Europa Hotel Panormo

“ Everyone friendly, made an effort to provide entertainment and to vary the food. A bit far from the town, bars and restaurants and the food provided wasn't traditional Greek.

Good to relax and get away if you don't want authentic Greece.

“ Top Tip: Nothing close

“ Hotel Europa Resort (not to be confused with Hotel Europa Beach which is also on Crete) is a budget All inclusive Hotel. The food was varied with several options at every sitting and was always presented beautifully, although never really hot. This didn't detract from the fact that the food was very tasty though. The room was clean but fairly basic with the bathroom particularly in need of a major overhaul. The shower curtain could only hang outside the shower so consequently the water ran all over the floor and regularly seeped into the bedroom. When my wife and I were there in early July the guests were about 75% French, 15% German and 10% Brits. The hotel was about half full so there was never an issue over use of the sun-beds and umbrellas around the lovely and essential pool (it's Hot out there at this time of year!) The bar and restaurant staff were brilliant (all from the Czech Republic) with always a polite smile, courteous manner and very hard working. Their English language skills are perfectly acceptable and were keen to practice with you whilst you sat at the bar for a drink. There is a bar in the reception area but this was never open during our stay, only the pool-side bar was open from 10.30am till late. The All-inclusve drinks stopped at 10.30pm (make sure you use insect repellent in the evening as we and numerous guests we spoke to had suffered from mosquito bites). The view from the restaurant balcony, where we ate all of our meals, is absolutely stunning. In the evening it was delightful to sit and watch the sun slip into the sea and produce a delightful sky and seascape. For the price it is very good value for money and as long as you don't go expecting 5* luxury you will have a very good time. I would suggest that hiring a car is fairly essential as the Hotel is a good distance from any other attraction. The nearest shops and village are about a 15 minute walk away which in the heat is no joke! We hired a Renault Clio (with air-con) for the week for about £25 more than the cost of the transfer from the airport. There are buses and a mini road train though if the thought of driving is not for you.

“ Top Tip: Our favourite resort was Bali, about 25-30 Km from the Hotel. There are 3 nice small beaches there and water-sports too if that is what you are looking for. Rethymnon is bigger and busier but an evening meal or a drink at the restaurant bars lining the harbour is to be recommended. A trip into the mountains is an experience in itself (it gets you used to hairpin bends) but it's worth it as the views the views are spectacular.