Aquila Porto Rethymno

Beautiful hotel, perfectly located in the very heart of Rethymno, and across the road from the beach. Lively atmosphere, close to all the bars, shops and a historic centre. The hotel is very clean and well maintained. Our only gripe is the cost of drinks at dinner (we went half board) - far too expensive.

Our week at this hotel got off to a frustrating start. Upon arrival, we were told we’d received an upgrade — great, we thought — only to be told it was for one night only. We queried this at check-in but were told there was no alternative. After a long day of travel, we gave in and went to the premium suite. While the room was lovely, we were annoyed — we didn’t want to unpack and repack just to check out and wait around for another room the next day. We raised this with Guest Relations, and to her credit, she followed up later in the evening. But the only option offered was to stay in the suite for an additional €144 per night — which we understandably declined. The next day, we stored our bags and later accessed our new room, which, apart from the view, wasn’t hugely different than the suite. Frankly, the whole situation felt like a clever upsell tactic, rather than a genuine gesture. As for a gesture, showing someone a better room, then taking it away from them doesn’t make sense and inconveniences the start of the holiday. The room we eventually ended up in for the week was fine, it faced another building which didn’t bother us. The room was big enough and clean to a point. The bathroom was dated and well worn. Not unclean but as clean as could be. The shower water pressure is really good and it can be made hot; not that you’ll want that after a day in the cretan heat. We personally didn’t use the pool areas but they are small and congested as other users have stated. What Worked Well: • Rooms were clean (though a bit dated). • Staff were generally friendly and helpful. • Beach access is excellent, and loungers are free (except the first few rows, which are €15/day). • Mini bar was restocked periodically. • Beach towels provided. • Toilets accept paper — which isn’t always the case in Greece. • Drinks service on the beach — though the QR code menu doesn’t show alcoholic options, staff can take those orders directly. Location: Exceptional. You’re just five minutes’ flat walk from the old town and port, with cafés, shops, and restaurants lining the route. The beach is right across the road — calm, clear waters, though with a stone shelf and a drop-off that’s manageable once you know it’s there. There are plenty of nearby options for boat trips, car hire, excursions, and day trips to Santorini or Milos. A bonus: the area is free of aggressive street vendors, making walking around much more pleasant. Food & Drink: The food is of decent quality, though the selection is somewhat limited — likely due to space. You must book dinner slots, but we never had trouble getting a table. Drinks at meals are table-served, so service can be slow. Wine and beer are available, but a self-service option (common in many all-inclusives) would help speed things up. Evening drinks are served via table service at the café near the entertainment space, which again leads to long waits. Allowing bar orders could ease the load on staff and improve the exper

Recently returned from a 10 night stay with my husband and 17 year old son. I chose the hotel based on food reviews and the location and it didn't disappoint. We stayed in one room and booked through TUI. If you want lots of outside space and prefer to sunbathe round a large pool, geared up for children, then you may be disappointed. If you prefer the beach or smaller pool area and want to be near to the Old Town, then this is a great hotel. Location The hotel is situated on a busy coastal road by the sea and a 10/15 minute stroll into the old town passing several bars and restaurants, some of which we ate or had a drink in and they were reasonably priced. The old town is simply stunning and the locals were so friendly. There is a Venetian harbour, lighthouse and fortress all within walking distance. Rethymno also has a little red train which takes you round the old twon and an open top hop on/hop off bus. There are several water sports. Room We didn't pay for a sea view and were in one of the older rooms overlooking the road at the back. This was quiet though and we slept well at night. The room was spotless and cleaned every day. The shower ( over the bath in our room ) was powerful and didn't leak, there was enough storage for the 3 of us ( I asked for a few extra coat hangers and a shower mat as slippy without, which was provided within a few minutes) . The beds were very comfortable and I noticed the hotel app states you can request different types of pillows although we didn't as the ones provided were perfect. The room itself wasn't 5 star but was what I expected given we've stayed in other hotels of the same/similar star rating. Food We always go Half Board which suits us. The dining room has seats inside and by the pool area. We always ate in the dining room as it was cooler with the air conditioning. The dining room was the perfect size for us, not too big and the food was excellent with a great variety. Tuesday night was Greek BBQ night with a range of meats and there were other themed nights. As other reviews state, the drinks were a bit pricey but it is a hotel. A large bottle of water was 5 euros, a soft drink was 4 euros 60 and large beer 7.50 euros. It wasn't much cheaper in the nearby bars. The desserts were also varied and beautiful. The staff were super efficient, polite and welcoming. We really enjoyed meal times which is always our favourite part of a holiday. It was also nice to have tea/coffee served at the table at breakfast rather than queing for the coffee machines. Service / Hotel Staff This deserves a special mention as we couldn't fault it. The shortfalls in sunbeds and space was made up with the hotel service. We received a warm welcome each time we entered the restaurant and shown to a table. The reception staff and of course lovely Eleni ( animation team ) were fantastic and this is what makes a great holiday to us. They genuinely want their guests to have a good time. Eleni ran the activities herself.

