In the Gazi suburb west of Heraklion, situated on Amoudara beach, is this urban resort offering a wide array of facilities and services. All sights and attractions of Heraklion can be easily reached within minutes. The complex consisting of several low-rise buildings launched an all-inclusive plan in 2006 that covers all meals and most of the activities. An ongoing renovation of the hotel, which opened in 1995, will replace existing room decor and amenities.
Facing the large front desk in the lobby is a huge mural depicting the medieval town of Heraklion. Behind reception is the lobby bar, and a winding staircase leads downstairs to the main buffet restaurant and the meeting rooms. The glass front on the back side of the lobby overlooks the pool area and the resort's beach. Additional food and beverage outlets include a grill restaurant, a beachside fish taverna and the pool bar. A sundries store and an ATM are also available.
The large pool complex contains a children's pool and several waterslides. Sun chairs and umbrellas by the pools and on the beach are free of charge for guests. Recreational facilities also include an indoor pool, watersports, soccer pits, tennis courts, a jogging track across the resort's landscaped grounds, billiard tables and table tennis, among others. There is a daily entertainment program for children and adults, and evening shows are held at the open-air amphitheater.
The hotel's main draw is the thalassotherapy spa, perhaps the largest in the country, occupying 5,000 square meters. The thalassic pool has 14 massage points, and the 24 treatment rooms are used for facials and body treatments such as ayurveda massages, mud and algae wraps, and hydrotherapies. Special therapeutic exercise classes are geared for people recovering from illness or injuries. Guests may use the sauna, the Cleopatra steam bath, the Sanarium and several other installations. The spa also offers a freshwater indoor pool, a large gym with classes, a squash court, a juice bar and a playroom for children.
The meeting center with nine rooms seating up to 900 is among the most sophisticated on the island. There are two Internet access desks in the lobby complementing the wireless Internet access, and the hotel's private parking lot is a relief in a city notorious for heavy traffic and a lack of parking space.
At inspection the existing rooms were being phased out. The first remodeled units reveal an appealing modern design with fashionable black wooden furniture accompanied by touches of gray and orange. Designer lamps and unusual artwork made of seashells, as well as the smartly designed storage space with the motorized screen, give the rooms a very contemporary feel. Amenities include hair dryers, refrigerators, coffeemakers, irons and ironing boards, safes and wide-screen TVs taking up much of the desk space. Spacious balconies allow for outdoor dining and lounging. Baths are large and come with tubs, phone extensions, slippers and robes. Some rooms are wheelchair accessible.
Room service runs between 7 am and 1 am. The hotel doesn't match the exclusivity of GDM Megaron, but no other hotel in Heraklion has such a wide range of facilities and services as the Candia Maris, not to mention its ample parking space and easy access to the highway.
