Ibiscos Garden Hotel

We have just returned from a wonderful stay at Ibiscos Garden hotel. We stayed in a one bedroomed apartment so we had plenty of space for the two of us. Comfortable beds, room was immaculate, and small touches that make a difference, soap dispensers by bathroom washbasin and kitchen sink, shampoo dispenser in the shower, washing up sponge in the kitchen. WiFi was good throughout our stay. There are three pools, two main ones and a dedicated children's pool. We only used the Palm pool which was lovely, not too cold, and always had a plentiful supply of sunbeds even in the middle of the day. The breakfast was amazing, one of the best at all the hotels we've been to. Hot items such as bacon, eggs, etc, warm croissants and other pastries, cereals, cake, great selection of fresh fruit, cooked meats, cheese, lots of bread choices, dried fruits, nuts, fresh oranges to squeeze for juice, hotplate to make your own pancakes from the supplied mixture (a highlight with me). There was also a gluten free section of various items. I gave really missed the delicious breakfasts since I came home. Location is good, literally about a 3 minte walk to the beach, or 5 minutes if you prefer a quieter spot away from the hundreds of sunbeds. We found a quiet area between two sunbed areas, there was only us and a couple of other people there. The sea is beautiful, clean and warm, although on a couple of days there were some huge waves and there class a red flag one day restricting access. There are numerous bars and restaurants within a couple of minutes walk, and many more all along the seafront towards and beyond the harbour and the old town. There's so much to see within a short walk, the harbour, the beautiful old town, the venetian fortezza. We had a wonderful week's holiday in this beautiful city and fantastic hotel. The only very small criticism is that there weren't many electrical sockets, none by the beds, in fact only one in the bedroom. When we wanted to plug in the kettle the only socket near the kitchen area meant the lead hung down across the front of the sink, this would have been dangerous with young children. However this didn't detract from our enjoyment, we had a perfect stay and would wholeheartedly recommend Ibiscos Garden.

This is our second stay at Ibiscos Garden Hotel and I cannot recommend it highly enough for families seeking a relaxing family oriented self-catering retreat. From the moment we booked, the communication was outstanding. The staff promptly responded to our emails, providing all the information we needed ahead of our trip. Upon arrival, we were delighted by the cleanliness of our rooms. Everything was spotless and well-maintained, making it a comfortable and inviting space for our family. The location of our room was perfect, just a short walk from our relatives, which made our stay even more enjoyable. As well as the multiple pools Ibiscos has an indoor play area and outdoor play area for children for cloudy times which were useful as we travelled outside high season. Also it’s proximity to Rethymno was another fantastic aspect. We were able to enjoy the charm and beauty of the town with ease, exploring its historic sites, lovely beaches, and vibrant local culture. The staff at Ibiscos truly went above and beyond to make our stay memorable. When our child's toy broke, they promptly helped fix it, much to our little one's delight. Additionally, we had the unique experience of viewing the kittens the hotel was looking after, which was a highlight for our children. Ibiscos provides a wonderful alternative to the busy, sprawling all-inclusive resorts, with an authentic Greek feel and family-friendly environment. We highly recommend Ibiscos to any families looking for a self-catering holiday destination.

Had a nice family vacation there on May 2024. We have a big family but that was not a problem, because we got two rooms. The rooms were clean and good view from balcony. Hotel staff was nice and helpful. Children liked hotel’s free kids playroom and pools. Food in the hotel’s restaurant was delicious - especially Pita Gyros! There was also a little shop, where you could buy breakfast, drinks and snacks. On the other hand, if you prefer to eat or walk daily in the Old Town with little kids, I would recommend to get another hotel near the city centre.

One of the best apartments we have stayed in. Staff were so friendly and helpful. Food, pool and supermarket was amazing. Apartment was very clean and spacious with 2 balcony. We will definitely be going again.

Such a friendly hotel! We booked a last minute holiday for our family of 4. Our children are 9 and 11. It was the last week of their season so quiet but that was ok for us as we used the hotel as a base to explore some of the island . Entertainment at the start of our stay was good. A singer/ guitar player and a magician. We had breakfast one morning and it was lovely. Pancakes and freshly squeezed orange a hit with the kids. The hotel was very accommodating when we needed an extra bed in our room as our daughter preferred being next to us than on a bunk bed. They also sent me back an item we had left in the room on our departure. They went above and beyond and even sent us a picture of the hotels cat and two kittens! Would definitely return to the hotel and area. Old town was wonderful but stay clear of some of the harbour restaurants which are very expensive. More atmosphere in the old town tavernas. We love Crete and this hotel again showed the warmth of the Cretan people. Enjoy your rest and have a great season in 2024. Yamas!

Where do i start, we booked a room with a pool view only to find blocked out by bushes, so we requested a room move and this was done within 10 minutes and we were moved to a lovely room and we could also see the sea.Tassos the General Manager and his Staff were very friendly and helpful. We had a very unfortunate evening when at 4am in the morning we were awoken by a women standing in the doorway after being given the wrong key. Again, Tassos and reception couldn't be more apologetic, and we were given free dinner and drinks, which compensated for the shock we had. Greek night was amazing and very entertaining. The food n the restaurant was really good and value for money. A great position close to the beach. Recommend the Ambrosia Restaurant on the front by the beach and Cul De Sac in the old town. Plenty of sunbeds available and the beach ones were free in certain areas. The only downside is the 90 minute coach journey from the airport. Overall a fantastic week, great staff and spotlessly clean.

