Iberostar Waves Creta Panorama & Mare

Lovely hotel with the potential to be a 5 star.
We upgraded to swim up room 800euros for days
This was fantastic and highly recommend
Staff lovely and friendly, food good, hotel clean, beach was a walk and not much beach.
We did boat trip was fantastic

The location of this resort is beyond beautiful, we just couldn't get enough of those breathtaking ocean and cove views. The resort was clean, comfortable, and beautifully maintained.
The reception staff were incredibly helpful and welcoming. A special thank you for accommodating our request to stay beyond the usual check-out time when EasyJet rescheduled our return flight by nearly 11 hours - this thoughtful gesture took away so much of the stress on the final day of our stay. Kallitsa, Victoria, Olga and others in the reception team are truly a credit to the hotel.
The restaurant staff were equally warm, friendly, and attentive, creating an enjoyable dining atmosphere. The food was delicious and beautifully presented. We revelled in Dilli Kumar's courteous service and were treated to steaming cups of Greek coffee every morning.
A shout-out also to the entertainment team led by the charismatic Macaroni for making our evenings just so memorable.
Overall, our stay was made unforgettable by the professionalism, friendliness, and genuine care demonstrated by the staff.

Shame on you! I booked a stay here on 8/29/25 and promptly requested cancellation via email twice on 8/30/25 and 9/2/25 for a multiple day stay beginning 10/1/25. Since they never respond to emails or answer their phone, I figured maybe my reservation wasn’t really valid. I was surprised to see a charge of $541.12 on 10/1 for a no show. This hotel supplied my credit card company with bogus documents stating that I was a no show and no mention of my emails. They also supplied a strange printout where I was supposed to check a box accepting terms and conditions. The copies are so faint, it is so shady. Their company’s website which I’m not sure is part of liberostar anymore states that a cancellation must be made through any available means. Apparently two emails is not a means. This is a scam. This hotel appears to be Iberostar but they don’t seem to do business like a reputable company. Beware before you book if you aren’t sure this is really where you want to stay!

This is our third time coming back to this hotel and for good reason. Whilst it is a large hotel, it never feels crowded, there are so many pools and areas to go to and its such a relaxing break.
Food is great, and kids love the all inclusive element. We book direct with the hotel and have got some great deals the past 2 years. It's my favourite holiday of the year - not too hot and not cold either in October, and whilst we are usually there at the end of the season, the staff enthusiasm and food quality doesn't drop unlike some places.
Thank you team Iberostar for another fabulous holiday and we hope to see you again next year!

We recently enjoyed a fantastic holiday at Iberostar Panorama in Crete, and it truly exceeded our expectations. The hotel is beautifully maintained, offering a relaxing atmosphere with stunning views and excellent facilities. From the moment we arrived, every member of staff made us feel genuinely welcome and well looked after.

The service throughout the hotel was exceptional — friendly, attentive, and always delivered with a smile. A special mention goes to Dilli Kumar in the restaurant, whose warmth, professionalism, and attention to detail made every meal a pleasure. Dilli is a wonderful ambassador for the hotel and really enhanced our overall experience.

We left Crete with wonderful memories and can’t thank the Iberostar Panorama team enough for making our stay so enjoyable. We’re already looking forward to returning!

We’ve been half board for a week here. It’s been a super week. We’ve used it as a base to visit the island (we booked direct and booked flights and car hire separately), most of the guests here are on AI package breaks. Yes the main hotel is ready for renovation, but it’s been absolutely fine for us. The bathroom has already been upgraded, and everything was super clean and functional. Lots of toiletries provided and fresh towels daily. The sofa bed had an issue as the cushions separated at night, and we needed to move it to avoid drips from the air con. We loved having a fridge in our room to keep drinks cool when we got back from our trips.

Half board doesn’t include drinks at dinner, only at breakfast. Staff seemed happy to provide water though, and the hot drinks machine was OK to use, they had a good selection of teas. The food itself has been fabulous - we tried lots of Greek and Cretan dishes, and loved the variety of fish and grilled meats, as well as the salad bar and fruits / cheese. We ate differently every night, and for the more fussy eaters, the pizza oven was on every night! Our favourite was a Chinese night whilst here (Weds I think). We ate at both the Greek and Italian restaurants too (booked via the app). The Greek served amazing langoustines and grilled pork. Starters and desserts were buffet (the moussaka was amazing!), but they were lacking apple fritters, fried banana and Turkish delight from the pudding bar (favourites from Greek night in the buffet restaurant). I’ve eaten a lot of freshly baked sourdough this week! Really amazing fresh breads at all meals.

