Elios Hill

We visited Elios Hill in early October and had another lovely family holiday. Having visited before, we were looking forward to returning, and there were plenty of highlights, particularly the family facilities, food, accommodation and fantastic staff. There were a few areas we felt could be improved, but overall we made some wonderful memories. 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Fantastic for Families Elios Hill is a brilliant choice for a family holiday. There is plenty to keep the children entertained, and the children’s areas were a real highlight for us. It’s lovely to have facilities where the little ones can play and enjoy themselves, making the holiday enjoyable for the adults as well as the children. The hotel photographers were also fantastic, and we came away with some beautiful photographs to remember our holiday by. The only downside was that some of the children’s areas are beginning to look a little tired. We noticed peeling foam protection and damage to some of the walls, so a little investment in maintenance would make these spaces even better. Unfortunately, the pool was absolutely freezing during our early October visit, which was a real shame and meant we couldn’t enjoy it as much as we would have liked. 🛏️ Beautiful, Spacious and Thoughtfully Designed Rooms The rooms were another real positive. They are lovely, spacious and really well thought out, which makes such a difference when travelling as a family. There was a real sense that the layout and use of space had been carefully considered, making the accommodation comfortable and practical without compromising on style. We were also delighted to receive a complimentary room upgrade, thanks to the incredibly accommodating reception team, which was a lovely added bonus. The housekeeping team were phenomenal too, keeping everything to an exceptionally high standard throughout our stay. 🍽️ Food and Restaurants The food was excellent overall, with the Greek restaurant being our favourite. We really enjoyed our meals there and would definitely highlight it as a must-visit. The Mexican was also enjoyable, although the service was a little slow at times. 🍸 Outstanding Bar Service and Cocktails The bar was one of the biggest highlights of our stay. The cocktails were fantastic, and the quality of the drinks really added to the experience. A special mention must go to Themis, who was genuinely brilliant. His service, personality and the way he made our time at the bar so enjoyable really stood out. He helped make our evenings memorable, and staff like him are a real asset to the hotel. Ioannis also deserves a mention for his excellent service. It’s these personal touches that make a difference and turn a good holiday into a great one. One thing we would love to see is an additional, quieter bar option in the evening. The music around the main entertainment area could be quite loud at times, and somewhere more relaxed to sit, chat and enjoy a cocktail would be a fantastic addition for guests who prefer a calmer atmosphere. 🛎️ Exceptional Staff and Service The reception staff were brilliant throughout our stay. They were welcoming, helpful and incredibly accommodating, making us feel well looked after from the outset. The housekeeping team deserve particular praise. They were phenomenal, doing an amazing job and maintaining an exceptionally high standard. Their hard work really didn’t go unnoticed. 🎭 Evening Entertainment The entertainment was okay overall, but having visited last year, we felt the entertainment team wasn’t quite as strong this time around. It was still enjoyable, but we felt there was room for improvement compared with our previous visit. A little more variety and energy, alongside the option of a quieter space in the evenings, would help cater to different guests and family preferences. ⭐ Overall Verdict We had a lovely family holiday at Elios Hill, and the positives definitely stood out. The spacious, thoughtfully designed rooms, excellent food, brilliant family facilities, fantastic cocktails and, above all, the wonderful staff made our stay special. Themis deserves particular recognition for making our bar experience so enjoyable, while the reception and housekeeping teams were equally impressive in their own ways. There are a few areas that could be improved, particularly the pool temperature, upkeep of the children’s areas and the evening atmosphere. However, Elios Hill has so much going for it as a family-friendly hotel. Thank you to the team for another memorable stay. We left with beautiful family photographs, lovely memories and plenty of reasons to look back on our holiday fondly.

This hotel is incredible. We are a family with two boys aged 9 & 7. The staff go above and beyond they are all so friendly and welcoming. They are genuinely happy friendly people who have time to ensure you are having the best time. The rooms are great. We got upgraded on arrival to junior suite then again to a one bedroom suite as it was nearing the end of season and my boys were struggling to sleep in the open plan junior suite. The one bedroom room is absolutely perfect. Two bathrooms two balconies. We loved it. The food is fabulous we could not fault it, the main restaurant buffet had so much choose. We loved the seafood, especially the whole king prawns, smoked salmon, steak fresh grilled chicken. The deserts were exceptional. The kids loved the chocolate fountain. The à laCarte restaurants were excellent. We only stay 5 star abroad as we like to go all inclusive, and we don’t really say we will return to many places but we would 100% go back to this hotel. Everywhere is immaculately kept. The only things I could see for improvement would be waiter service around the pool and bars. Soft drinks and beer in the mini fridge in the rooms. Also some bigger slides for older kids. I won’t lie the hill is steep we were at the top but the staff will happily take you up and down on hold buggy’s. Nothing was a problem for the staff at this hotel. Thanks so much Elios hill hotel from the Tainton family.

