Aquila Porto Rethymno

Facilities and great breakfast

People always ask, ‘what was your hotel like?’, well a quicky summary. We stayed in a ‘Mythica’ room in a Superior Sea Room, recently upgraded and very good. One of the main reasons for this choice is that all Mythica guests can eat at the a la carte restaurant free of charge, you also receive wine and daily fruit in the room.

The food in the a la carte restaurant is of a very high standard including filet steak, lobster, and a fine menu. Particular praise must be given to Vassilis and especially Tula for looking after us.

The main restaurant offers a comprehensive breakfast (we ate out for Lunch) and some very good theme nights.

The Hotel is clean and well maintained. So, the question Is the Hotel 5 stars? I would say if you were in a Mythica room then yes. The other rooms maybe not. However, the Hotel has a very competitive price point compared to other hotels in the area.

So based on that I would say you are receiving very good value for your Pound or Euro.

My wife & I always look forward to returning to the beautiful island of Crete to stay at the Aquila Porto Hotel, Rethymno. This was our 9th visit & we are already looking forward to returning next year.
We were welcomed on our arrival at the hotel by the General Manager, Eftychis Petrakis, & the Rooms Division Manager, Natassa Pontelopoulou, who, along with the Guest Relations Manager, Nefeli, did everything they could to ensure our stay was enjoyable & memorable. All the staff are always welcoming & friendly, & are always happy to go the extra mile.
As well as the friendly staff, some of whom have become friends over the 9 years we have been coming here, the other main reason that we enjoy coming here is the location of the hotel, which has easy access to the lovely sandy beach, with ample hotel sunbeds, & staff on hand to provide beach service. Of course, swimming in the warm Mediterranean Sea is wonderful.
The old town of Rethymno is a short walk away, & is a delight to visit with its maze of streets with shops, restaurants & bars, & it is a must to walk around the old Venetian harbour with its light house.
Our superior room on the 5th floor was comfortable with a lovely sea view, & it was always kept clean & tidy by the housekeeping staff.
The buffet restaurant has a good choice of food which was well cooked & well presented, & the Head Chef, Stelios, was always on hand to advise you, especially if you have any dietary needs.
We also had the choice of eating in the hotel's a la carte Piazza di Porto restaurant, which is extremely well run by the excellent captain Vasilis Vasilakis, who always made us feel welcome & special. The food & ambience in this restaurant were excellent & memorable.
There is something special about this hotel which makes people come back again & again, & we will definitely be back next year.

ANMELDELSE KRETA TUREN OKT 2025
Vi var på en uges ferie på Hotel Aquila Porto Rethymno, i byen Rethymnon på Kreta, arrangeret af Apollo. Det var en virkelig dejlig ferie.
Hotel Aquila Porto Rethymno har en virkelig god lokation, stranden ligger lige over gaden, og den gamle hyggelige bydel ligger i gangafstand fra hotellet (20-25 minutter). Personalet var alle venlige og professionelle, og hotellets morgen buffet er simpelthen fantastisk, uden sidestykke. Vi giver vore varmeste anbefaliber til hotel Hotel Aquila Porto Rethymno,
Venlig hilsen JB.

REVIEW CRETE TOUR OCT 2025
We spent a week at Hotel Aquila Porto Rethymno, in the city of Rethymnon on Crete, organized by Apollo. It was a really nice vacation.
Hotel Aquila Porto Rethymno has a really good location, the beach is just across the street, and the old cozy town is within walking distance from the hotel (20-25 minutes). The staff were all friendly and professional, and the hotel's breakfast buffet is simply fantastic, unparalleled. We give our warmest recommendations to the hotel Hotel Aquila Porto Rethymno,
Best regards JB.

Très bel hôtel. Petit déjeuner de fou. Il y a tout. Charcuterie, fromage, omelette, œufs sur le plats, œufs pochés, fruits, pâtisserie, bulles, et j’en passe, ce n’est pas un breakfast, c’est un brunch.

We have just returned from a one week stay at the Aquila Porto Rethymno, our first time in Crete. Overall, I we rated this as a nice place to stay for a one week “second holiday”, although I am not sure it would be my first choice for my “main” 2 week summer break.

