Ostria Resort & Spa, Crete – Not quite the relaxing getaway we hoped for
Overall: Not bad, but certainly not the best.
We recently stayed at Ostria Resort & Spa in Crete for a holiday as a couple. While there were some positives, unfortunately, several aspects of the resort let our experience down. We made the most of our holiday, but we left feeling that this resort is probably better suited to families than couples looking for a relaxing, romantic getaway.
Check-in
Check-in was straightforward, and the staff kindly took us and our luggage to our room, which was a nice touch. However, we were disappointed to discover at checkout that we owed tourist tax. This had not been explained to us on arrival, so we were surprised to be told that we had an outstanding balance to settle on our departure day. This could easily have been avoided with clearer communication during check-in.
Room and housekeeping
Our room was clean, and the housekeeping team did an excellent job of cleaning it every day. This was one of the consistent positives of our stay, and we appreciated the effort the cleaning staff put in.
Food and buffet
The buffet was disappointing, particularly for vegetarians. There were not enough vegetarian options, and food labelling was unclear, making it difficult to know which dishes were suitable. The salad selection was another letdown, as everything was already mixed together, meaning you couldn’t build your own salad with individual ingredients.
One of the most disappointing evenings was the Thursday gala night. On arrival, reception recommended that we attend, but nobody explained that the normal buffet would be closed and that the gala dinner was effectively compulsory if you wanted a conventional evening meal.
The gala dinner had a set menu with no vegetarian option available to us. Had we known this in advance, we could have requested a suitable alternative beforehand.
Our only realistic alternative that evening was the dessert diner in the main village, where we ordered crêpes. Unfortunately, one of the crêpes we were served contained an extremely long hair. This was incredibly off-putting and completely ruined what was already a disappointing dinner experience.
Better communication about gala night, alongside proper vegetarian catering and clearer food labelling, would make a significant difference.
Pools and sunbeds
We could generally find a sunbed around the pools, which was good. However, finding shade was another matter. The umbrellas were simply not large enough to provide adequate protection from the sun, and there were no genuinely shaded sunbeds available when we wanted them. For a resort in Crete, better shade provision is essential.
All-inclusive drinks and cocktails
The drinks offering was another area where we felt the resort fell short of expectations.
The cocktails appeared to be premixed rather than freshly prepared to order. This meant we couldn’t request specific cocktails or adjustments as we would expect from a proper bar service. We also found many of the cocktails excessively strong, making them difficult to enjoy.
Drinks were not available until 10 am, and despite booking an all-inclusive package, we felt that the selection of drinks included was restrictive.
Another important point for future guests is that all-inclusive drink privileges end at midnight. According to the menu, drinks served between midnight and 1 am are chargeable, so bear this in mind if you are planning a late night.
For a resort advertising an all-inclusive experience, we expected a more flexible drinks service and a clearer explanation of what was and wasn’t included.
Adult-only areas and relaxation
This was probably our biggest frustration as a couple.
Although the resort has adult-only areas, these did not appear to be consistently enforced during our stay. We regularly encountered children in areas where we expected a quieter, adults-only atmosphere.
While relaxing by the pool, we repeatedly had large inflatable pool balls thrown at us and water splashed over us. What made this particularly frustrating was that the parents did not appear to intervene or ask their children to stop.
We completely understand that this is a family resort and that children should be able to enjoy themselves. However, guests who have specifically chosen to relax in adult-only areas should be able to do so without constant interruptions.
If the resort advertises designated adult-only spaces, we feel these should be properly managed and enforced.
Entertainment and atmosphere
The entertainment team seemed very good with the children, but our experience as English-speaking adult guests was less positive.
We felt that the entertainers tended to socialise more with French and German guests and did not make the same effort to engage with us. This was our personal impression throughout the stay, rather than something we can say was intentional.
We also got the impression that the resort caters predominantly to French and German guests, as these were the main languages we heard around the resort. English-speaking guests may therefore find that the atmosphere and entertainment are not always as inclusive as they would hope.
A special mention – Mans
One person who genuinely stood out was Mans, who worked at the pool bar and adult bar.
He was exceptionally friendly, welcoming and funny, and he always had a great attitude whenever we saw him. He made us feel welcome and was a real credit to the resort.
Mans deserves recognition for the excellent service he provided. If management reads these reviews, we hope they pass on our thanks to him. In our opinion, he deserves a pay rise!
Who would we recommend this resort to?
Based on our experience, we think Ostria Resort & Spa would probably be a better choice for families than for couples seeking a peaceful, romantic escape.
Couples who value enforced adult-only areas, a quieter pool environment, freshly prepared cocktails and a more flexible all-inclusive drinks service may want to consider an adults-only resort instead.
We also felt that French and German guests may find the resort’s atmosphere and entertainment particularly familiar, given the languages we heard most frequently during our stay.
Final verdict
Overall, Ostria Resort & Spa was not a terrible resort, but it wasn’t the experience we had hoped for either.
The room was clean, the housekeeping team did a great job, we could usually find a sunbed, and Mans at the bars was fantastic. Those are genuine positives.
However, the limited vegetarian choices, unclear food labelling, disappointing gala-night arrangements, hair in our crêpe, overly strong premixed cocktails, restrictive all-inclusive drinks offering and lack of enforcement in the adult-only areas all detracted from our holiday.
We made the most of our time in Crete, but if we return next year, we will be choosing an adults-only resort.
Ostria has some good points, but in our opinion, there is room for improvement, particularly when it comes to communication, food options, customer service for English-speaking guests and providing the relaxing adults-only experience that couples may expect.
