Elounda Mare

My sister and I traveled to Crete for an annual birthday trip. Neither of us had been to Greece before and Elounda Mare and Crete did not disappoint. I cannot say enough positive things about the resort. It is stunningly gorgeous! The bungalows are spaced to maximize privacy and are beautifully appointed with marble and traditional Greek furnishings and decor. We stayed in a 2 bedroom superior bungalow with a private pool (Bungalow 1/1A). The location was amazing! It was an easy walk to the main pool (which we only used once since we had our own pool), the bar, breakfast restaurant and lobby area. My bathroom was 200+ square feet. Everything was a gorgeous marble, floors and walls alike. The closets were so elaborate and beautifully appointed my sister took pictures of how they were laid out as she was getting ready to do a remodel of hers. Our rooms were cleaned multiple times daily, including an evening turn down service. Our pool was spotless and the water was pleasantly refreshing. The pictures of this resort and the rooms truly do not do it justice. The grounds are immaculate and the flora and fauna are so interesting and lovely. There are so many serene, private places to just sit and enjoy the views. We visited the beach bar and chairs and loved them but really found the chairs on the rocks on the edge of the ocean were our shangri-la! We ate at all of the resorts restaurants as well as several of the sister resorts, all easily accessible by the resort's shuttle boat and the food was scrumptious at every one of them. The atmosphere at each restaurant is completely different, as is the menu, so be sure to venture out and try them all! The staff went over the top to accommodate every request, leaving us special gifts and treats in our rooms. The champagne breakfast started every day out right! The breakfast buffet was the best I have every experienced anywhere in the world. The variety allowed us to not be bored in the 11 days we indulged in the offerings. We only ordered off the breakfast menu once because we loved the buffet assortment so much. We were lucky enough to have a reservation at The Old Mill while a Michelin starred chef was visiting and had the most amazing meal we've ever had the privilege to enjoy. It was truly over the top, both visually and gastronmically! The staff greeted us by name every time they saw us. I have no idea how they memorize so many guests' names so quickly. George, the bartender, affectionately called us "his girls" each time we walked through the lobby (and we're in our upper 50's Lol!) and had a glass of champagne ready for us by the time we made it down the lobby steps to the bar. We were given a large bag of fresh oregano from one of the staff that I am still cooking with and it is so much sweeter than anything I've ever grown in the U.S. The resort does have a lot of walking on multiple levels, which might not be easy for those with mobility issues, but our villa was accessible by a ramp (albeit cobblestone) and was the closest to the lobby, yet had stunning ocean views and a lovely garden so would be an easier one to book, and the main hotel building would be accessible as well. We enjoyed a full spa-day at the Six Senses Spa that was out of this world. The structure itself is stunning, with multiple indoor and outdoor pools, steam rooms, saunas, a hammam and luxurious treatments using local products made of the precious greek olive oil that make your skin feel like silk. We enjoyed all of our treatments and bought several of the products used in our treatments we loved them so much. The weekly cocktail reception was lovely to attend to meet other guests, the manager and staff so be sure to partake in that. I would return to this resort without hesitation and cannot recommend it highly enough.

Absolutely unreal special place. Best beach ever and great service. TVs could do with an upgrade however it does not matter as the nature of this place is why you would come.

29 years ago we honeymooned here. Time passed and we finally found our way back. It has only become better one better. Our room had a private pool with stunning views. The food was outrageous. And the service, from welcome, to servers to cleaning staff were courteous, helpful and friendly. Truly an amazing experience at every step and at every moment. And the facilities and grounds are impeccable. If you stay here and don’t love it, that is a YOU problem.

First visited over 30 years ago and , as ever, warmly welcomed on arrival and found all the staff so friendly and helpful throughout our stay. So lovely to see so many familiar faces as well. We start to relax as soon as we arrive. Our Bungalow ( No 3 ) was well positioned, spacious and with great views. We loved the bungalow pool which is great to relax in and around. Soon slipped into the timeless, classical ways of the Elounda Mare with its lovely grounds ( so well looked after by the staff), great restaurants , beach and main pool. The sea was still delightfully warm starting with our lovely swim before breakfast across the bay. We loved the Dine Around facility giving access to the restaurants at all three hotels with a convenient shuttle service and particularly the boat service .Really high standard with our favourite being The Old Mill ( great management team and sommelier) , We thought the Il Burro restaurant had improved since last visit and Sumosan is always most enjoyable. Friday night " Fish Night" at the Yacht Club is always a great evening with so many different choices and the restaurant setting is superb. So convenient to have the excellent Spa facilities at one of the sister hotels which provides great treatments. Only slight criticism was that twice in the fortnight we were there, restaurants were unavailable because of private functions. First time at the Yacht Club was not so much of a problem as that restaurant is open every night but The Mill was closed on one of the only three days it was open and one would have thought that it could have been hired out on one of the " closed nights" or it could have been opened to guests on another night. Excellent friendly staff throughout the hotel who also helped organise a couple of trips to vist more of Crete and who help to create a most enjoyable holiday. Till the next time!

I can not say enough good things about this hotel. The hospitality was amazing! The staff was exceptional. Joanna was lovely, fun and friendly… she gave us the best advice on what to do. Don’t skip the spa!!!!! Thank you Elounda Mare!