It’s not uncommon among those visiting Crete to stay in different areas of the island during their one or two-week vacation. Many charter flights from Europe normally land in Heraklion, so the capital has become one of the places where tourists tend to spend a few days since there are many interesting things to do in the area. If you’re planning a holiday in Crete and Heraklion, which is one of your destinations, check the Galaxy Iraklio Hotel for a child-friendly, luxury family holiday in Crete.
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Review
This is a sponsored post. I was a guest for three days at the Galaxy Iraklio Hotel, yet all opinions remain, as usual, my own and unbiased. A heartfelt thank you to all the management and staff for the care and service.
Where to Stay in Heraklion: Galaxy Iraklio Hotel
Crete is the biggest of the Greek Islands, so those planning to visit as much of it as possible, usually rent a car (or even make use of public transport) to move around, from the east coast to the west, and from the cities of the north to the beautiful southern beaches.
You might enjoy: Top Amazing Things to Do in Heraklion, Crete
Choosing a Hotel in Heraklion
Usually, travelers stay in different areas during their one or two-week holidays.
Many charter flights from Europe normally land in Heraklion, and several visitors take advantage to visit the city center, the Archaeological Museum, and the well-known Minoan Palace of Knossos.
Therefore, when you’re traveling along the island, sometimes a well-deserved rest is more than important. Especially on an island where there’s so much to see and do.
And if you’re traveling with kids, chances are that everyone in the family will be needing a rest, kids included!
One of the most comfortable places we’ve experienced in Heraklion is the Galaxy Hotel Iraklio. And this is our review of the stay.
Review of Galaxy Iraklio Hotel in Crete
We used to land in Heraklion when Crete was still our holiday destination. It’s been a few years now that we’ve moved permanently to the island, and even if we live in Chania, it’s common for us to visit the capital a few times a year. I do it a lot for work, but I also drive to the capital for Christmas shopping or to visit friends, and many times to take a ferry to other islands.
Central Location
Due to its central location, Galaxy Iraklio Hotel is a comfortable choice. It’s very close to the city center, but not in the city center, which means ease of parking and still being close enough to virtually everything. The hotel is also comfortably located close to the highway, the port, and the airport.
We stayed in the hotel at the end of the peak season (October), and that did not mean getting a cold or fast service. On the contrary, we were warmly received and, after a quick check-in procedure, a cute kit with toiletries and entertaining activities for children was the first of the many details that made a difference.
The Rooms at Galaxy Hotel Iraklio
Comfort
I don’t know about you, but tiny hotels where you’re bumping into the furniture all the time get on my nerves. This was not the case. Entering our room was a magnificent experience. The rooms in this hotel prove that ample spaces can as well be cozy and warm!
Since we were traveling with the kids, we had a family room which practically means two communicating suites with two different huge bathrooms, two fridges, two tv sets, two closets, and two different varieties of welcome treats.
While we, adults, could enjoy strawberries with chocolate, the kids had their serving of M&Ms and other sweets. We were ready to enjoy a much-desired rest to the full.
Allergy-free
Our room was elegant, beautifully decorated, and comfortable. As I had read before arrival, many of the rooms have an allergy-free certificate. This suits both kids and parents.
The convenience of our connecting family room was a blessing, something we appreciated since it’s not a very common feature lately when most hotels tend to be for adults only.
In all, the hotel offers a serene atmosphere, it’s stylish and they cater to every detail.
You might enjoy: Day Visit to the Gorgeous Gavalas Winery in Heraklion, Crete.
Other Facilities at Galaxy Iraklio Hotel: Pool, Steam Room, and Gym
On our second day, we wandered around the nearby areas of the city and spent a whole morning in Heraklion’s Labyrinth Park.
That meant being dead tired and longing for a well-deserved pause next to the pool.
Bear in mind that swimming pools in city hotels in Heraklion are rare to find.
So if you’d like to swim after a day around, this is a place to consider. There’s a perfect pool waiting for you to recover from a day in the city.
During our stay, we spent a few hours relaxing by the deck with a cup of Greek coffee. The children, instead, enjoyed some time swimming.
Dining at the Galaxy
You can also use their gym facilities or take a break at their magnificent steam room. After a long day either around town or taking advantage of the gym and the pool, you might be wondering about dinner, well, the hotel has two fine restaurants to choose from too!
My Favorite Feature at the Galaxy Iraklio Hotel: The Great Cretan Breakfast!
There’s nothing more invigorating than starting your day with a delicious palette of dishes. At Galaxy Iraklio Hotel, colors and tastes mix both international flavors and the most enticing local ingredients.
As a result, the breakfast buffet offers a unique variety of delicious dishes to begin the morning. Make it International, English, or Continental. Or make it Cretan (that was my favorite!).
