Elounda Bay Palace

We had a fantastic holiday at the Elounda Bay Palace. All the staff was so welcoming and could not do enough for us, especially for my mum with mobility issues. The rooms were comfortable, spacious and very clean. The food was delicious and lots of choice. We can’t wait to come back.

The hotel is in a beautiful location, with wonderful facilities. The grounds/pools are well kept and the staff are very attentive. We paid extra for a side sea view and in hindsight it really wasn’t worth it. Our room (main reception block, 3rd floor) was very old fashioned, with a small balcony which did not get any sun. While these rooms can sleep 3 (2 adults and a child) there is not enough space to accommodate the luggage that comes with 3 people. Not enough wardrobe space or places to store cases and the space that is available soon becomes a bit messy. The hotel marketing states that there is a TV in the room with up to 30 tv/music channels. We certainly didn’t have this in our room. The reception and picture quality on our TV was poor, with only 1 English speaking channel available (Sky news). Food quality and selection was fantastic, with plenty to choose from at breakfast and dinner. Fussy kids are well catered for, with options of pizza and spaghetti on every night, but no chips. Much has been mentioned about there being no “free” drink with dinner and this is really where the hotel falls down in my opinion. A glass of house red/white or a soft drink would not break the bank when you consider how much it costs to stay here. The majority of guests simply drink water (5 euros a bottle) The cost of other food and drink in the hotel is ridiculous and it was hard not to feel that we were being ripped off. Kid’s lunch options at the hotel are around 13 euros and adult meals 20+ euros. Milkshakes and freshly squeezed juice are 10 euros. It is an easy 5-10 min walk into Elounda to pick up more reasonably priced supplies from the supermarket. (Take a right at the sign to Nina’s for a more picturesque walk into the town) For the first half of our stay, there were very few Brits staying at the hotel. Each morning we would stroll down to the sun beds and find plenty to choose from. The second half, the Brits descended and then the ridiculous reserving sun-beds started. One family taking up at least 10 prime position spots and then not appearing until just before 11am. Hotels really do have to put a stop to this! If we came back to Crete we would not return to the Elounda Bay Palace.

Another wonderful stay at the Elounda Bay Palace. From the minute you arrive until you say farewell, the team here make you feel so special. Being greeted when you are dropped and the friendly, relaxed check in process help you settle before being shown to your room. We had a deluxe sea view bungalow this stay, it was immaculate and the views were amazing. The quality and choices of food in the buffet restaurant, for breakfast and dinner, are wonderful, the wine choices are plentiful. The team that work the restaurants are so helpful and attentive. The Sail Inn bar is a must for an evening drink, we were lucky enough to be there when the guy with saxophone was playing on a Sunday. The bar also serves the beach ate during the day, cocktails on your sun lounger are a must. The grounds of the hotel are vast, beautifully maintained, and the beach is spotless with plenty of beds and parasols available. The guys working the beach area are always on hand. The second beach is smaller, but if you like your water sports, there’s a great choice from there. Elounda and the surrounding areas are stunning, and some of the views from the hotel are fantastic. All of the staff we encountered were so pleasant and dedicated to making your stay special. The hotel manager, Dimitris Theodoroglakis, is an absolute gentleman, he has a hotel and team to be truly proud of, thank you once again for helping make our stay so good.

Location 10/10 Services 10/10 Experience 10/10 Staff 10/10 Room 7/10 ( the one we stayed outdated , needs an update asap) In general is amazing hotel but age has accumulated and a good revamp needs to be performed. Once done, this place will be second to none. Are we going to stay again … absolutely YES!

The location of the hotel is stunning with the dramatic backdrop of the sea and the mountains. The gardens are lovely providing shade and there are very few people in the swimming pool outside so that also felt luxurious. You could always get a sun lounger and there was a staff member who always helped me get the towels etc for the sun loungers. We did not use the indoor poor because it was very close to toilets and there was a bit of a smell but I guess that can't be helped. There were 2 toilets serving the pool area that I could see and only one was useable because the other wouldn't flush. The gardens were a step away from the small inlet, going into the small beach area/sea - which was lovely. The Classic room was disappointing as it was so dated. We did eventually get used to it but it is not five star accommodation. There is nothing wrong with the room but it is just not five star. We didn't know how to operate the air conditioning. I guess I should have gone and asked but I didn't. I stayed in Rhodes a couple of years ago at a 5 star hotel which was luxury and I think if you had that hotel with the wonderful views from this hotel, it would have been perfect. The rooms were always clean and acceptable but more like 3 star - however, we did get used to it. There was a gentleman working in the area where we had breakfast and he was a real asset for the hotel. He was friendly and always made us feel welcome. Finally, the highlight of the holiday was a boat trip to Spinalonga and the guide was exceptional - intelligent, genuinely friendly and there was real value for money on this trip. They gave us food and drink, took us to Spinalonga and then another island and the whole trip to Spinalonga via the Jet2Holiday boat tour was a five star experience, I will never forget.