Travel review: Aldemar Resorts, Cretan Village, Crete

A luxury break enjoyed by others, while I am tied to the self-catering having to cook and tidy up.

We really enjoy our holidays – but secretly I have dreamt of trying all-inclusive. An idyllic break where every meal is provided, drinks flow freely, and your luxurious accommodation is cleaned for you daily.

Would it be asking the wish fairy too much if the resort was also on the beach, with water sports galore for the children, top-notch entertainment and a variety of food to quieten even the fussiest eater? A spa next door might be nice, historic sites on the doorstep – oh and sunshine guaranteed. Can such a Utopia actually exist?

Well hold the phone I have news – look no further for this family fantasy land than Aldemar Resorts and, more particularly, the Cretan Village Family Resort in Crete.

The four-star resort is set on its own stretch of Anissarasbeach, only a 20-minute drive from Heraklion Airport.

Guests are treated like a member of the family from the moment you walk into the grand reception. As well as the friendly reception staff, there are the very helpful guest relations team. Whether it is booking a restaurant table, getting local directions or tackling the (free) wif-fi, they are happy to help late into the evening.

A beautiful view is virtually guaranteed at the resort. The complex is like an amphitheatre with the rooms and bungalow apartments gradually sloping up from the beach to give wonderful sea views. Aldemar have resisted the temptation to increase the accommodation numbers by building up and up which means the two-storey, white-washed Cretan buildings are a pleasant view from the beach. And if you can't see the sea – you will be looking at beautiful gardens.

We stayed in a large, and beautifully air-conditioned, apartment close to all facilities and overlooking the sea. It was heaven just to sit and relax on the patio soaking up the view.

There are five outdoor pools (and a fun slide), four restaurants, five bars, a range of sports and play facilities and an amphitheatre. Lots of pools equals lots of sun beds so despite the annoying insistence of holidaymakers to towel-mark their territory at daybreak, we found we could always land on beds during the day.

Food supply is constant. The main, large buffet restaurant is open from 7am for breakfast, again for lunch and at 6.30pm for tea. Meanwhile the snack bar is also open for breakfast from 10.15am, for lunch and as a 'bistro' from 10pm until 11pm. And these are not snacks as we know them, there are meat and fish dishes, spaghetti bolognaise, salads, desserts and ice cream of course.

Beside the beach is the Thalassa restaurant which is open for 'street food' which includes pizza, chips, burgers, salads, sandwiches, and ice cream. The chefs have this year tried to reinvent classic Greek dishes to make them healthier so here guests can enjoy mini pork and chicken souvlaki bites, Greek-style club sandwich and seafood platters. In the evening you can also enjoy Greek specialities.

A lovely evening treat is dining at the classy La Pergola. A traditional guitarist peforms as you enjoy a mouth-watering three-course quality meal – and you will usually find the waiting staff can't resist a little Greek dancing at some point. The restaurant is the ideal spot to watch the red sun setting over a perfect panoramic.

The most important factor about the food for us was the range on offer. Among the nationalities we came across during our stay, as well as other Brits, were Russians, Scandanavians, Dutch, Germans French, Italians and more. But the diverse spreads offered each mealtime meant all were well satisfied.

The animation team reflected the diverse audiences with the entertainers coming from Italy, Hungary, Bulgaria, Greece and beyond. They were able to speak multiple languages during the evening entertainment enabling everyone to join in the fun.

And the standard of the entertainment is high. As well as the fun contests, musical performances and comedy, this team had to learn fire-breathing. Thankfully no-one was hurt in this jaw-dropping show – though I was relieved it was next to the pool.

There are children's clubs for all ages including teens and something going on most of the day thanks to the enthusiastic animation team. For example we enjoyed aqua gym, Zumba and water polo every day at the pool. There were darts, table tennis and pool tournaments. Or you could enjoy mini golf, beach volley ball and there are four tennis courts too.

