kept ourselfs to ourselfs!!! Food was ok round the bar, it wasn't worht getting up for brekkie tho, in all fairness, it didn't fill a gap!!!
All the clubs and bars we're fantastic, but the streets the following morning weren't to nice and they stunk of sick and were just generally dirty and smelly!!!
24hr Mc Donalds was fantastic, finish clubbing and go for a Mc Donalds!!!
The airport was awful coming home, talk about being cramped, there was just no space to move, we had to sit on the dirty floor!!!
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Malia Holidays Hotel - Malia
Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook - Aug 2006
Opinion submitted in September 2006 by : Tom Carter - Gavin Dixon (25,28)
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Below Average
My/Our Holiday Review:
We arrived at the Hotel early morning where we were show to our room. Be warned not all rooms have Air Conditioning so request with travel agent.
We were positioned on the front of the hotel, Don't expect to get any sleep when sober as all you can hear, even with windows closed is mopeds and quads going up and down the street all night and morning till 7.00am. We got up on the morning and requested the Air conditioning at a price of 50 Euro for 1 week or 95 Euro for 2 weeks. If your room does not have Air con you will need a fan & they charge 40 Euro per week rental!. Air con only works when you are in the room due to the special electric key which you have to remove and hand in at reception when ever you go out so the room never gets cold. Also the key ring on the Electric key has been welded so you cannot remove the key!. If you do loose the key it's a 90 Euro charge.
The rooms are very basic. I have stopped in 1 star accommodation and this is worse than them. Every room has a price list if you break anything which is daylight robbery, even if you break a ash tray! 8 Euro!! Towels changed twice per 1 week stay and bed sheets are only changed if you stay 2 weeks so pray you get Air con1 my sheets were really bad by the end of the week. If the bed sheets or bath towels have more then normal ware / stains it's a 20 Euro clean charge per item.
This Hotel is Family run hence changes ect. If you are unlucky enough to visit this hotel do not pick the lemons off the trees around the pool and throw them in the pool or they charge you 50 Euro per lemon fine! Be Warned!!
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Malia Holidays Hotel - Malia
Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook(sunset) aug 2006
Opinion submitted in August 2006 by : 12 Oldham girlssss all 17!!!
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
This holiday was the first girly holiday we have had so far and was very eventful!
Would recomend this hotel with it being at the top of the strip therefore you can work your way down through all the bars!!! Who ever said do not go to this hotel if u have walking difficulty due to the hill then i think they need their eyes testing its a little slop that leads down the strop nothing that could cause anybody a problem.
Food wasnt expensive but was worth it, bella pasta was our fave which is just situated after the loft which did set menus and a wide range of different styles of foods from italian to mexican to english what ever you fancyed you could have. The staff were very polite. Just watch out for the prices of drinks they often give you a large drink and you think thats the normal size and it costs more than it states.
The chicken burger bar opposite the hotel was very popular in the early hours of the morning by lots of people but it did become noisy.
IGNORE PR'S!!! they lie and say that they will offer you free drinks and they actually don't. As everybody does we had our fave bars and clubs.One thing never go out before 12, we did on our first night and people honestly think you are strange. We used to sit at the hotel bar for a drink then move on to the loft which had drinks at 1euro each! until the police shut bars and people could no longer compete against each other. Other than that its a brilliant start to your night with brilliant fish bowls and cocktails! BigBen was also a very popular fave, even if it did smell strange along with the factory which smelt like wetdog! as u can imagin not very plesent.
Sugar, Venue and Club UK are very popular with brill music and rather cheap drinks you can't aruge at 3euros for red vodka and lemonade!!!
But as there was 12 of us a couple of people did enjoy the one and only FLARES!! its a brilliant bar for all those oldies dancing away with cocktails and the bar staff are luvly in the space of a night we got to no all of them! it is recomended that you have to go there at least once!!!
Our nights didn't end till at least 7 in the morning when most of the group decided to go to the 24 hour bar!
The hotel itself was luvly, the staff are very kind and helpful except the evening indoor barman he was horrible, he was very nasty to most of us AND do NOT get on the wrong side of the security gaurd because he is always there as soon as you need some help. The pool was luvly, lots of sunloungers and plenty of sun to keep ur tan topped up! We never made it to breakfast, or some of the group did on the first morning after that never.
It was a brilliant holiday tho would defo recomend these apparments over any others that i saw, i saw one hotel with a pool on the strip which was like a pond just past bella pasta.One thing i found a problem with in the hotel was the shower it wasnt nice, no curtain therefore water coevered the floor and ran out under the door. Would of liked to of stayed longer, but i think a week is enough there espec with the no sleeping and all that drink!! but would go back and would stay at malia holidays!!! sorri bout the essay but thought you should no the truth about this brill place!!!!
Thank-you for every1 for making this holiday a good one, and thanx to the hotel staff for putting up with us!!xXx
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Malia Holidays Hotel - Malia
Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook-jul 2006
Opinion submitted in May 2007 by : fiona johnson-b`burn+5 mates(19)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
what a holiday!!!!!! defo go to the waterpark,for a good meal the red lion is fab great size portions for under a fiver......nightlife is great plus the bar crawls start near the hotel so there is chance to get some shut eye if u feel like it later as the crowds have moved on.......wouldnt recommend the nightclubs but the bars r fab toilets are awful take ur own loo roll........the beach is a 24-7 party area great fun....not realli much to do durin day so i recommend havin a trip to the markets for all u shoppers.....the hotel is very basic no aircon hand held shower loldont bother tryin to sneak n e one in cos security is tight......dont chuck the fruit from the trees at him neither he gets very angry........
all in all i was very happy with the hol as a package
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Malia Holidays Hotel - Malia
Operator and Date: Barrhead Travel - July 2006
Opinion submitted in October 2006 by : 4 Essex Girls all 18 but one 17
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
I went to Malia in the middle of July and from what i've heard from friends about the bars closing in the middle of aug(?) it sounds we went at a good time. We stayed on the top floor facing the road which was really noisy (though a good view of seeing the drunks going home!) and it was terrible to sleep through. If you book up you must request a pool view.
Ive been on 2 twentys holidays and this was my first holiday without the annoying reps which i loved. The hotel is much better than the twentys ones ive been to. The pool is lovely its a nice clean and big pool with lots of sunloungers. I thought the nightlife was wicked there were lots of places to go and again when we went it wasnt dirty as some people have make out! We loved Zig Zags and Yiasou bar which was lovely. We liked Factory aswell.
All in all it was a wicked holiday and the hotel is perfect for those wanting a lively holiday.
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Malia Holidays Hotel - Malia
Operator and Date: First Choice (sunstart) - July 2006
Opinion submitted in August 2006 by : Katie - 20,21
Resort Rating: Average
Accommodation Rating: Average
My/Our Holiday Review:
I thought that although over priced through sunstart, Malia Holidays is a really nice hotel, its very basic however the staff are friendly and its quite an attractive hotel - the pool area is quite small yet never overcrowded, and the rooms do the job. Don't plan on being romantic though, single beds pushed together with a gap down the middle! You can rent air con, fans fridges and safety deposit boxes, but we found we didn't need the air con. Please don't expect to sleep; we had a bunch of cretins in the hotel at the same time as us shouting from 2.30am to about 6am,hammering on doors, the place was like a school trip with no teachers. the place stank of cheap perfume&aftershave in the evenings, and i felt so sorry for the cleaners seeing them literally brush out mounds of rubbish and bottles from hotel rooms. The cleaners are really good and although dont change the sheets much, leave the place spick and span.
BAD POINTS:
We were really annoyed with First Choice. When she suggested malia to us, I asked if it was an 18-30s type place as I had heard of it before, and she said that it wasn't, andthat it was perfect for young couples wanting to relax. the place is crawling with chavs out of their faces on drink, all the shops only sell fake perfume and bags and sx toys (and really naff t shirts). In fact, while we were on holiday i got a text saying malia was on radio 1 cos of a huge fight! On the first day my boyfriend got food poisoning from some eggs he had eaten, the next day the rep from the pub (won't mention any names but it was one of the english places) tried to get us to go in again, when my boyfriend said no as he had got f.poisioning, the rep had the cheek to say it was because he had drunk too much! He didn't really know what to say when we pointed out we hadn't actually had any alcohol.