Being a fan of the island’s culture, I adored the Cretan angle for breakfast which even serves raki and rakomelo together with an impressive variety of local liquors and delicacies.
The offer goes from sweet pastries to artisan cheese, homemade marmalade, Cretan olives, and spoon sweets. There’s also a wide variety of bread, tea, and local olive oil. And… don’t worry, if you are a healthy type there is plenty of option for you too!
Why I recommend this hotel while in Heraklion…
Galaxy Hotel Iraklio received us with the authentic values of a Cretan family in a top-class environment.
We enjoyed a pleasant and relaxing stay, and it wasn’t just a child-friendly hotel for a luxury holiday: It was more! Everybody went the extra mile to make sure we were having the time of our lives.
They surrounded us with thoughtful details and a smile was always there to welcome us home.
Experience the best of Heraklion in the comfort of Galaxy Iraklio Hotel.
Click here for more information and the latest prices.
The hotel is located at 75 Dimokratias Avenue, 71306, Heraklion, Crete (Greece)
Are you coming to Crete any time soon? Let me know in the comments below!
You might also want to read these:
– Amazing things to do in Heraklion – A guide to the best things to do in Heraklion.
– Top things to do in Matala – A visit guide to Matala Beach.
– Top tours, day trips, and excursions from Heraklion. A guide to help you pick the best tour in the Heraklion region.
– Comfortable Airbnbs in Heraklion – The best rental homes in Heraklion, Crete.
– What to do in Heraklion in 1, 2, or 3 days – A guide for a short visit to Heraklion with the essential things to do in town.
Let’s Start by Getting Ready for Crete!
RESOURCES TO BOOK YOUR TRIP:
Book your flight: I use Skyscanner to compare prices before booking a plane ticket.
Book your ferry: When ferries are more convenient than air travel, I use Ferryhopper.
Book your accommodation: I’ve tried many different platforms for accommodation, but none of them beats the advantages of Booking.com.
Book your car: The best way to find an affordable car to rent is to use a powerful search engine that compares all the rental companies in the market. I use Discover Cars.
Book your tours: Live unforgettable adventures and cultural experiences with Get Your Guide. For instance, you can Visit Elafonisi, discover Balos Beach, hike Samaria, or explore Knossos.
Don’t forget travel insurance: Things can go wrong at times, but travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. I recommend Safety Wing for peace of mind.
Pin this Review for Your Next Trip to Crete: Stay at the Galaxy Hotel Iraklio!
About the author of this blog:
Gabi has been living in Crete for the last five years. On the island, she juggles being a solo mom, hosting culinary tours in summer, translating, and freelance writing.
She’s written for Greek Reporter, published several travel guides about Greece, and had more glasses of frappe than any regular person would be able to handle.
This hotel looks lovely! Although we don’t travel with kiddos, we love a spacious hotel room! And also a breakfast buffet! Is there anything better!?
I agree! I almost never have breakfast at home, at least nothing else than a cup of coffee. But breakfast on the road is a must. Probably because somebody else cooks it for you?
To be honest I prefer small family-run guesthouses to big modern hotels, but I would give a try with this hotel – the swimming pool looks so tempting 🙂 I definitely would love to try Cretan food – it looks delicious.
Small guesthouses is our way to travel too, but, as I said here and there, a few days of luxury can do only good to mom’s mental sanity 😀
Seems lke a very good property for a family vacations. You have done some great food photography too to make it even more alluring. Havn’t been to Crete but it is a region that greately interests me with its antiquity as well as beauty.
It is a very interesting island, we return to Crete every year.
The hotel sounds great. I can imagine how important certain aspects become once you start travelling with kids. Btw, you have two adorable little boys:)
Yes, Nadine, there are things you stop doing (not many, really) and things you do in another way. We still love to sleep in rural areas, in private houses (cottages or bed and breakfasts), and similar, and we still hike and adventure into different experiences, but we also like to splurge from time to time. Certain things are done less (like coachsurfing), but nothing remains excluded. And what can’t be done for age restrictions, can always wait 😀
Allergy free rooms are a big plus. Although I have not been to Greece yet, it is in my top 5 places to see. I would probably see Athens before the islands.
Athens is awesome! I hope you can make it soon 🙂
Here’s a taste of it: Enjoy Athens!
You and your kids have definitely made a great and relaxing pause from town activities with Galaxy Hotel. The room looks cozy and neat and hey I like the idea of serving their breakfast I don’t know if it is also done in other hotels but it sounds new to me, I’ll go with Cretan breakfast as well (if ever I made it there too). Enjoy as you go on fun activities again. Thanks for sharing this 🙂
Thank you so much for leaving your comment, happy you enjoyed the information!
