Real Palace Hotel and Studios

“ When we initially arrived the owners were not expecting us, which was not a great start to our holiday. We then had to wait around for a couple of hours for a room to be prepared. We were eventually placed in room no. 1, which is on the ground floor, nearest to the bar, and next to the ramp along which guests drag their suitcases on arrival and departure, which can be in the wee small hours. We were prepared with earplugs, but even those didn't help when a stag party of very loud 30 year olds, with a vocabulary limited to only one adjective, used in virtually every sentence, arrived in the middle of our first night. It then took 2 days for us to be moved to a room further from the bar and on the 3rd floor. There's no lift, so we needed help with our suitcases, which we got from the charming Manos, one of the owners. On the plus side the whole place, including the pool, was spotlessly clean. But it's clearly aiming for a particular UK market. There are 3 large TV screens behind and to the side of the football memorabilia decorated bar, so football or Formula 1 can be watched most of the time. The bar is open until 3am each night. And the food and non alcoholic drinks are not cheap. We paid 6 euros for 2 expressos on our last day, and they were made with instant coffee, whereas they charge 1 euro for a shot of raki. And if you do want to do any cooking, you may find, as we did, that the only utensil in the room is a frying pan. Luckily we had brought our travel kettle. The Real Palace is located about 10 minutes walk along an unpaved road outside Old Malia, which is very pretty, and at least another 20 minute walk from the nearest beach. If you're there to party, be prepared for that sort of walk, or do what some of the guests did while we were there and hire quad bikes that you can drive.

“ Top Tip: If you're hoping to find a lovely taverna with great food at a good price, and really friendly service, look no further than Milos, which is located in Old Malia and the nearest taverna to Real Palace. It's a beautiful place, full of lovely old photos and things of natural beauty, while outside there's a pretty little garden and an old clay oven. Costa is the chef, assisted by his lovely wife Lisa, who also helps Tassos serve the delicious Greek food. The prices are very reasonable and our meal was always completed with a shot of raki and a dish of watermelon and grapes, all of which was on the house. Our favourite meal was the slow cooked lamb with lemon potatoes, but the grilled sea bream came a close second, and the meze dishes were yummy. On our last night Lisa decorated our candle lit table with fresh herbs from the garden and a pretty tablecloth and napkins, and made us a yummy chocolate mousse as a special treat, for which there was no charge. And then she insisted on giving us each a gift of a large bar of very special chocolate. It's not often, in my experience, that you come across such great and friendly service, alongside delicious food.

“ The hotel is a 10-minute-walk from the main street of Malia.It is situated on the upper part of the village and it is quiet. The room I stayed was clean, it had a kitchenette and the balcony had a bood view on the swimming pool. The staff is very friendly and makes someone feel very comfortable from the first minute of staying in the hotel. The bar has great cocktails at low price!!!

“ the hotel 'real palace' is a fantastic place to stay, its relaxing, great view, the people are very friendly, not only that the facilities are the best i saw in malia.
out of all the hotel and apartments i visited real palace was the best.
i loved staying at the place and will go back to the hotel if i had the chance to

“ Top Tip: the hotel has its own pub and a little restaurant, they provide great customer service. i will recommend it to any1. its a family run business and can speak good English which really help us

“ These appartments are spotless and well maintained. Although they are a great base for people of all ages, they are a good bit away from the centre of the night life and the beach, on the other hand this can be a blessing. The owner is a perfect gentleman and very helpfull.