Esperides Resort Crete, the Authentic Experience in Hersonissos

Our stay at this so-called 5-star resort was a major disappointment, especially as it was meant to be our honeymoon. The “Elite Suite” we were given was dark, outdated, and smelled musty, with absolutely no privacy. The supposed sea view consisted of walls, an electrical pole, and later even a construction site. Guests could look directly into our room and jacuzzi area from walkways, neighboring rooms, and the rooftop bar. On top of that, the room was extremely noisy from early morning onwards, and there was a persistent sewer-like smell throughout our stay. The lowest point, however, was a large cockroach in our room, actually in the bed. The staff’s reaction was shocking. There was no apology whatsoever — instead, the incident was joked about and dismissed with comments like “we are in the middle of nature.” Despite complaints, no immediate room change, meaningful support, or compensation was offered. This is completely unacceptable for a hotel claiming to be 5-star. The all-inclusive restaurant experience was equally disappointing. The atmosphere was anything but romantic: loud rap music playing from a phone in the open kitchen while a saxophonist performed at the same time. The food did not match what we had ordered — vegetarian dishes and desserts were replaced without notice, and menu changes were never communicated. Only on the day before our departure did we receive a half-hearted apology: a letter with our name misspelled, along with generic gestures that showed little understanding of our situation. This perfectly summed up the lack of attention and care throughout our stay. In summary: poor cleanliness, no privacy, a misleading room descriptions and an inadequate handling of guest complaints. This property does not meet 5-star standards in any way and we cannot recommended it — especially not for special occasions like a honeymoon. We are very disappointed by this experience. We normally never complain, especially since we both work in this industry and understand the challenges of hospitality, but this stay was genuinely unpleasant for us and far from what we expected.