Payments made by partners impact the order of prices displayed. Room types may vary.
The listings of booking offers for each property take into account the compensation paid to us by our partners. Prices shown may be for varying room types. Prices displayed are the lowest available, corresponding to the least expensive room type available, as provided from our partners as of the time of the user’s search.
Everyone needs a place to lay their weary head. For travellers visiting Loutro, The Old Phoenix is an excellent choice for rest and rejuvenation. Well-known for its charming environment and proximity to great restaurants, The Old Phoenix makes it easy to enjoy the best of Loutro.
Rooms at The Old Phoenix provide air conditioning, and guests can stay connected with free internet access.
You can also enjoy an on-site restaurant while staying at The Old Phoenix.
While you’re here, be sure to check out some of the Mediterranean restaurants, including Blue House Restaurant, Stratis, and Ilios Hotel and Taverna, all of which are a short distance from The Old Phoenix.
The Old Phoenix is sure to make your visit to Loutro one worth remembering.
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
Food was regular and good, typical greek and fresh. The location sea view was very quiet, fresh, not crowded at all. A pity that the service was not at the same level. It seemed that the waiter , probably even the owner, was not really willing to care about customers.
Read more
Date of stay: August 2022
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
So now I'm back again at Old Phonix. If you want details you can read my review from 2017, because it hasn't changed much. And that is what's so lovely about it. A beautiful building in a beautiful place. Very well kept, painted in traditional white and blue, with lovely stone walls the colour of the landscape surrounding it. And lovely, friendly staff, that knows when to let a guest just be and at the same time makes sure everything is well, just perfect. The food is still not cuisine, but lovely greek food made expertly and delisiously. And by asking the friendly matre d' what do you recommend you cannot go wrong. All the meals are good, but once in a while you get the absolutely, delicious, special, exceptional meal. Which is as is should be, one can't have the absolutely perfect every day - that would be boring, and you don't get the wonderful feeling of the exceptional. So we had grilled fish. Didn't look any special, typically mediterranean fish. But the seasoning! perfectly grilled! crisp skin! Oh joy! You know when something is so good, so perfectly made, you almost start humming? So Old Phonix is still calm, tranquil, still wonderful water and amazing view. And I hope it never changes, it's a place to leave everything behind an just enjoy the present. And I just needed to share the absolute joy of a perfect meal.
Read more
Date of stay: October 2022Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We love The Old Phoenix - this is the fourth time we’ve visited in the last ten years or so. It’s secluded and quiet, and the swimming in the bay is sublime. If you’re expecting five-star luxury, go somewhere else; this is a traditional family-run place, with a warm welcome, uncomplicated but delicious Cretan food and simple but comfortable, clean accommodation with wonderful views out over the Libyan Sea.
Read more
Date of stay: October 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We visited the restaurant while on a boat trip. Since it’s the only restaurant at this remote place, there’s little choice but to go here. That’s probably the only reason why the are still in business.
The restaurant is short in staff. Only one waiter, waiting 30 tables is quite a hopeless situation. Second staff member seemed only allowed to serve drinks, not take orders.
This lead to unacceptable waiting times, while desperately attempting to get the waiters attention. When you finally succeed in placing an order, prepare for another long wait. The kitchen obviously is short in staf too. We have waited over an hour for our food, when finally one (!) of the orders arrived at our table. With a family of 4, the other 3 persons were still eagerly awaiting their food. Their orders arrived one by one within the next 20 minutes. Totally unacceptable.
The food then, was dire disappointment. It not only looked uninspired and miserable, it was. Food was only half hot, soggy fries, dry, chewy, tasteless meat. The ‘salad’ turned out to be no more than 2 slices of union and tomato that looked and tasted all but fresh.
Read more
Date of stay: August 2024
Value
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I recommend this place for those who love to swim in the warm Mediterrian sea in October and for those who love the smell of Crete in the autumn. This is definitely the best place ever for staying for hours on a small and beautiful beach with warm small round pebbles and the sight of eagles high up in the sky. You have the never ending sea in front of you and it is warm also. There are supposed to be turtles here, but I havent seen them. This is a fantastic place to swim. Or rent a canoo. If you are of a more restless kind, you can go for long walks in all directions. The rooms are clean and nice, and all have a balcony facing the sea. The staff are of a very friendly and calm kind. You won't find a place with better fish or calamares.. I promise. I have been all around Greece, and the fish here is the best ever. This place also, if you look for some quiet days "out of time".
