Abaton Island, Crete

I booked this hotel on a last-minute getaway after seeing it everywhere on TikTok, and I’m happy to say it completely lived up to the hype.

We chose a sea-view room, and honestly, this ended up being one of the highlights of the entire stay. The room itself was flawless, but it was the huge balcony and breathtaking view that really made it special. Anyone who says the room doesn’t matter is lying — in this case, it absolutely elevated the whole experience.

We booked half board, which included breakfast and dinner. What we didn’t realise at the time was that this only covered the buffet restaurant. The resort does have several other dining options, but these come at an additional cost - something worth keeping in mind when booking.

The pool area was beautiful and incredibly relaxing. There’s table service throughout the day, so you can order everything from pizzas to sushi without leaving your sunbed. There are plenty of sunbeds available, although the in-water loungers come at an extra charge.

We ate at the buffet on our first night. The food was good, but nothing particularly memorable, which felt fair considering it was included. For lunch the following day we tried Buddha Bar, the restaurant located right by the pool, and the food there was absolutely delicious.

The standout meal of the entire trip, however, was at WOW Steak Restaurant. It was by far the best dining experience we had. While it is on the pricier side, guests on half board do receive an allowance towards the cost, which definitely helps. The food itself was outstanding and well worth it.

The only real downside for us was the lack of evening atmosphere. We weren’t looking for parties or nightlife, but it would have been nice to have a bar area with some music or a bit more ambience in the evenings.

Overall, this hotel truly lived up to expectations. The views were absolutely stunning, the on-site restaurants were incredible, and despite a few small drawbacks, it’s definitely a hotel worth visiting.