Sentido Amounda Bay

Our holiday in Crete was absolutely unforgettable, and staying at the Amounda Bay Hotel made it truly exceptional. From the moment we arrived, we were welcomed with warmth and genuine hospitality. The hotel itself is beautifully maintained, offering stunning views, comfortable rooms, and a relaxed, tranquil atmosphere perfect for a rejuvenating escape. One of the true highlights of our stay was the incredible service we received, especially from Nicos, the bartender. Nicos brought so much energy and joy to our evenings. He’s not only a master of cocktails but also a master of creating a welcoming, friendly vibe. Every drink came with a smile, great conversation, and often a bit of local wisdom or a funny story. His attention to detail, passion for his craft, and ability to make every guest feel special made our nights at the bar some of our favourite moments of the trip.

I travelled to this hotel with my sister for a week’s holiday on 3rd May 2025. Positive- Pool areas lovely, clean, loads of beds available Lovely clean and tidy areas to sit, relax and enjoy Room - really lovely two level maisonette with private pool. Food - good variety and the many different types of salads was especially welcome. Evening Entertainment - good singers and musicians, especially the electric guitarist- absolutely amazing! Staff - some staff were lovely, friendly and seemed like they genuinely cared about making our stay enjoyable. Negative- Room not cleaned properly- when we pulled suitcases out from their storage area they were covered in dust. One day we didn’t put the make up room sign on until later in the day - we didn’t mind not having the room cleaned that day but the housekeeper could’ve left some clean towels and a bottle of water at the very least. We booked a maisonette with a private pool, this was on two levels and really lovely, however the pool was icy cold and too cold to get in for the whole of our stay, so we felt this was rather a waste of money. Although the food was good, more often than not it was luke warm and sometimes cold. Some staff in the restaurant and other areas were unfriendly and didn’t even offer a smile! Tables were often not relaid quickly enough during busy times in the restaurant meaning you had to wander around looking for a clean table and then make it up yourself! The snacks that we stumbled upon were not good or the type of standard you expect in a 4* resort. All inclusive finished at 11pm, this is too early, on several occasions we would have liked to have continued our evening after this time but refuse to pay for drinks when we have paid for ‘All inclusive’. Unfortunately after reading the positive reviews about this hotel before we went we were expecting more. Between us, we have both worked in hospitality and customer service for many years and therefore appreciate that there’s no pleasing everyone, however a smile and a friendly welcome goes a long way.

Hotel Amounda review Just spent a wonderful 10 days here at this lovely hotel. The grounds are lovely and kept very clean and tidy. Our room was small and had little storage space, but was very comfortable, clean and modern, felt very new. Would recommend bringing travel coat hangers with you. Bathroom is very small (when sitting on the loo you’ll have one foot in the shower and the space between sink and loo is very tight. No mirror in the bedroom but there were USB charger ports next to the bed which was handy. The vibe of the place is relaxed and quiet which was perfect for us as we are 2 friends who wanted to get away for a rest. Food is lovely in the main restaurant. Lots of green food very tasty. Probably the best all inclusive food we’ve had anywhere we’ve been before. I like a hot milk oat pate and restaurant staff were so helpful and warmed it up for me in the kitchen. Special thank you to Valia for looking after me every day. Entertainment wasn’t great but we knew that before we came and hadn’t done for that so it was fine. Not loads of cocktails in the all inclusive menu but you could purchase others for around €8. Staff are very friendly and so helpful when you have a query. You can get pool towels from reception (€10 per towel deposit) and change as regularly as you want to. 3 lovely pools- never had a problem getting sun loungers e en at 10am.We preferred the quiet pool - sun-loungers are the older style there (new comfy beds round the other 2 pools) but they were fine and we preferred the quiet there. Water is very cold (but ok once you’re in) so if you have babies you might want to bring a small inflatable pool to use with warmer water depending on the time of year you were coming. WiFi is good in the main. Room cleaned e wry day if you want it with towel changes. We had massages with Eugeine which were amazing. Give your details to reception and they will get the spa to contact you directly or go to the cabana (by the splash oool) when they’re there and there’s a contact sheet outside you can put your details on to make a booking. There is a shop just outside the hotel. If you turn right out of the hotel and walk around 10 mins you’ll find other shops and tavernas. We took a trip to Spinalonga- the former lepper colony. We took the number 1 bus from outside the hotel to Heraklion at 7.15 (20 mins and €2.50) got the 110 bus from the bus station to Agios Nikolaos (just under 2 hours €15) and took a cab to Alounda €16) where we got a boat over. Only had just over an hour there but it was well worth the trip if you’re into your history. Ask at reception the day before for an early breakfast and packed lunch to take with you. Would definitely recommend this hotel if you’re looking for a laid back restful and quiet holiday and would definitely return.