Pardalakis Studios 

Just come back from our 1st visit to Crete and it was a fantastic experience. Travelled on a package holiday with Jet2 and it was a breeze from start to finish, Chania airport was the quickest and most efficient I have ever experienced, less than 40 mins after landing we (family of 4) had cleared passport control, collected bags and were on the coach to take us to Pardalakis studios. Made to feel welcome from the moment we arrived by Franziska, Corrina and their husbands. The accommodation we had was great, one bedroom with two beds for the boys in the main living area, bathroom surprisingly large and we had not one, not two but 3 balconies! Which the Mrs and kids loved. Pool was great too, very deep for the most part but there is a smaller shallow end that has a barrier across to keep the less confident swimmers safe. There are loads of beds and umbrellas around the pool so there was no problem getting a space, despite the fact there were large family groups there at the same time as us. The bar is great and well stocked, you can either pay as you go or run a tab on your room and pay at the end of the day. Considering the size of the kitchen the variety and quality of the food that is on offer is quite frankly astonishing, the Gyros pizza and club sandwich was a particular favourite of our eldest. There’s are some lovely restaurants within a 5/10 min walk (dependant on how fast you want to walk in the heat of the evening) so you can get some fabulous meals close to the hotel. There’s beach isn’t too far away either but be mindful of the seasonal winds which can mean that the sea may not be suitable to swim in on some occasions, but it’s usually clearly marked with flags on the beach so just follow the advice and stay safe! There’s a bus stop very close to the complex and it’s easy to hop on the bus to Platanias for 2 Euros per person (5-10 mins max) which has lots of places to eat, drink mini golf and shop. Chania is a bit further on and takes around 45 mins and is 2.40 Euros each. Be warned the bus drivers seem to have all watched the classic 90’s film ‘Speed’ and all drive like they can’t drop below 55, so you need to be on the ball to get the correct stop on your way back to Pardalakis. Spoke to several other families on holiday who were return visitors to Pardalakis and it’s not hard to see why. The owners were awesome and nothing was too much trouble for them, our eldest picked up a big on the way to the studios and promptly was sick all over the patio when we arrived, but Corrina didn’t bat an eye lid and were more concerned for our son and his welfare over anything else. I lost (forgot to pick up) my sunglasses on a visit to Chania and Franziska was so helpful in ringing the restaurant on my behalf to try and get them back, took a few phone calls but persistence paid off as I was reunited with my beloved, and ancient, sunglasses. Fantasic location, accommodation, staff and facilities, if you want a great base for your holiday where you can easily relax around the pool or head off for an adventure to Chania, beach or water park you’d be hard pressed to find somewhere better.