The streets are filthy, they hose them down every mrning and all the drains smell of sick. There is mcdonalds rubbish everywhere and i actually saw cndoms on the street - classy place. People take their lives in their hands by driving on quads on the pavement, over crossings, and don't even do their helmets up. The reps are really pushy, and have the cheek to get annoyed with you when you tell them you are intelligent enough to decide for yourself where to eat. I really don't have a problem with people going on holiday to get battered and sleep with a few dozen people, We were just really annoyed that this was not the holiday we were sold - we aren't stupid we asked the agent billions of questions and got her to look up reviews on the internet. Don't get me wrong, i've been to lively parts of ibiza and majorca before, but malia is just tacky - the fumes stink and i couldnt believe how fresh the air was when we got off the plane back in England.
First choice also put us on their 'heatwave' programme (without bothering to put this in the brochure, telling us at booking, or even on our tickets). this is their version of 18-30's. Imagine our delight when on our coach to the hotel at 5am, we were lucky enough to be told by our gobby rep really disgusting sx stories that actually made us feel sick. We didn't bother going to the welcome meeting, the rep pretty much said it would only be about the bars and booze cruises.
GOOD POINTS:
Malia beach is lovely, once you get away from the blackpool like scabby beach bars. there are loads of sun loungers available and its nice and quiet. The sea is gorgeous and is lovely to swim in.
We went on two excursions, both booked from travel ppl on the strip. We went to dia island and water city water park. they both were amazing days and we really enjoyed ourselves. They weren't v. expensive (about 25euros each) and I am so glad we managed to get out of Malia for a couple of days. The weather was fab all week and we have come home with really nice tans. with one exeption, all the restaurants we went to were really nice. Petrino, the 24hr bar, serves lovely food and it is so cheap. Easily can get a meal in Malia for two for about 25euros. Our money lasted for ages as its so cheap, but then we drank normally, not to paraletic levels. Bars that I thought were really nice include Zoo bar and Yiasou (hope I've spelt it right!). A little expensive but a much nicer atmosphere then some of the low end places. Kings arm's english pub is really good too, they are so friendly in there and the food is cheap and yummy. We spent all day in there without intending to!
Overall, I would say that Malia holidays is a nice hotel, but totally depends how much you end up paying for it. Malia strip is a cess pool of drunk and noisy idiots (some of whom don't even look old enough to be out of school yet), but if you venture of the strip its a suprisingly nice place. On the whole most places are really cheap, and flight wise first choice were excellent.
sorry about the essay guys!
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Malia Holidays Hotel - Malia
Operator and Date: Expedia- July 2006
Opinion submitted in August 2006 by : Girls from South
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
Where do I start? Malia was Great! Everybody is out there to have a good time. The vibe that you get from the locals mostly men is nice. I went with a group of 8 girls including myself. Our daily routine was get up eat breakfast go back to sleep get up about 2pm go to the beach on our bikes get something to eat then go back to bed. Get up about 12am get ready then go out and don't come back until 7 the next day. The best clubs are lush bar, Apollo and the Castle. Look out DJ Troopa. He is wicked. The best place to get your bikes from is Hermes. And trust me get the 100% insurance it is worth it. The best place to sit on the beach is pleasure beach or bikini beach. They play good music and the people are nice. oh yeah Help bar is the best place to get a fish bowl from. Trust me one of them and that's you for the night.
The Hotel it self is ok. The location is the best right at the top of the strip so it's not far from anything you can walk to all the locations such as the beach and clubs. The rooms are an all right size. The only problem with the room the bathroom the shower is open so when u have a shower water get everywhere. The pool is a nice size. Breakfast is nothing to weak up for. The people in the Hotel are ok the lady that's in the morning is rude, she is not helpful at all. But everyone else is cool the cleaners are nice, but they come early so be prepared.
Malia is good if u want to have a good time! It's more for people that are young, free and single. Cause whatever happens in Malia stays in Malia.!!! LOL.
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Malia Holidays Hotel - Malia
Operator and Date: Expedia - July 2006
Opinion submitted in July 2006 by : Oxford (42, 17)
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
I stayed at the Malia Holidays Hotel with my 17-year old daughter on 4th July for one week. We took a taxi from the airport which cost e40 and took about 30 mins, and on the way back we used the local bus which just cost about e7.
The hotel, decorated mostly in traditional Greek style, was basic, but had everything we needed. The room and bathroom was small but it was clean. We had a room with air-conditioning, which cost an extra e50, but we hardly used it.
Our room was on the top floor, faced the street and was incredibly noisy. But for some reason I was always tired at night and slept okay even though the mattress was quite hard. The room would have been cleaned every day if my daughter made it out of bed in time. We got clean towels every 3 days. They served breakfast until 10 which was basically dry rolls, cheese, boilt eggs and jam.
The pool area was nice with some plants and trees around, the pool itself was clean and quite big. There were enough sunbeds for everyone. The pool bar offered English-style breakfast and snacks, but expensive compared to what the restaurants offered. The staff was friendly and the hotel seemed to be family run. The barman was quite a character, but he seemed to make up the drinks prices as he went along.
The location of the hotel at the upper end of the noisy Beach Road was ideal for clubbing. It was good to know my daughter didn't have to walk far at night and that there were always people on the street, but it certainly wasn't picturesque or quiet. It was handy to have the supermarket just across the road. The guests were mostly groups of girls or boys up to 25-years old, I only saw about 5 other guests that looked over 30 and one family. In summary, the hotel was basic, but clean and good value for money. From what I've seen of the other hotels on Beach Road, Malia Holidays Hotel looked like one of the better ones.
The Resort:
The new part of Malia is mainly an 18-30 clubbing resort which was perfect for my daughter. There were loads of PR's trying to get you into the bars and restaurants; although they weren't too pushy, it was quite annoying as you couldn't just have a relaxing walk down to the beach. It's quite a busy road as well and there are all those noisy quads everywhere and a lot of people ignored that it was a one-way street at the upper end. The beach was nice, with high waves and clear water. It was crowded with sunbeds for which you had to pay e?2.50. There was no space to put down your matt to lie on unless you walked further out. There's a small island just off the coast and it's easy to swim there.
There's a good choice of restaurants, either Greek taverns in the old town or tourist restaurants in the new town. Bella Pasta on Beach Road was good value for money. Old Malia is very quaint and nice to walk around in. It's like stepping into a different world, if you manage to cross the busy main road alive. Don't rely on anyone to stop when you are on the zebra crossing! If you want to see more of Crete you can book a tour at one of the places on Beach Road, but it's also easy and cheap to get to Agios Nikolios, Heraklion and Knosses by local bus. Knossos is definitely worth seeing!
I understand that young people that enjoy clubbing like Malia, but I won't be going back.
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Malia Holidays Hotel - Malia
Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook - 2006
Opinion submitted in August 2006 by : Aylie, Chloe, Owen, Nick, Craig, Olly, Luke, Anthony, Tom, Ben, Harry, Matt (17, 17, 18, 18, 18, 18, 18, 18, 18, 18, 19)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
I think overall Malia Holidays Hotel was brilliant! the hotel was good, its situation was excellent as it was right on the main strip. the people that worked there was quality (but i wish we had gone with club 18-30) as the reps were better!! they didnt mind you bringing guests back or stayin in other ppls rooms! the food and drink round the pool wasnt that good but with restaurants next door wasnt really a problem.
I would reccommend you did get quad bikes out but be careful as my friend got arrested for drink driving(or what he thght was arrested) and got fined 3000 euros!!! ALL GIRLS make sure u go with a bloke to rent one out becuz they try and rip u off big time!!
The good places to go where, Yasiau(however u spel it), newcastle bar, malibu club!! omg theres tooo many! make sure u go a few and not stick to the same old ones!!
