My husband and I have been visiting Plakias for 6 years running, and the last 3 years we stayed in the Alianthos. The first 2 years in the studio apartments which were affordable and adequate, albeit could get a bit noisy depending on time of year visiting. This year we splashed out and stayed in main hotel and whilst this did work out expensive for our budget, it was well worth it. Great room, sea view, different atmosphere. We stayed on B&B basis and had about 4 dinners in hotel as well. Other than our first trip, we have always travelled independently, due to convenience, cost and choice. The hotel have always been very helpful with car hire, taxis, advice, etc. However, a downside of travelling without a package company (eg Olympic) is that you can miss out on getting to know the area, excursions, etc. Because we have been there so many times, this is not a problem for us but for first time visitors you may want to consider a package deal - although it seems only Olympic offer this hotel for travel from the UK. However, you should also bear in mind that because Plakias is located on the other side of the island, package coaches from Heraklion airport can take up to 3 hours for the transfer as they stop off along the way - which is why we prefer the 95 Euros/90 min transfer option instead losing valuable holiday time!
The staff are incredibly friendly and helpful, and its like meeting up with old friends whenever we return - from the helpful manager who stayed up to 2am to meet us on our first visit (and supply two parched travellers with much needed water!), to the restaurant and reception staff and the barman (although he was replaced this year and we missed the previous man, Yannis).
The breakfasts were fine and some days (omelette days!) were better than others, and vegetarians catered sufficiently for. The dinners alternated every night although most food is all pretty similar - whether you eat at hotel or nearby restaurant.
Of the hotel facilities provided (bar, pool, restaurant, etc), one of the most appreciated is the internet lobby and this year (June) it was regularly possible to use one the 4 pc's for research about the area or even check emails. However, on previous visits in July/Aug, the lobby can be taken over by kids sametiming each other and/or certain guests hogging the pcs.
The mix of hotel guests are predominantly German and Dutch, and smaller groups of other Europeans, and in recent years we have seen an increased in English visitors. We prefer this European mix and the staff manage to speak various languages and most of the guests seem to be repeat visitors. Visitors from UK tend to go to the north part of the island.
The village of Plakias caters for all tastes, there are many tavernas/restaurants to choose from (recommended: Mousses, Gorgona) and they are all willing to adapt menus/ dishes if you ask. In peak season (July/Aug), look out for set menus which are good value for money. There are also a number of supermarkets and shops to get your essentials from, however this is a holiday resort and you will have pretty much seen them all after your first night. The villages of Sellia and Myrtos on the hillside nearby also offer superb views and a few more alternatives, albeit they are small villages.
The beach is superb, the further away from town you go the better quality sand and spaced out sunbeds (5 euros for two sunbeds + umbrella, per day). The daily Donut man is still around although his son now sells the donuts on the beach. There are also a few beach bars to get snacks from. It takes no more than about 20mins to walk along the road from Alianthos Hotel to cliff at beach end. That end of the beach is also for naturists. The sea is mostly calm and some days you can float on a lilo in the bay and others you can be jumping into the waves.
There are many excursions you can do - mostly a car-hire or organised trip away, whether the brilliants shops and setting of Chania or the wonderful Palm Beach or Elafonisi.
Plakias ticks so many boxes for us and we will continue returning there year after year, and yes, we will stay at the Alianthios again. We really enjoyed going earlier in the year as opposed to peak time and the weather was slightly more bearable (mid 20s vs mid 30s later on). However, whatever time you go, you will encounter the Meltemi - the wind that comes off the sea - this is a very pleasant wind and really cools you on the beach. However the noise (particularly at night), as it roars up the nearby gorge/canyon can be quite unnerving initially as you expect massive storms or grey skies - but throughout it all, it's blue skies and hot!
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