In more detail:

The room was very nice (we were upgraded to a sea view room – thanks). The cleaning was done to a good standard each day. The only issue here was that we wished we had taken our travel kettle – we left it at home because we saw that the room had tea and coffee making facilities but this entails the use of a coffee maker to boil water, which does so, but in very small doses, meaning you had to press the button about 10 times to fill a cup. And it sounds like a jet engine taking off. The room also had 2 cups which were the smallest cups I have ever seen, useful only for a tiny shot of espresso. We asked for some normal sized cups for tea but they never arrived and I think the request was lost in translation. In the end, we bought a new kettle and 2 cups in town.

The food was of a good standard, plenty enough choice and all cooked and presented well. My only concern with the meal arrangements was that the buffet restaurant is quite small so space is at a premium. You are supposed to book a slot on the app for your evening meal, which we did, but when arriving at the restaurant you are never checked against your time slot booking, so I didn’t understand at first why you need to book at all. It then dawned on me that its actually genius – all it does is ensure that guests are spaced out because you are unlikely to arrive at a different time to the one you booked. Very good.

Being October, there were always sunbeds available on the rooftop sun deck or round the pool but I guess this would be more of a challenge in peak months. However, there are loads of places available on the beach, free of charge, which was great.

We loved Rethymno – beautiful old town to wander around and just the right shade of “lively” for us. But I never appreciated just how big Crete is (162 miles wide apparently), so trips to anywhere else would be a bit of a trek. In the end, as we only had a week, we treated it as a nice “fly and flop” break, and it suited us just fine.

My only other observation, not a slight on the hotel at all, but given how many locals use scooters as their mode of transport and given obviously that the fumes from a scooter are not filtered, I found the air quality on the main coast road outside the hotel to be pretty poor. There is a constant whiff of petrol in the air. This was another reason that I preferred it on the beach rather than the sun deck because pollution rises in the air, the beach is slightly below road level so wasn't affected much, but the sun deck in the hotel is first floor level, and so smelled like sunbathing on a petrol forecourt.

Overall though, nice hotel, successful trip, and we would gladly return.

What a wonderful place to go. We have just returned from 2 weeks at this hotel, and cannot really fault it.
the room was modern and immaculately cleaned each day, great views, really friendly staff.
the food in the buffet was as expected, but as we were there for 2 weeks, we chose to eat out a lot in the 2nd week.
As we were there in October, the pool water was quite cold, but ok once in and climatised. the sea water was much warmer.
We had a few minor issues during the stay, which the hotel sorted immediately for us.
The only feedback if I could give any is that at the Beach front Anatolitiko cafe-bar service could be pretty slow through the days and evenings. We sometimes found a few hours between being served during the day, but we expect this to be the end of the season and a lot of staff probably leaving for the winder break.

This is not our first visit to Crete, but our first visit to the West side of Heraklion. We found it to be much busier than the other areas than before, which was good as there are lots of things to do. I would say if you just want peace and quiet, this is not the right place as the road is busy and lots of beeping noises. if you are looking for something with glorious views and great staff, but close to amenities, this is superb!!

Outstanding service from all staff dining and housekeeping lovely people. Great location . Food beautifully presented and cooked with a wide variety. One gripe had to pay 5 euros for a bottle of water to have with our meal or go thirsty! Beach nearby with sunbeds free unless you venture to the front 2 rows we went to the beach at 4 30 and we're told if we used the beds at the front which were all empty that we had to pay the full day rate of 15 euros ! Entertainment average lovely bar staff. Very hit and miss WiFi rarely accessible in room on 3rd floor. Long transfer from airport arrived after. Midnight no hot drinks or food available till breakfast . Overall a positive experience

Just returned from the Aquilla Porto. The Hotel itself is lovely, just on the edge of the Old Town and over the busy road is a beautiful sandy beach.
The Half Board option meant we didn't eat out much at all as the food was exceptional, lots of choice, fresh salad, fresh fruit, great lamb, salmon, feta, cakes, absolutely stuffed. Breakfast options really good too, fruit galore, fresh pancakes, crepes, omelettes. The staff really nice too, work really hard.
The negatives are the traffic noise that constantly surrounds the hotel at all times of day. The cost of wine and drinks from the bar (we could never find a wine price list, not even on the app that you book you sign up too when you arrive) The wine prices seem to fluctuate each night and a draught beer in nigh on 7 euro's. I am sure if prices were lower then guests would spend more at the Hotel.
The graffiti that greeted us on the drive in from the airport which adorns the streets on the ride in to Rethymno is a detriment to the beautiful Old Town. Hopefully some of the extortionate Environmental Tax of 15 euro's per night will go towards cleaning this up.

