Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Reflects recent average nightly prices reported by our partners, and may not include estimated taxes or fees. Price at checkout may differ.
Cheaper
Average
Higher
About
4.5
#2 of 3 resorts in Georgioupolis
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Value
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Pilot Beach Resort is located on the northwest shoreline of Crete, Greece, in the bay of Almyros neighboring the picturesque fishing village of Georgioupolis, halfway between Chania and Rethymno amongst a scenery of unparalleled beauty, and near settlements that retain the traditional Cretan elements but also villages with a cosmopolitan atmosphere. It offers a unique combination of tradition, hospitality and luxury with the comforts of a state of the art hotel. Pilot Beach Resort with its spacious stylish public areas and unique Cretan architecture is surrounded by olive and avocado trees and is directly on the sandy beach of Georgioupolis offering spectacular views of the Aegean Sea and of the famous White Mountains. Whilst it is considered among the finest five star hotels in Crete and offers services of the highest standards combined with the well known authentic Cretan Hospitality.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
This summary was created by AI, based on recent reviews.
Powered by AI
Pilot Beach Resort garners accolades for its exceptional service and pristine cleanliness, with guests frequently commending the spotless rooms and immaculate beach. Nestled in a picturesque location, the resort is a stone's throw from the beach, offering scenic views that are a hit with travelers.
While the atmosphere provides a blend of entertainment and relaxation, opinions on the resort's value are mixed, with some confusion over pricing and additional fees. Amenities like the multiple pools and beach access are well-received, though some guests have noted inconsistencies in the offerings.
Location
Picturesque
Atmosphere
Lively
Rooms
Comfortable
Value
Inconsistent
Cleanliness
Immaculate
Service
Friendly
Amenities
Satisfactory
Was this helpful?
Tripadvisor is not responsible for this summary or the opinions in it. For more information, please read the traveller reviews and learn more about how the site works.
I rarely review holidays in Trip Advisor as I feel it has become a forum for complaints/personal complaints which totally invalidates a review in my mind. On this occasion however I feel the need to write a glowing report. The hotel is beautifully appointed an hour and a half from Heraklion airport. We hired a car and enjoyed the scenic journey to resort. The hotel is situated one side of the main coastal road and has a subway to access the beach (this took ten minutes from our room). We had a room 7523 overlooking the main pool area, mountains and also side view to the sea. The rooms were spacious for myself and two teenage girls with a chairbed, generous bathroom, storage area and tea making and fridge Facility area. The room was kept pristine by the cleaners and maintenance came out late evening to replace the balcony light. Nothing was too much problem and all the staff were delightful and helpful. Despite Covid staff delivered a fantastic service wearing face masks in forty degree heat. The Manager took the time to circulate at dinner checking guests were happy and also sent fresh water melon and a bottle of wine to our room. Lovely personal touches that really weren’t necessary but nevertheless were greatly appreciated. There are numerous restaurants. The buffet is plentiful, abound with choices but we favoured the fine dining experience By the beach. Amazing four course meals with great attention to detail and sublime fresh flavours. Breakfast was served in the main restaurant and had every conceivable breakfast variation. Entertainment is laid on but we did not partake preferring to explore local tavernas instead. The beach is beautiful and clean with fine sand and a bit of shingle. Warm crystal clear waters with water sports facilities 5/10 minutes walk away and lifeguards who takes their jobs very seriously make it a perfect spot for families and all. The pool overlooking the beach is also idyllic providing an alternative to seawater.but literally on the beach. To conclude I can not fault the hotel, staff, pools, rooms, food and hospitality. Beautiful location where we explored numerous local villages, lake Kournas, waterfalls at Argyroupoli, Elafonisi and Labos from. If you’re looking for a perfect break look no further. Pilot Beach Hotel has everything and more. Well done to everyone for making it such a success in unprecedented times. I rarely return to hotels but I will be this one!!