At the beginning u feel outta place cos ur the new ppl but after a few days you feel right at home and its such a wkd place to go!
Id just like to say be careful, becuz there is quite a bit of attitude and drunken ppl up for fights!!
Dont take anything personal becuz it will get stolen e.g my mates digital camera!
Other than that youll have a wikid time and id reccommend MALIA to every whos young, lively, up for a luagh!!!
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Malia Holidays Hotel - Malia
Operator and Date: (Thomson Holidays
Direct) Thomson Holidays
/Kosmar - Sept 2005
Opinion submitted in Mar 2006 by : Esta Whitehurst 22 andy Smith 23
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
Me and my boyfriend went to malia in september 05, we really enjoyed malia the night life is awsome!!! we was a little worried about it would be full of singles, and 18-30's but it wasn't it's a mixure, and every one there is up for a good time,and there's some thing for every one. we hit the bars and night clubs every night and loved it!
we meet another couple out there from our hotel ,and went out with them every night and had a wicked laugh!
The hotel is situated in the best location we woud think right at the top of the strip, the rooms are basic but very clean which is all that matters.The pool area is very clean and has lots of sun beds, with the bar playing music all day.The staff are really nice too.. have a drink with Yanis at the hotel bar at night and just wait for the Raki to come out (Some home made stuff like rocket fuel!!!)
While we was out there England Played , it was a great atmosphere,make sure you go to Zoo Bar, Help bar for a HeadF**cker, the loft for cheapies,Street bar, and The Newcastle Bar to start the night...
I would recommend Malia to any one and also Malia Holidays Hotel, I would like to go back to malia soon for defo...
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Malia Holidays Hotel - Malia
Operator and Date: (Thomson Holidays
Direct) Thomson Holidays
august 2005
Opinion submitted in May 2006 by : liverpool 18, 18, 18, 17
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Review:
Me and my 3 friends stayed in this hotel in the beginning of August and loved every second. the nightlife is amazing we loved Newcastle bar and club uk. We did all the stuff with the reps and were sooo glad we did. the booze cruise was amazing and all the nights out were boss. the weather was great and so was the pool they let us play our own cd's. The brekkie isn't worth gettin up for and u can buy a cheap one from the pool bar. Anyone who's stayin in this hotel will love it we're sooo jealous!
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Malia Holidays Hotel - Malia
Operator and Date: First Chioce - July/August - 2005
Opinion submitted in Aug 2005 by : Liam Murphy and the Manchester Lads (18+)
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: Average
My/Our Holiday Review:
First of all, First Choice Wouldn't be my first choice for a holiday again, the customer service was crap and i think we paid a bit much for our holiday.
We arrived at our hotel at about 5 in the morning, met by several lads walking around with blood streeming from cuts and gashes on there heads and arms, the roads were littered with rubbish and broken glass, it looked like a bomb had hit it and we weren't sure what we had let ourselves in for.
However we hoped for the best and went into the hotel. The hotel itself is quite a nice little place, its family run and always kept clean and tidy. The rooms were basic 2 beds a small balcony and a tiny bathroom, you could sit on the toilet, have a shower and brush your teeth at the same time. Theres no air con and you have to rent fans from reception. Buy you can buy them from the spar across the road and sneak them in! The cleaners were mental they wake you up practically everyday wanting to clean you room, they don't speak much English but they pretty much understand 'Come tomorrow'or 'go away' or in some cases when there being really persistant, a 'F Off' may be required, but try not to get on the wrong side of them because they WILL go into physco axe murdering cleaner mode, trust me!!!
Make sure you make friends with the security quard George, he comes round at night and moans at you all to be quiet, but hes a top bloke. The pool was nice and clean and theres loads of sun beds to go round. The hotel is located at the top of the strip about 20 mins walk from the beach, and as its on the main road, all you can hear all night long is mo-peds and quad bikes screeming past, and theres a 24 hour sandwich shop outside which plays music for.... 24 hours.
Malia at Night - First of all, don't be fooled by the over friendly AMAZINGLY fit girls trying to pull you into the bars, there not after your phone number, they just want you to spend money in the bar. Although some of them are actually quite nice and a bit of cheeky banter does no harm, look out for the Scottish bird with the S*XY ASS that works near Chasers sooooooooo fit. Im not going to tell you what bars to got to, it depends on what music you like, but as a meeting place or a pre binge beverage head to zoo, lush or help bar. To finish of your night go to Malibu Sports bar, they play funky house right into the morning and all the tasty workers go there afterwards. But if your on a mad one and you like a bit of trance and dance, finish up in Club UK its full of scratters and the place is a bit tacky but the music it quality!!! On and check out the foam party at Camelot on the weekend!
Malia by day time - Get yourself down to The Dolphin Beech Bar, Its by far the most relaxed place in Malia. Many an evening was spent sipping cocktails and watching the sun go down over the bay! Make sure you make good friends with the Bar lady Sylvia shes a top bird and if your there quite alot, she feeds you with free shots all day long, and its not cheep shit either, its called Raki and its home made and its that strong its not even been proofed, infact one day Sylvia had had a few to many and she was passed out on the floor behind the bar.... LEGEND, be sure not to spill your drink though, you don't wanna have to try a penalty shot! Oh and if your feeling brave, ask her about her whips and chains!!!!! If you want good food try these restaurantesl; Gringo's - its a traditional mexican, the food is top notch. The red lion - a huge menu and massive portions, tasty food or The brasserie - I had the tastiest meal ever there, Fillet mignion, and aparently the mash is the creamiest around!!!!!!!!!!!
If your young and single, Malia is a top holiday, most of our lot enjoyed it, and there was 16 of us, so that says something! I'm considering going back next year for a week maybe, so ill cya there!
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Malia Holidays Hotel - Malia
Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - July 2005
Opinion submitted in Jan 2006 by : Bex - Brighton
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Review:
absolutley amazing! when we walked into the hotel to begin with we weren't too impressed but you'll be shocked!Malia Holidays has clean basic rooms spacious balconies and has the best pool on the strip. People from other hotels came from our hotel for the pool as it played music all day.
The women who runs it, maria is so friendly and George and Yanis the security and bar man are such characters!
Its in a perfect location at the top of the strip so you can work your way down!
Malia is absolutley amazing! had the best time of my life there. If your young, and want a mad holiday full of meeting new people and wicked memories this is the place to go!
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Malia Holidays Hotel - Malia
Operator and Date: Firsy Choice - July 2005
Opinion submitted in Aug 2005 by : 10 lads (18)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Review:
What a holiday. The resort is incredible with a huge array of nihghtlife to make sure you never get bored. The hotel is perfectly located on the strip and is run by a lovely family. The security guard is a legend. During the day the pool is excellent with plenty of sunbeds. Malia is the best resort for a young group holiday and this hotel is the most perfectly located and is clean and effective. *****
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Malia Holidays Hotel - Malia
Operator and Date: sep first choice
Opinion submitted in Mar 2005 by : pamela and ex boyf (23, 22)
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
When we arrived at the hotel we were given a basement room which had a terrace enclosed in a fence with the view of a brick wall!! We asked to be moved and immediately were given a room with a pool view.... we thought we had landed on our feet but the noise through the night was unbearable. This place was over run by 18-30 types and they started partying at about 1am and finally went quiet about 8.30am - just as the rest of the guests were starting there day! After a week of no sleep we asked to be moved again and we got a room at thr back of the hotel which was much quieter with a massive balcony.... the only drawback being we had to share it with the room next door.
The hotel was clean but basic and the staff were very friendly and did there best to help but they seemed unable to stop the noise at nights. Yannis the barman was hilarious and very entertaining (bar opened late most nights) and the owner maria was lovely.
Never seen a coack roach whole time i was there and the pool area was clean with plenty sun beds to go round.
Malia itself is mainly for young and livelys and not best suited for couples and definately not families. The sportsman bar is good for a quiz and some entertainment and there is lovely places to eat. I wouldnt go back to mailia personally and over all i was a bit disappointed with my holiday but if i was single and 18 i dont think i'd be saying that!!
