Malia Bay Beach Hotel & Bungalows in Malia

I recently stayed at Malia Bay Beach Hotel in Crete with an all-inclusive package. The location is good, and the variety of food was nice since there was something different every day. The head chef seemed to do his best, and you could sometimes get freshly prepared dishes if you arrived later.

However, several aspects did not meet my expectations for a hotel advertised as 4 stars. After 11 PM, even water had to be paid for, which I find very disappointing for an all-inclusive stay. Drinks were charged around 5€ after that time, which seemed excessive.

The food itself was often displayed in advance, so if you didn’t come early, it was usually cold. While the meals were varied, the taste did not compare to what you can find in local restaurants.

Housekeeping is a real downside—towel changes and toilet paper refills were poor. After four days we only received two out of three fresh towels, which is unacceptable in my opinion. The room also looked rushed in construction, paint over wood, mold in the bathroom, and overall not what you would expect from a proper 4-star hotel.

Overall, I would personally rate this hotel around 2.5 stars, not 4. The staff were friendly and even asked guests to write positive reviews, but the reality is mixed. While the variety of dishes and the effort of the chef were positives, the service, room quality, and “all-inclusive” conditions left much to be desired.

My friends and I stayed at Malia Bay between 14/07 and 21/07, and unfortunately, our experience was severely impacted by the conduct of the overnight receptionist working during this period. From the moment we arrived, we were greeted with hostility rather than a warm welcome. The receptionist appeared visibly irritated, sighing and making us feel like an inconvenience. When there was a small misunderstanding regarding our room booking, instead of calmly resolving the issue, he shifted the blame onto us—despite having our phone in his hand and access to our booking confirmation. He even stated that he was behaving this way because “my manager won’t give me a day off”, which is unprofessional and not something guests should be burdened with. The situation worsened upon checkout on 21/07. We were informed that we needed to pay €10 for pool towels that had been taken by housekeeping. While we were happy to resolve the misunderstanding, the receptionist again became aggressive. When we attempted to pay by card, he insisted on cash, muttering insults under his breath and bizarrely showing us the cash he already had behind the desk. When one of us offered to transfer money so another could pay in cash, he began to belittle us further, claiming we “had no respect” for him. His tone and attitude were entirely inappropriate and uncalled for. We sincerely hope this review reaches Malia Bay management, especially given that attempts to contact you via phone and email have gone unanswered. This is not just a one-time issue—it is highly likely that other guests will face similar mistreatment unless action is taken. This employee’s behavior was unacceptable and completely at odds with the level of service one expects at any hotel.