You are 20 minutes from Rethymno, 1 hour from Chania, 1 hour Heraklion, 20 min Arkadi Monastery and 1 hour Preveli beach.

I opted to hire a car from Arkadi car hire on the entrance gate to hotel : long review here : Arkadi Car hire: 
Arkadi car hire 
Hired a Toyota Yaris: excellent car, at an excellent price, much cheaper than Hertz from the hotel Iberostar  Creta Panorama & Mare a few miles from Rethymno.

Visited several villages, pottery and a working monastery which was beautiful.

The little train trip to Margarites Monastery and Melidoni Caves well worth doing, pick up and drop off at hotel.

We also booked on with the on site restaurant (which is included in the all inclusive) and I would rate it an 8/10.

For those on all inclusive or those who wishto pay, there is an evening dining experience at Zorbas which is well worth booking,

Brilliant hotel staff great rooms brill we got upgraded to room with garden view.the food at hotel is some of the best we've had in all inclusive.the animation team are really friendly and do a great job,plenty of pools to choose from six in total so if you don't want main pool

Take plenty of mosquito spray as from personal experience they treated us like an all inclusive buffet!

We were all inclusive and there was a huge selection in food, the main buffet area included: traditional Greek foods, pasta and pizza, chips, fish, meats, soups & salads with also a wide variety for breakfast and lunch.

Food choice was very good, as with most all-inclusive hotels, there was a pizza/ pasta section, salad bar, vegetarian options, and even a section specific to more local quisine.

Food was great with BBQ nights and a la carte thrown in all in the all inclusive.

If you want gourmet a la carte don’t stay AI.

The animation team worked tirelessly as they do in any all inclusive hotel I have experienced.

Bars:
Each pool has its own bar, all staff lovely and polite, you can get a cocktail of the day on all inclusive which changes each day, beer on tap, wine and usual spirits.

Because of its remote location there is nowhere that is walkable distance which is fine if you are all inclusive.

It’s definitely one of the better AI hotels we’ve been to

very good and varied meals and a very rich all inclusive option.

Overall we had a really enjoyable all inclusive holiday and would recommend, the rooms were clean and spacious, the complex was large, the pools and coves were lovely, the staff were great, the buffet food was enjoyable and varied from day to day, there were things for everyone to do without leaving the hotel

We are a family of four with two teenage girls and went for 14 nights all inclusive in a sea facing family bungalow - Room 2211.

The hotel was spotless and all staff very good,the staff in zorbas during the day never stopped and enjoyed having a laugh with you.plenty of food choice,s at meal times.my only gripe was we arrived to late for food or drink and as we were all inclusive hoped for a cold drink in fridge in the room

Food is amazing for all inclusive, and the drinks are also good.

Whilst other reviews have said they are dated, the only thing I'd want to improve would be the shower curtains and the shower head in the bathroom.

but did not leave for the airport until evening and although there are facilities provided for showering and changing in this case, they really need an upgrade.

At first our rooms seemed a bit worn and the bathroom a bit shabby,

One area that needs attention is the locks on the toilets.

The rooms are very  dated (bathroom especially), we were unlucky and had a room very close to a walkway which could be noisy at night with a very small patio

but we have discovered that her skin is sensitive so we made sure she showered after her time in the pool.

The only down side is the shower rooms, there was no availability for us to pay to keep our room and the shower room is not very appealing.

We can hear the people above us walking around, going to the loo etc.

although you could hear people late at night/ early in the morning from reception the room itself was very spacious, lovely balcony, furniture to unpack your belongings in and a very lovely bathroom (which included shower products and a hairdryer).

but extended throughout the bathroom and room furniture where fittings were damaged and in poor condition.

It’s worse than a shower block at the worlds poorest campsite.

If they had said no when first requested I would have gone elsewhere to watch instead of them just saying no about 10 minutes before the game was due to start and the other things that I feel lets the hotel down are the very small bath towels, such a nice hotel could at least offer less skimpy towels

however none of the locks in the ladies toilets worked.

Main restaurant womens toilet locks don't work despite being the only renovated part of the hotel resort.

- The rooms are low quality and the bathrooms are worse.

