Velani Country Hotel - Crete

Sun and Riding

2 star rating   11 April 2026

Jenny who has been on 3 In The Saddle rides. Very Mixed Feelings | The horses lived in small stables with a little hard standing outside. The stable had rubber mats but no bedding so on the majority of mornings the horses had been lying on the mats in the manure. The horse I rode on the first day was covered from head to foot in dried manure - not exactly what I had expected when the information said that I would have to brush and tack up my own horse. I made this clear to the person in charge of the yard that day but I was far from satisfied with the care and attention given to the horse. The horses came back sweaty and it was frowned upon for us to wash the horses down with either a bucket of water or the hose pipe. I appreciate there is a water shortage. However, I did wash my horse down after the first day.
[Olwen from In The Saddle - the horses are stabled on mats and normally this doesn't cause the problems you experienced. Some of the problems may have been due to the extreme weather conditions and sandstorm in the week prior to your holiday. We will investigate and thank you for raising it. Sabine has now told us that unfortunately she was ill that week with bronchitis and she apologises for not being around. She acknowledges that the guide did not prepare the horses as she should have and she is no longer working at the hotel. Sabine is glad you enjoyed the riding but is sorry that the stables and horses were not as she would have liked you to see them. Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback.]


The Riding

How well were you matched with the right horse for your ability?
3 star rating
How would you rate the variety of riding, pace or terrain?
3 star rating
How would you rate the overall standard of the horses, tack and stables?
2 star rating

The Accommodation

How would you rate your room(s) for comfort and facilities?
4 star rating
How would you rate the standard of the food?
5 star rating

Do you have any comments about the accommodation and food?

The food was excellent and made all the better by the care and attention we received from Nicos, the head waiter. Although, the accommodation was comfortable, my personal opinion was that it was rather dated. The shower was very intermittent in terms of power and temperature.


Before Your Holiday

Did you have all of the information you needed to:

Plan and prepare for your holiday?
4 star rating
Feel comfortable about your transfers and what to expect?
4 star rating

How could we improve the quality of pre-holiday information that we send?

The pre- holiday information was good - it was just a pity that the administration at the hotel didn't reach the same standard.