Sensatori Resort, Lyttos Beach

We spent 1 week at Sensatori, Crete returning to Gatwick on 10th June. The advertised priority check in was great, but once on the aircraft the crew have no knowledge of who is entitled to the complimentary drink and headphones that are part of the experience and one of the Premier Collection benefits from Thomson.

Once we landed the hotel check in was faultless and we were provided with a meal on arrival at the Sensatori.

Food in the restaurants was of a high standard, with a great choice available, but due some problems they had, the food wasn't very hot. No problems with drinks at the table, except for fairly slow service. We didn't try the a la carte restaurant as the prices were rather high, even with the allowance of 15 Euros a person against the cost of the food, which just about covered the cost of a starter.

Can't see this resort appealing to older couples who want to relax without any kids around. Thomson need to make it clear that there will be plenty of kids around, even in term time!

The Sensatori staff are excellent and could not have been more obliging. However it Thomson don't learn from their mistakes and all the faults that were here last year are still present. The main fault is slippery surfaces, and they are still a problem now!

My Husband and our two small children (4 yrs and 17 months) have just returned from the beautiful Sensatori Hotel, Lyttos Beach!

Talk about exceeding our expectations! We have travelled far and wide and are use to staying in 4 and 5 star complexes, but this hotel is different, not really sure if I can name one thing as your every need is taken care of, every little corner of the complex was stylish, staff are fantastic and made us feel that nothing was too much trouble!

The welcome drinks on arrival were most appreciated; our family room was spacious with a super comfy queen sized bed! The room included an iron, ironing board, hairdryer, fridge and kettle, large flat screen television, jet shower and bath (heaven!) The family pool was lovely and warm as it was heated; sure my four year old has turned into a fish! The splash pool was great fun, however the water temp is cold compared to the family pool, so we spent most of our days by the family pool side. Waiter service at the pool is also a nice touch; I was also pleased that every pair of sun loungers had a parasol (a must when bathing with small and big kids). A word of advice, make sure that all family members wear shoes or sandals around the pool area as it does get slippery, just be sensible and there shouldn't be any accidents.

There are a few shops on site and a supermarket across the entrance to the hotel (water and snacks cheaper here than in hotel).

The restaurant staff were wonderful and very family friendly, (a big thank you to Rodica & Chrysa!). The food was excellent, even our children enjoyed the food, especially desert!!! The entertainment team especially Ryan and Sophie were excellent and really got the children and adults involved in the evening programme. The play house was also very fun and well organised and my daughter enjoyed attending the 1 hour play sessions (thanks again to Becky, Emma and Georgina) who were great fun and never failed in keeping the kids entertained!

The weather was a fab32 degrees, thank goodness for the sea breeze, would advise going at start or end of season if travelling with small kids so it's not too hot!

On our last day, we kept our room on until 6pm for 65 Euros which was well worth it as we weren't leaving the hotel until 7.30pm. The luggage check in at the hotel on your last day is a genius idea, felt like a VIP when we arrived at Heraklion Airport and did not have to join the horrifically long check in queue and just went straight through to security!

On the whole we could not fault the hotel, staff or overall holiday experience, going to return next May but for 2 weeks!

We went as a family of 4 to the 5* Sensatori in Crete. This opened in 2008 so is pretty new. It was gorgeous. The hotel and rooms were so modern and clean and our room was bigger than we thought. It had a huge bed with views of the sea. It had 2 balconies and separate living area. The bathroom was lovely and had separate shower and bath tub.

There were pools in the style of lagoons a large hot tub in the centre. It was on a sandy beach with watersports so was great. The food was just delicious in the main buffet restaurant and the service was fantastic. We booked into the other restaurants for some nights which was included in price and they were great and a nice change.

Entertainment every night was lovely for the kids to watch and there were even fireworks one night. In the days there was a kids club that our daughter attended for 2 days and loved it. There was also a crèche and they do movie evenings for the children. There were plenty more activities than I've mentioned and its actually bigger and better than I thought.

Thomson's website is spot on about the place and I would definitely go back. I'm hoping they might build some more in other countries. As there are only 3 I think.