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Malia Holidays Hotel - Malia
Operator and Date: sunstart - sept 2004
Opinion submitted in Jan 2005 by : kel + sar (17,20) dudley, w~mids
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
hey, this was the best holiday we have ever had!!
the hotel is situated in the best place possible, in my opinion! its at the top of the strip, only like 2min's from the nite life, but u dont get alot of noise when tryin to sleep. the hotel is lovely, our room was a lil small but it was clean and did for wot we needed(which was only gettin ready to go out and sleep) most nites u wont get bk til about 5am anyway! it is a bit away form the beach about a 10-15 walk but its a nice walk along the strip. i couldnt tel ya about the breakfast as we never got up for it due to late nites but its only 3euros a full english breakfast nearly everywhere. the staff at the hotel are nice. and its a nice pool!
malia is just a fab place, the nite life is amazings. anyone looking for a good laugh, friendly people, loadsa of flirtying, pulling and Drinkin go to malia!!! its definalty goin to be the number one holiday place in 2005! all id say is when u go let ur hair down!!
we loved cheeky 1/2 music bar the best! as the staff were great (especailly Aris) and the music was propa cheesy! we also liked flares which is ya typical 60,70,80's music, places like the newcastle bar were good for cheap drinks top start your nite off,and for more up to date music there was zig zag club, club uk and malibu.
Pr's can get a bit pushy, and towards the end of the hol can can start to get annoyin but we jus laffed and ignored them. dont jus walk in a club tho as Pr's will keep offering ya more and more free drinks,shots and fish bowls 2 get ya to go in!!
if you want a good big english meal go to the red lion, the best food i had all holiday, this is along the strip towards the end of the beach!
the beach was always busy when we went!
i would recommend Malia and malia holidays hotel to everyone!!
xxxx
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Malia Holidays Hotel - Malia
Operator and Date: (Going Places) Going Places July 2004
Opinion submitted in June 2005 by : 18+
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
went to malia july 04 and stayed in malia holidays apartments. had excellent time and staff were great. was in good place right on the main strip.
seemed to be mostly young people and everyone seemed very friendly.
rooms were clean and staff very friendly. only problem was no air con. but after a while it was ok.
would definatley recommend this hotel and would go back again. enjoy.
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Malia Holidays Hotel - Malia
Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - July 2004
Opinion submitted in Aug 2004 by : MEL and 13 of her mates (17 - 18)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
Hey, well we got back from malia two weeks ago and we stayed in Malia Holidays Hotel, before we went we was starting to get a bit worried because of all the reviews on here, but we loved every minute of it and the hotel was really good, at ours you did not get charged for bringing people back to the hotel you just got a smile off the owner, at first we was a bit loud and did get thrreatened to get chucked out, but they soon forgot about that and we was the only ones who actually spoke to the owners and workers there,
i will say one thing if you leave any lotions or stuff like that dont throw it leave ot for the cleaners they love all hair stuff, my friend left her flip flops and 5 mins later the maid had them on showing the other cleaners. all in all the place was nice and the hotel was, it was in a good location right at the top of beach road where all the meet ups are for the days out so that is good, it has got a spa right across the road and look out for the dog out side of the shope opposite it look evil. he he. HOPE YOU HAVE AS GOOD A TIME AS WE DID !!!!!
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Malia Holiday's Hotel - Malia
Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - Date Not Specified
Opinion submitted in July 2004 by : Suzanne 21 - Barry 21
Resort Rating: Average
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
Well what can we say about this holiday we had..In 2 words VERY LIVELY.
The hotel was very clean and the maids very nice to us providing you are nice to them and they cleaned our appartment every day.
The hotel didnt have many families or couples staying and was very loud most nights with doors slamming at all hours - good if you dont want to sleep though.
But we got a little annoyed some nights at people screaming and shouting in drunken states....no respect basically.
The resort was very busy day and night and if you love clubbing then its your kind of place.
very expensive for drinks though at 4-6 euros a drink so you might want to take a bank loan out before you go.
I would say it was too noisy for us but some people like this sort of thing so dont take it all in a bad way watch out for the sun though as it reached 39 degrees when we were there.
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Malia Mare Hotel - Malia
Operator and Date: Thomson Holidays
- July 2007
Opinion submitted in August 2007 by : Gemma, pete 23,21
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Review:
Just arrived back from a 2 week break in Malia we stayed in the Malia
Mare although a lovely hotel with nice friendly family run environment
its not completly advertised correcly, Thomson Holidays
descibe it as a place for
couples and familys NOT that way at all try singles and loud lads
especially at this time of year if you are looking for a quiet hotel
this isnt for you in peak season.
the hotel its self is VERY clean and the pool area is very nice (the cleaner is fantastic and comes everyday) Air conditioning is charged at local rates we paid 49euroes per week and at this time of year you will need it, the rooms are basic but spacious and clean there are not many double beds in the hotel so if you are a couple be prepared for single beds we just pushed ours together so it wasnt to much of a big deal, it is advertised as a B&B but believe me 1 look at the breakfast and you will run for the hills toast and cornflakes and the occasional cold boiled egg is all that is on offer, the pool bar however is Excillent offering a good range of food at very reasonable prices close to the cheapest on the strip, so it is worth eating there its around 5euros for a full english breakfast large fizzie drinks are around 3euroes and a large beer is about 3.50euroes while a bottle of smirnoff or bud is abut 4euroes.
Night life in Malia dosnt start until about 12ish so you will find the young groups of holiday makers making lots of noise while getting ready and the night life doesnt finish until around 6ish so between the hours of 2-6 be prepared to get no sleep as all you hear are drunken gangs coming in. The pool area is very nice and if your an early riser you will have no problem geeting sun loungers form around 8ish untill 3pm when the rest of the malia youth start getting out of bed.
My description of the night time entertainment in malia is blackpool with 100 times more people!!! and the reps start to get on your nervs after a while bugging you to come into there bar's but most places are two for one with free shots so you can get drunk quite cheaply
abit of advice would be stay well clear of the quad bikes and the scooters DONT rent 1 out a few people around our hotel made that mistake and lived to regret it 3 come off and broke parts of there body 2 had theres stolen and where liable for the cost PLUS your holiday insurance does not cover you.
if you do want a thrill try malibu beach the dolphin water sports are very good they offer lots to do although abit pricy its about 50euroes for 15minutes on a jet sky.
if you are staying in malia there are lots of nice places to eat old town is especially nice with traditional greek dishes at very good prices for two of us to eat a starter and a main with drinks cost around 30euros, otherwise than that the red lion further down the Malia strip its very nice its english through an through so if you fancy abit of homly cooking go there you wont be dissapointed you get more than your moneys worth. or for the junk food junkies thers is a Mcdonalds a KFC and a dominos.
All in all we had a good holiday and enjoyed our time at the malia mare i would say its not a couples holiday and we wont be going back. But if your a single group of girls or lads going you will have a fab time and the weather is fantastic.
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Malia Mare Hotel - Malia
Operator and Date: Thomson Holidays
June 2007
Opinion submitted in June 2007 by : Steve & Pauline
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
We have been to this hotel in marlia before in 2002 & we had a
wonderful time, the main town was always buzzing but the hotel would be
very peaceful & relaxing as you would expect from a Thomson Holidays
small &
friendly offering. But now I offer this review as a warning to others
who might be considering going to this hotel.
When we arrived the place was just as we remembered it clean &
polished with a fantastic pool & pool bar, but it soon became apparent
that all was not how it is described in the brochure.....as gangs of
young adults & teenagers began populating the pool area in the early
afternoon throwing each other in and generally being very disruptive to
the other guests. At the welcome meeting the Thomson Holidays
rep did a free
style welcome meeting (remember this hotel is sold as small & friendly
mainly for couples) I complained to the rep about the gangs of
teenagers, she just said that's what marlia is about these days! So my
message to you is if you're thinking of booking here for a peaceful
holiday DONT cos you won't get one & if you are already going as a
couple bad luck Shame on you Thomson Holidays
holidays you have manage to spoil a
top class hotel.
