Agelia Beach Hotel

The red brick wall, iron gate, and international flags blowing in the seaside breeze outside the Golden Sand Hotel give an almost regal impression on arrival. But inside the dated lobby, with its classic yet mismatched furniture and aging chandeliers, it becomes clear that the hotel needs an upgrade. There is a lobby bar serving cocktails, with a pool table and a dated-looking bar painted with colorful polkadots. Hallways and stairwells are dim and utterly bare. Guests tend to spend most of their time at the beach, which is lovely though a bit rocky. Pools are less popular, so there are almost always sun beds available. The pool bar has great views of the sea, but lacks atmosphere -- the aging wood and metal canopy could use a lift. The place is far more suited to a quiet vacation than one filled with nightlife and entertainment, and the largely family clientele reflects as much.

Located in the Sfakaki area of Rethymnon, the Golden Sand Hotel is, as its name suggests, located on almost a third of a mile of sandy beach. The property is six miles from the historic center of Rethymnon, on a street just below the main highway that's fairly quiet. Its proximity to the main road makes exploration by car easy. While the hotel is located very close to other hotels, there are few shops nearby.

The Golden Sand hotel has 68 rooms, including Double, Three-Bed, and Family options. All have a balcony or terrace, and many have sea views; some rooms have private terraces that open directly onto the Sharing Pool. Rooms are spacious, partly because the uninspired decor is kept to a minimum. The neutral color palette is broken up a bit with dark brown furniture or bed covers. Small framed artwork feels like an afterthought amid the expansive, otherwise empty, pale pink or yellow walls. Rooms also have flat-screen TVs, air-conditioning, and mini-fridges. Bathrooms, decorated in somewhat unattractive red and blue stone, come with modern hairdryers and shower/tub combos. Those expecting the trimmings of a five-star hotel (which the property claims to be) will be very disappointed -- some rooms are a bit worn, and housekeeping is lacking sometimes.

This waterfront hotel's most appealing feature is its beach, but guests also enjoy the three swimming pools complete with many loungers for sunbathing. There's a smaller round pool with a stone patio lined by tired-looking palm trees; a rectangular lap pool; and the Sharing Pool, which can be accessed directly from terraces in some lower-level rooms. There are two restaurants and a pool bar: the central restaurant, which has exposed beams and wood floors, serves Greek cuisine primarily; the beach restaurant, which operates with limited hours, overlooks the water; the pool bar serves drinks in a very spare yet vast stone patio area overlooking the sea. The main restaurant has an unimpressive menu (lukewarm, tasteless food). The children's play area is rather small, and there is no kids' entertainment available.