The pools were fab, although we only swam in the freshwater one, but everywhere was clean, towels changed daily, and little shop on site for water / snacks for the day we stayed on site.

The mini land train runs to the next village which was a novel afternoon out. It does mornings excursions too, although we’ve been out and about by car most days. If you’re here without a car, go early on in your stay to the village at Panamos (by land train) and book your trips from the offices there.

Overall great value for money, and the staff have been absolutely magnificent. Nothing has been too much trouble all week, just been such a delightful stay ♥️

Beautiful clean hotel, with great amenities and food!
We stayed for 7 days - half board, and had a wonderful time. Hotel staff are super friendly and accommodating. The animation team are extremely hard working, providing entertainment during the day and also nightly shows in the theatre.
Our stay was topped off with a very well organised Halloween party/disco hosted at the hotel. Highly recommended for all ages!

We visited the Iberostar Waves Resort in Crete as a couple for a relaxing two-week autumn getaway. The booking and flights with Jet2 were smooth and easy from start to finish.
The October weather was a little unpredictable — we had a few cloudy and rainy days — but most of the time it was pleasantly sunny and around 22°C, perfect for relaxing outdoors.
✈️ Arrival & Check-In
Our flight was as expected for a budget airline: a little cramped but comfortable enough. The transfer to the resort took longer than anticipated (around two hours) as our hotel was the last drop-off on the route.
However, our arrival experience at the hotel more than made up for it. We received a warm and genuine welcome from Olga, complete with a glass of prosecco and a rose — a lovely gesture. We appreciated being invited to sit and relax on the sofa while checking in rather than standing at reception. Our luggage was delivered promptly to our room, and the process was smooth and efficient.
🏖️ The Resort & Facilities
We chose Half Board, as we’re not big drinkers. The difference between Half Board and All Inclusive was about €40 per person per day, which we felt wasn’t necessary for us.
The resort itself is beautifully designed with plenty of different areas to enjoy — several pools, grassy sunbathing areas, and small beach coves. For those who like to stay active, there are paddle courts, volleyball, tennis, table tennis, and even crazy golf. The daily aqua exercise classes in the main pool were led by enthusiastic, energetic instructors, and there were also games like water polo for those who enjoy a bit of fun competition. We preferred to seek out quieter spots and use the smaller pools, which were perfect for relaxing.
Every evening, the animation team put on a show at the outdoor theatre. Their enthusiasm, energy, and talent were truly incredible — a perfect way to end the day with great entertainment and atmosphere.
There’s not a lot within walking distance of the hotel apart from a supermarket, car hire, and excursion offices, but we enjoyed taking the road train into Panormos village, where prices were much lower than the hotel shop. The village has lovely restaurants, clothing and souvenir shops, and even a proper pharmacy.
We also joined a road train excursion to an olive oil factory, some caves, and an old Cretan village — a fun day out with delicious traditional Greek food and drink.
🍽️ Food & Dining
The food at Iberostar Waves was outstanding. Both breakfast and dinner offered excellent variety and quality, with themed dinners on a seven-day rotation. Every dietary need was catered for, with clear allergen labeling, a gluten-free area, and plenty of vegetarian and plant-based options.
For simpler tastes, there were pasta, sauces, pizza, and chips available nightly. Meat, fish, and vegetable dishes were consistently well cooked and flavorful, and the desserts were truly incredible — from traditional Greek sweets to a chocolate fountain with fruit kebabs, cakes, and marshmallows.
The resort also has three à la carte restaurants — a Greek taverna, a Grill, and an Italian. We tried the Italian one evening and while the Melanzane Parmigiana was excellent, overall we felt the food and service didn’t add much beyond what was already offered in the main restaurant. We mentioned our feedback to the guest relations manager, though she didn’t seem particularly empathetic.
☕️ Breakfast Highlights & Exceptional Staff
Breakfast was a highlight: a full English, porridge, yogurts, fresh and dried fruit, nuts, seeds, breads, pastries, pancakes, cold meats, cheeses, juices, tea, and excellent Greek coffee — everything you could want to start the day.
What truly made our holiday special, though, were the wonderful staff. Everyone we met was friendly, helpful, and hard-working, including those behind the scenes in the kitchen.
A few people really stood out:
Manolia at breakfast — always warm, cheerful, and attentive. She noticed every detail, even bringing toothpicks unprompted when needed!
Dilli at dinner — professional, kind, and thoughtful. When I was unwell with a brief flu, he made me a ginger and honey infusion, which was just what I needed.
These small gestures made a big difference, and we hope the management recognizes what valuable team members they are.
🌅 Overall Impression
Despite a couple of small issues, this was a wonderful and relaxing holiday. The resort is spotless, the food is exceptional, the entertainment is top-class, and the staff are outstanding. We would definitely stay at another Iberostar hotel in the future