On the beach there are pedaloes and canoes or you can pay for some of the more adventurous watersports. My children experienced parasailing for the first time and loved the 'crazy sofa' speedboat ride. There are other Aldemar complexes along the beach – five-star accommodation at the Royal Mare Thalasso Resort and the Knossos Royal resort. Not to mention the very exclusive Knossos Villas.

We visited the Royal Mare a few times – the highlight was the Thalasso Spa – an oasis of calm, tranquility and indulgence which is a must for Mum while the youngsters fly up and down the beach.

It is almost impossible to choose from the programme of treatments available. I enjoyed a day of body peeling (nicer than it sounds), Bain Aromatique Apaisant (an aromatherapy spa bath), the quite unique Aqua Royal hydro massage pool which is essentially a swimming pool filled with various spa baths, a relaxing 25-minute massage and a facial to finish. I left looking like a new woman after several hours of pampering and serenity. There is a fitness area, hammam and sauna. Bath robes, slippers, towels etc are provided – and they are even careful of your sunburn. It is no surprise that the spa won a World Travel award for being the best Thalasso/Spa centre worldwide.

Afterwards you could always visit the hair salon for the complete makeover.

We also visited the Royal Mare for a Cretan cooking class. I am no domestic goddess but I really enjoyed watching the hotel chefs create an unexpectedly tasty aubergine salad and also a prawn critharada, which was a little like risotto but with pasta. You also get to taste the fruit of their labours and try something new – like sheep's cheese!

Cretan Village hotel manager Pantelis Gasparis explained that Aldemar want families to have a carefree break with the flexibility to eat whenever they want. He said: "At some four or five star all-inclusive hotels the guests are sneaking food or drinks out to their rooms. You don't need to do that here. It is all available all of the time."

And just in case you are still hungry or thirsty there is a small fridge in your apartment which is replenished daily.

If you do want to drag yourself away from Aldemar, I had trouble getting the children off the complex, there are some excellent visits nearby. The Palaces of Knossos are an absolute must-see. It is an amazing story of the oldest city in Europe, built in 1900 BC and the political centre of the Minoan civilisation, which was excavated by archaeologist Arthur Evans in the 1930s. This site is of huge historical interest and a fascinating visit.

Heraklion is a busy city and home to the main museum which contains many of the artefacts and antiquities discovered at Knossos.

I hired a car for the week but didn't really need to. The resort is a short taxi drive from the airport and public transport is at hand.

The Village is undergoing some refurbishment work so that's a great reason to make a return visit. While retaining the traditional Cretan look outside, the rooms are being modernised inside. More than 100 have already been renovated and are brighter, lighter and seem cleaner with the smoother walls and more glass doors replacing the traditional wooden ones.

Getting to Heraklion couldn't have been smoother thanks to Monarch Airlines which fly regularly from Birmingham to Heraklion.

Top tip when travelling on Monarch – invest in the extra leg room seats. It is so worth it. Even my leggy teenage son was comfortable for once.

The trolley is well stocked and you can get hot meals, snacks and cold food. The staff are up and down regularly and very helpful. The online check-in meant we avoided all the queues at both airports and were able to get rid of our suitcases and get the holiday started sooner.

If we looked a little down on the flight home it was only because we did not want to leave our little bit of Paradise. Why would we? We felt we had become part of the family.

The booklet you are given on arrival at Aldemar states: "We wish you a great family fun stay!" And that is exactly what we got. My daughter is already asking if we can book up for next year – looks like the self catering could be on hold for a while.

A stay in a family room for seven nights at the four-star all-inclusive Cretan Village is priced at £996.87 for October 6, 2016. Visit www.aldemar-resorts.gr

Monarch, the scheduled leisure airline, operates to Heraklion from Birmingham airport with fares, including taxes, starting from £79 one way or £170 return. Flights are now on sale for 2017. For more information or to book Monarch flights, Monarch Holidays or Monarch Hotels visit www.monarch.co.uk

By Diane Davies