Read more
Date of stay: August 2020Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Pilot Beach, Geschäftsführer at Pilot Beach Resort
Responded 01 Sept 2020
Dear 741mel2016, Thank you very much for entrusting us your well deserved holidays and for taking the time to share your experiences with other travellers. It makes us very glad to see, how much you and your family enjoyed your recent stay in onr hotel and also on our island. Thank you as well for your warm and appreciating words concerning our team - that's a very nice addional motivation for all of us. Indeed this season is a bit "different" than in the last years, but we do whatever we can in order to let our guests enjoy the most precious time of the year. It was a big pleasure to welcome you and your family and whenever you return to Crete, we will be waiting here for you! With sunny regards, Yours sincerely Hotel Director Georgios Papadopoulos and the entire team
Read more
Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We had a few reservations about travelling abroad during the covid pandemic, however we really need not have worried. The pilot Beach is adhering to all rules. Every member of staff was wearing the correct PPE, gloves, face masks and visors, surfaces were constantly being cleaned and disinfected. The restaurant was extremely well organised, overseen by the vastly experienced and knowleagable and very lovely Hotel Manager George. The swimming pool area is well spaced out and managed correctly. Our room had a beautiful sea view and was very well equiped, all items such as cups and glasses were in sealed disinfected coverings. i would say that George and his team are really on top of the covid situation, doing everything they can to keep visitors safe. You can walk along the beach to the nearest Town (Georgioupoli) which has plenty of Restaurants and bars, suitable for families and couples. It is a very friendly little town. there is also a little road train that runs from the hotel to the town if you don't fancy the walk. I would not hesitate to return to The Pilot Beach/Crete during this pandemic. I love this resort.
Read more
Date of stay: August 2020
Rooms
Location
Service
Room Tip:Sea front rooms have a wonderful view
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Pilot Beach, Geschäftsführer at Pilot Beach Resort
Responded 19 Aug 2020
Dear Elaine, Dear Gary, Thank you very much for your recent visit and for taking the time to share your experiences with other travellers. We are delighted to see, how much you enjoyed your stay in these special times and how much you appreciate our efforts for the health and safety of our guests. Since always we had very high hygienic standards, which of course we enhanced accordingly to the current situation. We even do a bit more than we have to and it's a wonderful motivation to feel your appreciation. It was a big pleasure to welcome you and we hope to see you again soon! With sunny regards, Yours sincerely Hotel Director Georgios Papadopoulos and the entire team
Read more
Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
A lot to digest? Read an AI-generated summary of recent traveller reviews.
We just spent 5 nights at Pilot Beach and I really liked some things, but there are some "buts". Its a very large resort (over 400 rooms), which is not something I really like, but the area is very wast and spread out, so its okay. The resort is on the beautiful 7km long sandy beach, which is perfect for swimming and for walking along the beach. You can walk into Georgioupolis along the beach in about 20 minutes. Great sunrises and sunsets on the beach, especially if there are some clouds.
The main pool is big and very nice, the pool on the beach is quite small and too crowded for my taste. There are many different accommodation options, which differ mostly on the location. One big "but" - the resort is in two parts, the beach part, and the non beach part, separeted by the main highway of crete (you pass underground in a tunnel). So besides having quite long ways to go from one part to the other, many rooms are exposed to very heavy traffic noise. We had two seafacing bungalows, which were nice and indeed seafacing, but mine was very close to the highway, and therefore instead of hearing the sea, I heard the traffic.
This year, 3 restaurants are open in the resort - the main restaurant above the reception (buffet), the restaurant on the beach (buffet), and the asian restaurant above reception. Due to COVID-19 you have to prebook all meal times in an app. This makes sense and is for everybodies safety, but of course also very much limits your flexibility. Breakfast buffet is good, but a bit boring and after 5 mornings I was really fed up with it (its the same things every day). Dissapointing bread, coffee (especially as greeks love coffee) and fruits. Dinner buffet is really boring, we ate there 3 times, and on the last evening, I would have prefered an instant noodle soup in my bungalow to the dinner buffet (I went to the buffet because of my mother). In the asian restaurant (we ate there twice), you get a 5 course dinner, which is very tasty. Its not very authentic and mix of different cuisines (japanese, thai, vietnamese, indonesian etc.), but really good. The only thing I fault here: there is no choice of meat or no meat. I understand that there cant be a la carte service, but it would be really great to offer two different options, with or without meat.
