Aquila Rithymna Beach

Aquila Rithymna is a great hotel right on the beach and with 3 pools to choose from as well as the waterpark. I recommend having a good explore! We stayed for 2 weeks with family and friends and overall had a brilliant stay. We mostly enjoyed the main pool but be aware loungers do go quickly however Vasilis does a tireless job of policing the loungers not sat on by 9.45am. The main pool is quite deep in places but has non swimmer areas too. They allow inflatables despite the sign saying otherwise. The waterpark is great- there is a splash park for little ones and a lazy river. There are slides for heights 120 upwards- they check your height if they are unsure. The park is very clean and modern and is well supervised by lots of lifeguards. The beach is clean but quite rocky- recommend water shoes. There was a red flag- no swimming during most of our stay due to the wind. There are turtle nests in the beach so there are rules In place at night time so not to disturb them. On site shop is well stocked and not too overally priced. There are shops along the road from the hotel too. We had a family room with a sea view - got an upgrade from a garden view and we had no complaints. Some of the furniture perhaps needs updated. The kids had their own space separated by sliding doors. Food- we enjoyed the food especially the BBQ night at main restaurant and mournies Greek restaurant for lunch. The lunch is à la carte and you can visit as many times as you want for lunch on the all inclusive package. Drinks- kids enjoyed milkshakes and mocktails and we enjoyed the cocktails from the lounge bar. The ones by the pool were not so good.
Download the hotel app and you can order drinks from your lounger by the main pool and book restaurant. You need to book for dinner in all restaurants and lunch (at mournies). The staff are very friendly and work very hard! It is a short taxi ride or bus trip to Rethymno which is a pretty town worth a visit.

Suggested improvements: Have somewhere you can order a take away coffee or get water before 10.30am. There is nowhere to get a drink after breakfast until 10.30am Towel exchange - have it open later than 4pm Kids club- don’t take them swimming at the hottest part of the day. They go to kids club to get out of the sun and do something different. On check out not being able to order drinks through the app is quite annoying. Waterpark- when busy don’t let people reuse the rubber rings if there is a queue of people waiting for the rings. Have a camera set up so you can watch the turtle hatching footage. The fees for late check out were extortionate!

Tereza and Irene were the best fitness animators, loved them so much✨

Irene is the best dancer in the world, we danced salsa - I'm a really good dancer now. I'm here with my family