Atlantica Akti Zeus Hotel

Not a review but: Does anyone have experience of their allergy information or meal options? My kids are allergic to dairy and egg and just want to know they can offer food/meals/options before booking. Have emailed hotel but no answer as yet.

We stayed here as a family of 4, two children two adults, when we first arrived we were worried about the location of the power station however we didn’t really notice it, I will say this hotel is a bit out of the way so I would hire a car but we usually hire cars anyways so it wasn’t too bad. The room was clean and spacious, the food was the best all inclusive buffet food I have had. Drinks were good and lots of choice. Spa was lovely. Pool and water park clean. The real star of the show for us was the animation team, Alice and Darina were absolutely amazing!! My kids loved them and literally were dying to go to kids club which is never the case and they loved them at the mini disco, for being out of season the entertainment was excellent. I would recommend these girls to anyone they went above and beyond for my kids and they’re missed them so much!! Thank you for a lovely stay xxx

As a family with members who have food intolerances, navigating meal options during our stay proved to be a challenge. For instance, the prawn crackers offered at the snack bar contain no wheat, whereas those served in the main buffet restaurant do. The main restaurant features a ‘gluten free corner’ during the evening meal, but this is not the case at breakfast, where the area is filled with gluten-containing pastries. Although gluten free options are available on request at breakfast, identifying what is suitable and safe to eat can be difficult and unclear. The local area offers little within walking distance, so hiring a car is strongly recommended if you plan to explore. The nearby town of Amoudara has a few shops, bars, restaurants, and - importantly - a laundrette that charges €7 per bag, a far more reasonable option than the hotel’s laundry service, which asks €2.50 just to wash a pair of underwear. One major drawback that we were unaware of at the time of booking is the hotel’s proximity to an active, oil-powered power station. This industrial site is directly adjacent to the hotel and is not only an eyesore, but when in operation, emits thick, acrid black smoke and an ear-piercing noise akin to a fleet of jet engines. Had we known this beforehand, we would have reconsidered booking altogether. Whilst I realise this isn’t particularly something the hotel can do anything about, I’d urge others not to make the same mistake that we did insomuch as not looking at the locality before making the booking. There is a hop-on-hop-off bus service available from a stop opposite the Apollonia Hotel next door. Tickets cost €15 per person and are valid for two consecutive days. This service takes you into the centre of Heraklion, where you can transfer to another bus to tour the city’s main attractions. However, it was not made clear that there are multiple companies operating similar services and that your ticket is only valid with the one you initially purchase from. Unfortunately, this resulted in us being stranded for 30 minutes in the heat with a toddler, unable to board any of the other company buses. This should absolutely have been clarified at the point of sale. The hotel provides packed lunches for days out, but these were disappointing: we received six packets of corn cakes, six bottles of water, six cartons of orange juice, and some fruit. While appreciated, this does not constitute a balanced meal. Including something more substantial such as a salad or sandwich fillers with gluten free rolls would be far more appropriate. The staff are friendly and do their best to accommodate guests, which we appreciated. The food available is generally fresh and well-prepared. There are two a la carte restaurants on-site - a Greek and an Italian. The Italian restaurant is not included in the all-inclusive package, with main dishes priced between €15 - €20. Given that we had already paid for an all-inclusive holiday, we found this pricing excessiv

