This updated all-inclusive in Crete is the perfect summer all-rounder

The beach isn’t huge – around 250 metres – and it is so lined with sun loungers it felt a little cramped, but there are lots of quieter spots to go and relax after a dip in the sea, as well as 10 pools, an indoor one and five children’s options.

The most sophisticated new additions are Alatsi (adults-only, inside/outside dining with an a la carte dinner menu focused on seafood) and adjacent Mademi with a focus on grilled food and prime meat. They share a beautiful setting looking out to sea, with a sky that turns pale pink as the sun sets and dinner starts.

Another new feature is Delogo Greek Gyros, which served nothing but gyros (meat cooked on a rotisserie, then sliced and served wrapped or stuffed in pita bread with tomato, onion, chips and tzatziki). It’s part of a collection of snack bars by the main pool: next to it is Drosa Ice Cream for fresh homemade, drippy-soft ice cream. There’s also a juice and smoothie bar and, depending on how you look at it, this area is an all-inclusive godsend for parents, as kids can just run from one venue to the next.

It can be hard to equate all-inclusive propositions with sustainability, but Creta Maris Resort is a pioneer in Greece in this area and aims to become a zero-waste-to-landfill hotel.

Owner Metaxa Hospitality Group has been publishing sustainability reports since 2013 and is the first hotel group in Greece to launch a Sustainable Suppliers Program and Sustainable Hotel Farming Project – 73% of the suppliers for Creta Maris are located in Greece.

We feasted like royalty at Enomy, a big place with a busy buffet fray, where the supply of food is carefully monitored, both to keep it fresh, tasty and varied, and to avoid waste. It features open show kitchens, live cooking demonstrations and an interactive philosophy so you can chat to the team, who will offer insight into the Cretan flavours and international favourites.

This is not Mandarin Oriental or Four Seasons levels of luxury (there are almost 700 guest rooms, after all), nor does it want to be. Neither does it pretend to compete with some of the hallmark luxury resorts this island is known for. But it does fill a demand for “affordable luxury”, and with lots to keep everyone occupied, it’s a good suggestion for easy-breezy family trips and friend groups looking to chill.

I loved the accommodation too – a collection of bungalows, townhouses and cute little white and blue buildings, all connected via cobbled streets, with colourful bougainvillea spilling over walls in village squares, reminding you firmly you’re in Greece.

Good to know 

• The resort is next to the seaside town of Hersonissos, and close to Crete’s capital, Heraklion, 25km away. There are a few local bars and shops in either direction outside the resort to wander to for a change of scene. 
• Two parts of the hotel have grown up on either side of a (not too busy) road; most of the recent work has been on the beach side of the resort. 
• On the other side is a waterpark, indoor pool and fitness centre, and Asterias Kids’ Club (4 to 11 years) and Teenagers’ Club (12-15), but none of this has been renovated yet. Guest bedrooms, entertainment offerings and further public areas and F&B outlets will be refurbished over the coming five years. 
• Elsewhere on the property, there is an open-air cinema, five-a-side football pitches, two tennis courts, mini golf, basketball court and petanque, with a daily programme of activities.
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