Magda Hotel Club

We stayed for 10 days from end of 29September to 9October We stayed as a family of 3 & 2 in 2 of the swim up rooms, which was to small by far for 3 people as our son is now 15 not suitable for him as there was no where to change in private and very little space for clothes. would not recommend these rooms for more than a couple. The food was very nice and we could always find plenty to eat a good variety of food. Not the best we have had at an all inclusive but by far not the worst , I would say over average. however there is only one restaurant so if you want a different type of meal you have to eat out.
facilities at the hotel are just the pools, everything else comes with a charge which I felt was a constant through out the hotel. Towels , I don't mind paying a deposit to get back on exit of the hotel, but these charge deposit and a daily charge of €1 per day per towel so for 3 towels over 10days that's 30euros which I think is very excessive. Safe in your room is €3 per day so again 30€ to use the sauna , gym etc more charges. The reception staff were helpful and pleasant, the bar staff also cant say much on dinner staff as they just hung around to clear plates. Cleaning staff very polite , probably the best staff in the hotel . The Jumbo Team or animation staff, were amongst the worst I have ever experienced, they were rude and unattainable to you if you were English, they truly did not want to speak to you or include you in any thing, as one of party said they felt unwelcome because we were English. along with this I did not call what they put on in there shows as entertainment, it was the poorest entertainment I have seen from an entertainment group. If the hotel had put music on through the day it would have been better entertainment that watching 5 people skip around a stage, the only time they were in time was when doing the Macarena. The hotel is situated very close to a nice beach with water sports on this beach, there are a few shops and restaurants within walking distance, but nothing worth shouting about , would I go back no defiantly not, this experience put me off Crete totally.

Magda Hotel, Gouves, Crete – 2nd to 8th October 2026

We stayed at the Magda Hotel in Gouves from 2nd to 8th October 2026. This holiday was a real mix of highs and lows, and I have very mixed feelings about our experience.

First of all, the hotel itself was lovely. In fact, it was the best hotel I have ever stayed in in Greece. We booked a room with a hot tub and another room with a private pool, and the hotel itself made a wonderful first impression. There is clearly a lot to like about this place, and we had high hopes for a fantastic holiday.

Unfortunately, the surrounding area felt quite run-down and in need of investment. Although the hotel was lovely, the wider resort did not quite live up to the standard we expected, and some investment in the local area would make a real difference.

Before we even arrived, there had been severe weather warnings for Gouves, with footage of flooding causing us considerable anxiety. We contacted Jet2 and were advised that the holiday was going ahead as planned. On arrival, we received two alerts advising us to stay local. Thankfully, the worst of the storm passed, but starting a holiday with that level of uncertainty was far from ideal.

The most upsetting part of our stay, however, was that my husband and I both became seriously ill with vomiting and diarrhoea during the holiday. Our son also became sick, although he did not want to report his illness. My husband and I were so unwell that we both needed medical treatment and ended up having IV drips. We were given medication and other treatment to help us recover. We then needed a fit to fly note to get back home.

All three of us became ill within a relatively short period of one another. We cannot say for certain what caused it, and we are not making an accusation against the hotel, but it was a very distressing experience and had a significant impact on our holiday. It is not something you expect to experience when you have paid for a relaxing break.

Another thing worth mentioning is that the hotel seems to cater predominantly to French guests. This may suit some holidaymakers perfectly well, but it is something to be aware of. We also found that smoking was quite prevalent among guests, which affected our enjoyment of sitting outside in the evenings. When you want to relax outdoors and enjoy the warm Mediterranean evenings, sitting surrounded by cigarette smoke can be unpleasant.

Overall, I am torn because the hotel itself really was beautiful, and I would struggle to say I have stayed anywhere better in Greece. However, the illness we experienced, the weather concerns, the smoking and the condition of the surrounding area all affected our experience.

The hotel has so much potential, and with continued investment in the resort and attention to guests’ overall experience, it could be an outstanding destination. Sadly, our stay was overshadowed by events that made what should have been a lovely holiday a very difficult one.

A beautiful hotel, but unfortunately not the carefree holiday we had hoped for.

Let’s start with location. Kato Gouves is a small resort and hotel sits at the western end of the resort. Everything you need outside the hotel is no more than a 20 min walk so that’s fine. It does sit under the flight path for aircraft arriving at Heraklion but they are high enough so as not to bother. The Atmosphere in the hotel is nice, there are areas where you can sit and enjoy a book with a drink. The club staff cater mostly for French but it wouldn’t stop anybody else from joining in. You hardly need to be fluent in French to understand the games etc… Food was good, it wasn’t exciting but we found it tasty and plentiful. Gyros on the lunch menu every day….fine by me and the desserts were good quality. Room was fine. Not an ideal view (car park) but hey, it was kept clean and the bed was very comfortable. The hotel staff were polite and responsive to questions and queries. We had a couple of Spa sessions booked in and I thought they were good value. I had a bit of a sore neck and this was gone post massage. Overall the hotel was fine but we won’t return.