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Malia Mare Hotel - Malia
Operator and Date: (Thomson Holidays
Direct) Thomson Holidays
- May 2005
Opinion submitted in May 2005 by : John Mancey Peterborough
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Although the hotel is small it is very clean and the owners have many flowers in the garden. The pool is excellent with a bar at the side of the pool.
The bedrooms are of reasonable size but there is a lack of drawers for clothes. They also have some double beds. There is a fridge in the room. The bathrooms are dated but ok. There is air conditioning which you probably have to pay extra for. We went in May so the heat was not really a problem.
The hotel is just up the road from the noisy nigtlife. We had a room at the back, so noise was not a problem.
We are in our 50's and found plenty of bars and good resturants close by. The young nightlife does not start until 11pm and carries on till 6am. There are hundreds of quad bikes for hire which will be noisy later in the season.
Overall we enjoyed our stay and found the resort very friendly.
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Malia Mare Hotel - Malia
Operator and Date: (Thomson Holidays
Direct) Thomson Holidays
Sept 04
Opinion submitted in Oct 2004 by : Karen 31, Dave 37
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
Just got back from Malia last night. Had a lovely holiday. The Malia
Mare is nice, nothing really bad to report about it. Breakfast is
continental, cornflakes, toast, boiled egg, tea and coffee. The rooms
are ok complete with a free fridge. We had maid service each day. A
great package for £184 each, a special deal found on Thomson Holidays
s website,
wouldnt have been happy if spent £364 ea. as per the brochure
price!!!!!! But for £184 it was well worth the money.
The resort of Malia is very hectic, Definately wouldnt want to be there July August, as I suppose it is heaving with clubbers, but end sept/oct was mainly couples. The old town is a MUST. Beautifull tavernas, and winding tiny streets with churches and where the locals live.
Wouldnt return to Malia, as we like to sample different places.
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Malia Mare Hotel - Malia
Operator and Date: (Thomson Holidays
Direct) Thomson Holidays
June 2004
Opinion submitted in June 2004 by : Karen & Sarah-Northamptonshire (30)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
What can we say...Malia is possibly the best resort that we have ever been to and considering we have had at least 2 holidays a year over the last few years then that is pretty good going!
Before we left we were a bit worried that the accomodation was going to be a bit rough and that the resort was going to be too young for us oldies but we were pleasantly suprised. The Malia Mare was a lovely family run hotel,very peaceful (during the day not as peaceful in the evening due to the location),clean,comfortable,friendly (as long as you respected the hotel rules!)and the food served at the pool bar was superb! Not much more that we can say about the hotel itself, considering it was a 3 star in greece, which sometimes can be very basic we were very impressed.
The hotel is just set off the main road and situated on beach road just before the main nightlife starts, excellent for singles, groups and couples, wouldnt recommend this hotel for families though.The nightlife in Mailia is set out in a Y shape,the Malia Mare and the best bars (in our opinion)are on the left side of the Y.
We love cheesy music and if thats your thing then we can recommend two bars, Cheekys and Flares. Flares must be the best cheesy bar ever, the PRs outside dress in cracking 70s outfits and the decoration and atmosphere in the bar is fantastic,the music speaks for itself! Scottish barmen Scott and Jamie are the best!
One last thing girls, the resort is full of men! Well it was in June anyway!
So just to recap,If you are single, in a group or a even a couple who want a fun holiday in a lovely hot destination then Malia is the place for you,it has something for everyone and all ages. We would recommend June as this was a great time to go as we would think that July and August would be very very busy and very hot.Choose the Malia Mare as it is a lovely hotel and dont let the granny and the security man stories put you off, they are lovely people who just want customers to respect their hotel.
Happy Holidays and have fun. X
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Malia Mare Hotel - Malia
Operator and Date: (Thomson Holidays
Direct) Thomson Holidays
- May 2004
Opinion submitted in July 2004 by : Kelly Peet - Nottingham 21, 24, 22, 25
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Review:
Overall our holiday was exellent. We were there to celebrate my 21st birthday and we all thoroughly enjoyed it. The accomodation was excellent although none of the balconys overlooked the gorgeous pool we were all very happy with the rooms.
We had a fridge that you could fit plenty of drinks in and what can i say compliments to the cleaner who came every day and if your room was a mess like ours she even tidied up for you bless her!
The family who owned the hotel were very friendly and despite what others have said we got on great with the security guard.
The pool was very relaxing for the day and the food was realy nice too. The jacuzzi is a must!
The beaches were very clean but crowded with lots of competition who dont take no for an answer when you dont want to use their sunbeds. Without a doubt Mikes beach bar is the place to go and even bring you drinks while your chilling by the sea, his are the green sunbeds.
There are some lovely restaurants, one of which we ate in quite a lot was an Italian restaurant which is across the road from the Apollo night club they do excellent pizzas!
The night life was excellent but doesnt kick off until at least 10:30pm and you get free fish bowles and alsorts thrown at you to get you in the bars although it can get quite annoying when they also dont take no for an answer!!
All the bars are pretty decent though.
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Malia Mare Hotel - Malia
Operator and Date: (Thomson Holidays
Direct) Thomson Holidays
- May 2004
Opinion submitted in May 2004 by : Tony - Peterboro (49, 51)
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
Arrived at resort and like others had to carry cases about 100 metres from the main road, but not a surprise to me as I had read this was the case before we went.
Check in procedure at hotel was quick and easy, so we were able to get to the room quickly and start to settle in.
This was our first time to any part of Greece, so I was concerned
about the quality of this Thomson Holidays
3 star rated accomodation. Not
expecting too much we were on the whole pleasantly surprised. Two
criticisms only of the hotel, the beds are a little dated and mattresses
soft, not good if you suffer back problems. Water pressure in the hotel
is low so the shower was very tempremental, if the loo was flushed in
the next room the shower would make you jump around a bit as it went
very hot.
Service and friendliness of Maria and the hotel team was excellent, nothing was too much trouble you only had to ask. As there are dozens of restaurants and bars in Malia we choose Bed and Breakfast, and the breakfast we found to be much better than expected. Cold continental style, bread, toast, orange squash, butter, jams, cold meat, cheese, eggs, cornflakes, tea and coffee. Same every day but quality was O.K.
As it was first week of the season Malia was quiet, more young people arrived later in the week but generally the holiday overall was very good. There was a a good mix of age groups as our dates were the 2 to 9 May. I would return again in early May but not in peak season as it fills up with young clubbers. It is also a little noisy then as the small streets are likely to fill with several hundred scooters and quad bikes. There are 20 plus hire shops for these, they seem to be every 50 yards down every street. I would say a quiet evening meal in one of the many restaurants would not be possible in July / August, due to the boy racers on quad bikes.
Finally a word about the Cretian people they are some of the most friendly people I have met on holiday and everywhere we went was kept spotlessly clean by the staff. One day in Hersonnisis we say the waiters at a beach bar collecting cigerette ends in fishing nets between duties to keep their beach section clean. I have never in 30 years abroad seen that before !!! Crete I will return soon.
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Malia Sol Hotel - Malia
Operator and Date: (Kosmar Discounts) Kosmar June 2004
Opinion submitted in June 2004 by : Claire 24, Yvonne 23 - Glasgow
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
Just back from Malia had a fantastic time hardly slept its a really lively resort ideal for young single people! Loads of bars and clubs to choose from although found it hard to get very far down the street as the PR guys kept pulling you into their bar with drinks offers ranging from a free shot to 4 for 1 drinks!!!! Our accomodation was 2 min walk from the main bar street excellent location very clean our room was a bit small but we did meet a group of guys in our hotel who had much bigger rooms and balconys than ours! ths staff in the hotel were really friendly too pool was a bit small but never any problem getting a lounger as its a small hotel!
good pubs were big ben and lush bar did really nice alcoholic slush!!!! the busiest club was malibu didn't get busy until 2am! there are loads of places to eat loads of choice one of us was vegetarian and had no problems finding something to eat recommend the red lion for food great choice, massive portions and really cheap! the mexican up the top of beach road was really nice too!
had a great time in malia would recommend it to anyone wanting a partying holiday with a group of single friends not really a couply place
enjoy!!!!!!! x
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Malia Sun - Malia
Operator and Date: 18-30's - August 2005
Opinion submitted in Aug 2005 by : michelle jones - liverpool (19, 21, 22, 22, 22, 22, 22, 24)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
this is for people who are staying here with no information about the place because thats what happened with us! because we hadent seen any photos we were expecting a shack but its actually quite nice.
rooms are big compared to what weve seen in other apartments. we had 2 bedrooms, kitchen / dining room , and bathroom we also had a balcony which are shared. the rooms are cleaned every 3 days.
the owner - mike - nice man as long as youre on the right side of him (heard he threw good few people out before we got there) and scarey security guard and dog dont like noise after 12.