Elias Hills far exceeded our expectations, we had a beautiful view of the sea to one side and the hills on the other. The hotel was peaceful, clean and very welcoming. The staff were very pleasant and helpful. When the reception staff knew we were going out for the day she ordered a pack lunch that we could take with us. We have travelled to many different hotels around the world but we have never been offered pack lunch before😊 The food was generally good and the al cart restaurant was good. We have grandchildren and would definitely bring them here with the water park facility and well thought out children’s area. The infinity pool was fantastic and very clean as all the pools. Would definitely return and hopefully very soon!

We have just spent a very relaxing week here. Firstly, I just read a review that stated that the only snacks were burgers or nuggets and chips. This isn't true at all and I wouldn't want anyone to be put off by that, as I would have been disappointed to read. At the waterpark/infinity pool bar there are pots of two choices of salads, burgers, nuggets, chips, pots of watermelon, cake and ice creams. At the adults only pool a very short walk away, there are different choices of salads, overnight oats, cereal bars, fruit and tortilla wraps to name a few. All takeaway so it wouldn't matter if you were getting for children. At the lower bar there are ice creams, doughnuts and crepes made fresh from 10am - 6pm come rain or shine, and that it did. Well done to Norman for powering through. The food in the buffet is really good, the fish was excellent, much more choice of fish than other hotels we've been to. There is an adults only section to eat in if you'd like more peace and quiet. The food in the Asian restaurant we did think was fairly poor but that was the only one disappointment of the week. Those who had the sushi were pleased with it so I would order the sushi next time. The Mexican and the Cretan we enjoyed and enjoyed the bottled wine as the wine in the buffet and Asian restaurant is not good. Sorry to the local supplier but it's not good and neither is the beer. Sorry again! The hotel is lovely, very smart looking and made pretty with planting. The kids areas were fantastic, open all day, covered soft play areas, pool table, arcade, playstation available with supervision, football, pitch. There is also tennis and paddle available to all. There are two on site shops which were priced well. Personally I wouldn't take older teens here as I think they would get bored very, very quickly as there's no where really for them to go off to for a bit of freedom. We did walk to the Cretan museum down the hill but the road is very dangerous as there's no real pavement/crossing. We did get the hotel bus to the beach which from the reviews seems to have caused people some awkwardness. Basically you are ushered into a beach bar as they have an agreement with the hotel, not sure if the bar provides the bus but it may seem that way. Anyway, we were offered 4 sun loungers and 2 umbrellas for 40 euros and we were actually happy with that as the loungers were very comfy. We weren't approached again or encouraged to buy any food or drinks but we did and they were very good and very well priced. The staff were very nice. We didn't go again because the weather changed for the worse but we would have done. The sea was lovely. The pools are lovely. They were cold but if you had a cold shower to adjust they were lovely. Luckily our room was close so we could pop off for a warm shower and dry clothes after. We didn't use the spa but it is absolutely stunning to look at, we did use the gym, nothing too exciting to say about that, it has everything you need other than good air con. The only thing I'd say should be thought about is the lack of a quiet bar of an evening, but I guess in better weather people could sit in more outside areas, as it was winter everyone was in together and it did get loud. We did also miss that you couldn't get a drink in a glass anywhere in the day other than when it was raining and the cloud bar was open. This bar is usually not open until 5pm. It's nice to have the choice in the day of getting a nice drink in a glass, on a comfortable chair, we couldn't get that with lunch as the wine and beer isn't good at all I'm afraid. I think for a 5 star that would really have helped elevate it. The welcome we received was felt throughout the week and I would like to praise every member of staff as the place really did have a very happy, friendly atmosphere. We would certainly like to return one day. Room amenities: hairdryer, conditioning shampoo, shower gel, body lotion, handwash. A kettle, bottle of water per person per day. V basic coffee and tea sachets and the dreaded uht, we didn't touch these. We also had 3 little bottles of pop on day of arrival, but my sister's room didn't.

What a fantastic stay! From the moment we arrived, we felt genuinely welcome. Everything you would expect from a five-star hotel and more! The accommodation was beautiful, the food was absolutely delicious, and the entire hotel had such a lovely atmosphere. Everything was well taken care of, but what really made the difference was the amazing staff. Everyone was incredibly friendly, helpful, and always happy to go the extra mile. A few special shoutouts: Anastasia – Thank you for all the amazing restaurant recommendations! You certainly know where the good food is in Crete, and every recommendation was spot on! Sofia – Thank you for your heroic efforts to get Netflix working for us! 😂 We really appreciated your patience and determination! Michael – A big thank you for the lovely room upgrade! Such a wonderful surprise and a great way to make our stay even more special. It’s the little things and the people behind them that turn a great holiday into an unforgettable one. We had an absolutely wonderful time, made some beautiful memories, and couldn’t have asked for a better experience. Thank you to the whole team for such a fantastic stay. We will definitely be back! ❤️