Alles super!

The hotel location, food, service and rooms were absolutely perfect. We have just returned after spending ten days here and we have had a fabulous holiday. The rooms are a good size and spotlessly clean. We had a balcony with a sea view, which was just wonderful. The food was buffet style and the choice was amazing, you could have completely different dishes every day. The staff could not do enough for you! Every member of staff made you feel special. The ladies cleaning the rooms were brilliant too.
The hotel is easily within walking distance of the harbour and old town of Rethymno. In fact it is in a perfect location, far enough out of the town centre. I would not hesitate to recommend this hotel.

The hotel is contemporary design and very clean.
The room and bathroom were a nice size and the shower was good.
It's worth booking a sea view.
The food was really good.
Staff were all friendly and helpful.
There are plenty of sunbeds on the beach so no need for early starts.
Fantastic location. Just a short walk to the old town and across the road from the beach.
The only negative was the cost of the drinks, €10.5 for a beer and small still water..
We decided to not drink at the hoteI as we were so close to so many bars.
I think it's a pity as everything else was perfect.

The hotel is not a 5-star hotel as advertised – more like 3.5 to 4 stars at best. The pool was very small, so if you plan to stay here, expect to swim in the sea instead. The breakfast, however, was really good, with plenty of options, and it was one of the highlights of our stay.

We traveled as a family and booked two rooms. Our children’s room (ages 23, 20, and 13) felt very small, so we asked for a larger one. The reception promised to let us know when a room became available, and when it did, they called us and offered to move our belongings. My husband said that was fine, but that we would come along as well.

When we arrived, they had already moved almost everything—except our daughter’s Prada bag worth €2,500. It was completely gone. We searched together with the staff, went through laundry, and spoke with several employees, but the hotel did not take us seriously. After many discussions and emails, they refused to compensate us. One staff member even questioned whether we had actually brought the bag and asked us to prove it—despite the fact that it was only our second day at the hotel and our daughter had barely had the chance to use it in Crete.

So our advice: never leave valuables in the room, or better yet, don’t bring expensive items here at all. There’s a real risk they might disappear, and the hotel takes no responsibility—even when it happens under their supervision.

Unfortunately, this turned into a real disappointment, especially since we are still waiting for the hotel’s insurance company to get back to us regarding compensation. The hotel is now blaming the insurance company for not responding, instead of taking responsibility themselves. Truly sad to see guests being treated this way.

This has never happened to us before in my 25 years of frequent traveling and need to share with other future guests.

My partner and I stayed here for a week and have loved it. The hotel is clean, full of facilities, and the staff are very friendly and helpful. We went bed and breakfast with a standard room, which was good value for money. The breakfast was excellent with a lot of options to choose from.

The hotel puts on some sort of entertainment every evening at their bar, and have a lot of activities to do during the day. There is a spa on site that offers a variety of treatments and a small gym. The hotel has a beach section with loungers and parasols with plenty of space for guests. On our last day we were able to use all of the facilities after we checked out before we left.

The town of Rethymno is lovely and has a lot going on, but isn't too rowdy. There are many restaurants and bars with a lot of variety to choose from, and plenty of places to book excursions. We were very pleased with the location as this seemed perfect for us as a couple.

The staff clearly take a lot of pride in the hotel, and we very much enjoyed our stay.

We have stayed in this hotel for many years and always found it a comfortable and enjoyable experience each time.
The room we chose was the"Mythica" Unfortunately, the bathroom shower was of poor condition. The shower rail was broken, so it would not lock into position. The glass shower screen was totally inadequate to the extent that after a shower, water was covering the marble floor ( in itself a safety hazard) when wet. The sealant around the bath and shower was cracked and requires refurbishment.
The room itself was of a high standard and was clean and tidy and well equipped. Room service from a housekeeping perspective was also very good. The staff are excellent and attentive to your needs.
It was a pity that this was let down by the bathroom, we have stayed in other rooms within this hotel where the bathroom was of a much higher standard. For example: Walk in shower and refurbished bathroom that appeared recently fitted.
It would supplement the type of rooms advertised in this hotel package if the bathrooms were refurbished to a high standard.
But overall this is a great hotel with helpful and friendly staff, which is why we return each year.

The hotel is brilliant for location to the beach and the town of Reythmono. The staff are friendly and professional and offer an excellent level of service.