There isnt a pool but the kristalli pool is over the road with lots of beds and theres always things going on.
Its about a 5 minute walk to the strip which was a bit of a pain but looking back this was probably a good thing because it was so loud by the strip.
Quads and PRs only bad things but learnt to ignore them both.
wouldnt recommend to book any of the trips with 18-30s couple of people told us they were rubbish.
because we didnt book any of the trips we didnt see our rep at all.
you ll have a great time brilliant place for groups of young people.... i need another holiday to get over it !!
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Maliatakos Hotel - Malia
Operator and Date: olmpic 2005
Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : rugeley
Resort Rating: No rating
Accommodation Rating: Poor
My/Our Holiday Review:
maliatakis was a dirty hotel it had hot water only at certain hours of the day. it was cleaned once a week and we had fresh sheets once in the 2 weeks we were there.
the hotel staff werent very friendly. they tried charging us for the use of electricity. when we refused they kicked us out of the hotel 10 hours until we were due to get picked up. they charge us 3 euros a day for a sun lounger around our own pool, on our first day 5 of us went out and brought lielows so we could chill in the pool then a few days later they went missing we thought kids had taken them, on our last day we found them in a shed at the bottom of the pool area. we got chatting to 2 girls which were staying in the hotel they said that they hired them out to them for the day for 4 euros each!
that was the worst hotel i had ever stayed in i do not recommend it especially not for families or young groupes. there was 10 of us and we used to get shouted at and grabbed by the greek men because we came in late!
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Malibu Resort Hotel - Malia
Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook August 2006
Opinion submitted in September 2006 by : Laura Stoke on Trent
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
Got a really good deal for the Malibu Resort Hotel, it was a new one in the 18-30 brochure so not many reviews available. Took the risk anyway and was really pleased we did so. The hotel is a good location; although it is on the strip, its probably nearer the edge than in the middle. Not too far to walk home at night and tucked away slighty behind the London Bar. The rooms are basic- as always in Greece- but clean and the maids come most days. If you're used to a luxurious shower and bathroom, don't bother with any Greek hotel. They're just basic!!!! Pool and bar area actually really nice, not just your bog standard white plastic sun loungers and table and chairs. Nice wooden things with thick cream matresses. Bit of luxury. Friendly staff, crap food and cant bring your own round the pool so recommend Lloyds Bar across the road (yes it's a rip off of Wetherspoons)Pool lively in the day, with your token tools taking running bomb dives into the pool- just to wind the ladies up i'm sure.
Definitely recommend Malibu Resort.
Malia- you'll love it you are young (very young actually), although not necessarily single, like R n B or dance/funky house and are not offended easily. Obviously you have to expect the mithering PR's as you do any lively young holiday destination.
Yeah it looks a bit scabby and smelly at 6am but the likes of Malia, Magaluf and Kavos are all the same. If you're a bit older and i mean 23+, go june or end of aug/beg of sept...it's calmed down a bit and hopefully the 16/17 year olds are back at school/college. Expect to see a few lads scraping; some lads only go out there for the fights. It's not rough but it is. It's all down to personal choice. If you're streetwise, open minded and up for a good old laugh and boogie with the girls/lads then its wicked. You'll love it!!! Oh and food- the Red Lion or the Brasserie (opposite Maccy D's) every day of the week. Enjoy.
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Mare Monte Apartments - Malia
Operator and Date: First Choice - 12th-27th June 2007
Opinion submitted in June 2007 by : Joseph Smith-Solihull (40,44,4)
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
Our family wanted a cheap 2 week break with plenty of sun.On these counts it was a success.The flight out was a little noisey with lots of 17-20's excited on the future 2 weeks.We arrived at 4am at the apartment and must say we were very happy with its conditions although our was one without AC which was a problem on the 2nd week when it temps reached 38 during the night.Warning not all the rooms have AC so check before you book !
The pool bar was a bit expensive but served good food and the pool was good with a shallow area(Not seperate) for our little 4 year old daughter but unfortunatley us brits now have german syndrome so it you want a pool sunlounger from 12noon onwards you will have to get your towels down prior.On the subject of brits the hotel is a brit only hotel which was dissapointing with a seemingly little Wales invasion during our stay.The hotel is not a family venue as most guests are 17-25 year olds but as they dont go out untill 11.30pm and return till 6am they normally dont surface till 2pm the next day and are wasted from the night before and are therefore quiet round the pool area.The 18 year old rep was only interested in selling the virtues of the strip of bars etc so if you want more info on Crete you have a problem.A big plus is the hotel manageress who has a strict code of coduct for behaviour for the teen guests re loud music,swearing etc and she doesnt stand for any crap.Well done because if not it could be chaos if not controlled.
Overall not for familys but clean,tidy and value for money.
Resort-
Malia is Malia. (Party On) but the age range of vistors has DRAMATICLY lowered in the last 5 years from 25-35 in 2000 when we last visited to 16-25 in 2007 and is totaly Brit dominated!(Litte benidorm) and swarming with tatooted sunburned teen Chavs on quad bikes wearing fake everthing so be warned.Nevertheless Old Malia still has some quaint tavernas but is going to be erased in the next 2 years as the strip area expands . Nearby Hersonissos is a better option for a more cosmo family chill out evening with the chance to meet other europeans.
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Mare Monte Apartments - Malia
Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - 2004
Opinion submitted in Oct 2004 by : Alastair Ross- Tranent ( 40, 37 )
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
To be fair i'll start with the good points. The apartments were clean, reasonably spacious and we did get our sea view. The pool and bar area were also well kept and inviting. The staff were all very friendly and helpful.What i would like to draw your attention to is, if the holiday brochure says it's far enough away from the hustle and bustle of malia night-life, then they're pulling your leg in order to get a booking.
We booked a year in advance expressing our choice for a quiet holiday. First choice let us down by filling our apartment block with young 18-21 year-olds out to party the fortnight away in the nearby clubs. Unwilling to relocate us we decided to pack up and leave after two nights. My new motto " Make First Choice Your Last Choice"
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Marianna Studios - Malia
Operator and Date: (Olympic Direct) Olympic - july 2004
Opinion submitted in Apr 2005 by : Donna 17 - Jessica 17 - Hayley 17
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Review:
This was our first girly holiday and it was the best ever. we arrived in the middle of the night and mike the barman was so canny. the wether was fab abd we couldnt have asked for nicer staff. the hotel was clean and spacious and i would definaly vist again. All the people in the hotel were young and up for a laugh. we made loadza new friends from birmingham, cambride and fit lads from leicester. Id love to go again. It was the best holiday ever.
Warning dont hire quads
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Marianna Studios - Malia
Operator and Date: anna, 30's manchester - May 2004
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
These apartments are basic but really clean and well kept but thats not really a problem as all our days were spent at the pool.
Maria and son Mike were really friendly and Mike even though pissed all the time, is a bit of a dish to make things even better.
The studios are allocated in a good place away from all the lively nightime noise and only 10 minutes walk from all the activity.
We went 18- 25th May just before it got really busy and I really enjoyed the peacefullness of the studios at the time.
Would go again.
