Iberostar Waves Playa Gaviotas

Chris Pickering

The hotel itself is well presented, with clean and spacious rooms. It’s located next to a stunning beach. However, our experience was significantly affected by how a serious issue was handled. On our third night, my wife became acutely unwell with repeated vomiting throughout the night, consistent with suspected food poisoning. She has never experienced this before, and the illness resulted in us losing at least a full day of what was a short and expensive holiday. We raised this with guest relations the following day. Although they kindly offered to call a doctor, they were quick to dismiss any possibility of the food being involved, stating that no other cases had been reported and suggesting alternative causes. There was no apparent interest in investigating what had been eaten or acknowledging the impact on our stay. We understand that it’s not always possible to identify the exact cause of an illness, but we were disappointed by how quickly our concerns were brushed aside rather than taken seriously. On an all-inclusive holiday, food safety is a key part of what guests are paying for, and we expected a more considered and empathetic response. Overall, the hotel has many positives, but this experience — and particularly how it was handled — left us feeling let down. For this reason, we would not stay again nor would we recommend this hotel.

Agnieszka Waliczek

Lovely time. Animation could last longer as it was only 45 minutes a day but overall fantastic. Food was phenomenal and variety to choose from. Small sugestion include some sugar free desserts. Rooms tidy and cosy. Fantastiv water pressure under the shower. Free bar ( pour yourself) can be a huge advantage for alcohol coneseurs. Overall 5/5

Katie Brook

Wow! What more is there to say? From start to finish, our holiday was superb at this hotel. The rooms, although a little dated, were clean and comfortable and had amazing views over the pool and down to the beach. The staff! Truly wonderful. From the team on reception, to the chefs and waiters in the many dining locations, to the incredible animation team - every single one had a smile on their face and a wonderfully warm welcome. Our room was cleaned daily by Renata and we often had little gifts left for us. The food was amazing - so much choice it was hard not to over-indulge. There is definitely something for everyone and often themed nights/dishes on offer. The pool area was fantastic. Yes, sunbeds in the popular spots (next to the pools) were often reserved by 8AM, but we always managed to find sunbeds on the main terrace, except when it was closed on a very windy day. However, the staff were very quick to help us find space elsewhere and move sunbeds for us - spot on! Would I recommend this hotel to others? Without a doubt? Would I return? Absolutely!

Tony Carter

Miles of sand, a small town within walking distance and a bit of wildlife to entertain. The hotel has wonderful dining, but could do with a vegetarian corner.

Jasmijn Bazen

We went to another Iberostar in Crete 2 years ago, but we liked that one better. There were less pools here, and if you didn't book star prestige, the only pool available is one with music and a lot of people, so not really a relaxing holiday (this'd be a family holiday). We booked star prestige, and therefore had an extra pool and an 16+ zone. This ensured that there was some quiet :) So please see the rest of this review as a star prestige review. The gym was nice, the basic necessities were there, and there was almost no one. When you book a room next to the pool, do note that this means you don't have a lot of privacy, since you don't have a balcony, but a small area with some chairs and a large couch/pod for lying down, with as an extension the pool area. This does mean that people walk past your room the whole day. The spa was some indoor pools (including a salt water one), two saunas and some special showers. There was quite some mold in the sauna and on the shower. With star prestige, you get a one time free 2 hour entry to this. Apart from that, the food was good, the drinks were great, the view was amazing, and a lot of the staff was so so so sweet and accommodating. I saw a lot of reviews saying the bathrooms were old and outdated, and while they weren't white and filled with green as you sometimes see in hotels, it was clean, and everything worked perfectly. So I'd say it's just the vibe, not the actual workings.