Stelios Gardens

I have been many time to this lovely family owned small hotel It’s such a lovely place to stay with lovely grounds , beautiful pool , the food is beautiful all home cooked Greek dishes? 5 mins from the beach , very clean rooms , Always have to book early & very popular

I'd read prior reviews about grumpy owner and what with it being end of season, they could certainly use a break themselves but thought with ultimate politeness and a smile, we might have been warmly received, i was wrong on that point. The buildings that have been updated and refurbed looked lovely but unfortunately we were in the old part which while clean, was very basic. We didn't have hot water the first few days, it went from warm to tepid to get out in a minute! After other guests left tho, there was a nice shower to be had. We dined there the first night as it had been a long day and the outside area is gorgeous, its so beautiful to sit by the pool and eat, the gyros we had were lovely and we were very grateful for it, again though, i was made to feel like a pain in the bum for asking to place an order. The common areas of the property are lovely, beautiful gardens with lemons and limes growing from the trees, lovely sun loungers and a gorgeous pool. We went to get away and relax and it’s perfect for that. Its a 2 min walk to the beach which is lovely with lots of activities to be had, it's a 1 minute walk to the shops and restaurants of which many were closed with it being end of season. We did enjoy the great hospitality and food of The Bull restaurant and The Red Lion. A nice base to stay while exploring Malia but i do feel that we weren't particularly welcome or the management need a nice holiday to unwind after what must have been a very busy season.

Stayed 4 nights in the Stelios Gardens, had a couple of friends staying there too but booked my own room. Had a brilliant holiday and Malia is a nice resort. Was going to give the hotel a good 4/5 review but a couple of things let it down. Nice friendly welcome by the entertainments team and man working on reception (the owner's son apparently) who was very helpful. Had to pay for air con which was a surprise as Loveholidays didn't tell me that, and at €34 for 4 nights it's robbery! Air con didn't work first night so the man on reception came round to have a go at fixing it. Couldn't get it working so went without on the first night - very hot in the room but got €9 back. Hotel itself is very good for the price, seems like all rooms have been renovated (basic but passable), the staff are constantly cleaning the place and looking after it. The pool area is immaculate with a nice restaurant/bar area (can't comment on the food as didn't eat there). Unfortunately a couple of things let it down. Firstly, after a few drinks one evening I wanted to sit on my terrace with a friend who wasn't staying there - security said no. Now this really annoyed me as I am 35 and always respectful when I go on holiday. I have paid for my room and I expect to be able to have a quiet drink with a friend at the end of the night (never had this problem anywhere else). But what really annoyed me was when I left the hotel I went to check out and the woman just asked me "what room?" and "have you paid for everything?" No "how was your stay?/did you have a nice holiday?" - Not the sort of rudeness you expect as a paying guest. I feel that as a younger guest at the hotel some of the staff seemed annoyed that I was staying there. I will be back in Malia but next time I will spend a bit more money and stay somewhere with better customer service.