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Marianna Studios - Malia
Operator and Date: olymic-may 2004
Opinion submitted in June 2004 by : brian 36 sandra 43
Resort Rating: No rating
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Review:
We have just returned from malia, staying at the Marianna Studios, staying in room 6,overlooking the pool and pool bar.
We have had one of the best holidays of our lives, Maria and yannis who run the accomadation, were a pleasure to spend two weeks with, their son Mike, who runs the pool bar was a pleasure to meet, and treated us like family, for the duration of our holiday, he introduced us to his friends and family.
The apartments were basic and very,very clean, far enough from beach road so as to not notice the noise, but close enough to walk to (10 mins).
We had a great time good company Dougie & Claire from Edinbourgh, and Brass & Jammie from Derby, Mike from malia.
We highly recommend Marianna studios to everyone.
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Marianna Studios - Malia
Operator and Date: (Olympic Direct) Olympic - May 2004
Opinion submitted in May 2004 by : Chris, Sarah (26,26)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Review:
We came here last year and just had to come back, the location is perfect with the old town only 10 mins walk and the clubs nearby too (If thats what you are after) The owners could not be more friendly and speak perfect English and are always willing to help, If its a good drink you are after you can't go wrong with the pool bar, Mike will get you well p!ssed on his special shots, He is a great guy.
The accomodation is basic but very clean. Stay away from Hermes rent a bike on Beach road, loads of great places to eat, you cant really go wrong with the food, choice of 3 beaches with the Famous Beach being more for families and the Sun Beach at the end of Beach road for the younger people which has all the watersports (Flyfish is not reccomended), well worth a trip to this resort for a quiet holiday but not too far from the noise.
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Maria Pelagia Apartments - Malia
Operator and Date: (Kosmar Discounts) Kosmar - July 2004
Opinion submitted in Sept 2004 by : Gemma, Yasmin, Katy and Becky (19)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Below Average
My/Our Holiday Review:
Overall I would say our stay in Malia was brilliant. The resort has everything we would have wished for.
Our accomodation was average but the room we were given was far too small for 4 people - one wardrobe and a small upstairs which was unbearable to sleep in. If we hadn't have met the staff on the complex I would have rated the accommodation as good. However...the cleaner was extremely rude and the manager was even worse. On one occassion we were thretened with being chucked out of the complex because we returned home at 6am...what did they expect?! oh and watch out for the security guard....very very very creepy lad!
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Maria Rousse Apartments - Malia
Operator and Date: thompson july 2007
Opinion submitted in August 2007 by : dennis 59 julie 49
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
maria rousse studios - basic apartments, clean and comfy - extra for air con 80 euros for 2 weeks. meals at bar - plentiful, reasonable choice and price ok. bar staff and service excellent. good pool area - free sun loungers, satellite tv in bar area and internet access (extra).
malia strip - mad and noisy, for 18 to 25 yrs only!! loads of bars and clubs and restaurants - open all night, no noise heard from maria rousse studios eben though a 5 min walk away only. old town of malia - great friday night at san georgio restaurant - meal and drinks for 2 approx 35 euors. excellent food and live greek music and dancing. trip we did ourselves to spinalonga - local bus to aghios nick then boat 12 euors each (food on board at extra cost - but reasonable) great tour guide (karen). 4 x 4 trip booked via thompson, good day out - good guide gary - meal included - trip to santorini - santorini dream - long tiring day - tour guide not very good on our bus - stunning views but drink and food very expensive here - not enough time in each town to get a drink or a meal to relax. watch for the quad bikes in malia - lethal and dangerous and they are everywhere - can be hired without a licence and driven on main roads!! malia mainly for teenagers but a good base if you fancy trips out by bus, hire car etc.
local bus service regular, clean and comfy with air con. hersonnissos town approx 4 mile up road - great shops and bars etc, heraklion town - market saturday and great shops. stalis - 20 min walks from maria rousse - 2 mins by bus - quieter than malia but plenty shops, bars, restaurants etc worth a visit.good leather shops - bags, coats, belts good quality and cheap. spar supermarket on malia strip - well stocked and reasonable - cheaper than the small local places. all in all a good holiday but malia crowd a bit too young for us, have been to rethymon in crete - that is lively and plenty bars shops etc but without the crowds of "drunk british teenagers at night"!!.heraklion airport a nightmare check in - took 1 and half hours - no time to look in duty free shop, very keen if bags are overweight, badly organised - needs a review.
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Maria Rousse Apartments - Malia
Operator and Date: Thomson Holidays
- June 2007
Opinion submitted in June 2007 by : Jules & Kel (34, 29)
Resort Rating: Average
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
My Wife and I stayed at the Maria Rousse Studios in Malia for 11 nights during June 2007.
These studios are located just off the main road through Malia, about 2-3 mins walk from the start of the Strip. There are 2 convenient supermarkets nearby, stocking everything you will need for your holiday at slightly higher prices than the Spar supermarket on the strip.
George & Barbara were very welcoming on check in and we were shown to our room individually, which was a nice touch as opposed to having keys thrown at you and being pointed in the direction of the studio block.
The Maria Rousse has 4 (I think) blocks of studios, some of which are not actually connected to the main complex but it is an easy few seconds walk to the swimming pool and bar. We were actually staying in the first block nearest the road on the ground floor, with a low level view of the back of the pool bar.
The room itself was amazing, easily the biggest and cleanest we have ever had on a Greek island. If you have been to Greece before you will appreciate that the rooms are very basic, but this room still had all what was needed for our stay including a fridge, most welcome to come back to the room for a cool beer or soft drink after a day on the beach.
The bathroom was also a nice size and for the first time we actually had a raised shower floor, which meant that the actual bathroom floor didn't quite get as soaked as one without.
The balcony area was nice also with a table and 2 chairs, plus a very handy linen line for damp towels and swimwear.
Maid service was very frequent with towels changed every other day and sheets every third day, bins were also emptied every other day.
We didn't actually spend any time around the pool as we much
preferred the beach in Malia, however the pool is a nice size and you
can get drinks and eats from the bar at all times of the day and night.
I think food is served until 9pm. One concern I would have is that
Thomson Holidays
offer this hotel on their website as good for couples and
families, I'm not sure the constant pumping dance music would go down
too well with families and only gets turned off at 1am. Something to
bear in mind.
As for quality of food we only ate at the hotel on the day we left, but it was excellent and reasonably priced compared to other restaurants in resort. Drinks are also competively priced with a bottle of beer starting at 2.5euros for Mythos or Amstel upto 4euros+ for Budweiser and Corona. Soft drinks are 2 or 3euros depending on size.
One thing that was annoying was the constant need to make the guests aware of the rules and charges involved in case of breaking things, ruining towels, inviting guests back etc etc. I guess because Malia is a favourite haunt of the 18-30 brigade they do need to do this but I would think at the price the Maria Rousse possibly attracts a slightly more mature holidaymaker. They also employ a security guard who does an excellent job of keeping noise down after 1am. If you don't break the rules he won't bother you, obviously people who have had a run in with him have been doing something they shouldn't.
Onto Malia itself. We last went 10 years ago and it has changed somewhat, although not for the better.
With the resort being the "party capital of the Med" apparently they cater very much for the youngsters, and go totally over the top with the "Britishness". A lot of the bars have British influence, Union Jack Bar, Big Ben Bar, Brits Bar, George & Dragon etc etc and I just find it unnecessary, especially as you can "enjoy" this type of bar when at home. It really bugs me when bars actually advertise the fact they serve beer in "real pint glasses", something that I am keen to get away from when I go abroad.
There are some nice traditional bars though, Mango which is about halfway down the strip has a very relaxed and chilled out vibe. It is also excellent for people watching, which believe me in Malia is great fun. If you stay at the Maria Rousse there is also a great bar at the top end of the strip called Galaxy. A lovely little German girl serves in here and she will keep you topped up with cold Amstel for 3euros a pop.
Beer prices are 2.5-4 euros for a bottle and 3euros+ for a large glass. You can get numerous free cocktails, shots, fishbowls etc if you go in certain bars but most are just saturated with juice and contain little alcohol. Beer deals were hard to come by, funny that.
