Domes of Elounda, Autograph Collection, Crete

We are a family of 2 adults and 3 children ages 12, 14, 17 and just returned from a relaxing and beautiful 4 night stay at Domes of Elounda. My children stayed in a spacious family suite and even had their own outdoor sitting area with a jacuzzi. My husband and I were surprised to be upgraded to a beautiful suite in the new adults only part of the resort. At first, I was a little put off by the fact that it was about a 5 minute buggy ride from where my children were staying. But when we walked into our newly built, huge, gorgeous suite with its own large terrace and breathtaking view out to Spinalonga, I got over it! We appreciated all the small touches in our suite, such as the welcome gifts of Cretan liquer, the boxes of Nespresso pods, the complimentary water, the handheld steamer that actually worked, the yoga mat and block, the speaker that we could actually crank up without disturbing any neighbours, the luxurious toiletries provided (especially the body lotion), the very effective blackout curtain in the sleeping area. My only (small) complaint if I had to make one would be the light switches were very confusing and I didn't like how they automatically turned on so brightly when getting up to use the toilets in the middle of the night. Also there was a bad smell in the closet which we reported but no one ever addressed- I had to spray it down with body spray every day. Another not-so-great part of our stay I would have to say was the food options. The breakfast buffet was mediocre compared to other 5 resorts we have stayed at. Lunches at the pool and beach bars were good, the Villebrequin restaurant at the beach had a nice setting but the food should have been better for the price. Because we hadn't booked ahead of time, we were only able to get last minute dinner bookings at Blend (twice) and the adults only restaurant Antonino's (while we sent our kids to the dinner buffet which they said was decent). The food was good, nothing spectacular. But the waitstaff were always fabulous and helpful. We preferred the atmosphere at Blend. We thought Antonino's would be good because it is adults only and they were having a DJ the night we went, but there was no vibe at all. Actually, it there was really no vibe at night anywhere in the resort. Maybe this was because it was the end of the season? But the resort did seem busy...so I'm not sure where everyone was at night! We had just stayed at another resort earlier in the week that had live music events in it's main bar area. And although it wasn't super busy, there were still people and more of an atmosphere. Perhaps because Domes of Elounda is such a big resort and more spread out, it's hard for people to congregate in a main area. I am not usually one to seek out entertainment options at resorts (I find most to be super cheesy) but I do notice and miss the option when it isn't available! It was nice for the kids to have a teen area to hang out, although they said it was empty. Perhaps some evening activities aimed at older kids would be nice to have. For example, in another resort we stayed at they had movie nights on a big screen a the beach. To end on a positive note, the outdoor workout area is very impressively equipped with a beautiful view. The efficiency of the excellent buggy drivers made getting around such a huge resort manageable. The views were spectacular. Every staff we interacted with was helpful and kind. The beach was lovely and the family pool was heated to a comfortable temp for us to enjoy in October. The departure gifts were also very special and much appreciated!

We returned to Domes with our three children and also my parents having not been since 2019. It was as special and beautiful as we remembered. As always, the staff and the atmosphere they create are what sets Domes apart from the other resorts we’ve stayed at. Huge thanks to Lilly and the team in Haute Living for thinking of everything. We look forward to coming back soon!

Superb stay , the staff are hard working and nothing is too much trouble , always pleasant and have time to speak . Rooms are immaculate, well designed and equipped. The grounds are stunning , wonderfully landscaped , with beautiful flowers , herbs and grasses, miles of paths to walk within the site . Beautiful Plaka and Elounda within walking distance . Food is plentiful and offers a wide variety. Thanks to Stella and the team for a fabulous holiday.

We had an excellent time at Domes of Elounda this October. The beach was beautiful, with calm and shallow waters perfect for young children. We also enjoyed renting a pedalo with a slide! The family pool was another hit - plenty of space whether you wanted to sit in the sun or shade. Ours are older, but we also spotted a smaller very shallow pool that would be perfect for tinies (situated in shade). The room we stayed in was perfect for us. The boys had their own space on the pull out couch and the terraced area (with hot tub) was an ideal space to share a bottle of wine in the evening while they slept. Housekeeping kept the room beautifully clean and tidy during our stay, even providing a turn down service (with Halloween treats one evening)! The most amazing part of staying at Domes was the customer service - particularly Stella and the Guest Relations Team. They could not have done more for us, and my older son was positively enamoured with Stella throughout his stay! The team dropped off some little toys and gifts for them, arranged for fizz and chocolate mousse cake for our anniversary, and checked in on us frequently - nothing was too big an ask! They even kindly accommodated our friends (who were staying at Phaea Blue next door - beautiful but far less family-friendly in terms of the hotel itself and stony beach) to allow us to have fun seeing them during our trip. We can’t thank Stella enough!

We spent a week here in two adjoining apartments with plunge pools. The apartments were very good, clean and the room service was exceptional. The private pools were equally clean but quite cold and often in the shade as was the balcony area. The resort facilities were luxurious and the food was of a very high standard. The man made beach was lovely with water sports available also a running track around the complex for daily joggers and a well equipped gym. The kids club was average our lot were bored after one visit although they did attend a couple of the evening events there, nice people but la little lacking in space and outdoor equipment. The kids games room was very basic. The funicular was good for getting around. The resort is very well run and the staff are amazingly well trained and helpful. The main problem seems to be the lack of space for sunbeds. We were not the only visitors amazed that for an exclusive resort there is so little space/capacity for sunbeds. This results in waiting around the pool bars until beds become available or getting up before breakfast to claim your beds and not leaving them unattended for longer that 20 minutes. I saw at least three families returning from a swim in the sea or a trip on the water rides to find their belongings in storage and another family on their sun beds. We used to joke about the 'sun bed police' We paid for the all inclusive rate which I would think is essential for families.