There are soap, shampoo and conditioner refill bottles for the guests and tea and coffee in the room.

The showers are very small so the curtain just sticks to you the entire time which is a bit annoying!

The shower curtains in the bath stick to you when you shower no matter how much you try to prevent it, it's horrible!

There is also water sports down the road who were also very nice and we managed to rent our own private boat for an hour for €75.

Location and sun set is stunning, 3 beach coves, activities on the beach worth paying for, Mike and the guys are really pleasant, we hired a boat and it was well worth the 2 hours 

Rethymno was absolutely fabulous 25 euro in a taxi and well worth it, lots of shops, bars, restaurants, everything to keep the family entertained 

Calypso bar, Doris!

Also within the hotel there is “lottie’s water sports” a business that offers jet skis, banana boats and cave tours, would recommend putting some money aside to do a cave trip!!

We got the little train into the village for a change of scene and had a lovely meal (although the food on site was lovely). Would also recommend a boat trip out to see the caves (we swam in them which was amazing!)

The grounds are stunning and rooms are very comfortable just remember your safe is an extra charge
Lottie watersports activities are also well worth paying a visit, the boat trip to the caves is good value for money 
Would go back today if we could

They also have water sports where you can get to it easy as well, banana boat or a water sofa!

The staff at lotties water sports for boat trips etc are friendly and the prices are reasonable .

There were activities near the hotel like snorkelling, scuba diving, jet ski, boats to caves along with a tour train that takes you to the near by village or on an excursion.

We could do own snorkelling at the coves, Jet skiing at Lottie's ,Visit to the popular 10caves by motor boat guided by Dino.

There is an onsite watersports company too with jet skis, banana boat etc (extra charge).

The speed boat to the caves was a truly memorable experience.

There is also a harbour in between the two hotels where Lottie Watersports are based a great company that does all the usual like Jet Skis, boat trips, inflatable rides etc & it’s great to have that on your doorstep.

My son enjoyed going to dolphin camp (children aged 8-12) and enjoyed all the activities – football, mini golf, water carpet & the banana boat to name a few!.

One positive thing I can say it the place is beautiful and the boat trip we had was stunning to the caves

You can do nothing and enjoy the gorgeous scenery or fill your hours with aqua fit, water dance, volleyball, archery, banana boats, sea- kayaking etc…
There’s a bus which stops just outside the hotel and takes you to the local towns and there’s also a ‘train’ which runs from the hotel and takes you on various sight seeing tours of the area.

However, We do recommend the boat trip from Kissamos. Summarizing.

We hired  a boat which was great fun , did mountain trip in buggy, taxi to Panoramos was only 7 euros what a beautiful little village-shops, bars, and lovely eating places -we went to Markus and had a fab meal and wine.

You can play minigolf or have fun with animation programs (banana boat etc)
Animation team was really friendly.

By the way, if you want to make a boat tour to the caves - a tour from Scaleta beach costs 15 Euros while from the hotel beach the price is 35 Euros!

There is also the old fort to explore, and for the daring, boat trips for snorkeling, diving etc.

We went for october half term just for 5 days and had a wonderful holiday - the family bungalows are superb.

We had a lovely holiday and are sad to be going home.

All the staff worked with enthusiasm and with a genuine care even after a very long season to care for us to have the best holiday.

Thank you Gabriela for making our holiday so special!

Each and every member of staff goes out of their way to make your holidays special, from the entertainment staff, bar and restaurant staff, cleaners and reception staff, all are a credit to the hotel.

To the entertainment team- Tony, Simone, Stacy and Ania and the rest of the whole team they truly are amazing at what they do and we had a great laugh with them all making our holiday special and wanting to go again.

Excellent customer service and care
Restaurant Chef's and staff truly caring, compassionate about allergies and listen to what your concerns are
Cleanliness is paramount throughout the Hotel
All the Hotel staff are friendly, helpful and professional
Such a marvelous holiday experience and all the Hotel staff deserve praise
Thanks very much for making our holiday memorable

After speaking to one staff member [Matea] on day one for a brief 5 minutes, she has spoken to me ever since, remembering my name, and generally being interested on how my holiday is going.

