A Hotel in the Middle of Nowhere! (Hotels in Crete)

Member Name: freeandsingle

Product:	Hotels in Crete
Date:	07/07/09 (78 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: lovely pool area.

Disadvantages: balconies very dangerous, food terrible.

Hotel Aloi

***Introduction****

My husband and I fancied a last minute deal to Crete but didn't want to pay a fortune out so I trawled the internet to try and find a bargain.

I came across The Aloi Hotel in Annassarus for a good price with flights costing £460 for the two of us, this included breakfast so I was very interested.

I did a quick research into the travel review sites to try and get an idea about this hotel because I have heard about some really dodgy places in Crete and didn't want to end up in a dump.

They have their own web site and the photos looked lovely, I read a mixed bag of reviews and thought about the 'Moaning Minnie's' that always slate a place, you know the type, pay peanuts and expect Hilton accommodation.

After carefully analysing all my information and showing my hubby the reviews etc we decided that it was looking ok so booked it two days before the flight.


***The Hotel***

Our transfer bus took us to the hotel in about fourty minutes; we had to drop other travellers at hotels on the way so we sat back and enjoyed the views.

'Hotel Despo' was the first drop off, we both had a quiet smile about that, and it was in the middle of no where, who books a place with a name like that?

Then came ours, first impression was 'My God What have we come to' there was nothing around it but closed down tavernas, but there was a small shop opposite and a little restaurant, that had seen better days.
Another couple got off the coach with us so we brightened up a bit at least we wouldn't be on our own in this spot.

There was a bar area to the right covered in plants but it did look quite appealing, and a large glass door into the reception.


***Reception***

The first thing that we noticed was the reception desk to the right and a blonde haired lady quite scruffily dressed and looking as if her hair hadn't seen a brush in weeks. I know that this must sound harsh but it was our first impression.

She welcomed us as if we were her old friends, now I took that as utter relief that she had guests but my hubby said that I was being horrible thinking that.

We were given a choice of a double room or a bungalow so we opted for the bungalow believing it to have more space.

The room key had a heavy brass fob on it which we soon took off I didn't fancy carrying that around for the entire weeks holiday.

We went on to ask about a fridge for the room, at this point she charged us 20 Euros and then handed us a travel adapter to plug it in. We had three of these in our case all ready but that would have been slightly deceitful so we accepted it gracefully.

The reception area was quite large and cool with a satellite TV that did not work apparently and a few easy chairs in one corner with a book case. There was a massage chair that took Euro coins but I didn't give it a try to see if that was in working order.

On the other side of this large room was the Breakfast room it did actually have two saloon swinging doors to separate it and it looked quite quaint. A large wicker basket was on a table full of sun tan lotions half used with a hand written sign saying 'Help Yourself' obviously left in rooms by previous guests. I stuck to using my own supply but thought that it was worth a mention.


***Rooms***

There are 25 rooms at this hotel 8 doubles in the hotel main building and 17 bungalows.
Our bungalow was a top storey so we had to lug our suitcases up a small flight of stone steps, there was a small wooden table outside the door that had seen better days it was rotten from the rain and hot sun it certainly would not take much weight and the main door had peeling paint and looked quite rotten as well.

At this point we were not expecting very much when we entered the place itself and I could tell by my hubbys face that he was far from impressed so I did mutter a comment about him giving me a strict budget when I booked this last minute deal.

It wasn't as bad as we expected to be quite honest there was a small fridge, a bathroom that wasn't five stars but it was clean, the shower was adequate and the loo was sparkling.

A dressing table with a good sized mirror was on one wall and a double built in wardrobe with plenty of shelves and coat hangers to the side of it.
A lockable safe was under the dresser and an air conditioning unit on the outside wall that looked fairly new.

We paid 25 Euros for the safe for the week but decided to try one night without the air con first because it was five Euros a day. That was a mistake it was so hot so we tipped up 30Euros for the rest of the stay and it was worth every penny.

There were two single beds placed in an L shape down two of the walls, we did have a laugh at this, it turned out not to be a problem for us though because it was so hot at night, the last thing we felt like doing was getting cosy, so we had our romance on the balcony in the evening with a glass of wine and a burning candle.
A bit of a shame if newly weds had this room because the base of the beds were cement plinths and impossible to move.