Read more
Date of stay: October 2022Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Taverna elevated overlooking the small beach. A short boat ride from Loutro and worth the journey.
Just had lunch in the taverna, good service great Greek salad fresh bread Avacado salad and cold Mythos beer. Enjoying the view what more do you need!
Read more
Date of stay: June 2024Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Boat times on the pier at Loutro leaving at 11:00 and returning at 12:45 & 15:00.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
My first trip to The Old Phoenix Hotel located in the perfectly formed Finix Bay in South Western Crete, where the mountains descend to meet the Libyan sea, was by canoe from Loutro. I had read an article about this ‘hush hush hideaway’ in the Sunday Times Traveller Magazine and I had paddled over from Loutro to Finix for a visit. I was immediately struck by the beauty and tranquility of Finix Bay. I had lunch in the restaurant of The Old Phoenix Hotel and having looked around some of the rooms, which were airy, clean and well furnished, I arranged to transfer from Loutro straight away. I stayed at the hotel for two weeks and in the adjacent rooms for a further two weeks, during which time I visited the hotel restaurant on a regular basis.
The Old Phoenix Hotel is owned and managed by the Athitakis family. It started life in 1978 as a small taverna built on family land, providing meals for hikers, campers and any one else who happened upon Finix Bay. The family added a few rooms and gradually built up the business to what it is today. The hotel is a simple blue and white building with 26 well-furnished rooms, each with a large terrace and sea views. Each room has a fan and air conditioning. There are hairdryers provided but no kettles or fridges. The bathrooms are a reasonable size, clean and light with good strong showers and plenty of hot water. Everywhere is spotlessly clean and smells of fresh laundry. The rooms are cleaned and the linen changed every three days, which I found less intrusive than a daily clean.
A feature of the Old Phoenix Hotel is the restaurant, with its large airy terrace overlooking the sea. The restaurant offers simple Cretan and Sfakian food throughout the day until 11pm. The food is freshly prepared and the menu changes daily. The best thing to do when ordering is to ask what is 'fresh' on the menu today. Everything at the restaurant is locally produced, much of it by the Athitakis family themselves. The family produces their own milk, cheese, yoghurt, honey, salt and olive oil. They have a range of fruit trees and vines and make their own wine and raki. The family keeps flocks of sheep and goats in the mountains from which they supply the restaurant with meat. The fresh fish is caught daily, often by one of the Athitakis brothers. The meat and fish are a speciality of the restaurant. However as a vegetarian I had a wide variety of delicious dishes to choose from.
For breakfast I particularly enjoyed the freshly prepared fruit salad packed with fruit, including nectarines, cherries and figs depending on what’s in season, thick, creamy yoghurt with honey and freshly squeezed orange juice. I would recommend that you try the local speciality, sfakia pita, at least once. This is a type of pancake stuffed with creamy feta cheese and topped with honey. I had this with (very strong) greek coffee and hot milk.
For lunch I particularly liked a large bowl of Greek salad served with delicious slabs of feta cheese. For dinner my favourite meal was boureki; layers of courgettes, potatoes and feta cheese that I ate with a half Greek salad. I also enjoyed the stuffed tomatoes and vine leaves and delicious grilled vegetables (not on the menu but available if you ask). Every day there were different vegetarian ‘pies’ on offer including spinach pie, zucchini pie and tomato pie. These are made with layers of vegetables and feta cheese topped with thin filo pastry and toasted sesame seeds. I found the locally produced white wine which was light, crisp and cold, a good accompaniment to the meal or alternatively, a large glass of cold draft mythos beer. After the evening meal guests are served complementary fruit and home made raki, which is distilled by the family and is very good. There is a variety of ice-cream on offer; I liked the strawberry ice-cream, made with real strawberries. The good quality tap water comes from underwater springs, so there is no need to order mineral water. The staff will bring you a carafe of chilled water on request. Be aware of the fact that, unusually (as in Loutro) you will be charged for the bread that is automatically brought to accompany your meal even if you do not request it, unless you tell the staff that you do not want it.