Everything else was perfect and we would rate the holiday 10/10 and we are planning on coming back for another holiday in the near future

We have just returned from a weeks break at this hotel and every minute was just bliss.

The main thing that made the holiday so great was all the staff at the hotel (from reception, to housekeeping, bar and restaurant staff).

Don’t miss out on a beautiful holiday at this beautiful hotel.

If you ever going to stay in Iberostar Creta Panorama & Mare, don't forget to visit and book a massage in AEGEO SPA just to complete your holiday.

Always making people smile and just genuinely improving people’s holidays !

Having only been back 2 days we feel like we've made life-long friends as well as having had our dream holiday!!

We are just about to leave the hotel and we just want to say we’ve had a very enjoyable holiday.

Overall a great holiday and as the header suggests. .

though the holiday and the hotel were fantastic and the people very friendly everywhere in the hotel which made it all very relaxing.

I highly recommend this hotel, we had a perrrfect vacation here!

The only thing that knocked it down for me was the safe was €3 a night and this was not stated when we booked- especially when we got an unexpected tourist tax on arrival too.

There are 2 trips and each cost 20 E each.

Being half board, trying to pay for a drink at the bar was problematic as we either weren’t allowed to pay by card or give our room number.

Woman took a card payment for the tourist tax, and cash for the safety deposit box.

Was told by reception you can pay on bus, wasn’t the case!

but for some reason choose to make them at a premium.

but most of the loungers are cheap looking and not very comfortable.

25 euros each way in a taxi or you can take the bus which is much cheaper.

Our hotel return coach pick up was at 19.30 so we elected to request a late checkout at a cost of €10 per hour

Make sure to book the Lavris grill, providing you're on All Inclusive you will only have to pay for bottles of wine etc.

€400 euro paid and I carried on with my holiday.

We paid the Tourist Tax which was €3 per room per day.

but 90 Euros there and all the shops make a big deal of reminding you its silver and go through the whole palaver of weighing it yadeyah (like they don't know what they cost already) in short I would suggest 'fixed pricing' and a bit of a rip off so didn't buy anything in the end and very unlike me.

For the amount we paid in uk school holidays it definitely was not worth it.

There are a couple of small shops in the complex for little souvenirs and essentials and compared to other similar on-site stores at other hotels, I didn’t find them outrageously expensive.

however be aware that the price does not include entry to places such as the mine .

The food was good - a reasonable selection and the kids especially loved the chocolate fountain.

Great greek cuisine and possibility to rent a car ať the place.

Plenty of space for 3 and just a short stroll from the main pool and restaurant.

The beach cafe with its views was an excellent stop before going down to the beautiful cove.

The facilities and quality of food and drink is excellent

Food - great variety, high quality, flexible times.

The food was exceptional in every restaurant and the gala night in Zorbas Tavern was magical.

Food is plentiful and available from the moment you wake up until time for bed.

The food caters well at all meals and snacks are available between meal times.

As it was our second time here we were also invited to a cocktail party which was also a great opportunity and they had amazing views of the sunset and also a little fire work display to go with it!

The buffet breakfasts and dinners we had as half board guests had plentiful choice and the food was good quality.

We arrived at the early hours in the morning and the hotel had put aside some food which was welcomed.

Huge array of food quite good with quite a lot of tinned stuff, fresh prepared, roast joint and various potato in all its forms.

Evening entertainment is on point for all ages, and the food is = WOW!

Food was great with plenty of variety and choice - even for a gluten free vegetarian!!

but the food was not all great quite bland and quiet the same .

Breakfasts are as substantial as you wish, lunch tends to be lighter and more limited and dinner has a much widef range of well prepared delights.

The animation team were brilliant and did such a great job at getting people involved with sports and games.

Although we never went to any shows, the animation team that stayed round the pool were hilarious and always made the time to talk to you and wish you a good morning.

but the staff really made it a great experience - from the restaurant staff to housekeeping and the animation team - all superb.

Rocky so best to take beach shoes
Entertainment - varied to suit all.

They did have a variation of dancing acts, fire shows and live bands so it depends on yours tastes and when you go.

Day one Saturday we we’re feeling our feet and this day was a day off for the entertainment.

