Hotel Malia Beach

The hotel is in a great location. Right next to the party street - perfect for young people. It is 5 minutes from the shopping area as well as a variety of bars and restaurants (and even a McDonalds). The public buses to Heraklion and Agios Nikolaos are about 15 minutes away.
The hotel area is characterized by lots of palm trees and a bit of architecture. The building is made from cement slabs. The pools consist of a salt water pool directly in front of the beach and a swimming pool in the middle of the complex. They are cleaned and are in good condition.
The beach consisted of fine sand, but typically, for a tourist beach, one expects something dirty with hardly any shells. The sea is clear, but there was a reef directly in front of the hotel with many sea creatures, what made it impossible swim directly in front of the complex. For this, you need swim about 30m into the ocean. The room we had a sea view over the roof of the reception and the restaurant. It was small, but everything that we needed was available and in good condition (small TV, good adjustable air conditioning, spacious closets, balcony with a plastic table & chairs). The double bed consisted of two singles pushed together- not ideal for couples.
The restaurant was large and had a terrace with views of the pool and the sea, but the choice and quality of the food left a lot to be desired! It was nearly always cold and whoever is used to good food, prepare for your stomach to turn.
The servers were always friendly, but for the most gastronomically technical things, they were not able enough. We were never asked and we had a long wait to order things in the bar, although there was no queue, and if you wanted to order a soda, they gave still water. In general, the waiting staff seemed very rushed in relation to the amount of work that they actually had (Remark: we work in the food industry). Please note: for alcoholic drinks at the bar, apart from brandy, beer and raki, you had to pay extra. Cocktails, for example, cost €8.
Nearly all of the staff at the reception had good foreign language skills, but the staff were not very friendly. If you complained, they would not act on it. It seemed like the staff just wanted to make their customers unhappy.
The leisure facilities at the hotel itself were poor. The internet corner was out of service all week, and when we asked why at the reception, they just said that they couldn't do anything and that we should wait and see tomorrow. Apparently there was WIFI, but we could not access it with an Iphone. Of course, as described on the website, there was also a minigolf course- but only with nine holes- a small tennis court and a volleyball court.
The recreation activities offered by our tour operator, however, were varied, but you also had to pay extra. There were possibilities for city breaks to Heraklion and Chania, excursions to the islands of Spinalonga, Santorini and Chrissi, to Knossos and many more. Furthermore, you could also visit the Aqua Plus water park near Hersonissos (ideal for children from age 7+). Another possibility would be a jeep tour to the southern side of Crete.
All in all, we made the most of our holiday and really enjoyed it, despite all of the negatives mentioned. However, for the money that we paid, the hotel seems unreasonable in terms of value for money!