The restaurant offers an informal atmosphere where you can wear whatever you like. Unless the restaurant is busy, guests can sit and read, play family board games, or browse the (very intermittent) internet. The hard working Albanian staff are, for the most part, welcoming and accommodating. However the restaurant can get very busy and noisy with parties of day-trippers that visit from other places at least once a week and also on Saturdays, particularly during the high season, with August being the busiest month. At these times the staff are rushing around and patience is the key. Guests can always eat elsewhere such as Loutro or Taverna Akrogiali, Likos beach.
Finix Bay provides a very safe recreational area. Outside the hotel there is a small shingle beach with sun loungers and parasols, for which hotel guests are charged half-price, and loungers and rattan armchairs set out under feathery tamarisk trees. You can hear little but the lapping of waves, the engines of boats as they come and go, birdsong, the zee zee zee of cicadas and goats’ bells in the distance. The clear turquoise sea is warm, clean and calm and the bay is a remarkably safe swimming area. There are fish near the rocks and there is a visiting turtle that I was fortunate enough to see swimming near the jetty. You can hire a canoe (for €6 at the time of writing) and paddle the short trip to Marmara Beach or the longer trip to Loutro Bay. From Finix Bay I went on some wonderful mountain hikes with breathtaking scenery, the spicy tang of mountain herbs scenting the air. It is advisable to take at least one pair of walking shoes or sturdy sandals for the rocky mountain paths.
If you fancy a change of scene you can visit Loutro (a 20 minute coastal hike or a five minute trip by water taxi) where there are a range of tavernas and three supermarkets. From Loutro you can take day trips on the ferry to places such as Gavdos, Agia Roumelli or Sougia. Day trips or short hops can also be privately arranged through the Old Phoenix Hotel, which has its own boats. I went on a wonderful trip to Gavdos whilst I was there and I found that it was worth paying the extra money to go with a private party rather than going by ferry. The walk from Finix to Loutro is beautiful. I did it many times and it is worth doing at least once. Look out for the ancient Turkish ruins, the whitewashed church with a large spreading tree providing a shady spot to rest and finally the spectacular view of Loutro itself before you descend to the resort. Bring a torch for the occasional power cuts and if you want to walk back from Loutro at night-time. It is magical on a full moon when the sea shines silver and the path is lit by moonlight.
The Old Phoenix Hotel is family friendly; it is also suitable for couples and offers a comfortable and relaxed environment for solo travellers. Based on my experience however, solo female travellers may come in for a disproportionate amount of attention and scrutiny, which could be uncomfortable. During my stay there was frequent mention made of the binoculars that are kept in the reception area and are reputedly used by the owners and staff to watch individuals (topless bathers take note) as well as to watch what is going on around the area. The Athitakis brothers could be considered taciturn, in my view they are very much a product of their environment. However I found that when I took the time to talk to them, they could be charming and humorous.
The Old Phoenix Hotel is popular and is often fully booked, particularly during the high season. It is advisable therefore to book well in advance of your stay. Adjacent to the hotel there are some very nice rooms owned by the daughter of the Athitakis family and her husband Iosif, which are worth trying if you cannot get into the main hotel. Contact Iosif on manousosdakisfinikas@gmail.com
Getting to The Old Phoenix Hotel, Finix Bay is not as difficult as it seems, given its remote location. You can get a bus from Chania to Chora Sfakion, the small ferry terminal that serves the area. The buses are quite regular, the last bus from Chania to Chora Sfakion at high season leaves at 16.00hrs and the bus journey from Chania to Chora Sfakion takes one and a half hours. From Chora Sfakion you will need to take a ferry to Loutro (a 20 minute journey) where the hotel will pick you up and transfer you by boat. I traveled from Loutro to Finix Bay and I found the transfer to the hotel easy and hassle free.
In summary the Old Phoenix Hotel, Finix Bay is a unique place that exudes peace and tranquility, most of the time. The Old Phoenix Hotel offers excellent value for money. It is rare to find a small hotel in such a beautiful setting that is accessible to ordinary people rather than exclusively for the super rich. At the Old Phoenix Hotel you feel like a houseguest, you can relax, eat and sleep well to the gentle lapping of the waves of the Libyan sea and a cooling breeze. Once there it is hard to leave.