We stayed at Atlantica Akti Zeus for two weeks and, while there were a few positives, overall the experience fell short of expectations and we left feeling disappointed. Food & Dining: The main buffet food was actually reasonably good, especially considering the number of guests. However, if you’re gluten-free, be prepared for major challenges. There were no options at breakfast or lunch, and only a small section at dinner, which made mealtimes quite frustrating. The Greek specialty restaurant is limited to one visit per stay, which felt rather stingy during a two-week holiday. After a firm discussion with hotel management, we were eventually allowed a second visit – but it shouldn’t have come to that. The Italian specialty restaurant comes with an extra charge – and not a small one. We chose not to use it, especially given how isolated the hotel is. It felt like they were taking advantage of guests having few other options. Drinks: The red wine in the main restaurant is served from a pump system and is, quite frankly, undrinkable. Most of the alcoholic drinks were bland, weak, and lacking any real flavor or alcohol content. The Tequila Sunrise tasted like orange squash. If you want a decent drink, be prepared to pay extra – which is frustrating at an all-inclusive resort. The coffee was equally poor unless you paid extra for a premium cup. Staff & Service: The staff were polite and pleasant, but much of their helpfulness felt like lip service. Requests were often acknowledged with a smile but not necessarily acted on. Car Hire Warning: A major issue was with the car hire company in reception. While not operated by the hotel, they are clearly affiliated. The woman at the desk was initially accommodating (only accepting cash), but on the day of rental, gave us a different car than agreed and a very unsafe child seat. When we raised concerns, she was rude and unhelpful, claiming it was our problem. Only after contacting the car hire company’s management was the seat replaced. Avoid this service – hire from elsewhere. Location: The hotel is in an isolated location, far from town, with no pleasant walking route. The beach is okay, but again, not conveniently located near town or other amenities. You feel trapped within the resort. To make matters worse, the hotel sits next to a power station, which looks very industrial – think Chernobyl. While it didn’t directly affect the stay, it’s unpleasant to look at and occasionally impacts the air quality. Room & Cleanliness: Cleanliness was average. While the room was attended daily, it was more surface-level. Dirty cups weren’t replaced, and soap had to be requested once it ran out. Under the beds and shelves were dusty, and clearly not regularly cleaned. Final Thoughts: There were some positives – mainly the friendly staff and passable buffet meals – but these were far outweighed by the negatives: poor gluten-free provisions, weak drinks, extra charges, poor cleanliness, a terrible car hire experi

Arrived late check in was quick and easy they also gave us a food bag with sandwich and fruit in, as we missed dinner we were on the ground floor near the restaurant and pool, now the food what can I say, I have done all inclusive many times before but can honestly say this is the best I have ever had, so much choice! And hot and replenished quickly, I don’t know how people moan and say it’s ’repetitive’ but omg you can’t eat 20 + dishes a night!!! The room was spotless, bed amazing and comfortable and ideal for my friend who struggles with walking, the staff were so helpful, entertainment was great but had to go upstairs to get the cocktails! With the lovely Eva serving them each night made the walk up worth it! Thankyou Eva, plenty of beds available by the pool and the beach, not sure if this was because the season had just started, all in all my friend and I had the absolute best time and already going to book for next year, Thankyou so much we absolutely loved it ❤️❤️❤️ Also have the Al La carte greek it was gorgeous and the view over the beach was stunning

We stayed here at the very beginning of the season. (1st-8th May) so we completely understand that it will take a little while for the hotel to set things up etc. However, with the prices they are charging I really do feel it should’ve absolutely been ready and waiting for guests to arrive. When we arrived - check in was rushed, little to no information given about the hotel and the facilities etc. just an a4 piece of paper once you get in your room. The staff at reception make you feel like everything is a chore or too much trouble. However, the events manager was amazing and helped us wherever she could. For example, we had no air con on and this was put down to it being the beginning of the season. Which again, why wasn’t it put on for a week before guests started arriving?? The air con was actually blowing out hot air and we woke up one night to it being 32 degrees with 2 small children!!!!! The lady asked the staff at reception who just brushed it off but luckily she managed to sort it for us regardless thankfully. Food is ok but very repetitive. The options are very limited for children. There are no staff there to help with seating arrangements so some nights we didn’t even have anywhere to sit due to couples taking up tables of 4 and even tables of 6, which again was down to lack of staff. I’ve never been to an all inclusive like this and we’ve been to a few, we’ve always been asked our room number and seated at a table - this one is just a free for all!! The cleanliness of the hotel is nothing short of perfect to be honest. I will give credit where it’s due. There are staff constantly looking after the garden areas and ensuring the pools are kept to a high standard. The rooms were cleaned everyday with fresh towels etc. Very nice and clean. The room was lovely. However, too small for a family of four. There wasn’t enough space or storage for us all. The sliding doors were great as it meant the children had their own little space. The drink options for an all inclusive are very poor. The beer is watered down. There are cocktail’s available but the worst options I’ve ever known at a FOUR STAR all inclusive. I haven’t ever been to one where you have to pay extra for a pina colada or a daiquiri??!!! There are slushes available, AGAIN at an extra cost. It’s just ridiculous. Staff at the bars are very slow and ignorant at times. They will ignore you at the bar and talk amongst themselves and serve people who haven’t been waiting half as long as they weren’t paying attention. When we arrived there was also only one bar open with little staff. Entertainment - I’ve again never known a hotel have such little entertainment for children. We had a bit of bad weather the first two days so we decided to take the children to kids club. It’s so run down I honestly don’t know how they still open it and advertise it as a kids club. The toys are old and broken, it’s so dull. The staff just seemed like they didn’t even want to be there. The