The location is perfect if you want to be within walking distance of town and to enjoy a nice beach. For those things this place deserves five stars. The hotel itself, left me swaying between 3-4 stars.
We chose the location because previously we have stayed at Aquila Rithymna Beach and wanted to be walking distance of town for a change.
The room was freshly decorated, clean and spacious, though ‘sea view’ is only from balcony and without a net curtain, impossible to feel privacy in room once curtains open, or see the sea. Bed was very comfortable. Shower was good. Great to have a nespresso machine but no pods supplied (tight 😂), they could have left just two to start you off 🥴 (you can buy for 2 euros per pod from reception - or get a box from the supermarket for about 4 euros) Sachets of coffee in room but with no kettle (seems silly). We asked for one! Our room was near the lifts, you would not want to be so close, if you like to sleep late. Guests are always waiting for a lift so you will be woken by their noise and lift noise. Useful to have clothes hanging and pegs on balcony. Adequate hanging space but not great for longer dresses.
Every time we had a question for reception, they started their responses with a defensive/ negative tone, rather than helpful, It was off-putting.
All in all, we did not really feel staff were as engaged/cheerful as other reviews have suggested ( this improved later in week), except for cleaning staff ( excellent) and a few dining staff, who work hard to create some order when at times they were obviously less than happy and stressed. The service is definitely not 5 star.
We rarely felt welcomed as a guest, unlike at other hotels we have stayed in.
Breakfast can be chaotic unless you go early; if it rains a long queue forms, as they have to shut the outside area. The manager was organising table finding as quickly as possible. Choices are good. Dinner was easier if you go by 7pm. The area is quite small and when busy, dishes are not always replaced quickly. Salads were very good and plentiful. Sometimes main courses were not extensive so we ate a lot of salad, cheese and fruit. Bread was not always fresh and Greek pastries at breakfast did not live up to usual Greek standard which was disappointing. I wondered if they were either not being stored correctly, or kept too long. Wine is always more expensive in a hotel but the prices were higher than we have experienced in other hotels and 5 euros for a plastic bottle of water, is an unnecessary mark up!
We loved the ease of finding a sun-bed on the beach. We loved being able to lunch at some of the superb restaurants in town ( unfortunately the food we ate out, cast a shadow on the hotel food). We missed a bar area inside to get a drink and mingle. You wait a long time for service at the outside bar area.
Would we stay again at this hotel, probably not! But your experience might be different if you are full-board, or have upgraded room further, to a deluxe, or suite. We were glad we were not AI ( lunches are just average but service better than in evening). We even contemplated skipping an evening meal to go out and enjoy excellent food.
And yes, to confirm another review, the average age of guests is fairly old - but there are so many levels/steps and trip hazards, so if you have mobility issues, take care. We saw a couple of people slipping over while we were there.
Evening entertainment was soulless.

We have just returned home after a great two weeks at the Aquila Porto. What a brilliant place to stay. Very close to many local amenities and the town. The staff were brilliant, reception and porter staff were very helpful, I couldn't say enough how good they were. The restaurant staff, again excellent and helpful, all hard working. Plenty of choice of different food, yum yum. The room and hotel was very clean. All in all a really good place to stay. The staff made the holiday a great holiday. Thank you

The hotel is in a fantastic location with its own beach across the road.
The staff were all excellent, very friendly and helpful, a special mention to Waitress Gianna and also to the Executive Chef Stylainos who was excellent regarding my Gluten free diet, he brought me out a special pudding every night and Gluten free pancakes for breakfast, made me feel very special.
We had booked a sea view room, the sea view isn't a big sea view which I was expecting from the photos of this room, as we were at the back of the horse shoe shape so looked through the sides onto other balconies then the sea.
Our room was clean and spacious enough with a large balcony with a drier on the wall for towels and beach wear. Bed big and comfy. The bathroom consisted of two separate doors, shower and toilet with the sink just outside the doors. We did find there wasn't enough hanging and it wasn't long enough for dresses.
We were half board and found the food excellent and varied with plenty of choice and all labelled with allergies, as mentioned above the Executive Chef was excellent, he made sure I knew what I could have. Others mentioned the drinks being expensive but they are no more expensive than any hotel.
We enjoyed that we could walk along the esplanade into Rethymno with it's Venetian harbour, lovely little lanes full of small shops and taverns.