Update: March 28, 2020
News: Looks there is a change in name and ownership at Knossos Beach Bungalows Suites Resort and Spa. It does not offer a family-friendly type hotel service.
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I haven’t done too many hotel reviews, but I thought this post could be of value to someone interested in finding a resort in Crete, Greece. This review of Knossos Beach Bungalows and Suites is specifically geared for families.
Positives
First of all, let me begin my review with the positives and where better to start than in the area of food! The buffet at the resort is free at breakfast, which is perfect for those with children. You know how it goes when traveling with kids. When they get hungry, they gotta eat right away. There’s none of this stop by Starbucks and grab a cup of joe and go approach to travel. (That was our style of travel before we had kids.)
The menu choices are numerous. You can get hot foods, cold foods, and everything in between. There’s sure to be something you and your kids will eat at breakfast or dinner. In addition to great food, the resort offers a place for kids to have craft time or other game activities at “Miniland.” Not to be confused with LEGOLAND’s Miniland, this spot is perfect if you have kids over the age of five who want some downtime from the beach or pool. Parents with children under five must accompany children during their activities at Miniland. Also, be forewarned that Miniland is closed on Mondays.
Let’s also not forget about the playground. Its simple design is perfect for your little ones who want to unwind.
If you don’t want to spend any more time at the private enclosed beaches, then you can relax for a dip in a cool swimming pool overlooking the incredible beach scene or a heated swimming pool safe for little ones to splash around.
Knossos Beach Bungalows and Suites offer plenty of other activities for guests ranging from tennis to mini-golf, gym access, as well as yoga classes two nights a week (Tuesdays and Fridays). If your kids are night owls, you can enjoy evening activities, such as Disco night after 9 pm.
Negatives
If you get the family room suite, it is location is farthest from the front desk. Because the hotel site is spread across lengthwise, it is not an easy walk to and from your car if you forget something or with little ones, especially if you don’t have a stroller. Several families who stayed in family room suites near us parked their strollers outside the front doors of their hotel rooms, which tells you how far the walk can be for families with toddlers and/or babies. Although it was very convenient that the heated swimming pool was located directly across from our hotel room.
Buffet dinners at night, which are only €15 per person and free for children, were pretty much packed all the time. If you can eat later after most of the dinner guests have eaten, then you won’t feel rushed to eat and run.
When I read reviews on Tripadvisor before leaving for Crete, I noticed that several reviewers didn’t like the constant noise pollution of commercial airplanes flying over the resort. Knossos Beach Bungalows and Suites are located very close to the airport, so it makes sense why one would hear and see airplanes so often. While some may consider it as an annoyance, our little Linus would immediately stop whatever he was doing and run to see even a tiny glimpse of an airplane in the sky. It brought complete joy on our faces to see him stop, point in the air, look for the plane, and say airplane in Korean every few minutes. He never got tired of it, and so it never bothered us.
Activities at Knossos
We mainly enjoyed the pools. Yes, pools. There was a heated pool, but I don’t remember it being very warm. There was one that families with children would hang out, and there was a beautiful one overlooking the sea.
Our Hotel Room
We chose to stay in a family room suite since it offered two twin beds separate from the master bedroom. It worked out great because it gave us two distinct spaces for our kids to fall asleep when we needed the light on to read or work in the other room. Even though the family room suites were the furthest away, it still had an ocean view, which was spectacular.
We liked the clean white linens and modern décor in the room. However, we didn’t like being disconnected from the Internet because our laptop did not have a cable modem connector. Although it worked out for the best because it kept us unplugged from the world for a weekend, thus, allowing us to appreciate the scenery more. Besides, we hardly stayed in the room during the day anyway because we spent so much time sightseeing. (I guess you could say it didn’t matter that we didn’t Internet access for the weekend.)
Hotel Service
The hotel staff was without a doubt very hospitable and provided courteous service. We never felt like we were imposing on them when we needed an item or to get directions.
You Decide
If you like secluded, private beaches, then Knossos Beach Bungalows and Suites’ jetty-enclosed beaches are for you. However, as nice as the seclusion is for some, the jetties kept sea kelp along the shoreline, which was huge deterrence for our children who preferred sand and water to be free of major debris – natural or not.
Beach Environment
The free beaches next door to the resort were about 2-3 km away and looked much clearer and flatter for children to play. You probably just have to pay to rent a few lawn chairs and an umbrella for the day, but it would be a small price to pay for kelp-free beaches.
Overall, we have to say we enjoyed Knossos Beach Bungalows and Suites. It was truly a fun and perfect getaway experience to stay at a resort.
For More Information
Website: Knossos Beach Bungalows Suites Resort and Spa
