Rating8.2Rating8.1Good
Based on 2.7k reviews
Exceptional Food & Variety
Guests consistently praise the excellent selection, quality, and taste of food, particularly at the buffet, offering diverse and fresh options for all palates.
Renovated Modern Accommodations
Rooms are frequently lauded for their cleanliness, modern design, and overall well-maintained condition following the extensive two-year renovation.
Attentive & Engaging Staff
The service is highlighted as friendly, helpful, and attentive, with a special mention for the energetic and entertaining animation team that enhances the guest experience.
Abundant Pools & Beach Access
The resort's multiple swimming pools and direct, exclusive access to three picturesque coves, including a Blue Flag beach, are significant draws for guests seeking sun and sea.
Spacious & Beautiful Grounds
The large, well-kept gardens and extensive infrastructure are appreciated for creating a sense of space and beauty, preventing overcrowding even during peak periods.
Dining Reservation Challenges
Booking à la carte restaurants can be difficult, often requiring reservations days in advance, and some guests experienced issues even with buffet reservations.
Beach Quality & Accessibility
While offering direct beach access, some guests found the coves to be small, rocky, less maintained than expected, and sometimes distant from their rooms.
Evening Pest & Odor Issues
Guests occasionally reported issues with mosquitoes in the evening and an unpleasant smell from the irrigation system in certain areas of the resort.
Hidden Costs & Policies
Be aware of extra charges for premium drinks, late check-out, and even water at dinner if not on the all-inclusive plan, which some found unreasonable.
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TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice
Best of the Best 2024, also 2025, 2020, 2018
TripAdvisor
Recommended on HolidayCheck
2024, 2023
HolidayCheck
Traveller Review Awards
2024, 2025
Booking.com
TUI Global Hotel Awards
Quality Hotel Award 2025 (top 250 hotels worldwide)
TUI
Blue Flag
For Lianos Kavos Lavris Beach
Foundation for Environmental Education
Green Key certification
Green Key International
Iberostar Selection Creta Marine closed entirely for two years and reopened in May 2024 after a full reconstruction. The resort was redesigned by Cretan architect Marios Ninos, which gives it a more deliberate local identity than a standard renovation delivers — the bungalow structures, landscaping, and materials reference the regional vernacular rather than generic Mediterranean resort design.
The three coves are the physical distinguishing feature. Access to secluded rocky and sandy coves within the resort's own grounds is rare in Crete, where most all-inclusives share crowded public beaches. Lianos Kavos Lavris Beach holds Blue Flag certification. The caveat is that cove beaches are inherently limited in size, so families expecting wide sandy expanses should note the terrain is varied — gravel, pebble, and sand sections depending on which cove you're at.
Dining has a local angle that goes beyond the usual buffet with a Greek section. Vegghera Cretan Tavern sources ingredients locally and occasionally features a guest menu from MasterChef UK 2019 winner Irini Tzortzoglou (seasonal). Thalassa restaurant offers Mediterranean cuisine with Aegean views, but all-inclusive guests have limited complimentary visits — the number is worth confirming at check-in. Access to the neighboring sister property's waterpark is included, which gives children a proper slide complex without it being on-site.
Practically: 361 rooms including bungalows. The main spa has sauna, Jacuzzi, and a treatment menu; all spa access beyond the gym carries an extra charge. Room service is 24 hours at extra charge. Transfer from Heraklion (HER) is 45–54 minutes. From Chania (CHQ) it's around 90 minutes — check which airport you're flying into before booking.