I was incredibly disappointed with the quality of the accommodation. I've stayed in 3* accommodation in Greece, which was far better than Aquila Porto. It was such a let down to pay for a 5* hotel, expecting a bit of luxury and ending up with a room that was beyond repair. Take a look at the pictures and make your own mind up. A huge let down! 😞

So its important to note that Im not going to give my thoughts on what I believe the true star rating of the hotel is, you will have to come yourself and check it out. Let's begin. We stayed in side sea view room 332, which was clean, spacious and had comfortable beds and a good shower area. No issues with the room, good amount of space for cloths etc. We arrived after midnight and no issues at check in, given a form to fill out, and told we could do it in our room and bring down next morning. It would've been nice to have been offered small snack etc, however not the case, its the little things! Staff do work incredibly hard, but not enough of them to go around especially in busy periods, this is very evident. Special mention to Maria, who I have to say had exceptional customer service skills. So, let's talk about food. Well in general its ok, I really can't add much more than that. You can always get something. I've read many reviews saying the buffet style is the best that they have had. Well I've had better and also had much worse. In my mind its an adequate all inclusive buffet trying to cater for different nationalities. Drinks, well there is no formal bar area, so manger please take take this advice. Open up the indoor bar area and give people what they want, a proper bar. You have to wait for staff to walk around and take your order, its not always ideal and this is the first all inclusive where guests can't pull a simple beer! Again its the small things. Again manager take note, its a good idea! Drinks are pricey if you're paying for them. You might want to consider the AI option. So the hotel is in the third biggest city, its a city hotel and as such its landlocked, you can't do anything to expand or modify and as such the major compromise is the main pool area. You see the dining room is not big enough to cater for busy periods so the sunbeds have had to go to make way for outdoor dining. In fairness there is about a dozen or so beds round one side. The pool is partially shaded. Then there is a what I would call plunge pool on the mezzanine terrace which has room for maybe 20 parasols and beds. Also some shaded areas. Then they have the indoor spa pool which is very small,so no one ever uses it. The one big plus is over the road you have full access to free hotel beds and there are plenty of them. Then straight down to the sea which has a lovely small gradient to walk out into. Location is also a huge advantage, 15 min walk to old town which is stunningly beautiful. In peak months is very busy. The A la Carte restaurant is superb, stunning food, huge portions, one might argue too much food, but truly world class. Service impeccable. You must visit. So i will conclude, more positives than negatives overall. Had a good holiday. I will be returning to Rethymno again because it is a beautiful resort. Oh one last thing, be careful around the plunge pool, floor is very slippy, go careful.

Brilliant hotel clean if Heineken made hotels this would be one to try the staff are excellent the beach staff are very friendly helpful. The only one bit there is room for improvement is the food. Mainly evening. It would be nice to maybe have a pizza oven or something just to give it some wow factor. Breakfast brilliant though. We were AInclusive so we did go to town a bit every other night..it's not bad just becomes a same thing .