Elounda Mare Relais & Châteaux Hotel

the elounda mare exceeded our expectations! crete is absolutely beautiful & this resort is so special. the staff is extremely welcoming & they accommodate to you in whatever you need. the grounds are gorgeous & there are lots of things to do!

We had a wonderful Easter here and would definitely recommend it. We stayed in one of the bungalows with a private pool (€80/day to heat it—not cheap, but worth it since the sea and main pool were pretty freezing). The sea views were absolutely stunning—from the bed, the terrace, and the pool. The layout of the bungalows is cleverly designed so you don’t see your neighbors and they don’t see you, which makes for a very private stay. Our bungalow (#6) was spacious enough for a family of three, with comfy beds, a great selection of pillows, and plenty of cupboard space. The bathroom was recently renovated, and it showed—fabulous marble,shower, bathtub. Breakfast was lovely, with a wide variety of food and great coffee. Once again, you get those amazing sea views from the breakfast room. There were plenty of water sports on offer—we tried the crazy sofa and jet ski, both loads of fun. The hotel grounds are beautifully maintained, with thoughtful landscaping that in some areas makes it feel more like a little village than a resort. The beach and rocks were lovely too—clear water and plenty of deck chairs. Only downside: the beach bar prices. €5.50 for a tiny cappuccino in a paper cup felt a bit much. We really appreciated the tasteful interior design—1980s modernism, but it didn’t feel dated at all. Quite the opposite, actually—we loved it. The nearby village, with plenty of decent restaurants, is about a 20-minute walk. Did it once on a sunny day (a bit too hot) and drove after that. Huge shout-out to the brilliant staff—from reception to waiters, concierge, parking, water sports, and housekeeping. Everyone was incredibly welcoming, helpful, and friendly. Well done Elounda Mare!

We stayed as a family in August and the stay was the highlight of the holiday for all the family. From the furniture of the living rooms, to the gardens and small beach everything is perfect. We had 2 sea facing rooms the view is breathtaking both at sunrise and sunset. The staff is kind and go out of their way to be helpful and do so always with a smile on their face. We also took a boat trip to Spinalonga with Apostolos and it was amazing. A true 5 star experience unlike other places we stayed in Crete. Cannot recommend enough.

Relais & Chateaux strikes again! What an incredible stay. We had a bungalow with a private heated pool and sea view. The water taxi service to the various restaurants onsite (there are several restaurants), The quiet, serene setting, the amazing sunrise and friendly staff are to be commended. There is taxi service available to town which made it perfect for enjoying the tranquil setting and still be able to get in to town for the amazing cuisine.

DO NOT STAY HERE! I booked this resort for our family trip to Greece because of its relais and chateaux status. This resort is not worthy of 5 stars and I would not consider it luxury by any means. My two main issues were the quality and cleanliness of the rooms and the lack of customer service. We booked a deluxe pool bungalow with private pool. Not only did the room we were given not resemble the online marketing but it was also extremely basic and what I would consider uninhabitable. It was very old, smelled of must and mold, had multiple cobwebs and spiders. The hotel's response was even more abhorrent than the room itself. The front desk attendant initially claimed that this was an upgraded room (which I think is preposterous based on the terrible quality for a so called 5 star resort with relais and chateaux status) but then offered us a nicer room tomorrow. The general manager told us the conditions were "part of Cretan charm" and to just "enjoy ourselves." I asked three times for a room change (once around 7pm immediately after checking in, 8 pm on our way out to dinner, and then 11 pm on the way back to dinner at which point I was told housekeeping had left for the night so it was impossible to change rooms despite my earlier attempts.) Additionally, during my two earlier attempts for a room, I was told they were fully booked despite their website showing multiple rooms available to book. I would like to mention, I was also five months pregnant during this stay and it caused me undue stress to stay a night in this room. The next night, we were moved to a 2 bedroom pool villa with private pool. This room did resemble the pictures online and was improved in the room quality. I did still take issue with the fact that the second bedroom had an ant infestation and that there were mosquitos in the room. When we brought this up to the hotel, they did spray for ants and they gave us a mosquito repellant machine. My mom did get 4 bug bites. Overall, this was a 1-2 star experience and I am upset that I spent so much money on a subpar stay. When I book a relais and chateaux, I expect my spend to be worth it. I also do not expect to be made to feel "extra" or "picky" by hotel staff for wanting a luxury experience at a luxury resort. Even when I am staying at a non-luxury hotel, I expect bare minimums to be met such as cleanliness and a lack of insects in the room.