Sitia Beach City Resort & Spa

We stayed here for 3 nights after serving as guides in other parts of Crete for 12 days. This was supposed to be our post work relaxation. The drive to Sitia from Heraklion is uneventful and not difficult albeit narrower and windier roads when nearer Sitia. It is a very nice small city. The hotel is at the far end of the beach area that is down from the town. It would be the southeastern edge of the town. There is ample parking which is a big plus as parking with many smaller hotels closer to the town is limited. The check-in process was easy and they had a room for us a bit earlier than the check-im time, which was very nice. The room is small but not less than typical Greek standard. We had a nice balcony overlooking the ocean to our left and the hotel structure to our right. The view isn’t bad at all. The balcony also has racks for hanging clothes to dry. The bed was comfortable but storage is quite limited due to the small size of the room. We made it work. The decor and furniture is on the old and outdated side. The bathroom is very small and a bit tight to get in and out of the shower. I would say the cleanliness if at the B level which means ok but not top notch. The hallway out of the room is semi outdoors. The lifts are good and the stairs are wide and well equipped with rails. The public areas and bar areas are good. I get the sense that many guests here are for the beach and don’t leave. They have an all-inclusive package with food and drinks. The breakfast area is huge and quite crowded even though we were there in October. The guests seem frantic and not always courteous. There is an unpleasant atmosphere of fighting to get everything. There is always a line to the espresso and cappuccino machine which do make passable coffees. I do dislike the crowdedness and the intense atmosphere for breakfast. There is nothing idyllic about it. The restaurant offered ala carte service but only with a three-day ahead reservation. It is in the same space as their nightly theme buffet (which I think will be dreadful). Strange that such a kitchen cannot offer nightly ala carte menu. Again, I think most of the guests just eat whatever is in the buffet. We didn’t try it as my buffet experience at resort hotels in Greece has not been good. This hotel is primarily occupied by German and French tourists. I saw not a single American. Perhaps Sitia is too far off the beaten track as we saw virtually no Americans elsewhere in the region of eastern Crete. The hotel is only 5-10 minted from the center of the city with many great dining options. I would certainly recommend that. If you have a car, I would recommend visiting Toplou Monastery, a couple of archeological sites and the Vai Palm Forest.

A lovely hotel, nice amenities and location. We went there in Oct 2024. The food had a nice variety and the hotel was clean and professional. Would definitely recommend. Sitia is a very quiet place, and it is a long drive from Heraklion airport (we hired a car, we had quotes for €250 per way just to get to the hotel!)