Agios Pavlos Sandhills' Beach

Beautiful Hotel in a Great Location, But Some Details Let It Down We recently stayed at Castello Boutique Suites in Sissi, Crete to celebrate our anniversary, and overall, we had a very good holiday. The hotel made a wonderful gesture by upgrading us to a larger suite with a private side pool, which felt so special and really set the tone for our stay. The suite itself was stylish and comfortable, the breakfast was excellent every morning, and the staff were consistently warm, welcoming, and genuinely kind. The location couldn’t be better — just a 2-minute walk from the charming port of Sissi, with plenty of tavernas and shops nearby. That said, as this is marketed as a five-star hotel, we were a little disappointed by some details. Positives: – Thoughtful anniversary upgrade to a suite with private pool. – Beautiful, modern, and spacious room. – Fantastic location (2 minutes from Sissi port). – Excellent breakfast with plenty of choice and quality. – Friendly, professional, and welcoming staff. – Relaxed, peaceful atmosphere throughout. Negatives: – Private pool jets and lights didn’t work; nothing was fixed during our stay. – Pool needed topping up and sides had algae. – No towel hooks in the bathroom; “do not disturb” system broken. – Daily housekeeping, but balcony wasn’t cleaned in 8 nights. – Cups and glasses not refreshed — had to wash them ourselves. No blinds/curtains: poolside window let in sun at 5am, back window was lit at night, affecting sleep and

Fantastic in every way! Property was very clean. Breakfast was perfect, staff were very helpful and friendly. Loved walking to town to shop and for restaurants. I would love to stay again!

The room was clean, but that’s about it. The main issue is the disconnect between how this hotel is advertised and what it actually is. It’s a fine, middle of the road 3 star with a decent view (ish) and uncomfortable beds, and a number of other annoying but minor flaws. It is not a five star or anything close to that. There is just no objective reality to that claim. The experience made me question the reliability of hotels.com’s system for rating and ensuring accuracy. For a mid to low 3 star it was fine. If you compare it to any reputable 5 star or even 4 star it’s a very disappointing experience.