Anatoli Apartments

Everything about Anatoli Apartments and the holiday was fantastic, and this was all thanks to Costas and his family, they made us very welcome, nothing was too much trouble to do for us. Having visited all Greek islands, this is the first holiday we have been on that we would go back for a second time, definitely will be there next year and more.

Costas & Effi are fantastic hosts and are ably supported in the taverna by George, Antonis, Mario and Paul. Great food, lots of beer and, most importantly, great company. There is a very friendly and lively atmosphere with Greek dancing each night. We renewed some old acquaintances and made some new friends. Everyone is so friendly with the children, and nothing is too much of a problem.

Anatoli is situated close to Star Beach with the daytime activities, and a 20 minute walk to the resort centre. It was a fantastic base for our holiday.

Anatoli Apartments Utterly fantastic value. Only two stars? The bargain of the Century. If stars were based on customer satisfaction, then only five would suffice.

Customer comes first? Driven by the charismatic Costas, (owner, chief cook and bottle-washer) the level of customer service is second to none. For example, when the Thomson rep let a family down - parents with a son with special needs - very badly over lost passports, Costas and his wife stepped in to ferry the family around and sort things out. Shame on Thomson. The elderly travellers are treated with particular care. I met so many over 60's who returned year after year.

Food/drink? Although I'm not a rich man (by any means,) I've been fortunate enough to travel extensively the USA. The Yanks delude themselves - they presume to be the world leader in beefsteak cuisine. I love steak, and can honestly say that the steak served to me by Costas was the finest I've ever tasted. Wonderful medium-rare. One cautionary note - everyone told me Costas' micro-brew wine was mouth-wateringly beautiful. My palate isn't exactly fine, but it tasted like Benylin to me.

Accommodation? Clean. Good location. Good facilities (self-catering.) The studio was over two levels - if you're slightly infirm or can't cope with too many stairs, be careful to book the ground level apartments.

Company? Fantastic. Even the Germans (and there's lots 'em!) were affable. We met some lovely, warm, funny Scousers, Yorkies, Welshies, Cockneys. The humour can get a little Chubby Brown, mind, but never when children were around.

Entertainment? This is, apparently, best in high/mid season. The Portland-direct claim "Greek Dancing Every Night" isn't true in low season. Can't really comment further because I went mid- May.

Conclusion? In terms of meeting and inter-acting with people, this is the best holiday I've had. A bargain. The Cretans are a fantastic lot. I suggest you learn a little Greek before you go - the local love it, and are very patient. The guy in the local supermarket (Hari) didn't mind when I asked him to clarify tense in my BBC Speak Greek book (even though he was at the till and the queue was growing.) A couple of days later my wife and I went in and he brought us drinks as we wandered around. Does friendliness get any better? People return year after year to the Anatoli, and I'm not surprised. Get in there before the secret gets out!