Independent - accommodation in Malia

Lovely resort, that’s like a smaller version of IKOS - minus the all inclusive and certain extra touches. Scenic resort right by the beach. Of the three à la carte restaurants on site, Almyra is the best. We didn’t enjoy the food at other spots. Service across the restaurants is great - with some lovely staff. We noticed some of the older staff (particularly at the buffet restaurant) weren’t the most welcoming and struggle the smile. The rooms were cleaned promptly every morning. We found reception/room service quite slow to deliver water/replenish glasses in the room and had to call multiple times for our order to arrive. The beach shack is really cool, great staff and lovely cocktails. If you’re looking for a resort with minimal brits abroad, this is the perfect option. Very European clientele, many young families like ours, all very friendly and wanting to have a chat. I would definitely recommend but to be aware of some of the cons I mentioned above - particularly if you’re used to IKOS resorts.

We are having a wonderful stay at Bella Beach Hotel. From the moment we arrived, the staff have been friendly, welcoming and very helpful. We had a small issue with our original room, and the team listened to our concerns. They kindly upgraded us to a room with a much better sea view and even helped move all of our luggage, which we really appreciated as we are travelling with a baby and a toddler. The food has been very good, with plenty of choice at every meal, and the hotel is clean, well maintained and in a great location right by the beach. A big thank you to the reception and all the staff for their excellent customer service. They made us feel valued and helped make our holiday even more enjoyable. We would happily recommend Bella Beach Hotel and would love to return in the future.

The hotel is nice and clean with some good restaurants and bars. The Lemongrass Asian restaurant is especially good for sushi. The staff are friendly. During our stay the majority of guests were either young families with small children or couples aged 60+ so there wasn’t much of an atmosphere. The spa is good, however the staff had a very “hard sell” approach when trying to get you to book treatments, which we felt slightly off putting. They also didn’t have a price list and seemed to make them up on the spot. The resort the hotel is situated in has a lot on offer though, and the beaches are great.