Livikon by the Sea

First of all, we booked our room from hotels and it said we were getting tge suite which was a bit bigger, but when we got there we were told that all room sizes are the same basically. So if you are planning to book here, book the cheapest option you get. If you are going by car and you will put in the GPS Livikon by the sea as we did, you will not get any results. Better write: from Samaria to Livikon. It will take you there to Chora Sfakion. When you get there there is no entrance directly to the hotel because it's on the beach in front of restaurants only for pedestrians. You should park at the Square and the guy from the reception will give you a card so you can have free parking or else they have one or two spots you can park behind the hotel if they are available. Every room is Sea view, the beds are comfortable, the shower has good pressure and it's big enough. Not big, but big enough. There is shower gel in shower and a small fridge in the main area. We had an issue with the air condition but they immediately took care of it and changed our room. It was good that we had air-condition in both rooms since we were three people (other places in Crete have only one air condition for the bedroom and main area of the apartment). There is no elevator to the rooms. The rooms are located above some restaurants, patisserie,  mini market,  so we had everything we needed on our feet. We were treated with refreshments upon arrival which was nice of the lovely lady at the reception. There is a boat nearby (booked with Deligiannis boats-you pay on the boat) that took us to Loutro which I looooved! I said that next time I would book at least a night to stay at Loutro and enjoy the calmness it offers! In general I would book Livikon again!

Very nice hotel with a good restaurant in the heart of Sfakia. The stuff is friendly and some of them are active and willing to say a few words, which is nice. Hotel is recently renovated and it was pretty and quiet. There is a restaurant downstairs, but if you close the balcony door it is quiet. There is a daily room cleaning and it is really clean and fresh. Balcony has got a nice view to the ocean and you can hear the waves. I also ate at the hotel restaurant and the food, service was great.

We just spent 3 days and 2 nights at this wonderful hotel managed by Giannis "Yannis" Magelakis and his extended family including his lovely wife Maria and their 2 children. As soon as we arrived, Maria greeted us warmly at the reception and Yannis offered us a cold local beer as we sat down to check-in. The hotel and restaurant are quite modern in what is a very traditional Cretan town like Sfakia. The hotel and restaurant occupy a large part of the main street which overlooks the ocean. Their restaurant is cozy chic, a great place to grab a drink and a wonderful meal. The two nights we were there, we ate at their restaurant as their menu was extensive compared to the traditional taverna menu we found on the "strip". The Chef and his team did a wonderful job. Our room was big and very clean with a modern bathroom (the toilet and the shower are separate which is a bonus). We strongly recommend that if you are in Sfakia, you try out this wonderful hotel and restaurant. You won't be disappointed. We will definitely be back! Jennifer and Nathalie (Montreal, Canada)

We stayed here overnight last year before we caught the boat to Loutro and had thoroughly enjoyed it - so we made a beeline to return this year for 1 night on 3rd September. On arrival my husband literally abandoned the hire car with me inside behind the bakery whilst he set off to ask the hotel where we could park. There were signs threatening to tow your vehicle away and signs for parking for guests of another establishment. The guy at the Livikon kitchen stories - who also allocates your room key advised we could not park there and told us to put a Livikon business card on the dash board which he had signed, stated it was prepaid and to park anywhere just not behind the bakery. There literally is no where to park- seriously. Not a space to be had - there was a space by a tour company hut near the restaurant and my husband parked there, leaving me in the vehicle whilst he returned to the same chap at the Livikon to check if this would be ok - he said not. So we followed other vehicles that were parked along the roadside towards the port and found a space there. Put the card as instructed in the window and set off for the hotel. My husband advised the guy where we were parked and he said it would be ok. Only it wasn’t - after check out the following day the port Police had put a ticket of 40 euros on the car, no one knew where we could pay this and proceeded to waste more valuable time if our trip being sent to the police station up the hill, the police tossed the Livikon business card across their desk and said it was “worthless” then we were sent to the post office - all didn’t know so my husband abandoned the car with me in it very close the the hotel and returned to speak to the hotel. The same guy then advised we shouldn’t have parked there. Sort this out Livikon - be courteous to your guests by offering some parking somewhere in the vacinity- this is ridiculous and spoilt our stay. We were then sent to the Port police in Rethmyno who also wouldn’t accept payment resulting in us liaising with the car hire company who happily took it off us. Unnecessary expense enforced on us all because the Livikon cannot provide some spaces for their guests or even direct them properly to where they can park. The room itself wasn’t as nice as our stay last year albeit the neighbouring room but it was tired. Small balcony overlooking the bay and you could just catch a glimpse of the sea from the bed unlike last year. There is a kettle in the room with milk cartons and sugar - where is the coffee and tea?? Complimentary water? Had to purchase our own from the shop. Wouldn’t stay the night again from this experience, it will be for lunch on any future visits only.

One of the better places to stay in Hora Sfakia if you are looking for touches of luxury. The rooms are well furnished, with that unusual feature in Crete villages - a shower cubicle! Our room was actually disappointing because it looked as if it had the smallest balcony in the hotel (room 11). Hospitality was good.

Excellent hotel with fabulous customer service. Ferry was late, very few taxis on Easter, driving an hour and a half in the dark on winding roads on a very long day by myself. I was due to arrive late and I called to tell them that. They did not have my reservation. They worked with me to get a room after hours. Rooms are renovated, cute balcony, ocean side, very peaceful in this cute town. Would absolutely stay again.