The hotel is well situated, close to shops and restaurants. It is clean, well kept and the food was amazing. But the staff were the jewel in the crown, always welcomed with a Kalimera and a smile. We will definitely be coming back. There is a well stocked shop onsite. We were in a studio and had everything we needed - the kitchen area was well supplied, with a hob to cook on, kettle, coffee machine and a fridge. The beds were very comfy and good quality pillows. The room was cleaned on a daily basis, along with clean towels and beds made. The air conditioning was a life safer. We didn’t not use the safe that is in the room. For me the hotel was just amazing and a perfect holiday.

Stayed here for a week at the end of august with my 3 children (aged 3, 4 and 10). Having booked fairly last minute and having never been to Crete before I didn’t know what to expect really but booked this hotel based upon other reviews. Food: we stayed self catering having several breakfasts and meals at the hotel. For my children I didn’t find the breakfast to be of good value as they only wanted cereal so I bought a box for the room and fed them before getting my own, for me the breakfast was plentiful and delicious. The eggs were always cooked to perfection and the Greek yoghurt was divine! Meals at the hotel restaurant were such good value and really tasty (especially the Moussaka). The restaurant staff were always very accommodating and would bring out plates of olives & tzatziki before our meal and ouzo after which was always a treat. Room: Our studio was kept spotless by the housekeeping team throughout our stay. The aircon worked really well, we didn’t need this on overnight and the beds were the comfiest I have ever slept in. Although partially facing a main road with the balcony door shut there was no traffic noise at all. Pools: we used the jasmine & octopus pool throughout our stay, my children loved these pools, playing for hours, they were kept clean and the sun beds were plentiful and we always got a decent spot around both pools. Entertainment: there wasn’t a large entertainment programme however this isn’t important to my family. My children really enjoyed the magic show & Greek dancing night. A mini disco would have been nice for the younger ones but again not a huge issue for my family. We enjoyed the children’s cooking lesson where the children made a delicious greek salad. Area: we often walked along the sea front into the harbour area. Eating out there isn’t worth it, restaurants are packed and over priced for the quality of food. There are much better restaurants located near the hotel. We didn’t get a taxi so can’t comment on that. The land train was a sweet way to see the city without my children getting bored. The sea was very choppy 5 days out of 6 being a red flag, we got one afternoon at the beach, my children found the choppiness and the shingle sea entrance quite stressful so we didn’t stay for long. It would be fine for teenagers. Amenities: the little onsite shop was so handy and we were always served with a smile. Yes there are supermarkets within a 5 minute walk that are much cheaper however for me and my family the little shop was fine and we didn’t mind the prices as the service was great and it was so convenient not leaving the complex. My children enjoyed the soft play area however this is dated and not the cleanest. All of the toilets within the hotel are kept immaculately clean at all times, the best I’ve ever seen.

We stayed at Ibiscos Garden Hotel for 2 weeks in August. Stayed as a family of 4, 2 adults and 2 young children but as a wider group of 9 over the 2 weeks. Overall we really enjoyed our stay at the hotel and would definitely stay here again if we ever returned to Rethymno. Location The hotel is located 5 minutes from the beach and around 20 minutes from the Old Town and Harbour. It took us around 1 hour 20 transfer from Chania airport with TUI. There are plenty of bars and restaurants within a 10 minute walk of the hotel and there are a mix of bars, restaurants and shops on the way to the old town. Make sure you check out Barrio cafe 10 mins walk up the road. Room We stayed in room 511 which was a 1 bedroom apartment, our view looked onto the side road alongside the hotel and across out the another apartment block. The room was well equipped with everything you would need, with bunk beds for the kids. Air con was included and worked very well, safe was a reasonable price for our stay. We did find that some of our larger group were also in a 1 bedroom apartment in a different block (Room 725) and their room was considerably bigger than ours and had a much better view although our room was more than adequate it might be worth asking ahead if you have a preferred view etc. Cleanliness The hotel was very clean. Pools were all clean, rooms cleaned daily if required. Great work from the housekeeping team. Pools There were different pools around the hotel. We didn’t use the main one near the main bar as this was a bit busy during our stay but we never had any problem getting beds around either the jasmine pool or the kids pool, plenty of beds available at all times and quite a few occasions where we had the kids pool to ourselves, the kids loved this with the slides. Food We didn’t eat in at the hotel in the evening but we did eat during the day at both the main restaurant and the snack bar. Food was good in both but we preferred the snack bar, the same meals just seemed more fresh and it was a bit quicker in terms of service. On-site shop is open until 8:30 and has everything you need at a slightly higher cost than the big supermarket 2 minutes down the road. Highlights - Great location, best of both. Close enough for a stroll into the old town but far enough away to be a bit quieter if you wanted it. - Pools, we spent many days around the pool - Snack bar - Guided walking tour on Tuesdays from the hotel. Cannot recommend this enough, spent the whole day walking around the area, being given lots of information about the area. We stopped at the monastery which had great views before then stopping for lunch again with great views. Well worthwhile, it is a lot of walking but something a bit different. - Strong wifi throughout Could be better - happy hour. It’s 50% off alcoholic drinks and children’s cocktails between 6-7 which on the face of it is a great deal and the only time the bar was busy. However it is quite chaotic. On most nights when we