The 22-Point Hand-Picked Inspection
Anyone can call their hotels "hand-picked". We publish exactly what it means. Every hotel on GoToBeach has been stayed in, inspected in person and scored against the same 22-point checklist — and only those scoring 17 or higher make the collection.
Why we score every hotel the same way
Most travel sites list thousands of hotels and let a booking engine sort them. We do the opposite. We looked at hundreds of properties across Turkey, Greece, Malta, Morocco and Egypt and kept only the ones that earned their place — because a "hand-picked" promise is worthless unless you can see how the picking is done.
Our country specialists carry the same 22-point checklist into every hotel, so a beach resort in Antalya and a family hotel in Crete are judged by the same standard and are genuinely comparable. The criteria below are the exact things they look for — including the ones that only show up when you actually stay the night.
How the inspection works
Stay in person
A specialist stays at least two nights as a normal guest — no VIP treatment, no advance notice where we can avoid it.
Score the 22 points
Each criterion is judged against a fixed standard and worth one point. Beach, rooms, food, pools, service, value.
17+ to make the list
Only hotels scoring 17 or higher are added. Anything below is turned down, whatever the price or commission.
Re-visit & remove
Every hotel is re-inspected within 18 months. If standards slip below 17, it comes off the site until it recovers.
The 22 points, in full
Grouped into six areas. Each line is one point on the checklist.
Beach & Location
4 points- Beach quality. Sand or pebble, cleanliness, water clarity and how it really feels underfoot at midday.
- Beach access. True beachfront, a short stroll, or a shuttle — and whether the front-row shade is free or charged.
- Resort setting. Walkability to shops, bars and restaurants versus an isolated all-inclusive bubble.
- Transfer time. A realistic airport transfer for the destination, not a three-hour coach after a dawn flight.
Rooms & Comfort
4 points- Room size & storage. Enough space to actually unpack, not just a bed wedged between two walls.
- Bed & bathroom. Mattress and pillow quality, water pressure, hot water that lasts and a bathroom that is genuinely clean.
- Quiet & climate. Effective air-conditioning and noise insulation from corridors, lifts and the late-night bar.
- Family layouts. Real one-bedroom or connecting rooms where advertised — not a sofa-bed sold as a "family suite".
Food & Drink
4 points- Breakfast. Variety, freshness and whether it is still good at 9.30am, not just at opening.
- Main buffet consistency. Judged across the whole stay — the Tuesday buffet matters as much as the arrival-night spread.
- À la carte & alternatives. Genuine choice beyond the buffet, and whether à la carte bookings are actually available.
- Bars & all-inclusive value. Drink quality, branded spirits, and whether "all-inclusive" quietly excludes the good stuff.
Pools & Facilities
4 points- Pool zoning. A toddler zone, a family pool and ideally a quieter adult pool — not one huge pool shared by everyone.
- Water features. Aquapark, slides and splash areas where a resort markets itself to families.
- Kids' clubs. Sensible staff ratios and clubs split by age, so under-fives are not left with a tablet.
- Spa, fitness & evenings. Well-kept spa and gym, plus entertainment that is fun rather than forced.
Service & People
3 points- Staff & welcome. Genuine warmth, enough English for a smooth stay, and a team that fixes problems without a fuss.
- Check-in & reception. A quick, organised arrival — not a two-hour queue with tired children after a flight.
- Housekeeping. Consistent cleaning throughout the stay, every day, in every corner of the room.
Value, Access & Trust
3 points- Value for money. The price honestly reflects what you get — a four-star price should buy a four-star week.
- Accessibility. Step-free routes, lifts and adapted rooms where they are promised, checked on the ground.
- Character & recommendation. The overall feel of the place, and whether the specialist would send their own family back.
How the score is read
Each of the 22 criteria is worth a single point. We set the pass mark deliberately high — a hotel can be perfectly pleasant and still fall short of the collection.
A score of 17+ is the entry point. The very best — typically 20 and above — are the hotels our specialists single out on our homepage collection and in guides like the best family resorts in Crete.
Who does the inspecting
The checklist is only as good as the people carrying it. Each destination is covered by a specialist who knows the coastline in person — not a desk researcher reading reviews. Meet the team on our About Us page.
Good to know
Can a hotel pay to be featured?
No. Hotels cannot pay to be listed or to lift their score. The inspection is carried out by our own specialists and the score reflects only what they find on the ground.
Why 17 out of 22, and not full marks?
No hotel is perfect, and demanding 22/22 would leave the list empty. Seventeen is high enough to guarantee quality across every area while allowing for the small trade-offs every real hotel has.
What happens if a hotel gets worse after you list it?
Every hotel is re-inspected at least once every 18 months, and we watch guest feedback in between. If a property drops below 17 — a tired buffet, building work next door, a slide in service — it is removed until it recovers.
See the hotels that made the list
Every property on GoToBeach has passed this inspection. Browse the collection, or talk to the specialist who scored it.
Explore hand-picked hotels →