Entertainment and animation team are brilliant!

But that wasn’t all bad … the animation team was absolutely great what lovely and talented people love it all .

Alternative entertainment and activities are provided by a dynamic and talented animation team.

The fire show was sensational and the talent show was hilarious.

The main pool has activities such as aqua aerobics, zumba etc throughout the day with the animation team making it fun and interactive.

Nadia and jessica at the bars for always making us great mojitos and tony and Vika from animation team.

The staff, from front of house,  hygiene,  restaurant , bar and animation team are an absolute credit to the place.

There are several pools, as we wanted to relax more we chose the quieter pools which had comfier sun beds and no entertainment which we prefer.

The reception staff are sooo friendly l, the entertainment team are the best I’ve seen day and night.

All the staff were so helpful and friendly and we especially appreciated being able to use the all incl.

The staff were so lovely- very helpful and accommodating, and the rooms were lovely and clean.

Fond memories and friendships were created with the caring staff.

People - every member of staff was friendly, seemed genuinely happy and welcoming.

We have to give a special mention to the amazing Gabriela in Zorbas Tavern,she is an absolute asset to the hotel and her efforts to make us welcome was way above and beyond our expectations.

Everyone we came in to contact with was exceptionally nice and helpful.

To the night receptionist Georgios who also went above and beyond to make us smile every evening and will go down in history as the DJ with the pipe !

The staff were unanimously friendly and helpful and we felt that this was the best thing about the hotel.

IHG is utterly useless regarding such queries.

The entertainment team are THE BEST there schedule is packed over two hotels and there really is something for everyone.

Firstly, the staff are unbelievably friendly and accommodating.

This hotel is excellent, for one the hotel staff are wonderful so kind and helpful and easy to get along with .

As with the hotel as a whole, if you want something or have a query, then just ask and they will always do gheir best.

Iberostar Creta Panorama & Mare

price

bathroom

boat

Monastery

Arkadi

staff

restaurant

show

holiday trip

all-inclusive

We bought some very different souvenirs in one of the shops and on our return next year will definitely be looking for another excursion this time to either Mili Gorge or the Arkadi Monestry (or both!).

Also take the bus from the bus station to Chania, and perhaps, best of all, to the Monastery Arkadi in the hills - a beautiful, tranquil place. I hope to be back to this hotel next year- (if only Heraklion airport could get its act together!)

Went to Arkadi Monastery, 2EUR entry, well worth it.

We went on the train to Arkadi monastery and also went on a day trip to the South coast to see Preveli and Plakia.

Some of the restaurateurs were keen to relate the history of their buildings – we went inside a former Turkish bath, a monastery and a rich Venetian’s townhouse.

We hired a car with the help of Reception and enjoyed visiting Chania, Spinalonga and Arcadi Monastery and other places.

We spent a lovely 10 nights at The Porto Rethymno, and we had the Premium All Inclusive package.

Read the reviews prior to going and was a little worried.We stayed all inclusive.Beach is beautiful with free sunbeds.Pools are small at the hotel would say hotel more suited for couples not families.Food and drink was wonderful.A l a carte was fantastic again lovely food and drink.Service fantastic.Rooms were kept nice change towels and beds when you requst.In a great location.

This is by far the best all inclusive hotel we have stayed in.

We were upgraded to all inclusive for this  inconvenience.

but they upgraded us to all inclusive for the inconvenience.

Just returned from 11 nights stay all inclusive.

We choose to do HB (half board) rather than AI (all inclusive) so glad we did otherwise we wouldn't have found some amazing places.

We have travelled to many Greek islands and this hotel is up there with the best fabulous location for exploring Crete fantastic food in the restaurant always varied and plenty to eat nice rooms with super comfy beds and a choice of pillow types A kettle in the room with tea coffee and milk and a mini fridge which if you are all inclusive all the soft drinks and water are  free

The food and drinks (all inclusive) was very good and diverse.

As per many thousands TUI cancelled our Friday flight so we moved to the Sunday and got the 20% incentive meaning we could upgrade from HB to AI for just £5:18.

The all inclusive food and drinks package is excellent with varied courses and choices and attentive staff who ensure you have a lovely experience.