Read more
Date of stay: October 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Pilot Beach, Geschäftsführer at Pilot Beach Resort
Responded 19 Oct 2020
Dear swisstraveller, Thank you for choosing Pilot Beach and for taking the time for a feedback. We are pleased to see, that you enjoyed your well deserved holidays. Thank you as well for your remarks, which with pleasure we will follow up within the bounds of our facilities, although the sizw and the shape of our resort is clearly communicated in all booking channels. We hope to welcome again soon and send all our best wishes! With sunny regards, Yours sincerely Hotel Director Georgios Papadopoulos and the entire team
Read more
Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
From the moment we arrived at the Pilot Beach Resort we felt relaxed. We were greeted very warmly by reception and everything worked like clockwork. We were apprehensive about travelling during the pandemic but everything was so well organised at the resort that we needn't have worried.
Nothing is too much trouble and the staff are simply amazing - every single person greets you with a smile The manager is always present and is so helpful and we felt we were in very safe hands which, during these strange times, was an absolute Godsend. The hotel is kept in pristine condition in every area.
The hotel has facilities for all ages. There is an amazing children's pool/play area and the beachfront pool has a little paddling pool also.
The food is delicious and the portions are more than plentiful. The booking system works very well and can be done via an App on your phone.
In regard to the accommodation, the little things are quite often what makes a huge difference and for me a couple of these things were that the towels were proper bath sheets, the shower was double headed and in mint condition, the pool towels were excellent quality and not rationed, the bed was incredibly comfortable, the sheets were crisp cotton - I could go on as there was so much that we enjoyed.
We celebrated our 10th Wedding Anniversary whilst there and were gifted fruit and wine to our room which was so special.
I can honestly understand why people return year after year as this hotel is very special, as are those that work there.
Thank you so much to Georgios and the team for our wine and fruit, our olive oil and an absolutely amazing holiday.
Read more
Date of stay: August 2020
Rooms
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip:Room 2208 is a Bungalow on the beach with a sea view and it was perfect.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Pilot Beach, Geschäftsführer at Pilot Beach Resort
Responded 17 Sept 2020
Dear loveswelshwales, Thank you very much for choosing Pilot Beach to celebrate such a nice and unique day and for taking the time to share your experiences and the nice pictures here. We are delighted to see, how much you enjoyed your recent stay and how much you appreciate the efforts of our entire team for the satisfaction of our guests. Your kind words for all of us are a big additional motivation to continue giving nothing less than just the best for our guests in future as well. It was a big pleasure to welcome you and we hope to see you again soon! With sunny regards, Yours sincerely Hotel Director Georgios Papadopoulos and the entire team
Read more
Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
The hotel itself is lovely and well spaced out so that it never felt over-crowded. We had a ground floor room that looked out onto one of the smaller swimming pools, which was well located close to all the amenities. Even though the resort looks very big, it only took around 5 minutes to walk to the beach from where we were staying at the back of the resort, which was a pleasant surprise.
The room itself was very clean and big enough for a family of 4. The mini fridge was nice to have as we were able to buy our own drinks from the mini-market in the hotel and keep them cool. We tried all the restaurants and they were all very good. There was a wide variety of food and it was really great to have a lot of greek food on the menu as well. We didn't get to enjoy the beach and outdoor pools as much as we would have liked because the weather was bad but the one day we did have out there was lovely and we took full advantage of water sports on the beach. Given the weather we had, we did make use of the indoor pool in the spa, which was a real blessing.
The hotel is very family friendly. Although we didn't make use of the kids club, the children felt welcome everywhere, including in the indoor pool in the spa, which is not the case in many hotels. The children eat free policy is a really nice touch. We were half board and the option for the children to have a snack during the afternoon when the adults were not hungry, was really great.
The biggest plus for this hotel is undoubtably the staff. I can't even name names because every single member of staff that we interacted with was so friendly and helpful and always greeted you with a smile. They have a WhatsApp channel for reception enquiries and this was a fantastic resource - no standing in a queue at reception. They always responded very quickly to queries submitted this way and we felt that they went above and beyond to help. I enquired about somewhere to buy a birthday cake for my husband and they offered to make one for him. We also asked about getting extra duvets, as the children found their beds a little hard, and straight away they came and put mattress toppers on their beds.
The responsiveness from all staff was excellent and always so friendly! Even on the day when a big storm hit, causing flooding around and about, and when the hotel must have been under a lot of pressure trying to deal with flooding and accommodate everyone for breakfast at the same time, while not having use of any outdoor areas, the staff dealt with it all fantastically well and still maintained their constant friendly and helpful approach.
