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Holidays

Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

Original poster

Holiday disappointment - trying to enjoy it but honestly so upset

199 replies

OnTheRoll · 26/07/2023 14:35

Now I know that this is not really a big problem - but it certainly feels like it when I have spent over 4k on 8 days for all-inclusive hotel and it's just meh...
it wasn't the cheapest option by far, a 4-star hotel and excellent reviews on Booking.com and Triparvisor - but I just don't see how they were rated so good.
The beach is abysmal, very little parasols so we had to do without. Same with lounges around the pool. The AL bar serves 5 cocktails that consist 90% of lemonade. The AC is the room is not cool enough.
I have been to all-inclusives before, same price range or even cheaper and they were miles better.
This is our only family holiday in the year and I was so looking forward to it. I want to enjoy it but it's lacking in the very basics.
How to get over the disappointment and try to have a good time? I am at the beach right now and it's just depressing

OP posts:
YukoandHiro · 26/07/2023 15:43

Unlike others here I quite liked Heraklion for a day trip

WooWooWinnie · 26/07/2023 15:44

Crete has got lovely beaches - I’m sure you won’t have to go far to find a better one.

Midlander01 · 26/07/2023 15:45

OnTheRoll · 26/07/2023 15:03

We have hired a car so looks like we will indeed do some driving around the island!

If you've hired a car were you not planning to use it for trips anyway?

Drive to another beach? Go see some attractions?

zoomiesdrivememad · 26/07/2023 15:46

We went last year and tried to do a really budget friendly holiday.

When we got there the hotel bedrooms were awful, I mean no A/C, bed that was broken, very old décor.

I nearly cried and I really really wanted to change hotels. ( Wasn't that bad the actual hotel, looks like they had refurbished everywhere else BUT the bedrooms )

anyway, my DH said lets just make the most of it, and you know what, we had literally the best holiday.

Now I look back and it didn't even matter, moral of the story is just make the most of it, go and find different things to do so you aren't lying on the beach if you don't like it and cant get parasols.

Take day trips / boat trips etc! Make it a holiday to remember.

Crikeyalmighty · 26/07/2023 15:47

One reason I don't do AI is you kind of feel if you have paid for it that it's sacrilege not to use it- even if it's not up to much -

Unless you are in the middle of knowhere OP, I would take yourselves out a couple of nights to somewhere you can get a decent drink and some variety on food and atmosphere. Get yourselves out in the day as much as you can , even drive to other beaches and just think of it as 'a base' -

Crete is actually a lovely place, just seems you got the place that in hindsight you wouldn't have picked. It's disappointing I know but don't let it spoil your break. We frequently have been to Hydra which we love but it has few beaches and what it does have look exactly like that- my H actually prefers it . Get stuck into a book and savour the sun, it's lashing down here and not warm !!

Wheresmyrobe · 26/07/2023 15:47

I'm going to be honest you sound like a bit of a misery and with that attitude you're never going to enjoy it.

You said there's no parasols then uploaded a photo of a beach full of them, go early and reserve one.

You said you don't like the hotel but you don't want to leave it.

Go and explore and stop being so negative about everything.

PrincessHoneysuckle · 26/07/2023 15:48

Not helpful but we didn't enjoy Crete either.
We're in Egypt atm and their A.I hotels are amazing.

Aubaslice · 26/07/2023 15:48

One thing I'd say in relation to cost is that holidays are a sh*tload more expensive than they were three years ago. You sort of have to right of the cost because the days of value for money are over.

We went to Mexico all-inclusive in 2017 with Virgin and paid around £3k for 10 nights. I had a look now and it's over £10k for 7 nights! I just don't think £4k gets you what it used to sadly.

Holidays are going to become a luxury again for most rather than the annual expectation they have come to be.

Panicmode1 · 26/07/2023 15:48

OP, I feel your pain - especially if you only had 48 hours to rebook.

We had a similar thing last year, when the extremely carefully researched holiday home in a rural idyll and national park in northern Spain, with all of the outdoor activities booked for active teens, partially burnt down in wildfires 10 days before we flew out.....I phoned 50 or so other options, and the ONLY one we could book was in Javea, which is just really not our cup of tea at all; it was very urban, much smaller pool/land/house etc, there was no A/C and it was 40 degrees - and on top of all of that it was absolutely filthy and everything was broken. I could have cried because we spent about 10k on the holiday/flights/car etc, and it was the worst holiday we've ever had.

(This year, again, our very carefully researched and booked gite in France was cancelled about 8 weeks ago, because the pool liner broke and they couldn't get it replaced in time - second year in a row my early bird planning has not paid off!! We have rebooked somewhere else which does look lovely, but isn't as special - so I really am hoping that next year will be the year of the perfect holiday ;-) )

I think the advice of a PP is sound - try and look on the bright side - many people aren't going to get near a holiday or beach this year, so try and find some positives - explore the island, buy some alcohol to make your AI cocktails more interesting, relish the feeling of the warm sun on your skin and hold on to that feeling so you can think back to it in a couple of months time when it's dark, cold and miserable back in Blighty!!

ShortHairedGeneral · 26/07/2023 15:49

I feel for you OP. You work really hard for your money, you look forward all year to it, and then it's a bit shit. It does kind of spoil things, even if you are very gracious about it. Big hugs to you xx

YukoandHiro · 26/07/2023 15:50

Aubaslice · 26/07/2023 15:48

One thing I'd say in relation to cost is that holidays are a sh*tload more expensive than they were three years ago. You sort of have to right of the cost because the days of value for money are over.