I must admit to being pleasantly surprised by the standard of restaurants in Malia. Avoiding the "British" type eataries, there are some great traditional restaurants which have stood the test of time. Sirtaki is an excellent Greek restaurant serving all types of cuisine, as is Napolotana. Both are well worth a visit on the strip. For me though the best restaurant in Malia is La Grande Trattoria, the best pasta and pizza in resort by some distance. Try the garlic and mozarella bread with bacon for a starter. It is a like a mini pizza and great value as a sharer for 4euros.
Whilst wishing to avoid British restaurants I must admit that the Red Lion is pretty good. Think of a slightly sub standard Brewers Fayre but with bigger portions and that gives you a good idea of the restaurant. For a main meal in the evening there are better options of the traditional kind, but for a cheap lunch the Red Lion can't be beaten....just don't expect to be able to move for at least an hour afterwards, the portions really are that big. Unfortunately in the evening the portion size doesn't compensate for the rushed mass produced blandness that comes out of the kitchen. They are obviously doing something right as the restaurant is packed day and night, mainly with youngsters it has to be said.
A special mention must go to the House, which is quite early on the strip which does the best omlettes in Malia by a country mile. Excellent value as well at just 3.5euros, and they come with chips!!
Main meal prices in Malia were between 6-10euros, reasonably good value but a long way off the cheapness of the Drachma years.
Malia beach should be one of the best beaches in Greece. The fact that it isn't is down to cleanliness issues and something needs to be done about it. I have never seen so many cigarette butts on a beach in my life, which is such a shame as the gently shelving sand leading down to the shallow sea makes it ideal for everybody including children.
Don't listen to people who say a certain beach is the best in Malia, it is just one big long strip of sand and different bars own individual sections. We spent all our time on High Beach which was good value at 4euros for 2 loungers and an umbrella. It's worth noting that prices are beach bars are quite horrendous compared to local supermarkets, so stock up prior to arriving at the beach.
If you want to get away from the crowds there are quieter beaches in Malia but the sea tends to be rockier around these parts.
All in all we were pleasantly surprised by Malia. It was such a lovely resort in 1997 but we were concerned how the influx of 18-30 year olds had affected it 10 years on. True there are too many British style bars (Only fools and horses all day anyone?) but if you look closely enough the traditional bars and restaurants are still about, it just takes some effort to get past all the PR's trying to get you into their bars.
I wouldn't recommend the resort to families, but who knows one day they might do a Faliraki and clean it up a little to welcome the families back. As long as thousands of youngsters are going to Malia and enjoying themselves, and perhaps more importantly behaving themselves then I can't see them changing a winning formula.
Couples certainly can have a good time in Malia, and we did just that. Whilst not clubbing every night, we did manage to party in the bars and really enjoyed ourselves. It's not quite "party central" as the youngsters would have you believe, but if they are enjoying themselves and not making it a holiday from hell for others then why not give it a go?
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Maria Rousse Apartments - Malia
Operator and Date: Oct 2006
Opinion submitted in October 2006 by : Gaz 22, Mel 25
Resort Rating: Average
Accommodation Rating: Average
My/Our Holiday Review:
The apartments was very clean maids would come near enough every day. the staff are very kind and willing to help if you need them. however the rules seemed endless and pointless i.e they only supply the first roll of toilet paper which was just shocking. drinks around the pool are priced fair didnt try the food so couldnt comment.
resort... most pubs and clubs were closed due to end of season although did find an excellent bar called eletra they are fab guys prices are wicked and they will look after you. if your young and single then this is the place to be it wasnt for us though. beaches arent very good in malia very small and rocky so dont go there...best to stay around the pool!! during our holiday we had a good 20 minutes walk just before malia a place called stalis we found this more for us a little less quieter..we found a brilliant place to eat in stalis called fontana its got a fountain which you can notice from outside best kleftiko ever and the staff are up for a laugh and joke which i liked alot.
overally i believe we was in the wrong resort for our ages malia is for very young people without a doubt...dont go to malia if your a couple like us you wont enjoy it.....stalis was more for us!!!
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Maria Rousse Apartments - Malia
Operator and Date: (Portland Direct) Portland Jun 2006
Opinion submitted in July 2006 by : Sarah and Kerry (19)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Review:
Maria Rousse apartments are great accomadation.
The location was brill,only a 2 min walk to the strip but couldn't
hear any noise at night. The security guard seems a bit scary at first
but be polite and keep the noise down and he'll be fine for the rest of
the hols. The room we got was smaller than the one shown on the
portland/Thomson Holidays
website but was big enuf 4 what was needed, sleeping
and gettin ready to go out. Theres no shower curtain in the bathroom so
be prepared for a slippy floor. I really recommend buyin the air
conditioning,we went on 18th june at it would have been too hot at night
2 sleep without it. It cost us 80 euros for 2 weeks so not 2 bad between
2 people. The pool bar is really nice, food is good quality and all the
staff are really friendly. They seem to have dropped the 1 euro charge
for the sunbeds this year which we were happy about!
The main strip in malia is amazing. You have to get used to all the PR's tryin to get you in2 the bars but just have a laugh n joke n they'll let you go. The bigger group ur in the better drinks deals u get. Normally if theres 4 or more you'll get a free fishbowl and shot as well as the drink offers, which range from 2-4-1 to 4-4-1. The best bar 2 start in is the loft, 1 euro drinks!
We found 4 or 5 nice restaurants along the main strip that we ate at every night. The best places would be bella pasta and china house, nicest chinese ive had!
This was an amzing holiday, me and my mate didn't want to come home. Will def b back next year. Would recommend the resort and maria rousse to groups of mates or couples
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Maria Rousse Apartments - Malia
Operator and Date: (Thomson Holidays
Direct) Thomson Holidays
- June 2006
Opinion submitted in June 2006 by : Paul & Debbie (30 somethings)
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
Just come home after 2 weeks of glorious sun in Malia. Had a fantastic time even though we felt like the oldest swingers in town!! Maria Rousse well positioned, no noise from the strip & located right at the top of Bar St. Not the friendliest staff we'd ever encountered. Didn't get charged for sunbeds but don't you dare to drink water round the pool that you didn'y buy there...(their own has their own label on & they check!!!!).
Everything very cheap, tell the waiters you want to be able to taste your buy 1 get 3 drinks & they are very happy to oblige - nothing watered down for us!
Favourite restaurant Gringo's - ribs to die for & eat as much as you want between 6 - 8pm. Favourite bar - Epsilon, a converted church, Hello Mick!!!
Take care crossing the roads as the quads & scooters are driven by maniacs.
Didn't bother with Malia beach as small & packed, instead walked to Stalis. Quite a walk but good shops on the way so worth the effort.
All in all a great holiday & watching England in the world cup outdoors on huge screens was fantastic.
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Maria Rousse Apartments - Malia
Operator and Date: (Portland Direct) Portland - June 2005
Opinion submitted in Jan 2006 by : Andrea & Carl (20)
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
The apartments are in a great location, just a couple of minutes walk from all the clubs and bars you could ever need, but also suprisingly quiet in the aerly hours so you can get some sleep when you finally get to bed!
The security guard at night is a little scary at first- but just say hi and keep quiet and he'l be your mate for the rest of the hol! he does a good job of keeping out any stray drunk people who can't find their own hotel!!
There are the usual cooking facilities you would expect and everything is clean and works! bathroom does get a bit wet though- no shower cutains!! the grounds are really well kept- we had ground floor apartment and our terrace was surrounded by lovely flowers, enough for us to people watch but not feel too exposed! The pool seems to be quite popular- with quite a few people from other hotels coming in too!
I would recommend Malia for young singles mainly, but we went as a couple and still had a great time, all depends on how much you like to party!
You can make the holiday what you want- stay round the pool- wander down to the beach or hire out a moped/quad to see the rest of the island, there's something for everyone of the 18-30 age group. Malia can be as cheap or expensive as you want it to be too- if you don't mind drinking the local vodka and fake red bull and are good at bargaining you can get 2 double vodka red bulls and 2 shots and