Read more
Date of stay: August 2015
Value
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled solo
Room Tip:The rooms on the top floor have the best views and the corner rooms offer the most privacy.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We booked to stay at the Old Phoenix because of reading good reviews online, but I now wonder if these were out of date. We were so unhappy there we cut our trip short. I have never felt so unwelcome at a hotel.
The location is stunning; the Phoenix seems to have built its success from attracting families who want a safe self contained holiday location for their kids; the position of the place is perfect for this, with a safe secluded bay and a hotel complex small enough to feel intimate but large enough to be exciting for children to explore.
However, after only a day or two, it became apparent that the service was not just indifferent but downright hostile. We spent several days wondering what we had done to offend the staff, then gave up and just left.
Two examples. I noticed the balconies to the left and right of me had washing lines so I went to reception to ask for one. The receptionist studiously ignored me as I stood there for a minute or so. So I politely asked about getting a line. The reply I got was, "I am busy. I am adding up bills. I am doing a job. Were I to get up and get you a washing line right now, I would not be doing my job" etc etc. The outburst was so unexpected, it took my breath away and I tried to laugh it off with my partner, but this actually set the tone of all our interactions. One morning, I asked if I could have some jam with my egg and toast. Waiter: "No, you order egg and toast. No jam with egg and toast. Either egg or jam." When I persisted that I only wanted a single sachet of jam, he harrumphed and disappeared, I could hear shouting in the kitchen, then 15 mins later, when I had finished my breakfast, I got my sachet of jam.
This was the tone of most of our interactions with waiters and hotel staff. We would be ignored when we went down to eat; we would be told breakfast was over, there was nothing left for us, when we were well within the breakfast times. We wondered if the bad service was because you don't pay for your food per meal but on a tab, therefore the waiters perhaps have no motivation to serve you well, as they don't get tipped per transaction. But when we looked to the right and left of us, the staff didn't seem to be treating other guests this way.
The food was poor quality with most of the menu items unavailable anyway; the kitchen didn’t seem to prepare good old fashioned Greek food, just microwaved Euro-grub. The odd Greek dish we did order was of appalling quality.
A sign on the pebbly beach informed us that guests would be charged for loungers etc. I thought perhaps this referred to visitors and queried it (as there was no other way on could sit on the beach). But no, this “Of course!” referred to hotel guests. I thought this was mean-spirited as there was no alternative way to sit down on the beach, and really this should be included.
After a few days of these interactions, we were miserable. We started escaping for dinner over the hill to a taverna in a neighbouring bay, Likkos, and the contrast was incredible; a warm, welcoming family who cooked amazing Greek food and didn’t seem to loathe us!
We nervously approached the Phoenix staff to say we wanted to leave early; it transpired they had got our booking wrong anyway so we were able to move to Likkos without any confrontation. The last few days of our holiday were utter bliss and I am only sorry we put up with our treatment for so long.
I have never bothered to post on TripAdvisor before, but the contrast between what I’d heard about this place and the miserable time we experienced, convinced me I should warn others! I don’t doubt that there will be other posters who have had a positive experience at the Phoenix, and those who think that we somehow provoked our bad treatment or have exaggerated. All I can say is, we seemed to be singled out, with no provocation, for exceptionally surly and unhelpful treatment by the staff. Why? Neither of us are imperious or demanding; we have experienced Greek hospitality and know the pace of life is slower there, so we certainly weren't snapping our fingers and demanding instant action.
Lastly, I am white and my partner is Asian. I have no concrete proof the staff were hostile to us simply because of that, but we were so mystified by our treatment that we were left contemplating this unpleasant possibility.
Read more
Date of stay: September 2009
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We actually stayed in Crete in August 2009 but when I tried to write a review the hotel was not recognised by trip advisor, I have waited a long time to write this!! I read a review about another customer who also received extremely bad treatment at this hotel.
We booked for three nights at the Old Phoenix about 5 months before we were due to go to Crete. We had a holiday villa in Reythemnon, shared with parents and this was our chance to get away from the kids for a couple of nights, so we were looking forward to it.