We went to Mexico all-inclusive in 2017 with Virgin and paid around £3k for 10 nights. I had a look now and it's over £10k for 7 nights! I just don't think £4k gets you what it used to sadly.

Holidays are going to become a luxury again for most rather than the annual expectation they have come to be.

Yes to this

Tapasgoofy · 26/07/2023 15:51

Nellynoowhoareyou · 26/07/2023 15:18

Money just isn’t going very far this year. We opted to stay in UK as it was looking like £5K minimum for the 4 of us to go anywhere further afield and the kids are too little to fully appreciate it anyway.

so here I am, sitting in my car in the pissing rain, outside a rented caravan on a campsite in the UK - we paid £2K for 1 week.

kids have both had sickness bugs and we’ve had to buy new raincoats.

definitely going abroad next year!

2k for a week in a caravan. That’s so much. I only paid 2.7k for 10 nights in Spain with breakfast included everyday

GonnaGetGoingReturns · 26/07/2023 15:51

YukoandHiro · 26/07/2023 15:43

Unlike others here I quite liked Heraklion for a day trip

The only time I went to Heraklion was either by coach or car. We went to the Archaeological Museum which had nice mosaics which I liked, and Knossos Palace but from what I recall apart from shops and restaurants it was hot and dirty.

Argostoli on Kefalonia was similar, very concrete and not nice too.

Maybe most Greek capital cities just aren’t nice who knows?

CovertImage · 26/07/2023 15:51

What a litany of whinging. Jesus

YukoandHiro · 26/07/2023 15:53

BenjaminDisraeli · 26/07/2023 15:29

This happened the last time we had a beach holiday. We'd gone to a different resort from our favourite, on the recommendation of many people and articles in the press. Hated it from the minute we set foot. It's a special type of process when a few days of longed-for bliss turns out to be A Bit Shit. Anger, disbelief, feeling swindled - then a period of sulk and finding fault with everything - then grudging acceptance.

It's kind of funny looking back on it now. Though we can't really moan cos EVERYBODY in the world seems to love this place!

Was it Sani? Because people keep telling me to go there, and the cost is eye watering

TrAaapped · 26/07/2023 15:53

I think @OnTheRoll YABU.
Your original holiday is litterally probably incinerated by now, or at least all the staff's villages and towns are and you have the audacity to say you're disappointed...Confused
I mean think about the word "perspective"...
I do understand it's not what you were hoping for but personally I would be preoccupied with feeling utterly devastated for those people and businesses affected by the fires and thanking my lucky stars me and my family weren't caught up in it all...Hmm

Canthave2manycats · 26/07/2023 15:54

shivawn · 26/07/2023 15:31

Sorry OP, it's hard to be disappointed when you've been looking forward to something but glad to see you've rented a car and you're making the most of it. I bet you can still have a lovely holiday. I wouldn't be a fan of dark gritty sand beaches either, had them recently on the Amalfi Coast, worst thing is that they get so hot in direct sun so you can't walk in bare feet.

I was in southern Spain a couple of weeks ago. There were lovely sandy beaches but you couldn't walk on them barefoot either in the heat of the day! Don't see an issue?

StJulian2023 · 26/07/2023 15:58

OP here are a few ideas, depending where you are:

If you’re staying anywhere near Rethymnon you must go, it’s gorgeous, especially the old town. Also this is just stunning, the grounds are amazing: https://www.arkadimonastery.gr/home.html

The Melidoni caves are cool and are near a great olive oil place and also a honey farm (with cafe) https://www.paraschakis.gr/en/ https://apithano-meli.gr/en/

Spinalonga a must if you’re over the other side.

Make use of that car. Crete is wonderful. Hope things pick up for you.

Sacred Monastery of Arkadi in Rethymno, Monastery in Crete, Celebration Days of the Monastery, Museum & Art Gallery

Sacred Monastery of Arkadi in Rethymno, Monastery in Crete, Celebration Days of the Monastery, Museum & Art Gallery

https://www.arkadimonastery.gr/home.html

BettyJaney · 26/07/2023 15:58

We are in Crete and it’s ridiculously hot today so I feel your pain!

birdglasspen · 26/07/2023 15:59

Go snorkelling, nice and refreshing if it’s so hot! Go and buy some sort of umbrella/sun shade? Try and enjoy the fact there is no fire nearby?

TommyNever · 26/07/2023 16:00

No point asking me as I would never spend money just to hang around a hotel for days on end. In fact I would regard that as an annoying ordeal, no matter which hotel.

HotelNotPortofino · 26/07/2023 16:00

OnTheRoll · 26/07/2023 15:03

We have hired a car so looks like we will indeed do some driving around the island!

Don’t know where on the island, but we booked one year and hated the nearest beaches- grey pebbly and extremely windy. Being sandblasted was not fun . Spent a lot of time driving to the other side of the island to Damnoni beach which we loved.

arghtriffid · 26/07/2023 16:00

Crete

I booked a holiday to Crete once and was disappointed with the beach. They were developing by the coast and there were diggers. Tbh it was prettier than your beach. We hired a car and went over the hills to a beautiful bit of coast not far from a gorge, it was stunning...I wouldn't want to revisit though.

YankeeDad · 26/07/2023 16:01

Haven’t RTFT but can you buy a parasol in a shop for 20 quid and use that for a week, and then give it away if you do not have space for it in your luggage?

SlashBeef · 26/07/2023 16:01

Popping in to suggest Elafonisi. Breathtaking beach.

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