Malia Bay Beach Hotel & Bungalows

~ A heartwarming family escape by the sea ~ Even though we only stayed one night at Malia Bay Beach with my family, it completely won our hearts. We were in Heraklion for an archaeological visit, so it was just a quick stop — but everything about the hotel made us wish we had stayed longer. The location is simply beautiful, right by the sea, and the atmosphere is calm and welcoming. The staff were genuinely kind and attentive, making us feel at home from the first moment. Our rooms were spotless, cozy, and ideal for a family stay. It’s rare to feel such a strong connection to a place in just one night, but that’s exactly what happened. You can truly feel that the focus is on the human factor — every effort is made to ensure the guest receives the best possible service. We’ve already planned to return for a full week with whole family even with the kids since this place is going to be adorable for them,too!— we can’t wait to come back and enjoy it all over again.

Room was cozy, we had an upgrade to swimup rooms! That was very nice surprise. Hotel area was really nice and staff was friendly and helpful.

Food was not so good as we expected, but it was still okay. Swimup pool was not so clean.

Superior rooms by pool are the best in this hotel. If I were to come again I will book this room again. But rooms in main building are not so nice and "new". I wouldn't want to spend a day there. All food was brilant without any mistake.

Beach there is big problem. Directly by hotel is entrance to the sea with rock. You must go 100 - 150 m right and there is entrance better even if with rock too somewhere. Manager, maybe owner, is not polite. He not know he must greet to women like first. He not greet even if you greet first him and you look to his eyes directly. But I must say his lower management was very polite and helpful. Drinks in bars was very very sweet without consistent quality. After two days we drank own drinks from supermarket even if drinks in bars was for free.

Very nice food, great staff.

One of the receptionists is pretty unpleasant to talk to and she is not helpful at all. The cleanliness is questionable, kitchen utensils, plates, glasses are not very clean. Room Service doesn’t really clean rooms as well

The food was the only positive aspect of the stay, and it was quite good. The breakfast was varied, lunch could be taken at the restaurant or with snacks available from 11 AM to 5 PM at the pool bar, and dinner offered a diverse menu inspired by different cuisines.

Unfortunately, my experience at the hotel was disappointing from the very start. The rooms were quite different from the ones shown on the website, which was frustrating. The pools were small, and out of the two adult pools, only one was functioning, while the smaller one was closed off. To make things worse, the pool hours were very restrictive, opening only after 9:30 AM and closing as early as 7 PM, which left little time to enjoy them. At the beach, I was surprised to find that the basic set of two chairs and an umbrella was charged separately, which I find absurd, especially given that the beach itself was the worst in the area (within a 500m radius). It was full of rocks, and often, swimming wasn't even possible. Additionally, the lifeguard was unfriendly and rude. The cleanliness was average, both in the rooms and the bars, where I noticed that the glasses were washed by hand. There was no entertainment, and to make matters worse, they blocked off an area around the pool for a private event, making it inaccessible to guests. The loud music from the event continued late into the night, disturbing the overall atmosphere. The hotel is far from the city, but there is a nice sandy beach about 400m away, which does have a lifeguard. In terms of value for money, it was extremely poor. The price was far too high for what was offered.

Stuff was excellent which is what really made a difference. Room with swim up pool is the best option at this property.

The Buffet although offered a big variety with different dishes every day was average. Even though we booked an all inclusive package we ended up going out in local taverns just for a change. Shower needs a thorough cleaning and partly renovating as mildew was present all around the floor and sides.

Food was ok and the staff made an effort. We also liked the ladies at the spa very nice and knowledgeable. The entertainment at the bar in the evening was pleasant. The beds were also good but the rooms were small overall. That’s about all I could say positive about this place.

Bad manners, the staff is clearly not well trained, including those at the restaurant and particularly reception. They always say no or lie to your face and you need to insist to get things done. When we left they did not even say good bye, they were busy with something els but that reflects a general “ I don’t care/ I can’t be bothered attitude “. The pool is horrendous. It’s open only from 10 to 19 and it gets quickly overcrowded. They put a lot of chlorine in it but we could only use it a bit in the morning, we always felt it wasn’t clean enough. The private pool is adjacent to the main pool just narrower and you get access to it from the apartment. I guess it could be worth it. The beach is sandy but can’t go in the water bc of the rocks. Still there are other private and public beaches within 300-500 m away and we ended up going there. There is no AC in any of the common areas and of course it is uncomfortable to eat in the restaurant or socialize at the bar. We really resented this lack of AC most of the days bc of the constant heat. We felt we could not rest well.

Staff were all very friendly. Breakfast was very good - lots to choose from - eggs & various breakfast meats - pancakes, waffles, good breads, butter, jams, lots of fruit, yogurt, coffee was good, assorted teas AND much more. All the meal times were very good - lots of variety and everything was tasty. The pool bar was real nice, with good drinks and tasty snacks. We had an amazing sea view (see the photos) and the room was big enough and comfy. The beach was beautful. The hotel is directly on the beach which makes it simply amazing. Beach chairs and umbrellas on the beach cost 20 € per day for two people.

The only thing that was disappointing was that swimming in the sea was not possible in front of the hotel. It was very windy and the waves and undercurrent made it too dangerous during our stay. (There were signs reading "No Swimming". It's probably not like that all the time, though. Also there is a very nice beach about 500 meters from the hotel.