From the outset we were met with total hostility. We tried to check in (around 2pm) and stood in reception (which was so dirty and untidy I was having serious doubts about the hotel) for about 10 mins hoping someone would help us. The restaurant was packed that day and waiters were running everywhere. At last, when someone came to us we were told to go away and come back at 6pm when our room would be ready!
We asked to see the manager who came to see us after about 10 mins. Bearing in mind the manager was working in the kitchen at this time which was open to the reception, so he saw everything that was going on. I have never, in all of my life, met such a rude person and after spending 20 years as cabin crew I have come across quite a few rude people in my time. He came up to us and said "What do you want". We told him that we were not happy with the arrangements and then he told us there was someone in our room and they would not leave until 6pm so the room would be ready about 8pm as they had to clean it! He then shouted at us "what do you expect me to do, throw them out of their room now?" We asked if there were any other rooms available and he sent us to the "sister" hotel which was across their shingle beach.
Once again we were met with total hostility from the younger members of the family who were probably annoyed at having their peaceful "sit about and do nothing" rest disturbed. We asked them if we could have the room and then move back into the main building at 8pm to our original room. We were told in no uncertain terms that this would not be possible and it was that room or nothing.
Guess what option we took? Yes, the nothing option. We hot-footed it back to Porto Loutro and after asking in a couple of hotels found a fabulous little room in a place called Pavlos with a view to die for. Mr Pavlos (who looks like Captain Birds Eye) couldn't have been nicer and we were treated with the infamous Cretan hospitality that unfortunately, the Old Phoenix is missing.
I will never recommend this hotel to anyone which is a pity as their website looks good and the pictures are exactly what it looks like but unfortunately the service does not match up.
Read more
Date of stay: August 2010
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We rented a brilliant villa on a hill top on the North of the Island, remote, outstanding views, brilliant sunsets. Sea to the front, snow topped mountains to the back, everything we had at home, TV, WiFi, good kitchen and a perfect pool. I’m not going to review this villa as it’s already hard to secure due to it’s ability to make people who have stumbled upon it to want to keep returning! If it was for sale I would have bought it and retired there already;). However we took the kids with us 18 & 21 and the future son in law. We (wife and I) wanted to do the middle age things as well as the nights out, brilliant beeches, boat trips and go carts etc.. So we decided to have two days on our own and left the "kids" at the villa and drove down to the South coast having read a small review of the "Phoenix Hotel" in a Sunday paper a few years ago. All info on this little gem advised to take the ferry and then a water taxi. Being children of the 60's ourselves we did some research and having already planned a trail bike trip to follow the “I’ll met by moonlight” escape route I had a very nice free app ViewRanger.
This allowed me to use the built in GPS and the app as a satnav without any need for mobile data or the charges. I can also download the free open source maps from the free my Viewranger web page to the phone memory. Also save to the memory detailed satellite imagery that also works with the gps (Stays in memory for 90 days).
So after confirming that the hotel was a locals secret get away with the manager of our excellent car hire office (Mirka at Enterprise Chania) we planned a route down the side of the mountain that turned into an adventure of its own. Steep gravel/rock lane with multiple switchbacks, sheer drops, no guard rails and the occasional fresh landslide house size boulder. We had checked the sat imagery and saw what looked like a car next to a building near to the hotel.
We rang and booked two nights and set off early the following morning. Crete is a brilliant place to drive, quiet roads, breath-taking views and every local you meet (when they know you are English) is friendly and helpful ..oh what a contrast to the UK!
The old village by the gorge at Aradainia is worth a stop and cool down with a large glass of ice cold freshly squeezed orange juice. Then back to the previous junction and the road/track to Livaniana where it gets very interesting. A satnav enabled phone, with off line maps & car charger with a back up paper map is a must as there is often no mobile service in this area and the roads/tracks are not signposted all year round. Take a camera for the views and let someone reliable know where you are going and when you are expected back. When you reach the Old Phoenix call/skype using the wifi there to confirm your arrival and trip back up the “road” when you leave. We didn’t see anyone else at all on the roadand tracks there or back.
So our child reverting clif track adventure over, time to let go of that tight grip you had on the seat and grab handles in the car and you can better appreciate the view. Outstanding, brilliant, memorable.