All in all, we had a great holiday at this hotel, despite the bad weather, and would love to return one day.
Read more
Date of stay: October 2022
Rooms
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We had a wonderful time together with our kids. The entire staff was doing their best to make us fill safe and happy even if the occupancy was around 25% by our estimates (up to 9:30-10:00 in the morning you would have the beach pool just for yourself). We have enjoyed mainly the two restaurants situated on the beach that were closer to where we were. The food was very good and the a la carte restaurants have a different menu each day of the week. The less pleasant part for us had nothing to do with the resort and it was 4 very windy days at the beginning (up to 22 m/s) and that mean large waves so the kids played only at the pool. The second part, when sea was calm, and the water was very hot and nice, you would get hit in the water by waves of very cold water, that later on we found out that was caused by a close by river coming from the mountains. And also, with the calm sea came the boats and the ski jets and the water was very oily. We have very much enjoyed all the virus imposed measures :)
Read more
Date of stay: July 2020Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Pilot Beach, Geschäftsführer at Pilot Beach Resort
Responded 04 Aug 2020
Dear Ovidiu, Thank you very much for choosing Pilot Beach and for taking the time for a feedback. We are delighted to see, how much you and your family enjoyed your well deserved holidays. Your kind words for our entire team are ahigh motivation to continue giving just the best for our guests in future as well. It was a pleasure to welcome you and we hope to see you again soon! With sunny regards, Yours sincerely Hotel Director Georgios Papadopoulos and the entire team
Read more
Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Overall the resort is great. The pools are amazing, lots of different depths for all ages and abilities. Everywhere was exceptionally clean. The food was very good and lots of variety. But do note that all 3 restaurants included are buffet style, with the exception of 1 where you have a choice of 3 main courses at dinner.
The beach restaurant is the only place open for lunch (not sure if this is always the case?) so it does get busy but they do give the kids lunch for free! At breakfast and dinner this one was more much pleasant tan the main buffet restaurant at the hotel.
The restaurant staff were lovely, always friendly and helpful, however we found the reception/front of house staff to be quite rude and unfriendly.
The beach was lovely, clean and soft sand. And the walk down towards Georgiopolis was great, as there’s a little “river” that runs into the sea.
My only real criticisms of the resort are:
They charge you bottled mineral water at dinner as they switch off the water cooler machines that are usually on every breakfast and lunch. They also give kids wine glasses to drink from which isn’t ideal for a 2 year old who likes to throw things! It would also be helpful if they had jugs of water rather than repeatedly having to go up and refill the thimble sized glasses.
They serve beer (and other drinks) by the pool in 350ml paper cups, and only half full but charge you the price of the 500ml beer that you’d get at the bar.
The kids club was a little disappointing. Sadly the indoor area with the soft play and toys and wendy houses etc was all closed off due to COVID. I think the restrictions have put strain on the kids club staff and has made them quite miserable. They weren’t the most enthusiastic.
Finally Covid rules means the resort require you to book a time slot for every meal even though it’s a buffet! They have made it super easy to do, with their own app, but it’s a little annoying if you forget and then have to argue staff at the door about letting you in. Generally it wasn’t an issue, only really at the main buffet restaurant.
The resort is beautiful but a few minor improvements would have made it 5 stars.
