On The Rocks Hotel, Palaiochora, Crete

Review Rating: 4/5

Date of Visit: July 2021

We visited Crete in early July 2021, spending 9 nights in Palaiochora at On the Rocks Hotel.

I was travelling with my parents, who’ve visited Palaiochora several times and know the area well. We chose this hotel based partly on price (€72 per night (high season), including breakfast) and location. We wanted somewhere quiet, but still within easy walking distance of tavernas and not too far from the main town beach.

Due to the ongoing travel restrictions caused by Covid-19, the hotel wasn’t very busy for our entire stay – there seemed only to be two or three other sets of guests – so it was hard to compare against more normal times. That said, the service was always excellent. Breakfast was a reasonable selection of cold and hot items, plus tea, coffee, juice and water.

The rooms are a reasonable size, neither massive nor tiny, likewise the bathrooms are functional rather than luxurious. My room seemed to have rather noisy air conditioning that was prone to loud clicks and whirrs at random intervals during the night – I had intended to mention it to the staff but it never got so bad as to seem worth bringing it up. My parent’s room didn’t have this issue so I assume it was just a partly faulty unit.

In terms of cost, it was a more expensive hotel than I’ve been in elsewhere in Greece for a similar standard. I haven’t given 5 stars because it seems a touch expensive for what is neither a luxury or budget hotel. Those looking to be nearer the beach would do better choosing a hotel on the western side, but even so, it’s only a 15-minute walk from here.