The Old Phoenix Hotel in Phinix Bay on the South Coast of Crete near to Loutro, usually only reached by ferry boat from Chora Sfakion (Hora Sfakion) to Lutro then water taxi direct to the hotel.
On arrival you quickly confirm what you saw on the web site. Utterly jaw dropping bay views from a well run hotel that is in a time bubble stuck in the 1970’s. No rush, nothing to grate your senses but a relaxed calm that envelops you and drags you into a happy and contented go with the flow relaxing and soothing escape from the modern world of today.
Even before we started to plan the trip I had already picked out two books to take with me.
I started to loose track of what day it was, nothing to worry about. If there was a landslide that blocked to road for a month I’d be happy.
We had a top floor twin bed room. Again think 1970’s with aircon, a standard shower, loo, basin, a Greek “wet room” with the only annoying this about them , the waist high shower bracket miraculously fixed with a second higher up.. I was a happy man.
Then.. the bed room was nice and cool without the aircon, there was a pair of shutters and a pair of “French doors” to our own balcony with unobstructed views out across the deep blue and turquoise bay. Wifey dumped her bags and was off like a shot with the camera for a walk along the coastal path. I dropped onto the bed and opened my first book..chapter one, faint sound of lapping of water on the beech, cool breeze through the open French doors, perfectly serine.. and by about page .. I was asleep..
Wifey retuned, very happy and chatty..quick shower and down for a late afternoon meal. Totally relaxed sea view table in the shade with cool breeze.. Waiters were very good, menu choice was perfect and we knew immediately what we wanted. Wine was intoxicating, food plate licked clean, and having a very nice surprise at how reasonable the cost was I remembered a mention of an old castle at the top of the hill separating Phinix bay from Luturo and the romantic sun sets. Well the litre of wine had obviously crept up on me by then and off we went up the hill that turned out to be in your face goat path steep as we chased the setting sun to watch the sunset by the Castle. Well worth the climb both for the romantic gesture and simply because it’s totally quiet, no one else about and stand still and stare beautiful , but that might have been the wine and the steep climb. Anyway brownie points earned with wifey.
Next day was very well balanced breakfast, a lot of coffe and orange juice then flopping on the beach with the book.. and dam it, there must be something about this place as after just a few pages I had dozed off again being totally relaxed on the shaded beech. Nothing for it then and I put on the mask, snorkel and flippers and went for a face down bum in the air flop about the bay in the hope that the sea swim would wake me up. I was enjoying it too much to doze off.. probably good job when in the open sea and did a lap of the bay, enough wildlife to keep me excited and recovering some interesting stones and sea worn glass from the sea bed. No gold or lost treasure sadly as I might not be writing this having put down a long tenure stay deposit on a room at the Old Phoenix. I could have written my own book..if I could stop getting totally relaxed..
What can I say now I’ve been back in the UK for almost a year? What would I describe that would help you make up your mind about this place?
Well the visit last year was so utterly captivating, so relaxing and so like all those things you did as a child so many years ago that you spend so much time reminiscing of, that stick in your mind and you wish still existed, that when we were discussing what to do this year immediately decided to make the most of it and we are going back again to Crete and will spend more time at the Old Phoenix again this year, picked up the phone and booked the same room before we even looked for a flight!
Caution: This is Greece, This is Crete, This is a 1970’s time bubble hotel. Don’t expect it to be modern 5* or to serve fine wines and Michelin * food or have superfast broadband and hi def TV’s or a copy of the Times ironed for you each morning. Expect it to be surprisingly reasonable value, relaxed, quaint, simple with a quiet relaxed atmosphere in beautiful views, belly slapping food, gulpable booze and wobble to your room quietly to snore it off contentment. Forget the world and arrive in old Crete.
Read more
Date of stay: June 2015
Value
Rooms
Service
Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:Book or reserve early, keep trying if phone unavailabe or not answered, check web site
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
There are more places to choose from in the Loutro area.
LOCATION
GreeceCreteChania PrefectureLoutro
NUMBER OF ROOMS
28
Prices are provided by our partners, and reflect nightly room rates, including all taxes and fees known to our partners. Please see our partners for more details.
Is This Your Tripadvisor Listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