Read more
Date of stay: August 2021Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:Avoid the main buffet restaurant. Stick to the smaller Greek restaurant and the Gialos with the...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Pilot Hotels, Geschäftsführer at Pilot Beach Resort
Responded 26 Aug 2021
Dear Mrs. Clare, Thank you for choosing Pilot Beach and for your feedback. We are pleaswed to see, that you enjoyed your well deserved holidays and appreciate the efforts of our team for the satisfaction of our guests and the food. Thank you as well for your remarks, which with pleasure we will follow up witin the bounds of our possibilities, although due to Covid we have to follow some regulations from our government. Kindly note, that when booking halfboard, it's absolutely usual that drinks for dinner have to be paid. Our guests who booked fulboard have certain drinks during lunch and dinner included and for all children between 3 and 12 years we have our Tasty Corner from 11.00 - 17.00 each day - for free. Please understand, that for security reasons we can't serve our drinks at the pool in glasses. Frankly said we are a bit astranged about your observation and ask you kindly to excuse this mishap. We have no explanation for it, but we will check. We hope to welcome you and your family again and send sunny regards, Yours sincerely Hotel Director Georgios Papadopoulos and the entire team
Read more
Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We stayed for 2 weeks. The hotel doesn’t hold up the 5⭐️ rating by international standards, I’m afraid:
The good: 👍🏻 Large resort offering lots of activities for old and young 👍🏻 Gorgeous location with stunning sea access 👍🏻 Some of the staff (especially cleaners) really went out of their way
The bad: 👎🏻 Food places were crowded most of the time. Long waiting times, and the worst: we needed to make reservations for breakfast (for breakfast!) because it was so full 👎🏻 The vibe was just ‘beyond’ capacity, which also affected cleanliness around pool areas. Bit yikes at times 👎🏻 Beware of little to no sunbeds available after ca. 9am. We had to set alarm clocks (on holidays!) so we could get a decent sunbed spot for our kids. If you’re not there early enough, you won’t have shade by the pool you want to be at. It’s a ridiculous system. Instead they should have designated sunbeds for each room 👎🏻 Some 🐜 in the room 👎🏻 Wifi in room very spotty
Overall: clearly not 5⭐️ by Western EU standards. Probably more like 4⭐️ or 4+.
Bit of a disappointment for that price.
Read more
Date of stay: July 2023Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We spent one week at this hotel at the end of June and were very happy with our stay. Because of the pandemic, the hotel was clearly not full so there was plenty of space for everyone and no cueing for anything. The food at the restaurants was fresh and varied. Staff such as waiters, cleaners or receptionist were very friendly, helpful and efficient. My mattress was too soft. I reported it to the reception and it was changed very quickly. The beach can be reached in a few minutes walk through a short tunnel under the seafront road. It is possible to safely walk along the beach to the nearest village giorgioupolis. It was much cheaper to hire a car there than from the hotel. There are several car rentals to choose from. We got a car from Eurorentals at a very reasonable rate. They delivered the car to the hotel and also collected it with a minimum of paperwork. The majority of the guests at the hotel are Germans so German is widely spoken by the hotel staff. Most also managed English, so it was no problem for us. We certainly recommend this hote.
Read more
Date of stay: June 2021
Value
Rooms
Service
Room Tip:Ground floor rooms around the main swimming pool are very practical.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Pilot Beach, Geschäftsführer at Pilot Beach Resort
Responded 15 Jul 2021
Dear Mozabit, Thank you very much for choosing Pilot Beach and for your feedback. It is very nice to see, how much you enjoyed your well deserved holidays. Your big praise for our entire team is a high additional motivation to continue giving just the best for our guests to let them enjoy the most precious time of the year . We hope to welcome you again soon and send sunny regards, Yours sincerely Hotel Director Georgios Papadopoulos and the entire team
Read more
Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
With a clear conscience I reccomend Pilot Beach Resort- food in all four restaurants was delicious and very diversified (in particular I reccomend dinner in Almyra Restsurant), if You choose bangalow with a sea view, Beach is only few seconds walk from the apartment. Apartment was very well- equipped and it was tidied every day (safe, fridge, tea and Coffee set with kettle, every day fresh towels etc). Private hotel beach is wide and sandy, with great number of sun loungers with umbrellas. Hotel stuff is extremely nice and helpful. You have to install hotel application to check-in and make reservations for breakfast and dinner but its not difficult. It has been, in a word, exquisite.
Read more
Date of stay: July 2021Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Pilot Beach Amphora, Geschäftsführer at Pilot Beach Resort
Responded 03 Aug 2021
Dear Mrs. Asia, Thank you very much for coming to Pilot Beach and for your nice feedback. We are delighted to see, that you had wonderful holidays in our resort and how much you appreciate the efforts of our entire team for the satisfaction of our guests. Your kind words are a big additional motivation to continue giving just the best for our guests in future as well. We hope to welcome you again soon and send sunny regards from Crete, Yours sincerely Hotel Director Georgios Papadopoulos and the entire team
Read more
Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Prices are provided by our partners, and reflect average nightly room rates, including taxes and fees that are fixed, known to our partners, and due at time of booking. Please see our partners for more details.
Is This Your Tripadvisor Listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