We are still here and thank you for the lovely room upgrade we have an amazing view from room 2225
The whole place is great, lots of things for the children to do and adults alike.
The Kalithea pool is amazing and so is the main pool , the water park is fun.
Lots of choice of food and never a dull moment.
We have enjoyed every minute of it
Thank you to all staff

Really enjoyed the stay! Great new waterpark on site, table tennis, paddle and other activities available to do. It’s a large resort so plenty of steps and heels but it seems accessible for wheelchairs too. There’s a few cute small beaches too with a 5 min walk. Plenty of food choices to make with 4 restaurants on site too. You can get a bus in to town for €2.70 to view some lovely little shops, bars, cafes and restaurants. Spa area looks beautiful but quite pricey I think. Staff were friendly and helpful at all times. They do have a little shop on site and prices aren’t too bad if you want snacks, drinks or something to wear. We would defo come back again so it’s 10/10 for us.

Great stay. Rooms in main block in definite need of renovation which takes place at the end of 2025 as very old fashioned. Restaurants amazing. Bar staff friendly, particular mention to Georgia and Carmen. Also a mention to Vera at the café. Thank you for another lovely stay.

We were in main building. Very tired and dated. Wardrobe door broken. Patio not cleaned all week. Booking system for food confusion

The Hotel and the surroundings everything was very beautiful!
7 Pools, good weather and the ocean.
An Animation Team that bring a lot of fun.
The food was really delicious.
The Hotel staff and waiters was very friendly and nice
Specially a waiter named Dilli Kumar.
He was very gentle and caring for every guest.
And he Even helps you with Special needs!
Thank you to the Hotel.

