Table of Contents
About Meropi Hotel & Apartments
Meropi hotel & apartments is a middle-size hotel in Malia, Crete. It is suitable for families, groups, couples and individuals, who do not mind having both young children and nightlife parties in close proximity.
If you are that tolerant, you will be rewarded with beautiful surroundings and design of the hotel, friendly staff, great food and amazing sandy beach just some 5 minutes walk away from the hotel.
Meropi aparthotel has 96 apartments, each of them with a kitchenette, fridge, TV. The air conditioning is there too, but for an additional charge.
Location
Meropi hotel & apartments Malia is located on the northeastern part of Crete island. It is a bit more than half an hour drive from Heraklion airport. That means that if you would like some more tours, it is easy to reach Heraklion and from there travel to Santorini, take boat trips, etc. If you would like to explore Malia more, have a look at my tips about this destination. If you are planning to drive far and explore much, check some locations in the Western part of Crete too.
Who is staying here
Rather diverse people, although the website of the hotel states that they only target couples and families. During May, when we stayed there, we met families with children from all parts of Europe and Russia, groups of girls and boys coming from the UK for stag/hen nights, corporate trips and couples with no children.
Remember that Malia is really a party destination, favoured by young crowds from the UK, so even though this is more of a family hotel, it is still very nearby the city centres, clubs and nightlife.
What makes Meropi Hotel & Apartments special
Cats. They are everywhere, and you will find at least a couple of them around your table while having a meal.
If I could close my eyes (or rather ears) to the fact that Malia goes boom boom boom every night, I would say that this is one of the most child-friendly places in Crete. The town is small, the beach is perfect for toddlers and older kids, there are many tavernas around and some opportunities for excursions. You don’t need to drive too long from the airport. So yes, try off-season as much as you can for a perfect family holiday.
Food at Meropi Hotel & Apartments
At Meropi Hotel you can choose from several options: go for breakfast only, half-board or full-board. The choice is not as big in some huge all-inclusive hotels, but (because it is Crete, the kingdom of good food) is very good.
For breakfast, you would have a choice of usual items, typical for European, Greek, English breakfast. And for dinner and lunch, you can choose between several main dishes, changing every day according to the theme: Greek, Italian, Chinese, etc. There would also be some kind of soup, pasta, cold starters, salads, fresh fruits, cheeses and desserts.
Other facilities
Meropi hotel & apartments has several (not heated) swimming pools, a pool for kids, a bar with a good selection of drinks and not the best coffee. It is not located in the first row, meaning you need to walk around 5-10 minutes to the beach. When I say walk, I mean flat surface. If you have been to Crete, you know what I mean: sometime these 10 minutes would mean that you need to climb a steep hill like a mountain goat twice a day on the way from and to the hotel.
The beach is public, so you do not need to pay any extra unless you want to rent an umbrella from the first-row hotel. And the beach is one of the best you will find in the northern part of Crete – soft soft sand. There is also a great spacious playground for children with a mushroom house, stage and swings. During the season you will also have some entertainment provided for kids by the hotel.
Cons
It can be rather noisy, especially during the season. Malia is a party place and the people who come here will normally not read a book and go to sleep early. One of our rooms was facing the pool and the bar, and you at night you would lie in bed as if you were in the middle of the party. But eh, don’t go to Malia after the beginning of May, if you want peace and quiet, it is not the right place for this.
Another thing which was special about Meropi Aparthotel was the abundance of mosquitos. Funnily enough, they also have a kind of mosquito on their logo, so probably they are unavoidable. If your room faces away from the pool and towards the field, then prepare to hunt those beasts with a towel before going to sleep every night. Or again, don’t go to sleep, go party. They don’t attack you near the bar.
One last note: if the internet is vital for your stay, do ask the staff for the room, which really has access to it. Some rooms further away from the main building did not have any or very weak signal.
Practical information
Address: Gramatikaki street, 70007 Malia, Crete, Greece Online: The homepage of Meropi Hotel & Apartments Prices and booking: Price for a room starts from 60 euro. You can check the availability for your dates here on Booking.com.