Greece is on my bucket list. This looks like a luxurious and convenient property to stay with kids. I will certainly keep it in mind. The foodie in me is especially fascinated with the Cretan breakfast…though, I wonder if they could make a vegetarian version??! Thanks for sharing.
Fruit and greens are of a top quality in Crete, I believe you wouldn’t have a problem at all!
This place looks absolutely phenomenal. I love how modernized the aesthetic is. I would actually consider staying here one day, haha. I had a chance to visit the Galaxy Macau. One word: WOW. 😀
Ohh really? I’ve never been to Macau, but I’d definitely consider it, your “wow” is very promising 🙂
I like it most when the resort people go that extra bit to make guests feel at home!
Your review has left me wishing for an experience there. Love the combination of kid friendly and luxury… a rare combination.
Yes Indrani, finding a luxury hotel that takes care of kids as what they are (people!!) is not common and we definitely encounter odd solutions on the road. This one was a quick decision as they really treat all their customers with superb care!
Looks like a beautiful hotel, rooms sounds awesome! The food looks good too. Thank you for sharing! Hope you and your family had a great time at the hotel.
We had a great time, but it seemed too short! Thanks for leaving your comment.
This looks like a really elegant and comfortable place to stay. An ideal place to stay with family and explore the beauty of Crete.It being in the heart of Crete makes it all the more convenient.
Yes, indeed, the position is very central and excellent to visit the Region of Heraklion
I can guarantee you that not only kids are crazy for M&Ms, I am too! So, having no kids, I already know who could have been the culprit for their disappearance! Anyway, speaking of eatable stuff, I’d like to try the Cretan breakfast of course, every occasion is a good one to eat new food.
I really think your stay at the hotel has been a top one, for kids as well!
Luca, believe me, Cretan food is like Italian home-made food, but ten times better. I can’t even start to explain the explosion of flavors a Cretan table can be. I love the way they cook and receive people at their table. If you love Italian food, Crete could be a problem 😉
An extremely pleasant problem, I’d say! 😀
And I have to agree 😉
Absolutely stunning looking hotel. The list of amenities you’ve included here are incredible and certainly, it seems like the ideal way to spend an anniversary or perhaps a honeymoon while in Crete
You know? I had the same impression, it’s so quiet for a honeymoon or another similar special occasion!
Looks like a wonderful hotel to relax at while in Crete. The kids look happy. I’m sure all of you had a lovely time. 🙂
The allergy free rooms sound pretty awesome. The rooms look spacious yet cosy. I guess your children must have enjoyed a lot especially the small toiletries. What is Cretan cuisine??
Cretan cuisine is the local food you can enjoy in Crete and it has ancient roots. It is very much related to the Mediterranean diet with a few variations. It has been defined as one of the healthiest in the World (so much so, several hospitals around the World are using it as their default diet for patients and doctors). Its staples are extra virgin olive oil, vegetables, honey, cheese and meat on a balanced basis.
Every travel family needs a “pause” every once in a while! This hotel looks fantastic. A pool is a perfect way for the kids to unwind, and you are right, those extra details provided can make all the difference. And that breakfast!!!
I totally agree with you!!! We are definitely the backpack type, dirty roads, rucksacks and hostels that would never match the beautiful rolling cases we saw entering this awesome post… Still but we love to treat ourselves (possibly at the end of the adventure and to freshen up a bit before turning back home!) with a few days of luxury once in a while! Everyone deserves a “pause” and a share of class (and moms can definitely do with a bit of luxury and relax for a couple of days) 😀
What a lovely hotel. Being someone with asthma, choosing a hotel that’s allergen free would be ideal. The rooms look lovely and the hotel itself doesn’t look dated at all. Seems like a lovely, clean hotel. Thanks for sharing.
It’s quite new to be honest, not dated at all. And the quality of the air made the difference, really.
Greece was the first country I ever traveled to as a kid and seeing this post brings on a lot of memories. Seems like a really nice hotel, and the breakfast looks like something I definitely could get used to!
Greece (at least for me) is always a great idea!
And yes… that breakfast was to kill for.
Thanks for reading Marita!!
This hotel looks very modern and the rooms seem very spacious. I love that they are allergen-free. This year I have started to fight allergies for the first time in my life and it’s been a nightmare as they come and go and I have no idea what triggers them. Staying in an allergy free room prevents waking up with watery eyes and problems breathing.
I had no idea this kind of facilities existed, and to tell you the truth you can tell the difference. I come from a very polluted Milan, and the quality of the air we breath here is rather poor. Sleeping in such a clean and pure environment was a discovery for us and we really appreciated it.