Returned again to a hotel where there has been major upgrading over half of the site plus the addition of new facilities - but where the high quality of the staff team remains as the major selling point as they are just terrific across the board.
There is now a water park that was completed in May/June 2025 and it is a great facility for anyone and particularly those with children. It has a good pool, shallow splash area, various slides and plenty of deck chair style sunbeds with shades and small lockers attached that also form table tops. Food wagons provide snack food such as real chicken nuggets, gyros, burgers, fries, beverages, wine and beer, cold snacks, ice cream and so on and an eating area with shade. A great facility and moving up the same road is the theatre with improved seating, then areas for boules, archery, table tennis, paddle tennis, mi i- golf and the old conference centre which is used for special events as well as housing Lavris barbecue restaurant, which has free booking on a one per week basis.
A new cafe/bar and dining g area has been created from the old Creta Mare reception and open courtyard next to the Polo Pool, which has also been refurbished with better sunbeds, non slip tiling around it and better steps into ghe pool. The new cafe/bar is called Lolivetos and is Italian themed and lunch can be booked daily with evening meals on a once per week basis if all inclusive. Have a good appetite as the food is substantial and filling as well as tasty and suggest you consider sharing some courses or lunch meals. Lovely building now that can be used for drinks and beverages in the day like any cafe on site.
The 'infinity pool' at the top of the site has been refurbished with better sunbeds and family areas. It is fresh water and has a cafe and fantastic views and is great for families with small children although there is still the kiddies area near ghe theatre with upgraded paddling pool, better shading and better sunbeds.
The main pool and other pool and associated cafes are largely unchanged but do have better sunbeds and shades and are due for further upgrade and refurbishment by May 2026.
The ungalows on the main pool side of the hotel have all been brilliantly refurbished and rebuilt inside with seperate wc, washbasin and walk in shower. Wardrobes and cupboards, including g safe and other useful items lining the wall opposite these facilities. Door entrance in ours was now at ghe rear and led into a room with bed settee, cupboard and air conditioning plus light switch system that did away with the slot card system of old and even lighted display by ghe door to indicate room OK for cleaner or do not disturb. Walking through past wardrobe and ablution area there is a sleeping area with very large and comfy bed plus a dressing table, TV and tea/coffee making facilities. Inthecupboard under ghe safe is a fridge with initial supply of soft drinks and a couple of beers. Sliding doors from the bed area lead to a nice terrace with a table, 2 chairs and a drying rail plus lovely view. At the very front, the first two seafront and Seaview bungalows have private pools with ghe next 7 having a shared pool area but these can only be booked, currently, via Iberostar website - come at a premium but look great. It is anticipated ghat bungalows on the other side of the hotel will be updated and refurbished by May 2026 as will many hotel rooms with some exclusivity in the top floor rooms.
As before and despite changes,ghd Anjmation Team continue to work incredibly hard and with massive energy providing daily activities and evening entertainment. The bar staff are just so good and he,Paul as well as informative and are aided in ghs Lob y Bar by a hard working waiting team who maintain ghe cheerful attitude found across ghe hotel. The food in the main restaurant is of very high standard at all meals but they ask to book evening slots on the hotel app to Co trol customer flow. As one with a disability I have nothing g but praise for ghd work of the di ING Hall waiting staff who were all so friendly and so helpful.
Having talked up ghe staffteam I must praise the housekeeping staff who were friendly yet also quiet and discreet carrying out their tasks. Si ilarly, the reception team are so efficient yet provide a really welcoming ING first point of contact. If you need help or have questions then they are your first point of contact - and they are good. Of course such a team is no accident and ghe whole management team Foster high standards, approachability, friendlinesd and being g so helpful through a do-as-I-do approach.
September 2025 was brilliant. Here is to 2026.

Beautiful hotel which needs a lot of improvement if they expect to become a five star. The positive points are the food, the garden, a lot of personnel.

Bel environnement, très propreet bonne cuisine

Absolutely fabulous this resort!!! We come here for the second time and we are extra happy. They have now opened a huge aqua park, they have a new Italian restaurant, all inclusive. The staff is very attentive and nice. The food is absolutely delicious. I think we ate here last night the best fish of all that we have tasted several times. The drinks are exquisite!! An extraordinary place. Our child is very happy here, they have activities every day for children and different concerts for adults. I don't really leave feedback, but we are so happy with this resort that we are coming here again next year. Today when we returned to the room, we found it clean and a bottle of rose wine with macaroons)) So nice. We give them a score of 11 out of 10. Absolutely wonderful!

Third stay at this marvellous hotel. Excellent food, staff and service.

This hotel although large has a lot of pools and garden space (which extends from the hotel down to the sea), still gives you a feeling of not being overcrowded. You can either join in the fun and music around the main pool or find a quieter one to relax.

The grass area has some sun beds with tables and umbrellas. However there are also sun beds set out at random so you can find your own place. There is also a man made harbour and beach area if you wish and a lovely cafe overlooking the sea.
The entertainment team work hard and the room service and cleaning is excellent.

It was pleasing to see there was an early morning pool Policeman! Stopping towels being left selfishly on sun beds before breakfast. He either stopped this happening or removed any left. Great to see!

An hour and a half from the airport but good chance to see other hotels and parts of the coastline.
The choice of food excellent and of high quality. All the staff helpful and very friendly.

We had several problems with getting lost at the property, no signs to orientation where you are. The management especially at night were constantly asking if we were lost again. We have been at other resorts in the Caribbean that were better laid out. But overall we had a family reunion with 36 people for our boy's wedding. Beautiful resort but need manager customer service review policy.