The balcony was small but just large enough for the table and two chairs it overlooked a scruffy back garden but when it was dark it looked quite good.

The wooden rail was rotten and peeling so we made a mental note not to lean on it because it did look decidedly dodgy. The gaps between the bars were very wide so it would have been totally unsuitable for a family with small children.

The floor of the balcony was not tiled the same as the inside of the room it was just crazy paving stone work and it was very dirty it really did need a good scrub.

The sheets and towels were immaculate so we really had no complaints there and the towels were changed every other day.


***Restaurant and Bar***

The bar and restaurant were unusual there was no roof just loads of trellis and plants it looked quite nice really and very cool, we had a cold beer served in a frosted glass after we unpacked and it tasted divine.

The prices were reasonable but looking at the menu for meals we didn't really fancy any of it, mostly curries or stews unless you stuck to cheese and ham toasties.

Martin the husband did all of the cooking but I just didn't fancy anything because he was in scruffy cut offs and dirty T shirts the same as his wife, don't get me wrong they were a lovely couple they just seem to have got sloppy in their dress code.

One night they did collar us to attend the weekly barbecue, apparently Martins Barbecues are fantastic not to be missed, we felt obliged because the hotel wasn't exactly full and felt that we should make an effort.

One burger a leathered lamb chop and three cold roast potatoes later we were charged 12 Euros each..... Oh yes we felt well and truly robbed.....we toughened up after that....

I said earlier that breakfast was in with the price so first morning we made an effort and went down at about half nine, we thought that if we had a good one then we wouldn't need a meal until the evening.

Orange squash, coffee or tea were all there to help ourselves to, glasses and cups sat on sticky trays upside down which put me off immediately, cob bread to make toast and have with butter or marmalade found in two big glass dishes, and cheap cornflakes that looked like hamster food. There was Muesli if you didn't like the look of the hamster food but there is only so much Muesli that I can take so I didn't bother with breakfast after two days.


***Pool Area and Grounds***


This was the best thing about this hotel it was lovely and clean but very deep so again not very child friendly and there were plenty of sun loungers and shaded areas if required.
The hotel wasn't very busy so a lot of the time we had the pool to ourselves.

The gardens around the hotel were quite shabby, the front looked quite nice and cared for but towards the back it was looking quite dishevelled.

You could see that in its hey day this place had been gorgeous but I think that Gabbi and Martin the owners were trying to run everything themselves to keep their heads above water and it was just too much work for them. A part time gardener would make so much difference to this hotel.


***Comfort***

The rooms were clean, the beds reasonably comfortable, the bar area was nice and cool but I have stayed in better for comfort, but to be fair it was not a five star hotel and it was adequate for the price.


***Location and Booking Detail***


Post address: Hotel Aloi 70014 Annassarus Chersonissos
Phone: +30 (28970) 22938
Fax: +30 (28970) 21010
E-Mail: contact@hotelaloi.com

Children under 2 free 2-12 years half price.
June - September Bungalows 25 Euros Double rooms 20 Euros this includes breakfast.
If you want to book half board you can contact them direct for a quote.

Ten minutes walk to the beach which was very nice, in fact one of the nicest we found in the area.


***Overall View***

I wouldn't recommend this hotel to a friend because the food was bad and the breakfast was very poor.

It probably was a nice place in its day but it now needs some serious work done to bring it up to a reasonable standard.
I cannot see Travel Operators advertising it as one of their holiday hotels because it is very run down.

There is nothing around it for entertainment at night every where has shut down due to the three large All inclusive hotels nearby, and they wont allow people to go in even to purchase a drink.

The cost of 16 Euros a night for a taxi to the old town of Hersonissos for a decent meal was quite an expense, and over seven days that is 112 Euros.

Quite sad really because the owners are certainly hard workers but I think that they are flogging a dead horse, people expect more nowadays, they really need to give their hotel a face lift and improve the standards of the restaurant.

Our last minute bargain turned out to be a very expensive holiday, we hired a car for a few days to get about because there was hardly anything to entertain us at this hotel and it was in the middle of no where.

There was a Greek taverna down on the sea front and a small supermarket.

Next time I go for a bargain I will take more time reading reviews, we wondered whether Gabby and her husband wrote the good reviews themselves!!!!!! We will never know.

Summary: Not a hotel that I would go back to.