Nema Design Hotel & Spa

This was our first stay at an SLH property, and we were blown away! From futuristic design and high tech rooms, to a warm, yet professional welcome, the wow-factors kept on coming. Our Hilton Honors Gold status was rewarded with an upgrade to a split level suite, enhanced by a generous terrace and full size hot tub. Literally, wow. We were accompanied to the room, along a series of sci-fi like corridors as a continuation of the check-in process and the delight of revealing the room was entirely evident on our hosts face - sadly her name escapes us. The curtains opened automatically on our arrival, revealing a thoughtful welcome gift and personalised note. High tech gadgets and gizmos, from an information laden tablet to intelligent lighting, can be found throughout the room. This took us some time to figure out - something our children would have found hilarious! Sound-proofing was excellent. The thickness of our door must easily have been that of a vault! We took advantage of the hotels weekly Cretan night in the a-la-carte restaurant, which was about as authentic as it gets. Delicious starters, chargrilled meat and local wine, all accompanied by traditional live music, again - wow. Breakfast is served in the main restaurant and is an international buffet with some local touches. Our only issue was the wait for a coffee. The hotel insists on table service for this, rather than a self-service machine; a nice idea but needs improving. Around the hotels main pool, there are enough sun lounges to accommodate approximate half the guests. This was not a problem for us but it might be an issue in peak season. However, the hotel also has it's own sun loungers on part of Analipsi beach - literally just across the road. This is well maintained throughout the day, and raked every evening. We were intrigued to discover a more exclusive area, which was described by staff as a hotel within a hotel. After enquiring more about it, we learned a special day pass was required to gain access. This hotel is not by any means cheap, but it doesn't cut any corners. Analipsi is a small town, offering a bit of everything, from family run tavernas to international resorts. We ate out a few times, enjoying local Cretan and Greek classics and felt welcome wherever we went. We have developed a new love of Cretan wine, however, raki still provokes a "yee-haw" reaction... the jury is out on that! Nema Design hotel, in one word - wow!

We were extremely disappointed with our stay at this hotel. Despite its beautiful design, our experience was marked by disrespect, indifference, and problems that should not exist in a hotel of this supposed standard. One of our biggest disappointments was the attitude of the staff. We had the impression that some employees felt entitled to judge guests by their appearance, look them up and down, laugh at them, and change their attitude depending on how they were dressed or what social status they assumed they had. Respect should never depend on the clothes someone wears or on appearances. Every guest deserves the same courtesy, kindness, and consideration. The room conditions were also far below our expectations. The shower cabin was missing its door, causing water to spill all over the bathroom floor. As a result, I had to wipe up the water myself after showering. On our last day, the lights in the room also kept cutting out repeatedly, adding yet another inconvenience to our stay. However, the most unpleasant part was our final day. After checking out at 11:00 AM, we had to wait until 9:00 PM for the car that was supposed to take us to the airport. During those ten hours, we felt completely neglected. We were left in the cold, without even being offered water, and without the slightest sign of care or concern from the hotel staff. The attitude we encountered was one of complete indifference, as if our comfort no longer mattered once we had checked out. A hotel is not just about elegant design it is about hospitality, respect, and genuine care for people. Unfortunately, our experience proved otherwise. We left deeply disappointed, with the feeling that we had been judged and treated according to appearances rather than as paying guests who deserved proper service and respect. Based on our experience, we would not recommend this hotel. The property may look impressive at first glance, but the attitude of the staff and the lack of care for guests left us with a very bitter impression

This place is absolutely stunning! We stayed in the ESO suites, the hotel within the hotel, and were absolutely blown away. Everything is done to the highest standard, cleaners in twice a day, all the staff so cheery and helpful - literally nothing to fault at all. The food is top notch, cocktails were great as well and at night time the ambience is absolutely magical. If you can treat yourself to stay in a suite then definitely go for it, you won’t be disappointed!

I had a really nice deep tissue massage at the spa. It was very relaxing and exactly what I needed. The therapist was great and I left feeling refreshed and relaxed, couldn’t recommend it more!

We really enjoyed our time at the spa. It smelled so nice and fresh, and the whole place had such a nice feel to it. Would definitely come back!