Restaurants:  we booked on an all-inclusive basis and consider this very good value for money.

I just returned home from an 11-night stay at the Aquila Porto Rethymno on an all-inclusive basis.

Very good alround hotel from reception to rooms to restaurant .across the road a wonderful beach ⛱ with ample sunbeds and umbrellas; staff continually taking orders for drinks etc The hotel caters for all inclusive if so desired.

There was a BBQ one night and we had a lovely Gala Dinner as part of our all inclusive.

but the standard of food was better than many all inclusive hotels.

Lots of shops on the front for boat trips.

We went on an excursion to balos beach 2 hours on the coach 1.5 hrs on the boat long day!!!

An excellent TUI rep is located in the hotel and provides an extensive range of tours including safari 4 X 4, catamaran and boat trips, diving, day trips to other locations and many more.

Great location just a 5 minute stroll to harbour where you can do your boat trips from and another 5 minutes to the 'city' of Rethymon with loads of tourist shops & restaurants & tour operators to choose from. Slightly steep walk (we're from Norfolk!)

The hotel is also only 5 mins stroll to where the boats go to Santorini for the day.

On the beach there are three companies spread out offering jet ski, paragliding and banana boat rides.

Just a hundred yards away is a marina with everything from posh yachts to fishing boats.

We visited Kournas Lake a must as Aaron swam with the turtles and gold fish with his GoPro, amazing place, Chania (another lovely city), glass bottom boat, horse & carriage rides, water park, jet ski on our beach, they also have loads of other water sports going on.

One night there was a party boat out not far from the hotel, the football was on a big screen and a show was on at the other pool all at the same time.

There is also a number of trips you can go on such as Chania, South of the island, boat trips and balos lagoon which was truly spectacular.

As a Group you can also Book your own Tour guides in the town and a boat trip in the Harbour

It involved a boat trip (actually on a ferry - I'd imagined a small fishing boat) along the coast (very pleasant) to the 'end' of the gorge.

Hotel is in a good location to walk into Rethymnon port for sightseeing and boat trips, we also went on a train around Crete that picks you up just up the road from Rethymnon.

We walked the Imbros Gorge [Much easier than the Samarian Gorge that we have previously visited] and visited Chania, Heraklion and Elounda, the latter for a boat trip to the leper colony island.

Whilst on the trip we were encouraged to pay an extra 12 euros to go on a boat trip to visit a  volcano and vocanic spring.

We would recommend:
Catching the bus to Chania
Getting a glass bottom boat in Chania harbour
Walking around the other side of the harbour in Rethymno and snorkelling off the rocks
Watching the sunset from the bar on the steps up to the fortezza
Getting lost in the old town whilst shopping and people watching
Having a drink in the square next to the fountain in the old town
Eating in the Casa di Harris a great italian up a side street in the old town
Hiring a car and driving south for beautiful beaches and great snorkelling

Finally.

In addition many boat trips/canoe hire,etc had ceased.

The staff were all great, so friendly and professional.

But best of all , the staff were all amazing, always smiling, always friendly.

The staff were extremely friendly and attentive and made you feel welcome.

The staff in the restaurant were excellent and were very friendly and efficient.

They are always very friendly with a ready smile, and are always willing to go the extra mile to ensure everyone has a good holiday.

Lovely room, the cleaner did an excellent job and was very friendly, we had various bits of towel art which are great to come back to.

Add to this his charming and friendly nature make him a superb host.

Pool area small with very few beds luckily the beach is good .Restaurant and reception staff all helpful and friendly.

All the staff were friendly,  courteous and helpful.

All staff were friendly and professional, the hotel was ideally located for both beach and a short walk to Rethymnon Centre which has plenty of bars and restaurants and the food was excellent.

Main Positives:
1. great staff - work ethic and friendly attitude eg two devoted waiters for the beach who worked all day without a break and were always efficient and friendly.

+Restaurant food and service is excellent great choice and friendly team 
+Reception Griggoris and Maria in guest services a credit to hotel 👍

Sadly would NOT return to hotel BUT would return to Rehymnon it is a stunning coastal town with great restaurants and bars my advice would be spend money in a 4 star boutique hotel not this one 👍

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