We traveled at the start of the six week summer holidays so end of July and wow what a fab time we had. We booked with on the beach and had no issues. Transfer was great.
When we arrived at the hotel very late at night we were very warmly greeted by Natasa with a drink, rose and chocolate. What a special touch. She was so lovely and helpful throughout our stay. Check in was super easy and smooth and we were very lucky to receive an upgrade to a swim up room. WOW it was amazing! The buffet was open for us and all of the kitchen and waiting staff were so lovely and friendly throughout our stay. A small buffet was perfect for us late at night as we were hungry!
There is always fruit/herb waters in reception and our kids loved trying them!

We were then taken to our room by Galatios in a golf buggy and he made sure we knew how to operate the lights and air con ect which was fab. He was great with the kids! The room was newly refurbished (which we expected based on our booking pre the upgrade so was nice to still have a new room) and was very well laid out for us as a family of four. Fully stocked mini bar to use and a welcome treat. As it was dark when we arrived we had no idea if the view (again pre upgrade we had paid for a sea view) but wow in the morning it was amazing!

There are so many places to get food ( the gyros at the splash park was a fab quick grab meal!) we booked all the a la carte and loved the Italian - wow great food and lovely staff and design. The BBQ was so special with the sunset to view and we enjoyed the Greek although it’s odd to have a get your own started when included chips which you then had on your order as well but still amazing quality of food all round. The main buffet again was great.
We loved sitting in the bar a few times with a drink when it was very warm playing cards with the kids. The snacks in the bar were yummy and cocktails so good. You have to try a slush - I dream about the melon slush they were so good!
The pool bar was hit and miss with being served but drinks were fine - cocktails not as good as main bar obviously but okay.

The pools and splash area are all a fab - the salt water pool did change the colour of our swimwear and my daughters blonde hair had a slight green tinge. We did look it up and it said it can happen so made sure we rinsed it well after every time she was in - however we heard chatter from guests about their being too much salt in when we went so who knows. One thing I will say is that at the splash pool the lifeguards do a great job of managing the slides and are always on hand when needed. They were very quick to speak to children who were not following the rules ect which was good. As a teacher and mum I find it so hard when kids are putting themselves in danger and no one says, however here they did go after kids to explain how dangerous situations they had put themselves in were and not to do it again which was very good. Like going down the slide wrong ect or jumping in the ends of the slides as someone was coming down.

The sunbed wars did happen and it was crazy trying to get a bed. However huge well done to the lifeguard on the main pool who was amazing and timed who had left what where and removed it when they didn’t return for hours and gave it to people who wanted one. I’m all for this!

We found a morning by the pools and an afternoon in our swim up and then the splash park was the perfect combination for us. The small pool to the letting the complex was our favourite as it had crushed ice in the drinks and the staff made the best semi freddo there! Stavroula thank you for my coffee fix!

There is a little shop which is really handy on site and well priced tbh yes it is a bit cheaper in local towns but really not by much. Go and get some gifts to take home from them!

The beach/sea was rocky so take beach shoes - our son brought a snorkel and goggles with nose piece from the shop and these were so fun in the sea! Also take some bread to feed the fish. A kind family and taken some and shared it with our children and they loved it. The one beach was mostly shell and small stones. But I enjoyed sunbathing on the concrete path area with view of the water. The other beach has more sand and the kids loved playing here with bucket and spade. But both beaches very small as in not much beach area. But wow great views.

The evening entertainment was great - a huge well done to the entertainment team for thier hard work. It did not go unnoticed. We attended the mini disco and then show every night and Tony Macaroni is still spoken about by our kids 2 months on! Dimitra was lovely at several bars we went to during our stay. Her drinks are always served with a smile and fun.
We love an Iberostar hotel and our first visit to Crete this year will for sure not be our last. We fell in love with the country and it’s people.

Get the litte train from outside reception into the local town. It’s cheap and a return. Lots of little gift shops which I love and also some great restaurants and bars - it was a shame we had just had lunch as we went to somewhere with a view of the sea, captain was in the name I need to look it up! But drinks were nice and food looked so good!

Thank you all for an amazing holiday. So many wonderful staff mentioned and so many I never got the name of, so sorry but you were all amazing.
Great holiday had by all, especially with the upgrade - we now need a swim up on every holiday!!